On Wednesday, August 12, Rachel Witherspoon submitted a letter of resignation to the Village Council and Village Staff. It came as an unexpected announcement. Her closing comments at the August 10 Council meeting conveyed excitement about Homecoming events and her anticipation of going with the Village staff to the sandcastle contest on their lunch hour Friday.
After the former Village Manager was terminated in March 2024, the Village hired Steve Brock as an Interim Manager to serve June 1 - November 1. To help make a smooth transition with the new manager, Brock overlapped one month with Witherspoon, who began her tenure in October 2024.
Although her reasons for resigning remain confidential, Witherspoon wrote she was proud of what she had achieved and she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the Pentwater community. “While I am going to miss the Village of Pentwater, I am proud to have accomplished so much in the last 10 months with our capable team…we have nearly finished a $7 million water project, established the first code enforcement program, helped secure $2.2 million in USACE funding for our Pentwater Harbor, improved our Village infrastructure, and established new lines of communication.”
She expressed confidence in the village staff to carry forward the quality of service, skills, and integrity she experienced with them. She expects Pentwater to thrive long into the future.
Mary Marshall, Pentwater Village Council President, responded publicly with a letter thanking Witherspoon for her leadership and contributions to the village, and wished her well.
