George Heartwell

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George Heartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan
In office
January 1, 2004 – January 1, 2016
Preceded byJohn H. Logie
Succeeded byRosalynn Bliss
Personal details
Alma materAlbion College
WebsiteOfficial website

George Heartwell is an American politician. He was the mayor of the city of Grand Rapids in the U.S. state of Michigan. He was sworn in on January 1, 2004, and exited his mayoral duties after ending his third term on January 16, 2016.[1]

Education[edit]

Heartwell graduated from Albion College in 1971.[2] He later earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and was ordained as a minister in the Reformed Church in America and later the United Church of Christ.

Career[edit]

Prior to being mayor, Heartwell was a City Commissioner for the third ward of Grand Rapids from 1992-1999. Heartwell currently serves as President and CEO of Pilgrim Manor Retirement Community. He was Director of the Community Leadership Institute at Aquinas College, where he also was a professor in the Community Leadership undergraduate study program. Mayor Heartwell is an ordained minister for the United Church of Christ, and served for 14 years at Heartside Ministry, a program for the homeless in Grand Rapids. He was previously the president of Heartwell Mortgage Corporation. In August, 2007, Mayor Heartwell was re-elected to a second mayoral term in Grand Rapids. He won the primary election with 51% of the vote, eliminating the need for a general election run-off.[2][3] He would be reelected for a third term in 2011. He was the first Grand Rapids mayor to be term-limited out of office; during his third term in office voters approved a revision of the city charter limiting all future Grand Rapids mayors to two four-year terms. These revisions prevented Heartwell from running for a fourth term.

Honors[edit]

  • 2005 - Albion College Distinguished Alumni Award[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mayor George Heartwell". City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Grand Rapids Mayor Discusses Theology and Politics at Albion College". Albion College. April 12, 2004. Archived from the original on September 5, 2006. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  3. ^ KIM, JOO EUN (April 1, 2005). "Mayor George Heartwell: why he matters". Calvin College Chimes. Retrieved 5 March 2010.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients by Induction Year". Albion College. Retrieved 5 March 2010. [dead link]

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan
2004 - 2016
Succeeded by