Burt Township (Cheboygan Co.) Supervisor Harold Koviak has been elected president of the Michigan Townships Association (MTA). Serving more than 99% of Michigan’s 1,240 townships—which includes more than 6,500 elected leaders plus tens of thousands of additional township appointed officials, staff and volunteers—MTA is the largest municipal association in the state, and one of the largest in the nation. Koviak was elected Association president by his township peers at MTA’s 2025 Annual Educational Conference, held March 31-April 3 in Grand Rapids.
Koviak, who has served as township supervisor since 2002, was first elected to the MTA Board of Directors in 2013. Before becoming MTA president, he served as director of MTA District 5, which encompasses Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet Counties.
“It is my privilege and absolute honor to represent township officials throughout the state as president of the Michigan Townships Association,” Koviak said. “I urge township officials to join with MTA in the continued efforts to retain local authority to ensure that we are able to continue serving our communities in the way that locally elected leaders and our residents best see fit.
A key focus of Koviak’s time as MTA president will be encouraging the next generation of local leaders. “Public service is an honor,” he said. “It is critical for our current leaders to mentor and encourage new individuals to become involved in serving their communities. Township officials should look for those individuals—especially those who are young, or young at heart—who can take their place on the township board, recruit them, and mentor them in the roles and responsibilities of that elected office.”
Koviak earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ferris State University, and a master’s degree in banking from the University of Wisconsin. He began his career in township government as a zoning administrator, where he served for eight years before being elected township trustee. He served in that position for two years until he was elected supervisor. Koviak was a Michigan High School Athletic Association basketball referee for nearly four decades, and was awarded for his refereeing by the local community.
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The Michigan Townships Association advances local democracy by fostering township leadership and public policy essential for a strong and vibrant Michigan.
Photo by David Trumpie, Trumpie Photography