Special Session Road Commissioner & Administrator Search (Candidate Letters and Resumes, 11/12/2024)

Here is a 3-4 paragraph executive summary of the document:

Executive Summary

Kipling C. Belcher has over 25 years of command-level experience with the Michigan State Police (MSP). He has significant administrative and budgetary experience with post and district level operations, including data-driven personnel deployment, critical incident management, policy creation and budget development, enlisted and civilian staff hiring, promotion, mentoring, counseling, and discipline. Belcher has substantial experience working with municipal boards, elected and appointed leaders, special interest groups, and with preparation and presentation of materials for media, public, partner agency, and MSP departmental audiences.

Belcher currently serves as a commander for the MSP Seventh District, overseeing three task force teams working in 19 counties. In this role, he assesses the effectiveness of operations, manages budgets and grants, and coordinates resources for drug overdose investigations. Belcher has also held leadership roles at the MSP Cadillac Post, where he supervised 40 uniform personnel and utilized data-driven metrics to deploy patrol resources. Additionally, Belcher has experience as a task force commander, where he supervised undercover officers and oversaw budgets and grant reporting.

Belcher has a Bachelor’s degree in organizational management and a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Strategic Leadership from Spring Arbor University. This educational background, combined with his extensive law enforcement experience, makes him well-suited to serve as the next Leelanau County Administrator. Belcher is committed to serving the public and working collaboratively with the Board of Commissioners to ensure efficient and effective county operations.