You may disagree with me on some issues. I’ll still listen, take your concerns seriously, and work for the things our families need: strong public schools, responsible use of our tax dollars, and health care people can afford.
Public education has been a commitment throughout my career. On the Allendale school board, I earned the Michigan Association of School Boards’ President’s Award of Distinction for completing its highest level of training. I participated in strategic planning for the district twice. I voted for Allendale’s first Early Childhood Center, and I’m proud to have my name on its plaque. I led the Early College Initiative, giving students a path to begin college in their junior year and graduate with an associate degree from MCC. WGVU recognized my work creating and running the Allendale Advocacy Facebook group to help families stay informed about education. I’ve also spent more than 25 years teaching in higher education, from medical assisting at a trade school to bioethics at GVSU, where I’m a professor and textbook author.
I know what it means to watch every dollar. I put myself through college and law school without financial support from my parents, working full time and earning scholarships. On the school board, we balanced our budgets while building schools and providing busing throughout the district. I believe public money should serve the public, not pay for avoidable lawsuits and settlements. On the planning commission, I’ve participated in strategic planning for the township and worked on the pressures that neighborhood and university housing place on Allendale. I’ve also advocated for groundwater protection, PFAS education, and public water for new subdivisions in an area facing dry wells and aquifer concerns.
Health care is personal to me. Treatment for my rare disease has meant reaching my $5,000 out-of-pocket maximum by January 2. My family cared for my grandmother-in-law in our home for 25 years, with hospice joining us only in her final months. We’ve navigated our daughter’s scoliosis and physical therapy, my husband’s cancer, my illness, and the mental health strain of losing our parents and our beloved Gigi. I understand how much care can cost in money, time, and energy.
You don’t have to agree with me on every issue to know what I’ll bring to the Michigan House: experience, careful stewardship of your tax dollars, and a willingness to learn and work with people across differences. That’s how we make progress for all of us.
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Meegan Zickus