Press Release

MUSKEGON, MI (date) -- Chris McGuigan, who led the Community Foundation for Muskegon County for 19 years until her retirement five years ago, has announced her candidacy for Muskegon County Commissioner representing District 4.

As she seeks a four-year term on the Muskegon County Commission, McGuigan’s eyes are on the big picture for the whole county. “ Our county government delivers services that hugely impact quality of life for everyone,” McGuigan said. “My focus is and will be quality of life in
Muskegon County, and, in particular, our children’s quality of life. I’ll be working on all the things we can do to create hope and opportunity, enjoyable, productive days, and secure evenings and nights for all of us, but especially our children and their parents.”

District 4 encompasses Pinchtown, Nims, Lakeside, Glenside, and Beachwood-Bluffton neighborhoods in the City of Muskegon; all of the City of Roosevelt Park, and roughly the western half of the City of Norton Shores. The district is currently served by Democrat Marcia Hovey-Wright, who is retiring at the end of this term. McGuigan is also a Democrat, facing no primary opposition and looking forward to the general election Nov. 5.

McGuigan is motivated to run for elected office at this time in our political history with the chaos created by the Republican Party in nearby Ottawa County and across the state with its reactionary ideology causing division and ineffective local government. This extreme conservative approach must
not be allowed to control Muskegon County government, McGuigan said.

“Our only ideology will be to work together with all the resources we have to improve everyone’s quality of life in Muskegon County,” McGuigan said. Muskegon County children and their families are in need of service through three of McGuigan’s policy priorities.

Support of mental health and public health services to maximize resources to care for the needs of everybody. Such human services will impact other critical issues of educational attainment, affordable housing and meaningful employment.

Renewed efforts to fund and expand public transportation throughout the county to support a growing and dynamic economy and getting all members of our families to work, school, shopping and recreation. The Muskegon County Airport remains a critical element of the county transportation system supporting a diverse economy.

Finally, support of outdoor recreation and protection of our water-based environment for county families to enjoy for generations to come. Most importantly the public access to and preservation of the former sand mining property of the new Muskegon County Dune Harbor Park in the heart of District 4 needs to be well planned and executed.

A graduate of Hope College and Indiana University-Bloomington Law School, McGuigan moved to Muskegon to join Muskegon’s then largest law firm, Landman Latimer Clink and Robb, and was their first female associate. Throughout her 17 years of law practice, McGuigan volunteered on the Boards of many community organizations, including the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Hackley Community Care Center and Planned Parenthood Association of Muskegon. She has served two separate times as President of the Governing Board of First Congregational Church, and also of the Muskegon County Bar Association.

McGuigan’s community work became her career in 1999 when she became President/CEO of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFMC), following the retirement of Patricia B. Johnson. The CFMC holds and administers millions of dollars donated by hundreds of individuals and organizations for the benefit of community and philanthropic causes. In addition to its grant making role, CFMC owns and operates the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts and Hilt Building.

As the foundation’s leader, McGuigan led collaborations and partnerships
involved in:

The purchase and redevelopment of the 23 acres of the former Muskegon
Mall, recreating Downtown Muskegon.
Inspired by the “Imagine Muskegon” community-led vision, the foundation facilitated the creation of Alcoa Celebration Square, better known as the Children’s Splash Pad in front of the Post Office, and the Third Street Promenade, including the Olthoff Street Stage.
The Downtown Public Art Committee, whose objective was to “make Muskegon remarkable for its public art.” That Committee oversaw the commission and location of many sculptures downtown, starting with the iconic downtown traffic circle monument “Together, Muskegon Rising” by Richard Hunt.
The creation and expansion of the Boy & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore to serve students and their families with high-quality, out-of-school programs.
Establishing the Muskegon Covenant Academy, a charter high school managed by Covenant Academy Foundation and dedicated to students who have dropped out or at risk of dropping out of traditional public schools.
“I believe when the community ‘took back’ the chained downtown Muskegon Mall, it discovered its power and Muskegon’s community mindset began to change,” McGuigan said. “Before, I’d always hear questions about what ‘they’ were going to do. We learned that ‘they’ are ‘we’ as community confidence and activism exploded.”

McGuigan summed up her candidacy: “I want to keep that momentum going in Muskegon County with competency not chaos, freedom not fear and community not contention…. that I promise as a county
commissioner.”

McGuigan is married to McCroskey Law Firm attorney, and Orchard View graduate Gary T. Neal. Together, they raised three daughters, all graduates of North Muskegon schools. The couple has lived in Fruitland Township, North Muskegon and now along the Lakeshore Trail bike path in the City of Muskegon.