See Who Was Selected This Week for the Friends of the Muskegon County Parks Board

Andrew Trzaska | October 22, 2013

The Muskegon County Commission selected representatives for its Friends of the Muskegon County Parks Advisory Committee this week.

Approvals for citizen representatives from 8 of the 9 county commission districts were voted through unanimously at Tuesday’s full board meeting.

According to the County website, this committee will provide input on the County’s Recreation Plan, allow for public to have their voices heard about the plan, and make recommendations to the Community Foundation on how to spend money from a specific, recently-established fund designed to help the County’s parks.

Muskegon County’s parks system includes seven locations, mostly at the north and east end of the county. The committee also will oversee Heritage Landing as well as Union Depot in downtown Muskegon, which currently houses the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Friends of the Muskegon County Parks Fund was established with the Community Foundation for Muskegon County this summer, with the intent of using the fund to maintain and improve the parks into the future.

Citizen appointments voted through on Tuesday included the following:

District 1: Kimberly Sims

District 2: Amber Petersen

District 3: Jerry Sanders

District 5: Ken Hulka

District 6: Pamela Lynk

District 7: Raymond Korstanje

District 8: Veronica West

District 9: Rachel Star

Kimberly Sims is a current city council member in Muskegon Heights. Ken Hulka is the current Managing Director of the Muskegon County Road Commission. Amber Petersen is co-owner of The Fishmonger’s Wife in Norton Shores. Jerry West is the Public Works Director for Muskegon Township. Veronica West is Deputy Treasurer of Laketon Township.

No name was presented at Tuesday’s meeting for a District 4 representative, which is represented by Bob Scolnik and covers Norton Shores.

Committee members serve two-year terms, though this group will have a slightly longer tenure. Their terms started immediately on October 22, and will end on December 31, 2013.  Meetings are called as needed for this advisory board, and representatives are not paid for their service.