Dana has lived in Hudsonville for nearly 20 years and West Michigan for 25 years. He grew up in Gaylord, Michigan, as the oldest of four, and moved to West Michigan to attend Kendall College of Art and Design, where he graduated in 2003 with a BFA in Visual Communication.
He and his wife, Keri, are high school sweethearts. They have five children together and are excited to welcome their first grandchild this year. All five children have attended or are current students in Hudsonville Public Schools.
Dana’s career began in graphic design and marketing, then grew into a focus on User Experience Design, which involves designing websites and software applications in a way that often requires condensing complex functionality and concepts into something easy to use. This has allowed him to pursue his passion for creating things that improve people’s lives. His work has allowed him to lead groups, manage people, and work directly with executives and companies across a wide range of industries and companies, including startups, healthcare, finance, Fortune 100, and government agencies. He has also co-founded a successful startup and is a founding member of two cutting-edge talent networks. The latest one operates in the rapidly developing Artificial Intelligence space.
Dana attends ResLife church in Grandville and has volunteered with The Grand Rapids Dream Center, a faith-based organization focused on transforming under-resourced communities in Grand Rapids by building authentic relationships and providing consistent support through various programs and outreach efforts.
Dana has served on the board of his homeowner’s association for the last five years and serves the community as a member of the Jamestown Planning Commission. He has been an Ottawa County Republican Party precinct delegate since 2022.
His school involvement includes participating in the Watch D.O.G.S. program, volunteering for reading time in his son’s class, and being a “shark” at the Riley Middle School Shark Tank event. He has attended HPS board meetings since April 2020 and has a 97% attendance record. In 2021, he started to video record board meetings and make them available online for free as a public service, allowing people to watch at their convenience.
Dana's curiosity fuels a continuous drive to learn and stay well-informed on a wide range of issues and topics. He wants to ensure a strong focus on all students achieving academic and athletic excellence that is agenda-free, unbiased, and without any outside influence. He believes that the HPS board should seek a high standard of excellence and hold themselves, the superintendent, the administration, and the staff to the highest standards of excellence and accountability.
Dana will advocate for HPS producing students who are deeply anchored in essential academic subjects, well-mannered, and eager to give their best effort in everything they do. This is the foundation for creating people who develop into well-intentioned, successful contributors to our community and society.
