City Commission Unanimously Selects Deputy City Attorney To Lead Legal Department

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The City of Grand Rapids has chosen its new city attorney, and it's a familiar face. Deputy City Attorney Philip Strom was selected as the next city attorney by the Grand Rapids City Commission at a special meeting on Wednesday, April 1. The decision was unanimous.

Strom has been serving as interim city attorney since the retirement of Anita Hitchcock last fall. He was hired as deputy city attorney in 2019 and has led the department on an interim basis since September 2025.

"His background before joining the City was remarkably broad, and it uniquely prepared him for the work he's doing today," Mayor David LaGrand said of the unanimous decision. "I was especially struck by the way he talks about leadership. He truly sees the Department of Law as an extension of his professional family."

A Leader With Deep Roots in Grand Rapids

Strom was chosen out of three finalists who advanced to final interviews for the role. The other two finalists were Sarah Hartman, the city's director of legal affairs in the litigation division, and Matthew Cross, an external candidate from Traverse City.

Commissioners agreed that all three candidates were highly qualified for the job. However, Strom was ultimately viewed as having the most prior work experience that aligned with the city attorney role and the city's values.

Strom was viewed as having well-rounded experience in areas of municipal law, as well as strong institutional knowledge of Grand Rapids, said Greg Nelson of Mosaic Public Partners, the search firm hired by the city to lead the search.

Strom has 17 years of legal experience, including 15 years working with local governments. He has eight years of supervisory and management experience. Before joining the city of Grand Rapids as deputy city attorney in 2019, he worked as county administrator and chief financial officer for Delta County. He also served as Delta County's elected prosecuting attorney from 2011-2018, where he managed civil and criminal litigation for the county and its health department.

Strom received his bachelor's degree in political science from Western Michigan University, and his JD from Cooley Law School. He is president-elect of the Grand Rapids Bar Association.

"I'm deeply honored to be selected as city attorney for Grand Rapids," Strom said in a statement provided by the city Wednesday. "I'm incredibly proud of my service to this community over the past several years, both as deputy city attorney and during my time as interim city attorney. I am committed to carrying forward the premier leadership that has been established by my friend and mentor, Anita Hitchcock. Looking ahead, I'm excited for the future of our department."

Rigorous Interview Process

The three finalists went through a rigorous two-day interview process this week that included interviews with city staff, community stakeholders and the Grand Rapids legal community on Monday, before final interviews with the commissioners Tuesday.

The candidates also went through a public forum on Monday evening, where they responded to questions and topics submitted by the community. The forum covered a wide range of legal themes including ensuring constitutional standards in policing and balancing public safety with First Amendment rights during protests.

During Tuesday's interviews with the city commission, which lasted an hour per candidate, each finalist answered around 14 questions asked by the commissioners, on topics ranging from their leadership style to their approach to advising elected officials.

Commissioner Kelsey Perdue also asked how the candidates would balance the role of advising and defending the city, with balancing justice for the Grand Rapids community, which can sometimes be "in tension" with one another.

An Advisor, Not A "No" Department

As the city's top legal advisor, Strom said he views his role as providing all the information that city officials need to make a decision so that they can balance those two things, rather than turning ideas down right away.

"The law department in this city previously and in many other cities is the department of 'no'," Strom said. "Anita (Hitchcock) and I have worked really hard to be more of an advisor, giving the city commission a menu of options, but being really specific about the risks associated with each option."

Strom also talked about wanting to expand the city's diversion programs to move first-time or low-level offenders away from formal prosecution and incarceration into community service or alternative sentencing.

"If we can be a partner to help somebody be better when they leave the criminal justice system, I think it builds our reputation as a city, it advances justice," he said.

Contract details between the city and Strom are still being worked out, according to a release by the city. Negotiations of an employment contract between Strom and the city's Human Resources Department are now underway.

Community Feedback

During the public forum on Monday evening, Strom received positive feedback from community members who had submitted questions. Strom emphasized his commitment to transparency, communication and building lasting relationships with the community he serves.

The search for the next city attorney was conducted by Mosaic Public Partners, a firm with extensive experience conducting executive searches for municipalities across Michigan. The firm was tasked with finding a candidate who could bring both legal expertise and community knowledge to the role.

Strom's extensive background in Delta County government, combined with his seven years within the Grand Rapids legal department, positions him to bring institutional knowledge and fresh perspectives to the city's legal operations.

"I'm confident we can continue to provide excellent service to the City of Grand Rapids for years to come," Strom shared.