State your name, position, and why you are running.
I am Heather Majestic, the Democratic candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner in District 7. I am running because I care about my friends and neighbors. I have been a widow for the past 5 years since my husband of 18 years passed suddenly of a heart attack when my children were 16 and 13. We have had to learn the importance of COMMUNITY in addition to family. I want every family in Ottawa County feel represented, valued, cared for, and supported according to their needs. The current board of commissioners is failing us due to their lack of transparency, excessive costs related to lawsuits and severance packages and unnecessary expansion of departments and additional staff. Their lack of respect for constituents, cronyism in hiring and firing decisions and vindictive actions against those they see as political rivals must stop. I am running because I want to restore integrity and respect and make our government trustworthy again.
What expertise and strengths are you bringing to the board?
I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, went to college at Notre Dame on a Navy ROTC scholarship. I studied business administration, and upon graduation I was commissioned as an officer and served in Alaska, on the Eisenhower (an aircraft carrier) and with SEAL TEAM II in Virginia. In 2001 I received my MBA from Michigan State and started my career at Steelcase. I currently work as a Sourcing Manager at Corewell Health. I am a people-leader with years of diverse experience managing large projects with people who may or may not look or think like me. I’ve also been a hiring manager who looks for guidance from HR experts and have kept myself out of lawsuits because of it. I know how to collaborate with others to get a job done and am skilled in the art of negotiation and win-win outcomes. I am also a compassionate servant leader, putting the needs of others and the needs of the organization for whom I work ahead of my own.
Why should residents vote for you?
The voters of Ottawa County should vote for me because I am a natural leader with lots of life and professional experience who believes in collaboration, integrity and respect. I am a hard worker who believes in family, community and belonging. I will represent you and your needs and I won’t make decisions behind closed doors, making sure to provide visibility to voters and ensure we spend the tax payer’s money responsibly.