Pat McGinnis studied pre-law and public administration at Michigan State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1985 and a master of public administration in 1988. He’s worked in the Cities of Farmington Hills, Wauwatosa (WI), West Branch, and Grand Haven before being appointed as the city manager of Portage in 2022. He’s held many leadership positions in the communities in which he’s worked and has received multiple awards from various governmental and non-governmental organizations during his career.

McGinnis chairs the Advocacy Committee of the Michigan Municipal Executives, who are on a mission to remind public leaders of the value of a professional approach to the management of our public organizations in local government.