Ottawa County, Michigan Ottawa County Press Releases Update

Ottawa County Deputy Administrator to Lead Statewide Association

February 6, 2017 Media Contact: Matt Bach Director of Media Relations-Michigan Municipal League 810-874-1073

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Keith Van Beek, Ottawa County’s deputy county administrator, is the new president of the statewide association representing Michigan’s municipal managers.

Van Beek was selected as the 2017 president of the Michigan Municipal Executives (MME), formerly called the Michigan Local Government Management Association (MLGMA), during the organization’s annual Winter Institute in Kalamazoo Jan. 31-Feb. 3. Van Beek succeeds Dale Kerbyson, Lapeer city manager. Van Beek served the past year as the organization’s president-elect.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be selected by your peers to lead this outstanding association,” Van Beek said. “I look forward to working with the excellent group of municipal leaders that make up our board of directors. We have just adopted a new name and brand, and I’m excited about the opportunity to advance our initiatives over the next year.”

MME is a nonprofit, professional organization representing the managers of Michigan’s cities, counties, townships and villages. Its purpose is to foster and encourage the personal and professional development of its members so that they can better serve their communities and to promote, encourage and preserve high ethical standards for municipal administrators.

Van Beek has been the Ottawa County deputy county administrator since January 2009 and was previously deputy city administrator for the City of Kentwood. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Cornerstone University. He has a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor’s degree from Calvin College. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Ottawa County United Way.

During his one-year term, Van Beek said he will focus on the new name and brand of the association.

“Our intent is to share the story of professional local government management and to attract and recruit future professionals to serve our communities,” Van Beek explained. “We hope other state organizations across the nation will follow our lead and take on similar initiatives. The Michigan Municipal Executive association has been a nationally recognized leader in the municipal management field, and as our branding initiative moves forward our association will continue to be on the forefront of evolving the image of our profession in Michigan and, hopefully, the nation.”

In addition to selecting Van Beek as president, the organization elected the following to serve new roles and terms on the board: president-elect Northville City Manager Patrick Sullivan, vice-president Fenton City Manager Lynn Markland, and trustees Midland County Administrator Bridgette Gransden, Norway City Manager Ray Anderson, Howell City Manager Shea Charles, and Otsego City Manager Thad Beard. 

The purpose of Michigan Municipal Executives is to foster and encourage the personal and professional development of its members in order that they may better serve their communities and to promote, encourage, and preserve high ethical standards for municipal administrators.