Get to know Bay City’s newest leader

By now, you have probably heard there is a new manager in town, and his name is Rik Hayman. In his first month as Bay City’s city manager, Hayman has already talked publicly about roads, bridge tolls, reconciliation and the work ahead. But beyond the plans and priorities, who is Rik Hayman?

He is a husband, father, grandfather, reader, sports fan, coffee drinker and ice cream enthusiast. He is thoughtful, quick-witted and easy to talk to. Hayman is the kind of person who can move from city government to Shakespeare, the Green Bay Packers, Irish music or a good restaurant without missing a beat. He is also deeply rooted in family and passionate about making Bay City the best it can be. “I think there’s more that unites us as human beings than divides us,” he says.

Ask Hayman how the people closest to him would describe him and, naturally, he starts with a joke. “Well, I think we start with short,” he says, explaining that the Army once measured him at 5 feet, 3¾ inches. “That was decades ago. So, I’m going to say about five-three right now.”

Humor comes easily to Hayman, but when the question turns serious, so does his answer. “I hope mostly that they see me as a kind person, as somebody who’s easy to talk to and somebody who listens,” he says.

Those qualities matter to him professionally, but they are also deeply personal. Hayman and his wife, Jalene, have five adult children, four daughters and one son, along with five grandchildren. Four of his children live in Bay City or Bay County, making family a regular part of his life. “Family’s everything,” Hayman says.

His grandchildren range from elementary and middle school ages to his youngest grandson, Devan, who is 15 months old. Devan was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate and has undergone several surgeries through the University of Michigan. Hayman speaks about all five grandchildren with the unmistakable pride of someone who genuinely treasures time with them. “I have a lot of opportunities to spend time with my children,” he says, something he clearly does not take for granted.

When he is not at City Hall or with family, Hayman is often reading. An English major and lifelong reader, he estimates that he owns around 2,000 books. His wife is also an avid reader, creating what he describes as a small library in their home. “She buys new books. I buy used books,” he says.

Used bookstores are a favorite, including Bay City’s bookstore on Midland Street. His interests range from fiction to nonfiction and from American classics to literature from Central and South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. “There are all these great books in the world,” Hayman says. “There’s not enough time in my lifetime to read them all.”

His love of literature runs in the family. Both of Hayman’s parents were teachers with his father also overseeing the drama program. Near the end of his life, Hayman remembers his father, then 82, reciting Shakespearean soliloquies, poetry and family favorites while surrounded by loved ones. “My dad was a real gentle giant,” Hayman says.

His mother brought a different kind of strength. Hayman describes her as a small but formidable Irish Catholic woman who was proud of her heritage and known for being tough when she needed to be. “I like to think I’m a combination of my mom and dad,” he says.

That blend of gentleness and toughness followed him into adulthood and eventually into the Army. Officer Candidate School, he says, was one of the most difficult experiences of his life, but also one of the most valuable because it humbled him and reminded him that intelligence comes in many forms. “Sometimes when you’re young, you need to be humbled that way,” he shares.

Hayman is also comfortable laughing at himself. He rates his handyman skills somewhere around negative three on a scale of one to 10, and golf is another area where enthusiasm may outweigh ability. “I play golf poorly, but I still play,” he laughs.

He also enjoys swimming, college basketball and football. Hayman attended Marquette University and remains a devoted Green Bay Packers fan, something he knows may earn him a few sideways glances in Lions country. He is willing to root for Detroit too, with one condition. “It’s okay with me every day if the Lions win all their games but two every year,” he jokes.

Music is another longtime passion. Hayman enjoys blues, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, but one of his favorite memories involves Irish band The Wolfe Tones. Years ago, after the group performed in Bay City, Hayman spent the evening talking with the musicians about Irish literature, music and culture and even drove one band member back to his hotel during a snowstorm.

He left that night with all four members’ autographs on a business card. The card survived an accidental trip to the trash after Hayman dug through garbage bags to rescue it, but he eventually lost it for good. Now he jokes that being city manager might give him a reason to bring the band back to town. “Maybe that should be one of my missions in Bay City,” he says.

His affection for Bay City also shows up in smaller, everyday ways, particularly through food. Hayman and his wife enjoy eating out and exploring restaurants throughout the city. He will not name a favorite, partly because he sees himself as an advocate for all of Bay City, but he is quick to point out that great places can be found well beyond downtown and Uptown. “Drive around in all nine wards, and you’ll find lots of great restaurants,” he explains.

Seafood is a favorite, tied to his family’s New England roots. His family holds a “Lobster Fest,” bringing in lobster from Maine along with oysters and clams. He and his wife also enjoy Mexican food, and Hayman has made it a point to explore Bay City’s ice cream shops. He believes he has visited nearly every ice cream shop in Bay City and the surrounding county, and when he wants something simple, a vanilla soft serve cone will do just fine.

Coffee, however, may be his most dependable indulgence. “My staff will tell you, those who know me, that I bleed coffee,” he jokes. Decaf is not under consideration. “I do not drink decaffeinated coffee ever,” he says. “I don’t see the point.”

Hayman is also becoming more involved in the community beyond City Hall. He recently joined Rotary and is also a member of Lions Club and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. After living in the Bay City area for much of the past three decades, this is the first time his full-time job has also been based in the community he calls home. “It’s really the first great opportunity that I’ve had to be involved in an organization in my community in that way,” he says of joining Rotary.

His new position also gives him an opportunity to be present in a different way. People stop him at concerts, around town and in everyday settings to introduce themselves, wish him well or bring concerns. Hayman welcomes those conversations, even when they begin with a complaint. “I do not look at complaints as negative,” he shares. “I look at complaints as an opportunity.”

That willingness to listen connects to one of the most meaningful items in his office, a photograph tied to the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School. It shows two women whose lives were once defined by conflict and who later reconciled. Below the image is one word: reconciliation. “I believe if those two women can reconcile, we all can reconcile,” Hayman says. “Our divisions don’t define us.”

That philosophy extends to how he thinks about leadership. Hayman knows there are roads to repair, budgets to balance and difficult decisions ahead, but when he talks about what he hopes people remember about his time as city manager, he does not start with infrastructure. Instead, he talks about people and what it means to leave an organization stronger than he found it.

Hayman sees himself as a rebuilder, someone who can help strengthen Bay City now while also preparing the people who will lead it later. He wants to identify young talent, mentor future leaders and create an environment where others can succeed long after he leaves City Hall. “I am so excited about the potential with some of the young people and the young professionals we have,” he continues.

“The greatest city manager that Bay City is likely to have is going to be somebody who comes after me,” Hayman says. For him, that would not diminish his legacy. It would be proof that he did the job well and helped create something that could continue without him.

“I guess that’s what I want to be known as,” he says, “the person who lifted people up.”

That may be the clearest way to understand the man behind the plan. Hayman is a grandfather surrounded by family, an English major with a library of books, a Packers fan in Lions country, a poor golfer by his own admission and a man who takes his coffee seriously. He believes people should listen to one another, communities can heal and good leadership is measured not only by what gets fixed, but by who is stronger when the work is done.