Matt Fenske served as an Ottawa County Commissioner for 10 years, including as Board Chair in 2022. He chaired several boards, including the Community Mental Health Board, the Agricultural Preservation Board, and the County Insurance Authority. As a Commissioner, Matt demonstrated a deep understanding of county government and a commitment to serving the community with integrity, fairness, and transparency.

Currently, Matt is the Chair of the Tallmadge Township Planning Commission and served as a Township Trustee for four years. He also had a 33-year career with the Kent County 17th Circuit Court, including as Superintendent of the Juvenile Detention Center.

Matt believes in the power of local politics to impact everyday life. He is passionate about holding leaders accountable, restoring collaboration, and ensuring fair representation for all residents. Under his leadership, Ottawa County was respected throughout Michigan for its balance, transparency, and commitment to serving the people.

I am proud to join the Ottawa Integrity Board because I strongly believe that our elected officials work for us, the people of Ottawa County. They have a responsibility to listen to their constituents in a thoughtful and respectful manner. They should assume that voters with different viewpoints are acting in good faith and want the best for our community. Our elected representatives also have a responsibility to make themselves and their views available to voters when they run for office and after they assume that office. Only responding to voters who share their viewpoints or political outlook is not acceptable. Compromise is the best way to accommodate varying opinions and not a dirty word. The Ottawa Integrity Board recommends candidates that live up to these high standards and I am happy to help encourage such candidates.

I have worked as a member of the League of Women Voters of the Holland Area for seven
years. The League is a non-partisan organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. For five years, I was chair of the Voter Services Committee. As chair, I organized local candidate forums and meet & greets so voters could hear for themselves where candidates stood on various issues. This allowed voters the opportunity to make an informed choice when voting. I also participated in town halls where League members outlined recent changes to Michigan voting rights to interested voters.

I retired from the Holland Board of Public Works after fifteen years as an administrative
assistant. Currently, I live in the City of Holland and am active with the Hope Academy of Senior Professionals and our church choir.