By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
A small business owner and current member of the Ottawa County Republican Party executive committee has been named the new clerk in Zeeland Township.
Brian VanDussen, who has lived in the township for the last 17 years, was selected by the Township Board at its Jan. 20 meeting to replace Kate Kraak, who resigned at the end of last month after 10 years in that role.
“The township had a need, and I’m ready to fill that need,” VanDussen said after the meeting.
The board vote came after VanDussen and current Trustee Dave Barry interviewed for the position. VanDussen was approved to be the new clerk on a 4-1 vote, with Barry being the lone no vote.
A native of Hamilton, VanDussen currently owns Patriot Construction, a general contracting business, and is also an account manager for Solutions America. He owned his own handyman business, VanDussen Home Services, for 21 years from 2000 to 2021. He has been an Ottawa County Republican Party precinct delegate for nearly 10 years and is in his second term on the county GOP executive committee.
VanDussen is stepping into a position that has undergone a major change recently. The board in December approved a restructuring of the clerk’s job, moving functions such as overseeing elections and maintaining the township’s general ledger to township employees, leaving the elected clerk’s main responsibility being a voting member of the board. The restructuring came with a significant reduction in the position’s pay, from $42,000 to $15,540.
Treasurer Melissa Veldheer, who supported VanDussen, expressed concern that a majority of the board would be up for election this year if Barry was picked for clerk, requiring a search for a second trustee position that would then have to run in this year’s election.
“If Dave got it, then we would have another trustee (opening) to fill, and all four positions would all run in the primary,” Veldheer said.
Trustee Jeff Salisbury was thankful that the board had a choice between two qualified candidates.
“I didn’t think we’d find anybody,” Salisbury said.
VanDussen has had experience with elections, having worked as an election inspector for the township during the 2020 election, according to his application. He is a 1995 Hamilton High School graduate and holds an associate’s degree from ITT Technical Institute.
VanDussen would run for a two-year term in this year’s election and then be eligible to run for a full four-year term in 2028.
The township is continuing to look for a new trustee to fill an opening created when Kerri Bosma was appointed township supervisor earlier this month. The appointed trustee would serve until the November election. Applicants are asked to submit a completed Board and Commission application and, if desired, a resume to the attention of Township Manager Josh Eggleston at 6582 Byron Rd., Zeeland MI 49464 or by email at josh.eggleston@zeelandtwp.org.
Zeeland Record
A small business owner and current member of the Ottawa County Republican Party executive committee has been named the new clerk in Zeeland Township.
Brian VanDussen, who has lived in the township for the last 17 years, was selected by the Township Board at its Jan. 20 meeting to replace Kate Kraak, who resigned at the end of last month after 10 years in that role.
“The township had a need, and I’m ready to fill that need,” VanDussen said after the meeting.
The board vote came after VanDussen and current Trustee Dave Barry interviewed for the position. VanDussen was approved to be the new clerk on a 4-1 vote, with Barry being the lone no vote.
A native of Hamilton, VanDussen currently owns Patriot Construction, a general contracting business, and is also an account manager for Solutions America. He owned his own handyman business, VanDussen Home Services, for 21 years from 2000 to 2021. He has been an Ottawa County Republican Party precinct delegate for nearly 10 years and is in his second term on the county GOP executive committee.
VanDussen is stepping into a position that has undergone a major change recently. The board in December approved a restructuring of the clerk’s job, moving functions such as overseeing elections and maintaining the township’s general ledger to township employees, leaving the elected clerk’s main responsibility being a voting member of the board. The restructuring came with a significant reduction in the position’s pay, from $42,000 to $15,540.
Treasurer Melissa Veldheer, who supported VanDussen, expressed concern that a majority of the board would be up for election this year if Barry was picked for clerk, requiring a search for a second trustee position that would then have to run in this year’s election.
“If Dave got it, then we would have another trustee (opening) to fill, and all four positions would all run in the primary,” Veldheer said.
Trustee Jeff Salisbury was thankful that the board had a choice between two qualified candidates.
“I didn’t think we’d find anybody,” Salisbury said.
VanDussen has had experience with elections, having worked as an election inspector for the township during the 2020 election, according to his application. He is a 1995 Hamilton High School graduate and holds an associate’s degree from ITT Technical Institute.
VanDussen would run for a two-year term in this year’s election and then be eligible to run for a full four-year term in 2028.
The township is continuing to look for a new trustee to fill an opening created when Kerri Bosma was appointed township supervisor earlier this month. The appointed trustee would serve until the November election. Applicants are asked to submit a completed Board and Commission application and, if desired, a resume to the attention of Township Manager Josh Eggleston at 6582 Byron Rd., Zeeland MI 49464 or by email at josh.eggleston@zeelandtwp.org.
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