In conversation with Troy City Council Candidate Dr. Theresa Brooks
Hi from the desk of semipolitical, a weekly e-newsletter about local elections and politics in Southeast Michigan. The following story is part of an interview series with women making change in Michigan.
Dr. Theresa Brooks is a City Council candidate in Troy, Michigan. Our conversation was different than others I’ve had for this series, as Dr. Brooks is in a contender in a nonpartisan race.
Dr. Brooks might be a fresh face in local politics, but she knows what she’s doing: she’s a doctor, a business owner, and mom to three (adorable) girls. If Dr. Brooks wins her race, she’ll be the first black woman on the Troy City Council.
Read on to hear about what she’s learned from her fifteen years as a physician, why she’s running for office, and what she’s planning for the City of Troy.
[Semi]political (SP): tell us about yourself!
Dr. Theresa Brooks (TB): I’m a physician, a mother of three girls, and a small business owner. I was technically born in Minnesota, but my first memories were in Michigan, where I’ve been for most of my life. I grew up in Grosse Pointe, went to the University of Michigan for undergrad, went to Michigan State for medical school, and did my internship year at Hurley Hospital in Flint. After some time in Minnesota and Chicago, I made my way back to Michigan in 2012. I decided to move to Troy about five years ago because of its strong public school system, its diversity, and its recreational programs and neighborhood feel.
SP: Who helped get you where you are today?
TB: My family in general, but especially my mother. She raised her four children with strong values, good work ethic, and an emphasis on faith and family. My mother is also a physician, and her patients absolutely adore her. I was able to see her have this amazing career while still prioritizing her family. She gave me confidence in achieving what I wanted because I saw her do it first. I hope to serve as an example for my daughters as well.
SP: What’s your favorite part about being a doctor?
TB: My relationships with my patients. What draws me to my area of practice (Physical Medicine and Rehab) is that it makes you look at people in a holistic way. Everyone has a story, and everything is interconnected. If someone has a lot of stress in their life, they might not be sleeping well or eating well, and it manifests physically. It affects their bodies, their mindset; it can cause increased pain, increased muscle spasms. All of these things are connected, not isolated. Keeping that in mind, my goal is not to just prescribe medications or treat things in a vacuum, but to help the individual as a whole.
SP: I’m curious how your work as a physician will end up translating to your work if you win City Council.
TB: In medicine, you’re working with all types of people: people from many different backgrounds, professions, socioeconomic status, etc. Your goal is to help all of them regardless of who they are, by educating them and providing them with tools to help themselves with. This translates to my philosophy of how I would work with residents of Troy.
Sometimes patients are angry because I’m running late, or they’re frustrated because they’re not getting better. I talk to them, and tell them the truth; rather than lying about what I can do, I like to admit my limitations. Being able to understand what you can and can’t do is important, and so is being honest about it. Whether someone is a patient looking to get better or a town resident looking for a solution, they can appreciate that.
SP: What made you want to run for office?
TB: I looked around and saw things on many different levels that frustrated me. I saw people not being able to work together, agendas not being able to be pushed forward, people injecting a lot of big money into politics, lack of transparency, corruption, the whole gamut — and a lot of people are frustrated.
There are, of course, a lot of good people who are doing the right thing in politics, but unfortunately it often gets overshadowed by the negative stuff. When I looked at these challenges, I decided I didn’t want to turn away from them; instead I need to turn towards them. We are our politics, we are our government, and we need to work to make them what we want. I personally want to see a positive future for my children and other people’s children. I want to help others see how people can work together, how government can do good things for people. That’s why I became passionate and decided I want to help make changes in a productive way.
SP: What will you do if you win a seat on the Troy City Council?
TB: The City Council sets the budget and agenda for the city. In other words, they manage people’s tax dollars and allocate them towards resources for the city. A lot of the tax dollars will go towards the Police Department, the Troy Rec Center, city infrastructure, keeping up the roads, keeping up the city buildings, keeping up parks and recreational areas, and more.
If I’m elected, one of my main focuses will be protecting green spaces. There’s a lot of development happening in Troy, and it’s important for us to evaluate the projects coming into the city and decide whether they make sense for the community. We need to consider potential environmental damage. The library millage will be up in the next year or two, so we need to make sure it’s adequately funded in the future. I also want to do what we can to support our seniors.
In recent years there’s been a lot of controversy with our city manager and other individuals who have held office. I want the city of Troy to get back to the basics of helping the people of Troy. Local government shouldn’t be a distraction; it should serve the community.
SP: What are you bringing to the table that you consider different or special?
TB: I think I would bring a unique voice to city council. There are some other really good people who are already on city council or who are in the running with me, so I know that even if I don’t get elected that there will be positive voices present.
As a mother, I have a unique focus on the resources that are important to the growth and development of our children, like parks, recreational areas, and the library. I want to do what’s best not just for my kids, but for all of our kids. As a small business owner, I would bring an understanding of how to balance a budget, and work within a limited amount of money to allocate resources in the most appropriate and efficient way. As a physician, I would bring empathy and caring for each and every resident.
SP: From your perspective, how does Troy fit into the larger fabric of the region and the state, and how do you think about your potential role in that context?
TB: In one way or another we’re all connected. We may live in different cities but we still have commonalities. We all want to work together towards the betterment of Michigan as a whole.
Troy is an important city — it’s the largest city in Oakland County, it has a lot of commerce, and a lot of people have their eyes on Troy for different reasons. Helping people understand that these local issues feed into a larger component can help us communicate well with other cities and communities. If one city comes up with strong ideas or a strong system, others can model after it as well. We all impact each other in many different ways.
SP: Whether or not you end up winning the campaign, what is something that you hope to take away from this whole experience?
TB: Someone recently told me that regardless of whether you lose, you win just by trying. I 100% agree. Running for office can be scary: you have to put yourself out there, and it’s not an easy thing to do. But I think it’s an important thing to do, and I strongly believe the potential risks are worth it.
Whether I win or lose, I’ve met so many amazing people along this journey; people who I hope I continue to grow my relationship with. These are people who are doing amazing things for the community, and I hope to continue to support them. So regardless of the outcome of this election, I hope I’ll continue to be a positive and helpful force, and continue to foster these relationships in my community.
