PRESIDENT

Rachael is passionate about the growth and development of her local community. Rachael and her partner chose Eastown as their home because of the community’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, support of local businesses and community events. Rachael is a professional in the finance and accounting field. When she is not working she and her partner are taking care of their 1910’s home, gardening, walking their golden retriever and playing golf.

VICE PRESIDENT

Matt and his wife have lived in Eastown for almost fifteen years. Matt has always had a desire to contribute to positive changes in the community. Although Matt has a personality that is quiet and reserved, Matt wants to show his children the importance of community and action. He wants to help others in the community connect and act because we are all in this together.

SECRETARY

Anne has lived in her Eastown home for the past nineteen years with her husband Chris. Together they have raised two children, Jack and Alice, and many animals. She is a small business owner with an office in Cedar Springs. She loves the parks and walkable neighborhoods of Eastown. When not at work you can find her walking the, eating at her favorite Eastown restaurants, and spending time with her family and friends. Anne is passionate about community events, small business development, and loves planning anything that involves people. She is most excited about the opportunity to be of service to her neighbors in whatever way she can.

TREASURER

Originally from Cleveland, OH, Derek moved to Eastown with his wife Megan in 2020. Derek is putting down roots in Grand Rapids - he and his wife had their first child, Adelaide, in January 2023. Derek is a management consultant and a small business owner. He works for Holden Advisors, where he advises commercial teams at B2B companies on sales and pricing strategy. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Columbia University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management. When not working, you can find Derek watching Cleveland sports, playing with his daughter, or walking his puppy Montana around Eastown.

Originally from the Lansing area, Erin found her home in Eastown after moving all over the country in her 20s and 30s.If you’ve been outside at all, you’ve probably seen her on her daily walks with her old rescue dogs, Mabel and Gwen, who both have become quite popular in local shops. Erin has a background in public policy and is passionate about making sure everyone’s voice is heard in community decision-making. Erin is also a champion for disability advocacy and wants to see Eastown become an even more accessible community. In her free time, you can find Erin teaching group fitness classes at the Kroc, watching a whole lot of Dancing with the Stars, and trying to fill her house with as many disco balls as she can find.

Rebecca is a thireen-year resident of the Eastown community. She is also a two-term former member of the ECA Board of Directors. Rebecca has been a realtor for fourteen years. A lover of the arts, Rebecca lives on Hope Street with her two poppers, Petey and Bruno, and her wife Michele. She kindly asks that you not tell Michelle which order her name was listed. :)

Ben finally moved to Eastown in 2023, having grown up in Holland and spent a couple of years in San Francisco. He’s passionate about people and the built environment—two of the neighborhood’s best qualities! These interests led him to join the Bricks and Mortar Committee shortly after moving here. Ben started volunteering to help keep Eastown weird, of course, and contribute to making the neighborhood walkable, bikeable, and affordable. Consequently, you can often spot him biking and running in the neighborhood or enjoying nice evenings on his front porch.

Originally from Evanston, Illinois, AJ moved into a house in Eastown in 2017. Starting at the Post Office in 2019, they were exposed to nearly every neighborhood in the area and quickly learned that Eastown was the best of the bunch. Then, in 2021, they secured a permanent route in Eastown. AJ offers a community face to their 600 homes and serves as a point person for new residents. AJ also converted their partner Annika to the Eastown life, convincing Annika to move from Lansing to Grand Rapids. Now they are on a quest to finally decide who has the best pizza in Eastown. When AJ isn’t delivering the mail on the south side of Eastown, you’ll see them walking with Annika and their dog, Squarsh Dog (yes, that is his real name), who is learning to love Eastown, too.

CHAIR, BRICKS+MORTAR

Like so many, John first moved to Eastown in his early twenties. He and his wife Melissa’s first apartment as a married couple was in Eastown and the connection they feel toward this community has only grown since then. After spending several years in Washington, D.C., John and Melissa returned to Eastown to raise their family. John is a realtor with Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors and loves to help others find their dream home in Eastown (or elsewhere, if needed). John, Melissa, Theo, and Eleanor love strolling the neighborhood and discovering all the new things the community has to offer.

CHAIR, EVENTS

Hal is a native of Grand Rapids and has wanted to live in Eastown because it's the best neighborhood in Grand Rapids. In 2020 he was thrilled to buy a house in Eastown. He is passionate about his community and values the diversity present in Grand Rapids. He joined the board in order to help continue the tradition of fostering the friendliest, weirdest, and most fun place to live. You'll see him walking his dog Blue in the neighborhood every day. If you see him, say hey! He loves a good chat.

Ron is a native Grand Rapidian who spent the last 35 years in the Ottawa Hills Neighborhood adjacent to ECA. Walking routes frequently took him through the ECA neighborhood; breakfast found him at Brandywine or Wolfgangs. Though now a resident of Cascade, Ron attends Calvin Church which has long had an affiliation with ECA through board representation, neighbors who attend and financial support. Ron's career in social work and fundraising along with board experiences offer background that will shape his commitment to and involvement with ECA. Ron currently facilitates a group at Calvin Church that is committed to greater neighborhood awareness and engagement.

CHAIR, COMMUNICATIONS

Courtney Stuart is a creative director, designer, and visual storyteller who also works as the Creative Manager at John Ball Zoo. She’s been a dedicated leader and team builder for 20 years, driving the success of award-winning campaigns for notable clients like Kellogg’s, Kimberly Clark, Meijer, United Way, The Frederik Meijer Gardens, and others by leveraging human-centered design and behavioral science. Her experience spans a wide range of work from large integrated marketing campaigns, to lead generation programs for small businesses and non-profits. From TV to TikTok, she’s done a little bit of everything. Committed to continuous learning and innovation, she holds multiple certifications and is always looking for great tool or resource to help my clients succeed.