Candidate: Merrill Stass-Isern

Personal Background: My husband Henry and I moved to Grand Haven in 2011 from Overland Park, Kansas where we lived for 44 years. We built a house in the Bluffs village. We love Grand Haven and live here full time. We enjoy tennis, biking pickleball, and swimming. We are also members of the Grand Haven Golf Club.

My husband and I are both Doctors of Ophthalmology. While living in Kansas we raised our children and I was in private practice of Pediatric Ophthalmology as well as being a Professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and Associate Professor at the University of Kansas.

I continued my career at Nemours Specialty Care in Jacksonville, when we moved to Grand Haven. I was the Chief of the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology. I was also a Professor at the University of Florida Jacksonville and Associate Professor at the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. My career as a Pediatric Ophthalmologist as well as my leadership position at Nemours has provided me a background in managing people and resources. Since retiring in 2017 my husband and I do charitable medical missions to help children with ophthalmology related conditions.

Why I wish to serve on the CCD Board: Like other homeowners I have a vested interest in preserving the structure and beauty of our Grand Haven community. I’ve attended CDD Board meetings since retiring and have developed an understanding of the concerns, issues and challenges we face going forward.

Our community infrastructure and amenity facilities are aging and will require increasing maintenance and updates. The CDD’s management of these maintenance and update requirements is crucial. We need to be more proactive planning, budgeting and operational execution for continuing maintenance and updates to keep our infrastructure and amenities in attractive and good working order. The amenities are a source of great happiness for many of us and attractive for new buyers, however they are not always optimized or updated for resident enjoyment. Part of the CDD vision statement is to “enhance property values through proper grounds and amenities maintenance.”

I believe it is important for the CDD to listen to homeowners for understanding their needs and desires relative to how we move forward with changes and improvements to the amenities within CDD guidelines. One of my goals if elected will be to listen!

We also face increasing competition for buyers from new and other communities in the area. For example, there are over 3,000 housing units planned just south of here around the Roberts Rd and Colbert Ln intersection. Unless we continue to maintain and update the functioning, quality and attractiveness of our community overall, and specifically the common areas, amenities, buildings and infrastructure under CDD control, buyers will go elsewhere and the value of all our properties will decline.

I will do my utmost on the CDD Board to ensure that we continue to be a vibrant, attractive and well- functioning community for all our residents and future buyers. I would appreciate your vote and support in this election to help ensure that Grand Haven continues to be a beautiful place for us to live.

Thank you, Merrill