VOTE411 Voter Guide

I have over 30 years of experience as an intellectual property lawyer and actually studied municipal law as an elective in law school. I have been on the Saugatuck Planning Commission for almost two years and am currently its Vice Chair. I believe I have a good sense of the priorities of our residents, business owners and other stakeholders based on the public feedback provided through the citizen survey and open house that were conducted as part of the Master Plan review. I also have a good sense of the oversight role of boards and commissions based on my past experience as the board chair for a small technology start-up and the chair of the Council for the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Continuing our infrastructure improvement program is the priority of a majority of our citizens. This includes major road repairs, lead service line replacement, improving walkability by adding sidewalks in key areas, completing the Mt. Baldhead deck replacement, and potentially adding a pedestrian pathway along Park Street. The City is also facing a steady decline in the population of full time residents and needs to prioritize policies that encourage full time residency. This includes maintaining the short term rental reform that was adopted roughly two years ago.

The City has done a good job of using surveys, open houses, special committees (such as the short term rental task force) and community reports from the city manager to build understanding and support for the significant initiatives undertaken by the City. This should continue.

After graduating from the University of Michigan, I spent the next 30 years working as a journalist and executive in the energy industry. During this time, I traveled the globe and saw first-hand the growing threat of climate change and the vulnerability of the planet’s water resources. Oval Beach and Kalamazoo Lake are the drivers of Saugatuck's economy and vulnerable in this rapidly changing world. I spent much of my career leading emergency response teams dispatched to Alaskan pipeline leaks, Gulf Coast hurricanes and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. I know what it takes to repair habitat, rebuild communities, and restore the public’s trust. It takes discipline, teamwork and endurance – skills I learned while serving in Army National Guard. I retired from the energy sector in 2017 and put down roots in Saugatuck with my wife and school-age children. I found a way to serve my community with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). At EGLE I’m part of the team responsible for making sure Michiganders have access to clean water and are protected from contaminants like lead and PFAS. My mission at EGLE is rooted in four key principals: gather facts and data, make timely decisions based on the data, and keep the public informed while constantly seeking feedback. As Saugatuck's incumbent city councilman and former mayor during the past six years, I have applied the same disciplined, data-driven approach to city government. I have also made collaboration, transparency and accountability core values of City Council. I’m proud to be part of the team protecting our Great Lakes and look forward to helping Saugatuck navigate issues like short-term rentals, telecommunications infrastructure, historic preservation and protection of our critical dune habitat. With roots here in Saugatuck and children in Saugatuck schools I’m proud to be an advocate for our community.

1) Continued enforcement of short-term rental regulations in our residential neighborhoods. I voted in favor of a 20 percent cap on short-term rentals in our R1 zoning district and am committed to maintaining that cap over the next two years.

2) Maintaining what is arguably the strongest financial position of any municipality in the State of Michigan. Saugatuck has one of the lowest operating tax rate of the nine cities in Allegan County. We continue to deliver year-on-year budget surpluses and according to the city's independent auditor the city’s bookkeeping is in excellent shape and financial position is strong.

3) Continue delivering on taxpayers’ top priorities of investing in infrastructure and parks while maintaining financial discipline. Examples include: Verizon cell towers installed in the city; Starlink wifi installed at Oval Beach to provide connections for roughly 2,000 users; Upper Park Street, Maple Street, Bridge Street, and Campbell Road projects; new $300,000 playground at Veterans Park; rebuilt Mt. Baldhead bathroom, plans to tackle invasive plants and control the deer population, and hiking trails at the new Saugatuck Wilds natural area.

Saugatuck voters have told me they want to maintain our small-town charm and welcoming character while modernizing infrastructure and parks. I hear this directly from the voters and through our annual community survey and strategic planning process. Residents also want updated and enforced ordinances that make sure everyone pays their fair share for city services and acts as a good neighbor. A key element of building community understanding and support for this platform is my commitment to transparency. Saugatuck does much more than neighboring municipalities in making information accessible to residents. Saugatuck in many cases exceeds, the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. Agendas are set before meetings and widely distributed to the public through the city website and mass email distributions, all meetings are live streamed via Zoom, all meeting minutes are published, and all meetings are recorded and posted on YouTube.

I have been a fulltime resident of Saugatuck Michigan since September 1, 2025. I retired from the federal government in 2022 after working for approximately 36.5 years. I held a variety of positions during that time, including data transcriber, clerical, supervisor, labor relations specialist, analyst and program manager. Many of these positions were in the Human Resources field. My duties included working with management, unions and employees on a variety of complex issues which impacted the workforce. Much of my work towards the end of my federal career dealt with negotiations, agreements, contractual requirements, compliance with federal regulations and disputes around contracts. I used my analytical skills and training to stay on top of a large federal work program, Telework. Telework was greatly impacted by COVID19 and supported the government in completing its mission. In my personal life, my spouse and I raised four very diverse children and successfully managed several schools and educational programs. I’m currently on the Douglas Saugatuck Pickleball club board. I think these skills and the social skills associated with working with diverse groups put me in a unique position to help our city.

Quality of life for city residents. This includes improving the infrastructure of the city, such as roads, sidewalks and bike lanes. Upgrading parks and recreation facilities for not only our residents, but tourists. As Saugatuck is one of the nation’s highest rated resort towns and destinations, tourism will remain one of the top issues for the city, which includes a variety of items, such as short-term rentals, safety, parking and traffic. Tourism remains vital for the city and its businesses. Also finding a way to keep our community connected and vital year-round while navigating the perfect balance between city residents and tourism for the best outcome.

Continue with the use of open public meetings such as City Council Workshops and City Council Meetings. Continue the use of other open city meetings such as planning commission and community open houses on specific identified items/issues. Town Hall meetings as needed.