Campaign Phone
616-818-9470
Age
49
Candidate Information
I am a husband and father who has two adult children. I have lived in Jenison for 23 years. I wish to serve on the board as a voice for the conservative parents in the Jenison Public School district
I have been in leadership positions most of my adult life. I will bring the honor, courage, and commitment instilled in me from my time in the Marine Corps. I will bring my faith in Christ into the public arena to protect childhood innocence and parental rights into the classroom. I have been married to a school teacher for 25 years and understand many of the difficulties educators have with balancing teaching and disciplining children while having more tasks added to their workload each year. I have been in management positions with my career path for over 15 years and know what it takes to keep a team on track and staying motivated.
Challenge #1 Retaining Staff:
I would work with educators to find solutions for classroom discipline. Teachers should not have to spend their time managing students who pose safety risks along with administrative demands on documenting their curriculums. Also, I would work with the Superintendent and administrators to find ways to retain experienced veteran teachers who are getting burned out.
Challenge #2 Infrastructure and Expansion:
For the future expansions and development of the school system, I would find ways to cut costs in architecture and have a more utilitarian vision of support/office buildings. Working with the township for future expansion will be critical. Reserving land for future development should be planned today.
I will always be responsive and considerate regardless of problems being presented to me from the community. I would approach this position as a representative of the conservative citizens within the school district. Informed voters make their decisions on who they feel will represent them the best and I would uphold conservative Christian values whenever possible when making choices for the school district.
Campaign Phone
616-633-2256
Candidate Information
Laurie Burks is a Christian, CPA and wife to Jeff. She is a mom of three who are attending or have graduated from Jenison Public Schools. Laurie is running for school board to strengthen academic excellence and parent-school partnership.
As a parent and professional, my dedication to our students' safety and success drives my desire to serve. I bring 12+ years of CPA experience and have audited school district financial statements. I understand how public dollars, controls, and reporting work, allowing me to safeguard funds and maximize them where they matter most: directly in the classroom. When the superintendent recruited me to the Sex Ed Advisory Board, I stepped up, spending over two years helping shape curriculum to comply with state law while fiercely preserving our students' innocence and safety. I've attended nearly every Board meeting since May 2021 and met often with the superintendent to represent students and families and support a parent-school partnership.
Although the district currently has a very healthy fund balance and excellent academics, one-time grant dollars are ending and the district will likely utilize some reserves. The challenge is continued fiscal responsibility while prioritizing academic excellence and the programs that most benefit the students. I would look to see that expenses show a student benefit and keep reserves at a responsible level. When money tightens, I would put core academics first - reading, writing, math, science, history and other proven student programs.
I will interact with this community by listening first and then helping people reach the individual who can actually solve the problem. I love finding ways to address concerns and needs. I was made aware of a student who had been bullied at school for years. I identified the administrator who could help and facilitated a meeting with administration, the student, and their family. Administration was able to resolve the issue for that student. That is the approach I would bring to the board: be available, take concerns seriously, and connect families to the resources needed. Parents are the primary educators of their children. Schools work best when the district partners with families rather than leaving them to navigate the system alone.
Campaign Phone
616-307-7732
Age
45
In my career in student affairs and human resources within the higher education environment, I have extensive experience writing, interpreting and enforcing policy. This ranges from employment agreements and associated disciplinary policies to standards of conduct for residential students. Navigation of a complex policy environment is a daily part of my professional work.
Student Growth & Achievement: Our responsibility is to educate and prepare students for their lives after graduation, whether that is continued education, trades, military service or entrepreneurship. That requires maintaining high academic standards, supporting meaningful student growth, and ensuring students have access to the resources and opportunities they need to reach their potential.
Safety & Belonging: Students learn best when they feel safe, supported, and connected to their school community. That includes attention to physical and emotional safety in addition to the increasingly complicated challenges associated with technology and social media.
Financial Constraints: Resources are limited and must be intentionally utilized
I am the parent of three JPS students - a 12th grader, 9th grader, and 4th grader - and a longtime district volunteer, serving several years as president of the Pinewood Parents Club and leading the Yes for JPS citizen committee in support of the district's successful 2024 bond proposal. My approach to organizational work is progress through partnership. I practice curiosity over judgment and I value collaboration over competition. I'm committed to listening, asking good questions, building consensus, and continuously improving the district for students and families.
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Campaign Phone
616-443-5053
Age
52
Candidate Information
Director, Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association
Steve Kooy is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience in the furniture industry. As the Director of Health and Sustainability at BIFMA, he spearheads key industry programs bringing together furniture competitors globally to create furniture standards.
Steve's commitment to community service is evident in his decade-long involvement with two different church boards, which included serving as head elder. He also served as the board chair of mindful Materials, a 501c3, non-profit organization that collaborates with industry leaders on sustainability issues.
- Student and Staff Safety: Maintain JPS's commitment to providing a safe and respectful learning environment.
- Preparing Students for Life After Graduation: Students must have the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to pursue multiple paths after graduation, be it higher education, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, etc. This includes how artificial intelligence as part of everyday life in the future.
- Supporting Teachers and Reducing Distractions: Working with administrators and educators to identify practical solutions, reduce unnecessary distractions, and provide the support teachers need is essential to allowing them to focus on education.
In addition to board meetings, I am open to meeting with individuals and small groups to discuss issues and listen to their concerns. All of this should be conducted in transparency in accordance with board member best practices.
Campaign Phone
616-916-2758
Age
53
Candidate Information
Chris Reed - Candidate for Trustee of the Jenison Board of Education
I currently serve as the Treasurer for Jenison Board of Education. I have served on the board for almost 6 years, having been first elected as a trustee in 2020. I am also an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Grand Valley State University, and have the privilege of seeing our graduates who choose that institution flourish after high school. I currently have son (Mac) who is a junior at Jenison High School, and my two older children have already graduated (Ella, 2023; Nora 2025).
We are lucky in that our district has an incredible leadership team and board of education. Jenison School District’s problems are the same as many others around us, but not as intense. In terms of education, like the rest of Michigan, literacy and numeracy at the lower elementary level is not where we want them. As a board member, I will do everything I can to support our leadership and teachers to get them the resources they need to improve our student’s educations and test scores. This year we approved a new curriculum to do just that. While required by changes in state law, our staff is genuinely excited to implement a new curricular support system that integrated all scholastic subjects across our elementary schools.
The most important partnerships are with staff, parents, and the community at large. All of these groups are stake holders in the successful outcome of every student’s education in Jenison. As a school board member, it is my job to ensure community member’s and parent’s voices are heard and respected. The needs and well-being of staff must also be at the forefront of the board’s relationship with staff. The board of education must be a good steward of the district’s fiscal health as well as community standards. We can only do that with the input of community, parents, and staff.
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