Al Vanderberg, Ottawa County Administrator, has been appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to serve on the newly created Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission.

“One of our beliefs in Ottawa County is that this won’t be a great county for any of us until it is a great county for all of us, which is adapted from a Theodore Roosevelt quote. We have a zip-code area in Ottawa County where children have high lead levels. There are other areas in West Michigan where this is true, as well. I believe that it is good government to find and eradicate sources of lead contamination so that West Michigan can be great for all residents, especially children,” said Al Vanderberg.

The multi-disciplinary team will focus on implementing strategies to eliminate lead exposure in children and monitoring the state’s progress toward that target. Vanderberg will serve a three-year term, expiring December 15, 2019.

Al Vanderberg also serves as Chair of the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s of public administration from Michigan State University. In the past, he has held posts leading local governments in Greenville, South Haven, and Kent County.