New Director for District 8

Published on Monday, December 30, 2019 in Community

Erika Escue-Cadieux now represents District 8, which covers Adrian, Cambridge, Clinton (MI) Franklin, Raisin, Ridgeway, Rollin, Rome, Tecumseh, Woodstock, and northern portions of Blissfield, Deerfield, Dover, Hudson, Madison and Palmyra Townships.

As the owner of Hooligan’s Grill, she has been a staple of the Adrian community since 2013 and currently lives in Onsted with her new husband, Kent, an engineer with Ford.

Her roots are in interior design and it’s her love of design along with her creative vision that propelled her into the hospitality industry. In 1996 she began SQ Design to help restaurants and bars throughout the U.S. create unique and stylish environments for their customers. She noted that while she loved working with owners to build their vision, she longed for the chance to be part of the customer experience. So she decided to open a place of her own. “My favorite part of being a restaurant owner is that I get to help people celebrate life’s milestones: birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, promotions, etc. We love to go out in this country, and I enjoy getting to be a part of people’s special moments,” she said.

She’s also the inventor of GoDotz, a wearable technology that aids in the use of touchscreen devices for those who struggle with typing and other activities on smaller touchscreen devices. Escue-Cadieux is also currently working with some tech companies in California to integrate a sensor chip into the device that will use the person’s fingerprint to keep personal information secure.

In addition to the restaurant and design firm, she also owns AEM Holdings, a real estate development company and she’s even an artist. In fact, she painted all the artwork in Hooligan’s.

While her professional life tells an impressive story by itself, it’s her personal experiences that have really shaped who she has become. Once a single mother on welfare, she dedicated herself to improving her life for both her and her children. Then in 2013 she fought Stage 2 colon cancer, which flipped her world upside down. Yet she preserved and is truly a model success story. “Your past does not have to dictate your future and I use experiences from my own life to help others overcome their own challenges. We each have a contribution to make, each and every one of us. Once someone understands that, they can achieve anything,” said Escue-Cadieux.

Now she wants to use the breadth of her experience to help our customers and MEC: “I want to pay it forward and be a positive force for those I serve,” she noted.

Join us in welcoming Erika as she begins her work of helping MEC continue to build vibrant, relevant and sustainable rural communities.