Maria Willett

Alumna

Maria was an NUP Fellow of Das Progressive Zentrum. In her role as Chief Assistant to the Mayor of Rochester Hills, Maria leads the mayor’s key initiatives, fundraising campaigns, special events, and communications. Beyond that, Maria has been supportive to the Mayor in his role as with the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Maria is a founding member of the Young Professionals of Rochester, a founding member of the Rochester Hills Museum Young Leaders Circle Board, and most recently a founding member of Create Collective, a local arts council dedicated to proactively and intentionally bringing art into our community. Maria also serves on boards and committees for the North Oakland YMCA, the Rochester Area Youth Assistance, Michigan Women in Municipal Government and the Rochester Hills Museum Foundation.  Her leadership has been notably recognized with Crain’s Detroit 20 in the 20’s Award (2020),  the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year (2019),  and she was named as an Elite 40 Under 40 by Oakland County (2018). Maria Willett earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Masters of Public Administration from Oakland University, where she was awarded the Inaugural Promising Alumni Award.

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