Corunna City Manager Joe Sawyer graduated from Corunna High School in 1985. He went on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating in 1989. After officer basic training in Fort Bliss, Texas, he joined the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. As an air defense officer with 3-4 ADA Battalion, Sawyer was deployed to Operation Desert Storm for the Gulf War.
Sawyer returned home in 1992 and organized Proton Developments, L.L.C. (a real estate development and management company). He joined up with the 144th Military Police Company in Owosso, and served as a platoon leader and company commander of the unit. In 1994 he was first elected to the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners, representing the City of Corunna, Caledonia Charter Township, and Precinct 2-1 of the City of Owosso. In 1995, Sawyer was deployed with the 210th Military Police Battalion of Taylor, Michigan (headquarters to the 144th), to the United States Army Europe to serve in Operation Joint Endeavor.
In 2001, Sawyer resigned from 6+ years on the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners to take the job as Corunna City Manager.
As our City Manager, he serves as the city representative to the Shiawassee Area Transportation Agency (SATA) Board, Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership (SEDP) Board, Mid-County Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) Review Board, and Economic Development Fund (EDF) Committee. He serves as the Corunna Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Director and City of Corunna Finance Director.
Joe is actively involved in the community, serving as a member of the Corunna VFW Post 4005 and the Corunna Rotary Club. He is also the webmaster for both the City of Corunna and Corunna Rotary Club websites. Joe loves to promote community activity and events. He is currently in charge of the beard growing contest for the Corunna Sesquicentennial Celebration (150 years) to be held in September 2008. This would explain his unsightly appearance!
