Chamber Activity

Joel Koch is currently the President of Rockford Chamber of  Commerce and Chair of the Executive Board. He has been on the Board of Directors since 2017. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Rockford Chamber Foundation and is Committee Chair for the Annual Scholarship Golf Outing which funds the foundation, a position which he has held since 2015. He has been a member of many committees since joining the Chamber of Commerce in 2010, including the Networking Committee, Finance Committee and Hiring Committee. He is very involved with volunteering for many community events.

Career

A native of Ohio, Joel moved north to accept a position with the West Michigan Whitecaps out of college. He eventually settled in Rockford in 2008 with his wife Krista when she began teaching at Rockford Public Schools. After leaving professional sports, he worked in the craft beer industry for several years before starting his first company ROAR Magazine in 2018. Today he is the owner of several real estate investment companies. 

Personal

Joel graduated from Ohio University in 1999. He and his wife have been married for 20 years and have two daughters - a junior at Rockford High School and freshman at Hope College. He is an avid sports fan who enjoys golf and traveling. He has been a high school football official for 20 years, working games all over Michigan, including the Division 3 State Final in 2024.

Kevin Green has dedicated over two decades to public service and community leadership. Currently serving as Supervisor for Algoma Township, Kevin brings extensive experience in municipal governance, legislative policy, and strategic planning.

Kevin serves as the Supervisor for Algoma Township since 2016, where he focuses on infrastructure improvements, fiscal responsibility, and enhancing quality of life for residents. His public service career began on the Wyoming City Council (1999–2005), followed by six years in the Michigan House of Representatives (2005–2010), where he rose to the position of House Republican Whip and was a member of both the Appropriations and the Policy Committee including Health, Banking and Finance, and Senior Health committees.

Kevin’s professional background includes leadership roles in the private sector. Kevin was one of the top managers in the country in the outdoor advertising industry. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration from Grand Valley State University.

As a committed community advocate, Kevin values transparency, collaboration, and innovation in local government. Outside of work, he supports Rockford Public Schools, where his children, Elliot and Meadow, participate in marching band and color guard.

Professional

Thad Beard was appointed City Manager of Rockford in September of 2017. He has been in City Management since 1996, serving in Otsego, MI for 17 years, prior to his appointment in Rockford. As City Manager, he ensures the policies of the elected officials are carried out on a day-to-day basis. While conducting research and providing  recommendations to the Council, the manager serves as the Chief Administrative Official ensuring services are provided to the residents as professionally and efficiently as possible.

Member of the International City Managers Association, Member of the Michigan Municipal Executives.  Appointed to Michigan Municipal League Liability and Property Pool board. Appointed to the Grand Valley Metro

Council Board and Policy Committee.

Education

Bachelor of Religious Education from Great Lakes Christian College, Lansing, MI, and Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Western Michigan University.

Civic

Service in Rockford Area Rotary Club

Member of Rockford Chamber of Commerce Board 

Personal

Married to his wife Tracy for 36 years with two adult children and three grandchildren.

Professional

• Started work as the Superintendent of the Rockford Public Schools on July 1, 2022

• Superintendent of the Novi Community School District from 2011 - 2022.

• Previously worked as the Superintendent of the Grand Ledge Public Schools, the Director of Curriculum and Assessment in the Troy School District, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan – Dearborn and

Wayne State University.

• Served on the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA) Executive Board for six years and was President in 2019-2020.

• Serves on the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Governing Board

Education

• Graduate of the University of Washington, Texas Tech University, and Wayne State University.

Personal

• Married, with three sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.