By City of Kentwood
Ron Draayer, who was elected to Kentwood City Commission as a second ward commissioner during the Nov. 5 election, took the oath of office on Nov. 13 for the four-year term, filling the seat of former commissioner Michael Brown, who served four consecutive terms.
“We are pleased to welcome Ron Draayer to the Commission and look forward to working with him,” said Mayor Stephen Kepley. “We anticipate that his professional insight – especially with respect to technology and cybersecurity – will be a benefit to the City Commission and our community.
“We also want to thank Commissioner Michael Brown for his service to the City of Kentwood and its residents for these past 16 years on City Commission. We deeply appreciate his dedication to our mission and his professionalism in which he represented himself and our City. We will miss our time with him and his expertise that he consistently brought to the Commission.”
A resident of Kentwood since 2016, Draayer brings 40 years of knowledge in education, technology and cybersecurity to the role. He recently retired as a classroom professor at Davenport University.
Draayer previously served as a board member of Michigan InfraGard, an FBI organization that works with law enforcement, business leaders and academic professionals to help protect electrical, water, transportation and other infrastructure assets.
He has also been a local and state advisor for Business Professionals of America, or BPA, a national organization that promotes student growth and achievement through academic competitions. Draayer served on the National Board of BPA and has established a middle-level BPA program in Michigan designed for middle-level and junior-high students.
“I am truly honored to be able to serve the City of Kentwood and the residents of Ward 2,” Draayer said. “Kentwood is a very special City with people whose origins are from all over the world.
“I pledge to work hard and ensure Kentwood continues to be a community where people can raise their families in good neighborhoods.”
Draayer holds a bachelor’s degree from Calvin College, a master’s in management from Aquinas College and a Master of Science from Ferris State University.
