Ottawa County administrator takes top Kent County job

GRAND RAPIDS — Ottawa County Administrator Al Vanderberg has been picked to head the administration of neighboring Kent County. 

The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted June 24 to select Vanderberg for the job, following a third round of interviews. 

Vanderberg has been in the top staff job at Ottawa County since 2003, where he manages about 1,200 county employees. 

Vanderberg will replace county administrator and controller Wayman Britt, who is retiring July 24 after 17 years working for the county and three years as county administrator. 

Kent County Board Chair Mandy Bolter will enter contract negotiations with Vanderberg immediately and aimed to present the employment agreement to the board July 22. 

Vanderberg would begin working for Kent County in late summer. 

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After asking for stakeholder and community feedback about the qualities important for the top administrator job, executive search firm Korn Ferry identified a shortlist of candidates for the executive search subcommittee's review. That subcommittee then picked five candidates to invite for interviews, later culled to three who were presented to the community in a June 23 forum. 

Vanderberg oversees Ottawa County government's administration and serves on many Ottawa County boards and workgroups. He is chair of the Ottawa County Brownfield Redevelopment Board, president of the Ottawa County Economic Development Corporation Board and serves on the boards of the Grand Valley Metro Council, Lakeshore Advantage and Housing Next. 

Vanderberg had previously worked in city administration in the cities of Greenville and South Haven. He was deputy county administrator/controller of Kent County from 1999 to 2003 before he was hired by Ottawa County. 

Vanderberg was appointed to the Michigan Council for Local Government and Education on Equity and Inclusion in 2018 by the Michigan Civil Rights Department. 

In 2017, he was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the Michigan Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission and reappointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019. 

He was president of the board of the Michigan Association of County Administrative Officials in 2011 and president of the Michigan Local Government Management Association in 2010 and remains a member of both organizations. 

"As we emerge from one of the most challenging periods in modern history, the County remains focused on advancing policies to support economic prosperity, safe and healthy communities and inclusive engagement," Bolter said. "We look forward to working with Al to help further these priorities and to identify new partnerships and areas for growth."