Oakland County
Oakland County Parks Announces Retirement of Longtime Member J. David VanderVeen, Appointment of Kate Baker
Oakland County Parks declares pension of the outdated member J. David Vandererveen, appointment of Kate Baker
(Oakland County Parks, 6 September 2025)
David Vanderveen leaves his Parks Fee Submit, however not his love for outdoor.
For nearly three a long time, Vandererveen, Van Clarkston, has invested within the well being and effectively -being of residents of the province by means of the park system and has given a imaginative and prescient of entry to everybody. He was appointed as consultant of the County Government on the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Fee (OCPRC) in 1998 and served as an elected officer for 21 years. After having served as vice chairman for 13 years, he withdrew from his service within the committee from 1 September.
“Dave is a tireless advocate for Oakland County Parks and acknowledges the position that parks and recreation play in folks’s lives,” mentioned Chris Ward, director of Oakland County Parks. “He runs the dialog concerning the worth that outside recreation provides as an virtually each day customer to one in every of our parks.”
Vanderveen withdrew from Oakland County in 2022, after virtually 55 years, the place he lately served Central Companies director.
“I’m grateful to our predecessors who had the imaginative and prescient 59 years in the past to take care of the open house for future generations. We have now to maintain that as a prime precedence whereas the county continues to develop,” Vanderveen mentioned. “It was an ideal expertise and I proceed to understand the worth that parks and recreation contributes to our high quality of life.”
Kate Baker appointed
County Government Dave Coulter appointed Kate Baker van Ferndale as his consultant on the Parks Fee as a substitute of Vandererveen.
Baker is a former member of the Ferndale municipal council, Liaison of Planning Fee and a planning commissioner. Because the chairman of the Ferndale Planning Fee, she performed an essential position in supervising the town to a grasp plan aimed toward reasonably priced houses.
She is acknowledged for many years of volunteering in management roles in growth planning, the local weather motion plan and advocacy for walkable, sustainable and inclusive neighborhood design.
“Kate’s deep expertise in metropolis planning, reasonably priced houses, sustainability and placemaking rests its distinctive to contribute to issues from park entry, neighborhood design and nation administration,” mentioned Ward.
Election of officers
Because of Vandererveen’s pension, the OCPRC held the election of an officer throughout the common assembly of three September to exchange the open vice chair place.
Yolanda Smith Charles, A commissioner of Oakland County from Southfield and an OCPRC member since 2021 was elected vice chairman. Since 2024 she has been a member of the LARGE member of the OCPRC Government Committee.
Ebony Bagley Serves as a chair. The resident of Novi was appointed within the parks in 2019, elected as secretary of 2020-23 and chairman since 2024. Underneath her management, Oakland County Parks has made historic investments in its services, partnerships with native communities and new leisure initiatives.
Andrea Lafontaine serves as secretary. She was appointed the Parks Fee in 2018 and elected as secretary since 2024. A resident of Birmingham, Lafontaine is the chief director of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance and a former state consultant.
OCPRC officers are chosen for one calendar 12 months, with the 2025 interval ending on December 31. Elections are held once more throughout the first assembly in January 2026.
The Parks Fee additionally contains:
- Kate Baker Van Ferndale, a member since 2025
- Lola Banks Van Oak Park, a member since 2024
- Ann Erickson Gault, A commissioner of Oakland County van Troy and a member since 2024 who now serves as the brand new member of the LARGE member of the Government Committee along with the chosen officers
- Christine Lengthy, A commissioner of Oakland County van Wolverine Lake, a member since 2009
- Eric McPhersonThe highway committee of Oakland County Chair from Hazel Park, a member since 2025
- Jim Nash, Oakland County Water Assets Commissioner of Farmington Hills, a member since 2013
- Shanell Weatherpoon From Pontiac, a member since 2024
The OCPRC was based in 1966 below Public ACT 261 of 1965. The ten-person committee consists of six chosen officers and 4 members of the general public: Oakland County Government of Appeeus; Oakland County Water Assets Commissioner or Appeeee; a member of the Street Fee for Oakland County; Three members of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners (BOC); and 4 members of the general public appointed by the Boc.
The OCPRC is answerable for planning, creating and working parks and leisure services; make guidelines and laws for the park system; decide a reimbursement construction; And approving funds spending. The Parks Fee can be answerable for recommending the Acquisition of New Parkland, acceptance of subsidy finance and entry to utilization agreements, all of which require BOC approval.
The OCPRC usually involves the primary Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m. on the Parks Administrative Workplaces, 2800 Watkins Lake Street in Waterford. Assembly agendas may be discovered on-line at Oaklandcounttyparks.com.
Go to for details about different occasions Oaklandcounttyparks.com. Take part within the dialog Facebook And Instagram.
