Throughout all these years, Kevin helped milk the cow, collect eggs, clean chicken coops and take care of a multitude of other rural responsibilities.

Kevin’s childhood was tumultuous. There was never enough money. Clothes were worn until ragged. The dramatic change from the big city to isolation in the woods, the weight of responsibility, and…maybe more than anything…his severely alcoholic dad’s temper, caused Kevin to grow up fast.

When he was 11, Kevin’s mom decided to take the five kids and leave. His dad’s runaway alcoholism, and the violent temper, created a home that was not safe. So in the middle of 6th grade, Kevin and his mom packed a u-haul, and headed to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan where Kevin’s mom planned to go back to school to get a Master’s degree in Social Work.

The family had very little money. The family of six lived in a 2 bed, 3/4 bath, 500 square foot apartment on campus. Kevin worked for the apartment building, picking up trash and doing other odd jobs to earn extra money. Kevin provided care for his three younger sisters and one younger brother while his mom attended classes and worked for her degree.

After less than two years in Mt. Pleasant, Kevin’s mom got remarried and the family moved to his stepfather’s hometown of Grand Rapids where Kevin lived until he graduated high school.

Growing up with such turmoil and lacking any kind of stable, carefree childhood, Kevin struggled with anger and lack of trust throughout his high school years. However, despite these struggles, Kevin always worked. Holding up to three jobs at a time, Kevin generally worked every single day after school, and on weekends.

After barely finishing high school, Kevin moved back to Chicago where he worked as a janitor and did maintenance in several apartment buildings.  Three years later, Kevin decided he wanted to go to college. He continued to work full time as a janitor to pay his own way through school and attended classes at night. Over the course of seven years, Kevin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, with minors in Physics and Math.

Kevin worked full time in order to go to school, and even while he struggled to overcome a difficult past, he still gave back to those who struggled even more than him. With work and school combing into 70-80 hours a week, Kevin still took time each Wednesday to mentor and tutor extremely disadvantaged youth, at a small neighborhood church, among other things.

After college graduation Kevin worked for several medical device and pharmaceutical companies. He worked his way up from a third-shift manufacturing job, to senior management roles for global companies, including multiple roles with responsibilities that spanned manufacturing plants around the globe.

“Even in high school Kevin would be incensed at crooked and incompetent politicians.”

As his own children grew older and his career advanced, Kevin always watched with attentive and astute eyes, as the political process continued to plunge into a completely dysfunctional and ineffective process.

Kevin realized he’d been infuriated for years, but was doing little himself to change things. He turned his focus and dedication towards improving the community through local politics. First, by supporting people who were honest, smart and committed to working only in the best interest of their constituents, and, then, by running for office himself.

Deciding to largely put his own career on hold, Kevin has been a champion for the people, relentless in speaking the truth during council meetings, striving for transparency and representing the people’s best interests with every single vote he takes.

“We’re not a small rural community anymore. Our Mayor and City Council oversee a total annual budget of roughly $400,000,000. That’s OUR money, and it needs to be managed well!”

Kevin’s morals and values were passed down to him through his mother Cheryl, the primary influence and inspiration in his life. Watching her persevere as he grew up…and seeing that no matter how hard things got…she always knew what was right and she was always striving to do the right thing. Because of her, Kevin has a relentless desire to do what’s right, no matter how hard it is, and he never sees giving-up as an option.

“As a kid, I never even realized that sometimes my mom must have contemplated just giving up, out of sheer exhaustion, if nothing more! Watching my mom persevere, day after day after day…for so many years…and over all that time remaining so dedicated to her kids. 

I guess I just learned from the start, that when things were at their hardest, you put your head down and continue to drive forward. Even if it was with the last little, tiny bit of strength you had left–you continue to move forward. 

There is no giving up. I learned that by example from my mother.”