Lowell City Council spent more than three hours on Zoom last night as they interviewed five people for a vacant seat on the council. The applicants were seeking to finish out the term of Greg Canfield, who resigned for personal reasons in October.
After the interviews were completed, the council had a short discussion before selecting Leah Groves to fill the spot. Keep reading for more about each applicant and what made Groves stand out to councilmembers.
Applicants Hail from Diverse Backgrounds
The five applicants for the open seat included a mix of long-time residents and new arrivals. Each was asked the same 18 questions, which were drafted by City Manager Mike Burns.
Here’s a summary of each candidate, in the order in which they were interviewed.
Leah Groves: Arriving in Lowell just a year and a half ago, Groves is a single mother of two boys and currently in the process of becoming a doula. She described being “swooped up” by a supportive community when she arrived, and her vision for the future of Lowell is that it remains a welcoming place for all people. Groves said that, as a new resident, she has little knowledge of current city issues but is motivated to learn and would come into the position with no preconceived notions. She said she is empathetic and ethical and, among her priorities, would be seeing how the city could support its small businesses. Groves has not run for any political office previously but did sit on a board for Head Start on the east side of the state.
Katie Rademacher: Rademacher moved to Lowell from the Grand Rapids area about six years ago. She was drawn to the community for its safe neighborhoods, and she loves that Lowell residents come together to rally around good causes. Her professional background is in radio and television communications, and she was previously a member of the Lowell Area Fire Department. Rademacher said she tries to live her life with integrity and isn’t afraid to speak up. While the city needs to address issues such as crumbling roads, she would also like to see it take initiatives to help marginalized and poverty-stricken members of the community. Rademacher has never run for public office before, but she did apply for the city manager position several years ago. She is also part of the Lowell PFLAG Chapter.
Jake Davenport: A lifelong resident of Lowell, Davenport described himself as a “person of action,” and he has run for city council in two previous elections. When asked what made him uniquely qualified for the position, Davenport responded that he has attended every council meeting for the past two years and understands the issues facing the city. His top priorities would be addressing unfunded liabilities in the city pension system, maintaining and improving infrastructure and improving communication between the city and its residents. His vision for the future of Lowell is one in which storefronts are full and the city is working collaboratively with neighboring Lowell and Vergennes Townships. Davenport is a 2013 graduate of Lowell High School and has been active in the Boy Scouts and the Lowell Area Community Center Committee.
Mike Gadula: After growing up on the east side of the state and spending some time in Chicago, Gadula and his wife settled in Lowell as a midway point between their two families. He applied for the previous open seat on City Council but had not been a resident long enough to qualify for the spot at that time. In 2019, he was appointed to the Lowell Planning Commission. Gadula said if he were selected, his guiding principal in making decisions would be to consider whether it would make the city a better place for his children. He noted that city councilmembers don’t serve for their own personal gain but are there for citizens. Among his priorities would be determining what should be done with the fairgrounds, improving road conditions and getting more people involved in city issues.
Tina Dickerman: Dickerman is a lifelong resident and co-owns local manufacturer Optec with her husband. She said she loves the community and wants to be a part of moving it forward. Among her priorities are ensuring the city assists businesses which have struggled under pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions. Dickerman noted the city is surrounded by agriculture, and she would like to see that aspect of the community’s identity emphasized in the same way as art and music. She would like to ensure people appointed to city boards are equipped to make decisions and that their input is heard by the council. Dickerman has never run for public office but has sat on boards for Lowell Cable Television and Friends of the Frederick Meijer River Valley Rail Trail. She also spearheaded the creation of the Creekside Kingdom playground with a friend.
Council Discussion Regarding Candidates
After all interviews were complete, Lowell councilmembers spent about 25 minutes discussing the candidates and making their selection.
Councilmember Jim Salzwedel kicked off the discussion by recapping his notes from the interview with Groves. He found her to be well-spoken and willing to learn. Salzwedel also thought she was a good listener and had high standards. Councilmember Cliff Yankovich agreed, saying Groves was the person he knew the least among the candidates but that he was very impressed with her answers. Councilmember Marty Chambers added that he thought she gave an “awesome” interview.
Davenport is very well-informed and has a good understanding of the issues, according to Salzwedel. However, Yankovich wondered why applicants who are long-time residents are not already serving on city boards and commissions. Mayor Mike DeVore said Gadula is the only applicant who has heeded requests from the council for citizens to apply to fill vacancies on boards.
Salzwedel responded that all applicants gave to the community in some way, even if they weren’t current board members. Chambers appreciated Dickerman’s knowledge of business and finance and was impressed by Rademacher’s service on the Fire Department.
Yankovich said he would like to have a female on the board, and DeVore said Groves was in his top two. He didn’t think she had a weak answer to any question in her interview. Gadula was the first choice of Chambers, but Groves was also in his top two. Meanwhile, Salzwedel thought any of the five applicants would serve well.
The decision seemed to come down to either Groves or Gadula, but in the end, councilmembers said Groves would provide a fresh perspective as both a new resident and a single mother. The city would also continue to benefit from Gadula as a member of the Planning Commission.
Yankovich made the motion to nominate Groves, and Salzwedel seconded. The vote to approve Groves was unanimous.
The next regular meeting of Lowell City Council – and the first meeting for Groves – will be on Monday, December 7, at 7pm. The regularly scheduled Coffee with Council that would normally be held on December 5 was cancelled as a result of meeting restrictions in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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