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Board of Directors

Board Member

Betsy Artz

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Betsy Artz is a longtime Kentwood resident, and has filled a seat on the Kentwood City Commission for almost seven years. Betsy has been serving the Kentwood community for over two decades through other roles as well. She has served on the Planning Commission, as a board member of the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce, on the board of the Kentwood Foundation and Kentwood Arts Committee, as a member of the Kentwood Women’s Club, as a Woman’s Life  Chapter President and as an active Kentwood Public Schools parent.

Board Member

Sanel Fazlic

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Business owner and loving husband and father of two, Sanel Fazlic, is highly invested in his community. As the former president of the Bosnian Cultural Center and a board member for the Advisory Council for the Bosnia
​and Herzegovia in Washington DC., Sanel’s dedication to the community is highly applauded by his peers.  Sanel Fazlic is the owner of Fleet Quest, LLC, Fleet Quest Logistics, LLC and Fazlic Properties, LLC located in the Kent County area. Sanel’s love for the community can be traced back to his college years where he received his Bachelor Degree in International Business and Business Administration from Aquinas College, along with receiving his Masters in Strategic Management from Davenport University. 

Board Member

Bill Hardiman

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Clyde Preston William "Bill" Hardiman III was the Mayor of Kentwood, Michigan from 1992 to 2002 and serves as the Director of the Office of Community and Faith Engagement. He then ran for Michigan state senate in 2002, and served from 2003 to 2011. After he retired Hardiman joined the Michigan Department of Human Services, where he focuses on services for veterans. Hardiman is a veteran himself, having served in Vietnam as a medic in the U.S. Army from 1967-1968. He has an associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College, a bachelor's degree from Grand Valley State University, and a master's degree in public affairs from Western Michigan University.

Board Member

William Kelly

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Judge William G. Kelly has served as the judge of the 62-B District Court (Kentwood) since 1979. Since 1980, he has served on the Stauffer Foundation which was the predecessor of the Kentwood Foundation.  Judge Kelly has served as President of the Michigan District Judges Association. He has taught judges statewide and nationwide as a faculty member for the Michigan Judicial Institute and the National Judicial College. He has served on numerous committees of the Michigan Supreme Court.  Judge Kelly graduated from the University of Detroit in 1970. He then taught math in Peace Corps Ghana for two years. He graduated from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1975. He has five children.

Board Member

Stephen Kepley

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Stephen is a licensed professional engineer and holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Virginia Tech.  He has served the citizens of Kentwood as Mayor and head administrator since 2013 (by City Charter, the Kentwood Mayor is also the head administrator for the City, managing day-to-day operations). He previously served as Kentwood’s Director of Engineering and Inspections for 10 years and worked for a national manufacturer of civil engineering product solutions for 15 years prior to his Kentwood service.  In January 2018, Mayor Kepley was appointed Chairperson of The Rapid Board of Directors, where he has served since 2013.

Board Member

John Schneider

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From 1974 until his retirement on December 31, 2018, John practiced law in Grand Rapids. He was a Member of the law firm, Clark Hill PLC. He specialized in advising business entities, and also charitable purpose organizations. John served, and does serve, on the Board of Directors of charitable organization. He has been Board Chairperson of the Grand Rapids Symphony, Blandford Nature Center, Proaction Behavioral Alliance and the Visiting Nurse Association of West Michigan. He is a native of Marshall, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard College and the University of Virginia Law School. John and his wife Judy have been married for almost 48 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Board Member

Jessica Ann Tyson

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Businesswoman and philanthropist, Jessica Ann Tyson, is a prominent figure with a solid rapport in Michigan. Owner of the successful Public Relations firm, JA PR Group, LLC, she has been able to award over $110,000 in scholarships for high school and college students through one of her more notable events held in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo: The Legacy Ball. Clients and sponsors abroad appreciate and admire Jessica Ann's solid reputation of excellence and integrity. Jessica Ann has received much recognition and many awards for achievements as an active volunteer in her community and around the country. In August 2016, Jessica Ann brought her skill set to the restaurant industry and established the popular rustic boutique, The Candied Yam - Delightful Southern Cuisine.

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