Christine Burns; Manager, Village of Spring Lake
Chris has more than 25 years of experience as a municipal official. She has been the village manager of Spring Lake since 2012, after serving the City of Cedar Springs for more than five years, the Village of Oxford for nearly two years, and the City of Clare for more than 14 years. Chris graduated from Central Michigan University in 1990 with a BS in Business Administration, majoring in Management, earned her MSA in Public Administration from CMU in 2006 (Fire Up Chips!), and holds a Certified Master Municipal Clerk designation. She is a member of Michigan Municipal Executives (MME); the International City/County Management Association (ICMA); and the West Michigan Local Government Management Association (WMLGMA). She has served on the MME Board of Directors and as President of the WMLGMA. Chris is seeking election to her first term.
Juan Ganum; Manager, City of Bridgman
Juan has 25 years of experience in local government. He served as the Community Development Director for the City of Niles from 1998 to 2015 and has since served as City Manager for the City of Bridgman. Juan graduated from Michigan State University in 1995 with a BS in Urban and Regional Planning and earned his Masters in Public Administration from Western Michigan University in 2007. He currently serves as the vice-chair of the Michigan Municipal Executives’ Ethics Committee and is actively engaged on boards and committees within Berrien County. Juan is seeking election to his first term.
Kevin Klynstra; Mayor, City of Zeeland
Kevin has more than 28 years of experience in local government. He was elected as mayor of the City of Zeeland in 2011 and was most recently reelected in 2021 for his sixth two-year term. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the Zeeland City Council for 16 years. Kevin serves on several boards and commissions, including the Michigan Association of Mayors (MAM) board, Zeeland’s Planning Commission, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council (MACC), and the West Michigan Airport Authority (WMAA). Kevin is seeking election to his first term.
Devin Olson; City Manager, City of Munising
Devin has five years’ experience as a municipal official, having served as Munising’s City Manager since 2014. Devin has also served on MML’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for three years. Devin is seeking election to his first term. Devin is seeking re-election to his second term.
Adam Smith; Manager/Municipal Executive, City of Grand Ledge
Adam has worked in local government since 2004 and currently serves as the City Manager/Municipal Executive of Grand Ledge. He is chair of the MML’s Municipal Services Committee, formerly served six years as City Manager Representative on the Elected Officials Academy Board of Directors, and received the League’s Special Award of Merit in 2013. Adam is an active member of Michigan Municipal Executives, having served on its Board of Directors from 2013-2016, and currently serving as its Advocacy Chairperson. He has given workshops on effective Council-Manager relationships. Adam has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and a Master’s in Administrative Leadership, both from Central Michigan University; a Certificate in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston; and is a graduate of the Disney Institute for Leadership Excellence. Adam is seeking re-election to his third term.
David Tossava; Mayor, City of Hastings
David has over twelve years’ municipal experience and has served as mayor of Hastings for two years. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Association of Mayors. David is seeking re-election to his second term.