A Record of Service & Commitment

I have always been rooted in the Delta Township area. I grew up in the nearby small town of Portland where I attended St. Patrick’s Catholic School and enjoyed what I often describe as a classic Huckleberry Finn–meets–Norman Rockwell childhood. My early years were shaped by family, faith, and community. Time spent fishing and hunting small game, swimming, attending Boy Scout jamborees, going to the county fair, and playing basketball and football.  During high school, I worked as a bagger at Meijer Thrifty Acres, anyone remember when it was named that?  I watched the Lansing Mall being constructed at the time and was awed by its size.  After work I’d drive home down Canal Rd when it was only a dirt road and crossed by pheasants and deer.  Those experiences instilled in me a strong work ethic, respect for nature, and an appreciation for community that has remained with me ever since.
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After high school, I attended Michigan State University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration with a minor in Spanish.   That’s where my passion for public service truly took hold. I began my career in state government working in the Michigan Legislature, serving in both the Senate and House of Representatives. My work included writing appropriation bills for K-12 education and later for the Department of Natural Resources. During that time, I earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. I served as an education specialist to the Michigan House of Representatives’ Education Committee. When the Department of Environmental Quality was created, I became its first Administrative Director, serving for nine years before moving to the Department of Natural Resources as Chief Deputy Director. Then upon retirement, I decided to continue my public service and was elected to the Delta Board of Trustees.
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I’ve always been an active, hands-on person. As an adult, that has meant literally working with my hands—building several houses, including my current home here in Delta Township 32 years ago, and taking on woodworking projects such as building furniture. I’ve also have a lifelong interest in history and ancient civilizations. I’m an avid traveler and have visited 58 countries to date, in places like Italy, France, Greece and Spain, the pyramids of Egypt, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Great Wall of China, and the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Traveling to such World Heritage Sites reminds me how brief our lives are and how important it is to care for the places we call home. No matter where I go, I’m always grateful to return to Delta Township and reminded of just how good we have it here.