Appointment to the Planning Commission

Members of the Ionia County Planning Commission are appointed by the Ionia County Board of Commissioners in accordance with state law (MCL 125.102). The Planning Commission consists of 11 members who are appointed to three-year terms.

Planning Commission Members

Paul Bowering
Mr. Bowering has been a resident of Ronald Township for the past 33 years. He currently cash crops his 180 acre farm, having raised both hogs and cattle in the past. Paul continues to teach biology and anatomy & physiology at Grand Ledge High School, having taught there for the last 32 years. He has been a member of the Ionia County Planning Commission for the past 18 years.

Lisa Coe

Wayne DePotty
Mr. DePotty is a resident of Orange Township. In addition to being born and raised in Ionia County, Wayne has been a business owner here for 22 years. Wayne is also an active member of Farm Bureau, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Chamber of Commerce, and Michigan's Retail Hardware Association.

Quentin Harwood
Mr. Harwood was born and raised in Ionia County and is a resident of Berlin Township. He is a life long farmer currently owning and renting land in Berlin and Orange Townships as well as Clare and Osceola Counties.

Joe Marhofer
Mr. Marhofer is a resident of Otisco Township and operates a contract swine nursery. He also serves on the Ionia County Board of Commissioners.

Joel Palmer, Sr.

Mr. Palmer has been a resident of Ionia County his entire life, and has lived on a small farm in Orleans Township for the last 61 years. He is very interested in local and county government, and is a regular attendee of meetings for the past several years. He is retired from the Michigan Department of Corrections where he worked in the Psychiatric, Medical and Custody Departments. He has also been a member of the Orleans Planning Commission for nearly 5 years.

Sandra Pearson
Mrs. Pearson is a 1988 graduate of St. Patrick's School in Portland and a 1992 graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Business Administration. Sandy has worked in various capacities with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for more than 11 years and currently serves the State as a Community Development Specialist. Sandy resides in Danby township.

Jeff Sandborn
Mr. Sandborn is a life-long resident of Ionia County, currently residing in Danby Township. He is a corn and soybean farmer and has served on the Ionia County Conservation District Board. He has been past chair for the Danby Township Zoning Board and is the current board member for the Ionia County Farm Bureau.

Larry Thelen
Mr. Thelen was born and raised on a farm in nearby Clinton County and has spent the past 31 years in Ionia County. He has been involved in agriculture and agri-business for 26 years and is currently the owner of a financial services and insurance business. He lives in Berlin Township.

Gregg Yeomans
Mr. Yeomans is a life-long resident of Easton Township with a family history that spans the life of the local community. He serves on the Boards of the Ionia High School Building Trades Program and the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission. He is also involved with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He is a graduate of the University of Detroit and practices as a licensed architect.

 
Bill Weisgerber
Mr. Weisgerber is a life-long resident of Ionia County, currently residing in Orange Township. He also serves on the Ionia County Economic Alliance, Ionia County Memorial Hospital Board and the Greater Ionia Fair Board.

Want to serve on the Planning Commission?
Send us an e-mail including your name, post office address and telephone number and we'll send you an application to serve on a Board or Commission. Return the Application to us and it will be considered by the Board of Commissioners whenever there is an opening.