Oakland County Drain Commissioner

I have brought numerous innovations to my job of drain commissioner. Early in my tenure, I tapped the power of television to help promote the importance of clean water to all the citizens of Oakland County. After all, with personal appearances, speeches, letter writing, PowerPoint slide presentations and Congressional testimony already being utilized, I felt it was natural to incorporate cable TV to the litany of methods available to spread the message of clean water.

I became the first drain commissioner to host a cable TV show devoted to protecting the environment and promoting the benefits of preserving our most precious resource – clean fresh water. The show is entitled: H²Oakland, a clever play on words combining the chemical symbol for water H²O, and Oakland.

I can’t think of many things that are more important than water quality. This show helps people understand what goes into the process of preserving and protecting clean water.

John P. McCulloch
The Right Choice

Embracing progressive and innovative
solutions for our regional challenges.


Under my stewardship as drain commissioner, the Oakland County Drain Commissioner’s Office became the first facility of its kind in the entire nation to become ISO-certified. I’m proud of that important accomplishment and would like to tell you a little bit about what being ISO certified means. First of all, it’s a tremendous honor and a true testament to the conscientious and hard-working men and women of our organization who made it possible.

I know many people in Oakland County are familiar with ISO because of its powerful presence in the auto industry; but for those who are new to the term, ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from more than 140 countries. Established in 1947 as a non-governmental organization, its mission is to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view toward facilitating the international exchange of goods and services.

For me, ISO represents a commitment. It's a commitment to excellence and a commitment to improved, verifiable and repeatable quality. It tells our customers and our constituents in the 61 cities, villages and township in Oakland County that my commitment extends, first and foremost, to them.

But when we talk about commitment, I can't say enough about the leadership and commitment of men and women in our office who championed this initiative and saw it through to completion.

I’m also proud of the fact that I took stock of our operation and saw an opportunity for improved customer service and a renewed commitment to excellence.

As I’ve said countless times during my tenure as drain commissioner, water does not start or stop at jurisdictional boundaries. That’s why I’m focusing on cooperative efforts both at the municipal level and across county boundaries. The commandments from ISO will help us deal effectively with these challenging times.


When I was honored by the Friends of the Rouge, with its “Best Friend of the Rouge Award” I gave the lion’s share of the credit to the nearly 250 hard-working men and women from my office who are the front-line soldiers in the battle to preserve and protect water quality. The Friends of the Rouge is a non-profit organization dedicated to promotion, restoration and stewardship of the Rouge River through education and citizen involvement. I just can’t say enough about my staff for their tireless efforts in this important area. I’m proud to be associated with these real heroes in the area of environmental protection.


In my bid for re-election, I’m asking the voters to re-hire me. In other words, I’m requesting that my contract be renewed for another four years. I have done a good job for you during these past four years. There have been numerous benefits to Oakland County during my tenure as your drain commissioner. The millions of dollars saved in reduced interest payments and improved efficiency in the office are only part of the story. There still is unfinished business. Much more needs to be done. Initiatives designed to address water and sewer rates, protect the environment and preserve water quality are still works in progress. I am asking you to let me continue to do the job for you.

As with a candidate for any job, I’m providing you with a copy of my resume. I trust it will help you determine my qualifications and will convince you that I am the right choice to continue to be your drain commissioner and do the job I have been doing for you conscientiously for the past four years.

Thank you,

Résumé

John P. McCulloch, C.P.A., A.B.V., J.D.
Royal Oak, Michigan


EMPLOYMENT

Current:
2001 – Present
Oakland County Drain Commissioner


History:
1999 – 2001
Perrin, Fordree & Company, P.C.,
Certified Public Accountants
Troy, Michigan 48084
Position: Director

1991 - 2000
Oakland County Board of Commissioners
22nd District
Position: Chairman - Board of Commissioners

1985 - 1999
McCulloch Mayette & Company, P.C.,
Certified Public Accountants
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067-0959
Position: President

1978 – 1985
Follmer, Rudzewicz & Co., P.C.
Certified Public Accountants
Southfield, Michigan, 48075
Position: Principal


EXPERIENCE

Expert/Witness

Consulting:
Business Valuation – Michigan Circuit Courts

Damage Assessment – Michigan Circuit Courts
Federal District Courts

Employee Discrimination – Michigan Circuit Courts
Income Tax/Divorce Settlements – Federal Tax Court
Michigan Circuit Courts

Speaker:
Speeches at numerous events
Professor – University of Detroit Law School – Accounting for Lawyers


CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Public Accountant, Michigan Licensed
A.B.V. – AICPA Accredited in Business Valuation
Attorney, Michigan Licensed
Real Estate Broker, Michigan Licensed
Personnel Agent Licensed (1985-1989)


EDUCATION
Graduate: Detroit College of Law, Detroit, Michigan
Juris Doctor - 1988
Undergraduate: Walsh College, Troy, Michigan
Bachelor Degree of Accountancy - 1979


PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants
Michigan Bar Association
Oakland County Bar Association
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Mediator – Oakland County Circuit Court
Michigan Association of Counties Service Corp.- President
Oakland County Drain Board
Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission
Oakland County Audit Committee - Chair (Past)
American Arbitration Association (Past)
Michigan Association of Counties – 1st Vice President (Past)
National Association of Counties (Past)
Oakland County Retirement Board (Past)
Oakland County Deferred Compensation Board (Past)
Pontiac Silverdome Authority Board (Past)
Oakland County Community Mental Health Board (Past)
Board of Directors Boys and Girls Club of South Oakland County (Past)
Board of Directors Greater Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce (Past)


PUBLICATIONS
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Strategy, Pipeline, Vol. 10, No. 3, 2001

Proposal Advocates Fairer Water Rates, The Daily Tribune, 2/13/02

There’s More Than One Road To Improving Water Quality, The Oakland Press, 2/24/02

Customer Satisfaction Reflects Quality of Drain Office’s Work, The Oakland Press, 4/6/02

Drainage Plan Crosses Boundaries to Solve Water Quality Concerns,
The Detroit Free Press, 7/19/02

Plan to Privatize Water System Needs Careful Study, The Oakland Press, 10/6/02

Addressing Water Quality Issues on a Watershed Basis: A Comprehensive Approach for Utilizing Chapter 20 of the Michigan Drain Code, Special Joint Conference of the Universities Council on Water Resources, Environmental & Water Resources Institute of ASCE, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources, and National Ground Water Association, Integrated Trans-boundary Water Management, July 23, 2002.

A Comprehensive Approach to Watershed Management and Water Quality, An International Perspective on Environmental Engineering, 2002 Joint Conference on Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Contact John: E-Mail: draincommish@netscape.net
Please be sure to include your full name and address in your message!


Oakland County Drain Commissioner John McCulloch's Web site at: http://www.co.oakland.mi.us/drain/



Web page paid for by John P. McCulloch for Drain Commissioner
1609 Cedar Hill, Royal Oak, MI 48067

(photos courtesy of John McCulloch)


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