State your name, position, and why you are running.
My name is Ben Genser, and I am running to be your next Ottawa County Treasurer. My wife Holly and I reside in the City of Grand Haven with our two children, Bella and Ari. It is important to Holly and I that our children are raised in a community that is welcoming, cheerful, charming, and safe. A community that supports the value of faith, family, and freedom, rewards hard work, and understands the importance of generosity and kindness. I aim to lead the Treasurer’s Office upholding these core community values and will promote fiscal responsibility, integrity & transparency, limited government, and the protection of individuals liberties & property rights, as key tenets of conservative leadership. I believe that we must elect to office those who hold a skillset that best represents the growing needs of the community, that’s why I’m running. As your County Treasurer, I will work to ensure the residents of Ottawa County have every opportunity to realize the American dream with financial security and economic freedom.
What expertise and strengths are you bringing to the board?
As a proven wealth management professional, I provide comprehensive financial planning, asset management, and investment advisory services to families and businesses across West Michigan. With a Bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan combined with 18 years of private sector leadership experience across financial services, management consulting, and advisory, I believe now is the right time to use my distinct skill set to help our county.
Leadership, communication, critical thinking, and negotiation are skills I bring to the table alongside a proven track record in strategic planning, project management, process improvement, tax planning, and financial audit. I also serve on two Ottawa County boards, the West Michigan Planning Commission (WMPC), and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee (CEDS). As one of Michigan’s fastest growing counties, I believe it is necessary to bring a combination of private sector experience and public service to the Treasurer’s Office to fortify financial resilience and expand economic opportunity in Ottawa County.
Why should residents vote for you?
I believe my skill set, background, and character will serve as valuable tools driving the leadership needed to advance and grow in a fiscally responsible way. I am committed to traditional conservative principles and will work to safeguard the free market economy, defend our constitutionally protected individual liberties, and limit unnecessary government intervention. Ottawa County is in need of a reliable and experienced financial professional who aims to build public confidence with integrity and transparency. I aim to bring stability, efficiency, and effectiveness to the Treasurer’s Office with full accountability to you, the residents of Ottawa County.