VOTE411 Voter Guide

I am a former, 8 year term, Garfield Township Trustee. I didn't run in 2024, because of my busy work schedule and family time. I now am retiring and will have more time to commit back to our community. I feel that I contributed well to the issues and topics that came before our board and I'm not afraid to ask questions. I want to help keep our Township a great place to live, visit and stay.

Keep our parks nice, clean and user friendly. The Parks Board meets and review's topics concerning our parks, the board can assist in some decision making items by making sure that the Parks have funds to work with. All of that Boards decisions always come to the Township Board for final discussion and or approval.

Listen to our community and people. We as a Board that represents our voters and constituents, needs to listen to all of their concerns, good or bad and make a informed decision on the publics input.

Development. Make sure that our Planning Commission only forwards decision making agenda items that have been well thought out and are backed by detailed, well written regulations for any and all developments. Any developments that are brought forward, that are a use by right, still can sometimes be tweaked to work better with the neighbors and or public.

I am a retired geologist who worked in the upstream petroleum industry for over 37 years. My work experiences ranged from delivering team-based scientific studies to leadership roles with responsibility for large teams, budgets, and projects. My family moved to Garfield Township in 2012. My two daughters attended TCAPS schools. One daughter lives in the area and the other is in graduate school. My wife, Mary, is also a geologist. She retired in 2025, and now teaches part-time at the YMCA. I retired in 2018, and started my “2nd career” as a full-time volunteer for a number of local organizations. These include TART Trails, Watershed Center, Inland Seas, Grand Traverse Conservation District, Safe Harbor, and Food Rescue. I am the chair / treasurer of NMEAC, and chair of the Citizen Advisory Committee for Hickory Meadows & Hickory Forest. I also serve on the NER Advisory Committee. I have not previously run for a political office at any level. My decision to run for this office was driven by a desire to continue to give back to this community that I care so much about. I love where I live, and I want to do my part to ensure there is a future here for my family and other families who are equally keen to call Garfield Township home.

I believe the current township board recently did an excellent job in establishing the rules enacting temporary moratoriums for certain types of development projects and subsequently enacting a 12-month moratorium on new data centers and/or crypto-mining facilities in Garfield Township. Over the next 12 months, the current zoning ordinances pertaining to these types of developments will need to be thoroughly reviewed by the planning commission and updated where necessary to ensure appropriate protections are in place for our residents. I look forward to being engaged in that important process, if elected. Continued growth in the Grand Traverse region, and in particular in Garfield Township, is putting tremendous pressure on our (aging) infrastructure and on our ability to maintain the quality of life that draws so many of us to this beautiful place. I want to be part of the discussion when it comes to working to ensure growth is done sustainably, taking into account the benefits and consequences for all of our residents. Issues on my mind include the continued growth in traffic at Cherry Capital Airport and corresponding impact on our township, and the ongoing efforts to address South Airport Road repairs and future improvements.

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