Board Members
Governor appoints MAP Vice President to MCOLES
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor with excerpts from The Macomb Daily
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer selected MAP Executive Board Vice President Mike Kunath to serve on the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) in August.
Kunath, a Sterling Heights Police Officer, is completing the four-year term of the late Rich Heins, MAP Labor Relations Specialist and MCOLES Commissioner since December 2016. Heins unexpectedly passed away April 28, 2019 after developing serious infections. Kunath was nominated by MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner to fill MAP’s seat, with a term expiring Dec. 31, 2021.
“It was an honor when Fred Timpner asked me to apply for this position,” Kunath said. “I will be glad to help MAP and MAP members as much as I can.”
Kunath worked alongside Heins for many years, serving as Sterling Heights Police Officers Association (POA) Board member since 2005 and as Grievance Chairman until January 2018. When Heins retired as MAP Executive Board President and Sterling Heights POA President in 2018, Kunath was elected as Executive Board Vice President and President of Sterling Heights POA. He’s served on the negotiations team through four contract negotiations.
Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski said the department is proud to have Kunath represent the men and women of law enforcement as an MCOLES Commissioner. "Mike has spent the majority of his career on the road handling every conceivable type of police run you can think of," Dwojakowski said in an article in The Macomb Daily. "Mike is a senior officer who knows his job and is always willing to help out our younger officers. He is also well versed in union issues."
The 46-year-old has served as a Sterling Heights Police Officer for 24 years. He has worked as a Field Training Officer, certified Glock and Remington Armorer, and spent six years as a Defensive Tactics Instructor. Prior to that, Kunath was a police officer in Oscoda Township for four months and Royal Oak Township for eight months. He has an associate degree in Law Enforcement from Macomb Community College and completed the Macomb Police Academy in 1993.
New MAP Board President plans to continue growing membership
By Jennifer Gomori, MAP Editor
Mike Hawkins has spent most of his career as a MAP member and representative, so it seemed a natural fit to take over as the new MAP Executive Board President when former President Rich Heins announced his retirement in December.
“Rich Heins did a great job,” Hawkins said. “When there was a vacancy and Fred reached out to see if I was interested, I felt I served enough time on the current board to step up and help out.”
A Trenton Police Lieutenant and member of Trenton Inspectors and Lieutenants Association, Hawkins began his law enforcement career at Gibraltar Police in 2000. He joined Trenton Police in 2001, becoming a K9 Officer and serving 
as local police union President for 10 years. He was voted onto MAP’s Executive Board in 2011, taking over the Treasurer’s position when a co-worker retired. He was later voted Executive Board Vice President.
“I replaced Rich Lyons when he was getting ready to retire. He was the Treasurer of MAP,” Hawkins said. “We (Trenton Police, Inspectors and Lieutenants) have been with MAP for as long as I’ve been here, and I’ve been here for 18 years.”
He’s felt honored to fill vacancies on the Executive Board, given all the Union has done for him and his co-workers. “When we went to the Defined Contribution pension system, MAP was a big part of helping us get back into the (Employer paid) pension,” Hawkins said. “We went from Defined Contribution to Defined Benefit and we were one of the only departments in the nation that went back into the pension system through our negotiations.”
Read more: New MAP Board President plans to continue growing membership
MAP Executive Board Officers
MAP Board Members
The Michigan Association of Police Executive Board Members
Executive Officers
President:
Michael Hawkins
Trenton Inspectors & Lieutenants Association, 2872 W. Jefferson, Trenton MI 48183
Vice President:
Mike Kunath
Sterling Heights Police Department, 40333 Dodge Park Road, Sterling Heights MI 48313
Secretary:
Ricky Day
Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 West Grand Blvd, Detroit MI 48202
Treasurer:
Al Knapp
Waterford Township Police Department, 5150 Civic Center Dr., Waterford MI 48329
Executive Director:
Fred Timpner
Michigan Association of Police
667 E. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 109, Troy, MI 48083
Executive Administrator:
Julie Palmquist
Michigan Association of Police
667 E. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 109, Troy, MI 48083
