The Consolidated Government Committee
All-volunteer, all-local, politically diverse, and completely independent.
While some local advocacy organizations choose not to disclose their membership,
the CGC operates openly and with complete transparency.
Our members' names and brief biographies are proudly presented here.
All-volunteer, all-local, politically diverse, and completely independent.
While some local advocacy organizations choose not to disclose their membership,
the CGC operates openly and with complete transparency.
Our members' names and brief biographies are proudly presented here.
Bobbie Gaunt
Co-Chair
Over her life, Bobbie Gaunt has answered to many titles: first-born child of a Pennsylvania steel worker, race walker, community volunteer, avid reader, international traveler, wife and step-mom, and patron of the arts. In her business career, Bobbie earned other impressive titles. She rose through Ford Motor Company to become president and CEO of Ford Canada. At the time, she was the highest-ranking woman at the global automaker.
Bobbie and her husband, Bob, live on the banks of the Kalamazoo River in the part of Saugatuck which can only be reached by passing through Douglas. With ties to the community going back two decades, they retired here ten years ago. But it wasn't long before the community called on Bobbie's significant managerial skills to shepherd the Saugatuck Center for the Arts into existence. Although there was strong opposition back then, today the SCA is a community treasure. Appropriately, it features a gathering space named the "Bob And Bobbie Lobby" in honor of the Gaunts.
In July of 2012, Bobbie was appointed by Governor Snyder to the Michigan Women's Commission. This commission was statutorily created in 1968 with the mission of improving the lives of Michigan women. Its current priorities are women in business, women veterans, and human trafficking.
Bobbie and her husband, Bob, live on the banks of the Kalamazoo River in the part of Saugatuck which can only be reached by passing through Douglas. With ties to the community going back two decades, they retired here ten years ago. But it wasn't long before the community called on Bobbie's significant managerial skills to shepherd the Saugatuck Center for the Arts into existence. Although there was strong opposition back then, today the SCA is a community treasure. Appropriately, it features a gathering space named the "Bob And Bobbie Lobby" in honor of the Gaunts.
In July of 2012, Bobbie was appointed by Governor Snyder to the Michigan Women's Commission. This commission was statutorily created in 1968 with the mission of improving the lives of Michigan women. Its current priorities are women in business, women veterans, and human trafficking.
Max Matteson
Co-Chair
Max Matteson has been a Douglas resident since 1984 when he and his partner, Bud Baty, purchased and renovated Point Pleasant Marine. The two have actively supported countless local causes designed to improve life in the community. In 1994, they were instrumental in the successful re-development of downtown Douglas.
Prior to his retirement, Max served as president and CEO of Salon Enterprises, which owned and operated Panopoulos Salons, Hair Cuts Plus Salons, and Chic Schools. Max is currently a partner in Dara Reality. He also serves on the Oxbow Auxiliary Board, and is an active member of the Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ.
Prior to his retirement, Max served as president and CEO of Salon Enterprises, which owned and operated Panopoulos Salons, Hair Cuts Plus Salons, and Chic Schools. Max is currently a partner in Dara Reality. He also serves on the Oxbow Auxiliary Board, and is an active member of the Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ.
Catherine Simon
The owner and proprietor of one of Saugatuck's premier hospitality destinations, the historic Maplewood Hotel, Catherine Simon is a twenty-one year Saugatuck resident. As noteworthy, this grandmother of seven has the energy of some twenty-one year-olds. Catherine has served as mayor of Saugatuck, as well as terms on the City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Historic Commission. The Convention and Visitors' Bureau has benefited from her service, too, and she is a founding member of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts.
An innkeeper, Catherine stays very close to issues related to tourism, upon which our local economy depends. How close? She literally "lives above the store" on the top floor of the hotel. Unfailingly cheerful, articulate, thoughtful, and always involved, Catherine makes this a better place for the rest of us.
An innkeeper, Catherine stays very close to issues related to tourism, upon which our local economy depends. How close? She literally "lives above the store" on the top floor of the hotel. Unfailingly cheerful, articulate, thoughtful, and always involved, Catherine makes this a better place for the rest of us.
Frank Lamb
Treasurer
Frank Lamb was born in the Douglas Hospital about the same time World War II was getting underway. He graduated from Saugatuck High School and Michigan State University, and is an Army veteran. Frank is the CGC's "finance pro." He worked for Lloyd J. Harriss as controller, and later senior vice-president. In 1984, he joined J.B. Laboratories in Holland as controller, ultimately rising to president of the company.
Frank's community involvement includes serving on the Saugatuck Public School Board, the Saugatuck Township Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Mt. Baldhead Challenge Race Committee. He has also volunteered in the Saugatuck public schools, at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and on several boards at the First Congregational Church in Saugatuck.
Frank's community involvement includes serving on the Saugatuck Public School Board, the Saugatuck Township Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Mt. Baldhead Challenge Race Committee. He has also volunteered in the Saugatuck public schools, at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and on several boards at the First Congregational Church in Saugatuck.
Steve Hutchins
Steve Hutchins has been a resident of the area for almost a quarter-century, most recently living in Douglas for more than ten years.
Although he's both a retired U.S. Navy Reserve Captain and a retired American Airlines 767 pilot, Steve seemingly didn't fully get the whole "retired" concept. He has served as President of the Saugatuck Public School Board, and Scoutmaster for Saugatuck Troop 29. He is a Friend of the Saugatuck Douglas District Library, the current Vice-President of the Saugatuck Scholarship Foundation, and a board member of the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society. Tireless? Yes, indeed. Steve's remarkable volunteer commitment helps make Saugatuck Douglas the wonderful community it is.
Although he's both a retired U.S. Navy Reserve Captain and a retired American Airlines 767 pilot, Steve seemingly didn't fully get the whole "retired" concept. He has served as President of the Saugatuck Public School Board, and Scoutmaster for Saugatuck Troop 29. He is a Friend of the Saugatuck Douglas District Library, the current Vice-President of the Saugatuck Scholarship Foundation, and a board member of the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society. Tireless? Yes, indeed. Steve's remarkable volunteer commitment helps make Saugatuck Douglas the wonderful community it is.
Dan Fox
Communications Director
Among Saugatuck's newest full-time residents, Dan Fox is a retired Chicago advertising executive. Over his 30-year career at the ad agency, Foote, Cone & Belding, Dan ran a number of large accounts including household names like Johnson Wax, Sara Lee, Kimberly-Clark, Quaker State, Coors, No Nonsense, and Hampton Inns. After retiring, he served as volunteer communications director for a group that successfully opposed a major tax-increase referendum in his Chicago suburb. So, why'd he move to Saugatuck? "The combination of remarkably friendly people, vibrant arts community, and unmatched natural beauty makes this a real jewel," he explains, adding, "I had one more big adventure left in me, and this is it."
Dan serves on the board of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and chairs its marketing committee.
Dan serves on the board of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and chairs its marketing committee.
Paul Marineau
Saugatuck native and longtime Douglas resident, Paul Marineau, is a law-school professor, attorney, and CPA. Until recently, he had also been treasurer for the group opposing consolidation.
About midway through 2012, Paul stepped forward to forge a collaborative agreement for representatives of that consolidation-opposing organization, the two local governments, the CGC, and the accounting firm, Plante Moran, to meet together as a study-group. The purpose was to have been to analyze municipal-cost information cooperatively, and to reach a consensus on a single set of projections for cost-savings that would arise from consolidation. Paul's civic-minded notion was that in order to develop an informed opinion about consolidation, the community needed reliable and mutually agreed-on data. When the local government officials backed out of the deal, Paul stayed with it. The two Plante Moran-authored analyses published here were accomplished with his guidance and endorsement.
Those who know Paul trust him as a caring leader with a sharp mind who holds the best interests of the community and its future at heart. Some even render him the highest of praise saying, "He doesn't seem like a lawyer!"
About midway through 2012, Paul stepped forward to forge a collaborative agreement for representatives of that consolidation-opposing organization, the two local governments, the CGC, and the accounting firm, Plante Moran, to meet together as a study-group. The purpose was to have been to analyze municipal-cost information cooperatively, and to reach a consensus on a single set of projections for cost-savings that would arise from consolidation. Paul's civic-minded notion was that in order to develop an informed opinion about consolidation, the community needed reliable and mutually agreed-on data. When the local government officials backed out of the deal, Paul stayed with it. The two Plante Moran-authored analyses published here were accomplished with his guidance and endorsement.
Those who know Paul trust him as a caring leader with a sharp mind who holds the best interests of the community and its future at heart. Some even render him the highest of praise saying, "He doesn't seem like a lawyer!"
Advisors to the Committee
Travis Randolph
Travis Randolph's roots in this area back to the late 1800s. His great grandparents settled in Singapore at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River in 1868. They moved their three children--and physically moved their house--to Holland Street in Saugatuck during the winter of 1873-74. The house, which made the trip up the frozen river on a sled pulled by horses, still stands today at the west end of Grant Street. As a child, it's where Travis summered with his paternal grandparents.
Travis became a Saugatuck resident in 1963 while attending the University of Michigan, and in 1967 moved here from Ann Arbor with his wife, Sandra, full-time. They relocated to Riverside Drive in Saugatuck Township in 1974. The Randolphs operate two businesses in the area: Good Goods in Saugatuck and Symbiote, Inc. in Zeeland. Travis and Sandra are life members of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society, and are friends of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance.
Travis became a Saugatuck resident in 1963 while attending the University of Michigan, and in 1967 moved here from Ann Arbor with his wife, Sandra, full-time. They relocated to Riverside Drive in Saugatuck Township in 1974. The Randolphs operate two businesses in the area: Good Goods in Saugatuck and Symbiote, Inc. in Zeeland. Travis and Sandra are life members of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society, and are friends of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance.
R.J. Peterson
Considered by many to be something of a legend at the young age of 85, R.J. Peterson is personally responsible for countless civic and commercial improvements in Douglas and Saugatuck. The Mildred A. Peterson Nature Preserve--named in honor of his mother--in Saugatuck is just one of his gifts to his fellow citizens. The owner of Tower Marine, R.J. virtually single-handedly brought the S.S. Keewatin to its longtime mooring site in Douglas. When the beloved Saugatuck chain ferry fell into disrepair and disuse in the sixties, R.J. paid to refurbish it, and his boat-repair expertise got it running again. He was responsible for buying and renovating the Mt. Baldhead radar site and the stairs leading up to it. R.J. sat on the board of the Community Hospital for two decades. A long-time advocate for the Kalamazoo Lake harbor, R.J. predicted the current siltation dilemma years back, and has proposed innovative, professionally endorsed plans to solve the crisis. He also plays a wicked clarinet.
R.J. first visited Saugatuck in 1938. His family has been involved in marinas and boat-building enterprises since about that time, first in Gary, Indiana, and later in Douglas. On the south bank of the Kalamazoo River, his River Queen Manufacturing Company built the first-ever stock houseboat, ultimately selling more than 5,000 of them.
You will find few people who know more--or care more--about our community than R.J. And arguably none who have had a more positive impact. R.J.'s feistiness and passion for his favorite causes are well known, as are his unfailing sense of humor and nearly boundless generosity. Even those who've crossed swords with him will readily acknowledge that R.J. Peterson is singularly propelled by his deep and abiding love for Douglas and Saugatuck, and the waterways they share.
On October 1, 2012, Governor Snyder named R.J. a special consultant to the Michigan Waterways Commission. The seven-member commission is responsible for the acquisition, construction, and maintenance of recreational harbors, channels, docking, and launching facilities, and administration of commercial docks in the Straits of Mackinac.
R.J. first visited Saugatuck in 1938. His family has been involved in marinas and boat-building enterprises since about that time, first in Gary, Indiana, and later in Douglas. On the south bank of the Kalamazoo River, his River Queen Manufacturing Company built the first-ever stock houseboat, ultimately selling more than 5,000 of them.
You will find few people who know more--or care more--about our community than R.J. And arguably none who have had a more positive impact. R.J.'s feistiness and passion for his favorite causes are well known, as are his unfailing sense of humor and nearly boundless generosity. Even those who've crossed swords with him will readily acknowledge that R.J. Peterson is singularly propelled by his deep and abiding love for Douglas and Saugatuck, and the waterways they share.
On October 1, 2012, Governor Snyder named R.J. a special consultant to the Michigan Waterways Commission. The seven-member commission is responsible for the acquisition, construction, and maintenance of recreational harbors, channels, docking, and launching facilities, and administration of commercial docks in the Straits of Mackinac.
Donna Farrington
