Grand Rapids School Board has four new faces

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Voters elected four new members to the Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) Board of Education in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election, none of whom are incumbent board member Jordoun Eatman.

Eleanor Moreno, Amber Kilpatrick, Arick Davis and Richard Williamson were the top four vote-getters in the general election, according to unofficial election results from the Kent County Clerk's Office.

Moreno came in first place with 35,143 votes, 15.75%, followed by Kilpatrick with 31,543 votes, 14.14%, Davis with 27,822 votes, 12.47% and Williamson with 26,959 votes, 12.08%, according to the clerk's office.

The three candidates who were defeated in the election were Ismalis Nuñez, who received 26.760 votes, 12%; Tonya Williams who received 25,508 votes, 11.43%; and Eatman, who received 24,783 votes, 11.11%.

Norma Lopez, an eighth candidate who dropped out but whose name remained on the ballot due to the late nature of her withdrawal, earned 22,255 votes, 9.98%. An additional 2,311 votes, 1.04%, were write-ins.

General election results are considered unofficial until they are certified.

With three incumbent board members not seeking reelection, the nine-person Board will have four new faces on Jan. 1, 2025.

School board members Katherine Downes Lewis (secretary), along with Jen Schottke (treasurer) and Raynard Ross (vice president) will step down when their terms expire Dec. 31, 2024.

A total of seven candidates were vying for the four-year terms, not including Lopez who suspended her campaign. GRPS enrolled 13,802 students last school year, according to state data.

Arick Davis, 32, is the co-founder of Grand Rapids-based Last Mile Cafe and impact manager at non-profit People First Economy. He has served on several boards, including Code for Good West Michigan, Fulton Street Farmers Market, the Arts Marketplace and the Michigan Tech Alumni Board of Directors. He graduated from Grand Rapids Public Schools before attending first Grand Rapids Community College and then Michigan Technological University, where he received his bachelor's in electrical engineering. Davis is an alumni of the Emerging Leaders and Leadership Grand Rapids classes offered by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

Amber Kilpatrick, 43, is a spiritual ecologist and entrepreneur with the Mindful School of Yoga. Also a substitute teacher, she is the mother of two GRPS children and creator of the Mindful Classrooms Project . Kilpatrick is a graduate of Grand Valley State University.

Eleanor Moreno, 35, is the strategy manager for the Kent County Food Policy Council, where she focuses on community empowerment and sustainability initiatives. She is president of the Grand Rapids Pride Center and is involved with the Latino Community Coalition.

Richard Williamson, 27, is a deputy finance director for the Michigan Democratic Party. He previously worked within the Michigan Legislature, first spending time in the House working for Rep. John Fitzgerald, before moving to the Senate to help craft the 2023 clean energy and climate action package. Williamson is a former member of the Peace Corps who served as a teacher trainer in The Gambia, working with a kindergarten class. A first-generation college graduate, Williamson earned his bachelor's from Oakland University, where he was active in the Center for Multicultural Initiatives as a mentor for other first-generation students.

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