Ward 2

Employment

Currently, Jay is President of Development Strategies, Inc, a fundraising consulting and project management firm located in Holland. As a consultant, Jay has more than twenty-five years of experience in the field of non-profit development and has worked throughout Michigan on a wide variety of municipal and non-profit projects involving project management and fundraising. Additionally, he served as the Executive Director of the West Michigan Strategic Alliance (2000 to 2005), a non-profit organization focused on the development and achievement of a 25-year vision designed to ensure long-term sustainability and quality of life for the West Michigan region. Prior to entering the consulting field, Jay served as Regional Advancement Director in the Development office of Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

Community Involvement

In a volunteer capacity, Jay has served on the boards of the Holland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ottawa County chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Holland Jaycees. He graduated from Leadership Holland in 1992 and served on its executive committee from 1994 to 1998. Additionally, Jay has served on the Executive Committee of Leadership West Michigan, an initiative to develop tomorrow's future regional thinkers, chaired Holland's Historic District Commission from 1996 to 2000, chaired Holland's Planning Commission from 2004 to 2007, as well as the All America City Committee that successfully earned All America City and Community status for the City of Holland. He is the council liaison to the Downtown Development Authority, the Principal Shopping District, the Neighborhood Improvement Committee and the Historic District Commission.