Occupation / Current Position
Director of Strategic Impact-Allegan County Community Foundation
Education
Holland High School, A.A. Youth Services GRCC, B.S. History/Sociology GVSU, M.P.A GVSU
Qualifications and Experience
Lifelong resident of the district, former Ottawa County Commissioner for District 2, Former Board member CMH of Ottawa County, Former Exective committee member Oyyawa Food, Member OC CERT Team.
We keep committing more money to per-pupil spending but a lot of it seems to not be making it to the classroom and teacher salaries. Incentivizing "right sizing" administrative staff to districts' count days can help decrease the burden, but must not be at the cost of support staff who are carrying on vital academic and internal roles in a school system.
We need to also accept and be aware of the fact that how students learn and engage with their world is different than anything before. Tomorrow's workers and leaders will not do what past and current leaders do. Respecting current best practice, rather than old dogma will get better results.
I encourage more focus on zoning reform and public investment in infrastructure to allow us to build the mixture of housing needed to provide affordable security for every resident.
I am also in favor of an incentive program for individuals who complete trade school as they work down the path of that trade.
Increasing access and the depth of public transportation at both the local and regional levels will give more people more access to higher paying jobs.
Continued public investments in infrastructure and renewable energy creates more openings for skilled labor that are more resilient to economic downturns.
The first thing I would like to see is the removal of all corporate PAC money from politics, especially that of our two major energy suppliers.
I would like to revisit PA 322 to make the process more palatable and transparent to the local communities.
We need to get a frame around, and have an education campaign on data centers -the different types and their drawbacks. I would encourage a moratorium on AI data centers until we create the correct legislation.
The constitution is clear. All persons inside the borders of the United States have the right to everything our Bill of Rights allows anyone to unless they are removed on a case-by-case basis as an individual, not a class or a group.
Federally, we should invest heavily in our immigration courts to clear the backlog of cases and stop the extrajudicial deportation of people without the due process they are afforded. We should also codify a clear pathway to citizenship for all.
The state legislature should be standing in the breach to defend the rights of all living within Michigan from the illegal machinations of the federal government.
Occupation / Current Position
Business Owner
Education
Bachelor of Science in Information Systems / Business
Qualifications and Experience
As a small-business owner and entrepreneur, I bring decades of real-world experience managing budgets, negotiating contracts and business deals, controlling costs, and making difficult decisions.
44th nationally in 4th-grade reading, with most students not proficient in reading/math despite record funding levels and added staffing as enrollment declined. Graduation rates have improved, but core skills remain weak.
Quality & Testing:Refocus on proven basics—phonics reading, math, real American history. Keep streamlined testing for accountability.
Funding:Direct resources to classrooms, cut bureaucracy, fund what follows the child.
Teachers: Support educators with pay, less red tape, and growth-based evaluations.
Changes: Expand school choice (public/private) + transport; empower parents;reject indoctrination; reward effective teachers.
I support policies that help Michigan families earn more and keep more of what they earn. That means lowering taxes, reducing unnecessary regulations on small businesses, expanding skilled trades and career technical education, and creating an environment that attracts good-paying jobs. We must also tackle affordability by lowering energy costs, expanding housing opportunities, addressing rising property taxes, and eliminating wasteful government spending. As a small-business owner, I believe opportunity and economic growth—not government mandates—are the best path to higher wages and a more affordable Michigan.
Michigan needs an energy policy that puts reliability and affordability first while protecting our natural resources. I support an all-of-the-above strategy that includes natural gas, nuclear, clean coal, and responsible renewable energy. We should not prematurely shut down reliable power sources for more expensive or intermittent alternatives. I support protecting our Great Lakes and water resources, holding polluters accountable, and eliminating unnecessary regulations that raise costs without meaningful environmental benefits. Michigan families and businesses deserve reliable, affordable energy and responsible environmental stewardship.
I strongly support the Constitution and the protections of due process, the First Amendment, and the Fourth Amendment. These fundamental protections must be respected while recognizing the government’s responsibility to enforce our immigration laws. I support legal immigration, secure borders, cooperation between state, local, and federal law enforcement, and the removal of individuals who are in the country illegally, with those that commit crimes prioritized first. Michigan should protect constitutional rights while never allowing sanctuary policies or government inaction to undermine public safety or the rule of law.
