Tim Schiefen is the new Supervisor for the Town of West Bloomfield. Photo provided by Schiefen
BY DEB AND TIM SMITH
In a lifetime of challenges, newly elected West Bloomfield Town Supervisor Tim Schiefen is excitedly looking forward to his most recent. In the second of our series of articles on new town supervisors in the community, we’d like to introduce you to Tim Schiefen. Of course, if you live in Mendon, you may already know Tim because many of his roots are right here in the hamlet. We’ll get to that soon, but right now let’s rewind all the way back to the beginning.
Tim was born at Highland Hospital at a time when his parents were living in Fairport. The Schiefen family experienced many transitions over the next few years with moves going through Ohio, Long Island, Pittsburgh, and Henrietta before buying the property that is now Mendon Village Commons in 1968, and starting a nursery and garden store. To pin down this location, it would be the current cluster of businesses located within the hamlet of Mendon, on the east side of Pittsford Mendon Road if you were headed out of the hamlet toward Pittsford. [Deb actually worked at the store for the Schiefens for a brief period of time in the 1970’s]
As we start to quote Tim in the next paragraph, you’ll begin to notice that he exudes a folksy, tell-it-like-it-is, down-home character which is part of what has endeared him to so many people in town and contributed to the many successes he has achieved throughout his life.
“The hamlet of Mendon was a lot like the hamlet of West Bloomfield back then,” Tim told us, “a crossroads with a couple of gin mills, (The Cottage Hotel & Doug’s Springwater Inn), a grocery store, (Bogart’s Big “B”, on the southeast of the hamlet’s four corners) and let’s not forget Broomfield Hardware Store. [Note: That happens to be the building in which we currently reside, the fourth door from the light on the south side of Rush-Mendon Rd. if you’re heading out of the hamlet toward Rush.]
“At the age of 12,” Tim told us, “I began a career as a paper boy and delivered the Times Union [Rochester’s evening paper which ceased publication in 1997] each afternoon. I never had more than 33 papers in my bag and I pretty much delivered a paper to every house in the hamlet; what a crappy job… chasing people down for a lousy $1.25 a week!”
A lifelong attendee of HF-L, Tim graduated in 1983 with a BOCES major in Welding & Autobody. That would be related to what he would do in the future, but it wasn’t exactly the career for him. In terms of a practical education, Tim said, “I obtained my MBA at the kitchen table from my self-employed parents.”
Driven by a fascination with auto mechanics Tim began a multi-pronged career in that field. He graduated with honors from Nashville Auto-Diesel College in Tennessee and launched a long career as a dealership technician mostly with Ford and Lincoln-Mercury. “I did spend some time,” Tim added, “as a ‘Mr. Goodwrench’ with General Motors.”
He achieved ASE master auto technician status, and after a period of time he was recognized by Ford Motor Company as a Ford Master Technician in 6 specialty areas.
“This led to me working at Ev Lewis Ford in my hometown’s Village of Honeoye Falls for several years,” Tim shared. “For four of those years not only did our dealership win the prestigious Ford QC service award, but also I was rated as the top tech in the Buffalo zone for two years.”
“In 1998 my mom passed away and I decided it was time for me to open my own auto repair shop; I made a deal with Larry Corby to rent space in his Lima collision shop and my new company, C A R S, was opened in November of that year. In May of 1999, my father passed away and I found myself with a pretty full plate.”
Tim was busy with a young family, [son-3, daughter-1], and he also had the liquor store in Mendon to operate, a shopping complex (Mendon Village Commons) to manage, and his father’s corporation to dissolve.
But again, his passion for auto mechanics drove his professional path. In December 1999 an opportunity came along to take over and operate an automotive shop known as “Ford’s Garage” in West Bloomfield. “Never one to back away from a challenge,” Tim said, “I moved full speed ahead!” At that point he moved his auto shop from Lima to West Bloomfield.
“I sold my mother’s liquor store [in Mendon], my sister Lauren and I bought out our sister Susan’s interest and continue to be partners in the family business, Mendon Village Commons. [Another writers’ note: Deb and Susan were on the same HF-L cheerleading team.]
In the quarter century since then, Tim Schiefen has had the pleasure to be a part of some great things. So many, in fact, that we’re going to resort to a bullet list format to document them. Those accomplishments include…
* Served as one of the surviving members of the Mendon Station Park committee which was assembled by the Mendon Foundation to work to create a park on the Lehigh Valley Trail in the hamlet of Mendon.
* Organized and contributed to the construction of the Mendon Foundation’s maintenance and storage building on the trail near the ball fields, along with, Gates Construction, John Hastings LLC, and John Welch Enterprises.
* Helped secure the TEA 21 grant for 1.2 million dollars which funded the construction of the Lehigh Valley Trail.
* Helped create and build the gazebo in the Mendon Station Park.
* Was instrumental in re-forming the Mendon Business Association in 2002.
* Served as President and Vice President of the organization that created and ran 4 very successful Mendon Arts Festivals, before handing the reigns over to the Mendon Foundation in 2006.
* From 2002 to present has been a registered leader with BSA, Now Scouts USA, and has been trained for, and served in every leadership role as well as guide a troop, as Scoutmaster, to the 2010 National Jamboree and, again as a scoutmaster, took a troop to the Bechtel Summitt for the inaugural opening in 2012.
* Was a Cub Scout Round Table commissioner and instructed leaders how to have fun, and keep those kids having fun, in the Cub programs. Joined Pack 56, and later Troop 56, in West Bloomfield.
* Earned numerous awards including the BSA District Award of Merit, and the National “Silver Beaver Award”.
* Was awarded the Bloomfield Rotary Club’s 2012-2013 “Citizen of the Year”.
* Serves as a Trustee and “Lifetime Member” for the West Bloomfield Historical Society.
In regard to this impressive resume, Tim said, “The awards do not mean as much to me as the enjoyment I have experienced participating in so many wonderful things that bring joy to so many, and some of my proudest accomplishments are those achieved by the youth who I have had the pleasure to interact with.”
“These days I continue to be very active in both communities where I have businesses, such as organizing and announcing the annual Ionia Tractor Parade, and directing the parking for the annual Mendon Fire Department carnival.”
Catching our breath after reading through this remarkable resume, we asked Tim if he could sum up his philosophy of life in just a few sentences. His response was, “I like to make things fun and enjoyable. I like to choose a path of adventure, even in the simplest of things. I embrace a challenge. I am not afraid. My father once said, ‘You gotta grab the world by the ass.’ I have had such a full and interesting life. I want it to continue to be and I want those whose lives I have been a part of to remember me as the guy who could do whatever he set his mind to. And I have!”
When asked what led to his involvement in politics, Tim said, “When I learned the former Town Supervisor was not seeking re-election I thought, ‘Hmmm… time for a new challenge!’ ”
We opened this article with a reference to Tim Schiefen’s “Lifetime of Challenges” … here’s wishing him more success as he undertakes this newest one.
