Mark Miller for Saugatuck
I am running for Saugatuck City Council. To learn more about me and why I'm running, please review my introductory post and then follow along on this page.
For more information, please feel free to contact me through this page, Instant Messenger or email. Introduction
My name is Mark Miller, and I would like to serve as one of your next Saugatuck City Council members. Why Saugatuck? I serve many unofficial, non-governmental roles. I am a husband and a father. I am a son, a brother and a grandfather. These roles are all very important to me. What I am
I would like to offer my congratulations to those elected/re-elected to our city council.
May your leadership and service truly move SAUGATUCK FORWARD.
M
***Important Announcement***
I filed to run for city council to serve the people of Saugatuck. My goal from the outset was to run a campaign based on integrity, honesty, and transparency; and to embrace the spirit of compromise and collaboration once elected.
I did not anticipate the gravity of the electorate's divisiveness that became apparent after my decision to run. I have no desire to propagate further discord within our community; rather I want to continue to maintain and foster sound relationships with my neighbors and fellow citizens.
For these reasons and with deepest regret, I feel that the best path forward for ALL of us at this point in time is for me to withdraw my candidacy and drop out of the city council race.
This close to election day, there is not an available mechanism to remove my name from the ballot and I am sadly aware that many people have already cast their votes.
I apologize to all of the good people of Saugatuck for these unfortunate circumstances.
I owe a heartfelt thank you to all of my supporters, family and friends.
Sincerely,
Mark T. Miller
Here we go! I'm looking to serve our community on City Council. I believe in the beauty, diversity and abundance of Saugatuck. Join me - Saugatuck Forward!
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It's fall in Michigan. Football, sweatshirts, hot chocolate, colorful foliage, cinnamon spiced everything and of course......election signs. Regardless of how you feel about the election season portion of autumn, don't forget to vote!!
Introduction
My name is Mark Miller, and I would like to serve as one of your next Saugatuck City Council members.
Why Saugatuck?
I serve many unofficial, non-governmental roles. I am a husband and a father. I am a son, a brother and a grandfather. These roles are all very important to me.
What I am not, is a politician….at least not up until right now. This election and running for City Council is however, also very important to me….but more on that a little later.
My wife Cindy and I moved to Saugatuck in 2015, but my story regarding our unique, diverse, gem of an art coast town began many years before that. My father fell in love with Saugatuck long before I was born. When my brother and I were old enough to walk and swim, my mother and father would load us into our fake wood-sided Oldsmobile station wagon and head for Oval Beach. The just over two hour drive from Howell where I grew up and went to high school, always seemed to take forever. But when we arrived, we all knew that we were about to have a truly enchanted day at the beach, in the waves and on the dunes. This was usually followed by strolling through town, wandering through magical shops, eating ice cream and then eating a hearty , much anticipated meal at one of Saugatuck”s many restaurants. Our favorite back then was the old Billy’s Boat House.
Since those bygone years of childhood, I have been coming back to Saugatuck almost every summer during the years that I was living in Michigan. Our grown kids love to visit us here, and now our grandchildren do as well.
For me it is so fulfilling to pass on the legacy and the memories, as well as creating new memories here in this award winning tourist and family centered town along the Kalamazoo River.
During all of these years, I have seen some changes that I’ve really appreciated and some that I haven't quite as much. The last couple of years however, have excited me greatly. Saugatuck is on a wonderful path forward, and I’d love to be a part of it. I feel it is my time to start giving back. I am well aware that this is a very cliche statement, but some cliches hang around for good reasons.
I truly believe in the very bright future that Saugatuck is heading towards. There will no doubt be bumps along the way, but together we can overcome the obstacles and continue to move Saugatuck FORWARD.
Background
In addition to my most important roles within my family, I am also a board certified Emergency Physician. After high school I started at Michigan State University on a music education scholarship. I ended up receiving, instead of an arts degree in music, a BS in Human Nutrition and Pre-med. Ask me sometime how that all transpired.
I went to medical school at Michigan State as well, and completed my internship at the Naval Hospital San Diego. I went through med school on a Navy scholarship, and subsequently served our country in the Persian Gulf as a Battalion Surgeon and Special Operations Medical Officer during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Following my military tour I completed my Emergency Medicine residency program as chief resident, at the University of Chicago Hospitals. It was there, though initially seeded during my combat experience, that I became interested in pre-hospital medicine; both EMS ground ambulance services as well as aeromedical helicopter transport.
I have since served terms as EMS Medical Director for both Kent and Allegan Counties. I have been Chief of Service/Medical Director for three hospital emergency departments, including my current role at ASCENSION|Borgess in Kalamazoo.
So how does any of this set me up to effectively serve all of you and our city. Again, I have no political experience, so if that is what you are looking for, then I’m probably not the candidate for you. What I have learned from all of my professional and personal experiences is how to treat people (not just as patients) and how to accomplish objectives quickly and efficiently, with as much collective agreement and collaborative support as possible.
Sure, I can bring 37 years of medical and safety experience to the table and would very much like to be involved in moving public safety, Fire, EMS and infection prevention forward in our community. But I also have extensive experience in leadership, compromise and consensus building, multitasking and efficiency, expedient problem-solving and one of my personal favorite crusades, communication and transparency.
Where Do I Stand?
Here is a partial list of my civic interests:
-Health and public safety for all of our citizens
-Calculated, intentional and strategic growth
-Better broadband/wifi access
-Excellence in our public schools
-Responsible spending
-Safe and trouble-free Social District
-Environmentally friendly w**d mitigation of Kalamazoo Lake
-Communication and transparency
-Strong professional city staff
-Inclusivity and diversity
-Parks and recreation
-Safe bike trail
-Recycling and environmental protection
Guiding Belief
Every one of our citizens has a vision for our city. The vast majority of us want Saugatuck to move in the same general direction. There are and always will be, of course, differing opinions regarding certain issues. This is where the challenge is. This is also where the opportunity is and frankly I feel one of the key responsibilities of city government. Through listening, doing the “homework”, consensus building, compromise and a focus on what is best for the majority, I believe our city council can represent everyone well, and make decisions that favor the most.
I will periodically add information to this bio and FaceBook pare. I realize that I cannot expect any of you to cast your vote for me for City Council, if you don’t know me or what I stand for.
And to that end, I invite each and every one of you to contact me with any questions or to make me aware of any of your views.
I welcome open and honest discussion with all of our citizens. My hope is that this has been helpful, that you now know me at least a little better, and that you will feel free to reach out to me any time leading up to our election (and after the election of course, if I receive the honor to serve you).
And above all else, VOTE. No matter who or what you are for, VOTE.
It is our right, and our responsibility. VOTE!!!!
I thank you for your time.
~Mark
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