endorsed by our community leaders
Honorable David H. Sawyer
Honorable David H. Sawyer (1987-2022, Chief Judge Pro Tem 1989-2014), former Senior Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals and former Chairman of the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, which oversees the conduct of all judges in Michigan. Judge Sawyer was elected to the Court of Appeals in 1986, and prior to this, he served as the Kent County Prosecuting Attorney for ten years (1976-1986).
Kent County Sheriff James Dougan
Sheriff Dougan served from 1968 to 2000 with the Kent County Sheriff's Department in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working through the ranks to become Sheriff. After retirement, he was nominated to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Michigan by President Bush in 2022. Dougan also served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968, and as a road patrol deputy for Kent County from 1965 to 1966. Sheriff Dougan is the model of public service, leadership, and integrity.
Director of Public Safety Catherine Garcia-Lindstrom
Director Garcia-Lindstrom retired from the Detroit Police Department as a Chief Deputy before she began her term as the City of Walker's first female police chief.
During her tenure in Walker, Garcia-Lindstrom was lauded for working to create numerous mutual aid agreements to assist law enforcement in the area. She initiated a chaplaincy to assist police officers making death notifications and to assist in the counseling of public safety staff and community members in difficult circumstances, according to the statement from Walker city leaders.
Garcia-Lindstrom also initiated a senior volunteer program to assist with checking on senior shut-ins, working with schools and enforcing handicap parking violations. In addition, she founded the Walker Special Response Team and was elevated to Public Safety Director, heading both the Police and Fire Services.
Chief Edward P. Edwardson
Chief Edwardson served as the Administrative Officer of Wyoming Police Department employing 103 sworn officers and 47 support staff providing full range of police services to a suburban community of 70,000 in the Grand Rapids, Michigan metro area.
In addition, he served as Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief of Public Safety. Served on the Executive team that combined both police and fire departments in 1984, creating the largest fully integrated Public Safety Department in the United States. KDPS remains fully integrated in 2011 and serves the core city of Kalamazoo County.
Chief Greg Long
Chief Greg Long succeeded Director of Public Safety Director Catherine Garcia-Lindstrom as the head of the Walker Police Department. Chief Long served 35 years as a police officer, 32 of which were with the City of Walker. During his time as an officer, he served in various roles and instructed the future generations of law enforcement at local police academies.
Chief Andrew Milanowski
Chief Milanowski is a 38-year veteran of the Sparta Police Department, spending his entire career with the department, starting in 1986. As a veteran of the department, he is a well loved and respected member of the community, serving its citizens as if they were friends more than as their Chief. A pillar in the law enforcement community of West Michigan, few garner more respect than this chief.
Chief RObert Walker
Chief Walker started with the Walker Fire Department on September 19, 1978 as a paid-on-call firefighter. He became Deputy Chief in 1997 and promoted to Fire Chief in 2016. Chief Walker began many initiatives during his term, modernizing the department and greatly improving the safety of the community.
Chief Mike Rexford
Chief Rexford served in many roles on the department since his first day in 1975. His leadership roles have included the ranks of Captain, Assistant Fire Chief, and Fire chief for the past 46 years. He played a major role in organizing the medical squad when he was the Assistant Fire Chief. Mike logged in hundreds of hours of training for medical first response, operations level in Haz-Mat, incident command, officer training & arson detection. His dedication to the department has earned the respect of the fire personnel as well as the Tyrone Township Board and surrounding communities.
Cathleen Postmus, Clerk of Plainfield Township
Cathleen has served multi-terms with the Township Clerk's office and was previously a decorated member of the Grand Rapids Police Department, where she began her career in 1984. She served with distinction as a detective in the Vice unit, handling investigations ranging from asset forfeiture to homicide.
Cathleen is a true servant of her community, and I am honored to have her support.
Law Enforcement
- Sheriff James Dougan (Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Chief Catherine Garcia-Lindstrom (Ret), Walker Police
- Chief Greg Long (Ret), Walker Police
- Chief Edward Edwardson (Ret), Wyoming Police
- Chief Steven Bukala, Lowell Police
- Chief Andrew Milanowski, Sparta Police
- Undersheriff Ryan Schiller, Oceana County
- Deputy Chief Jason Howe (Ret), Walker Police
- Capt. Scott Brown (Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Capt. Brandyn Heugel, Walker Police
- Capt. EJ Johnson (Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Lt. Tim Kraai (Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Lt. Joe Steffes, Wyoming Police
- Lt. Tom Raymond (Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Lt. David Kok(Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Lt. Dan Craymer(Ret), Walker Police
- Sgt. Brad Ditmar (Ret), Grand Rapids Police
- Sgt. Joel Bartels, Walker Police
- Sgt. Allen Noles (Ret), Grand Rapids Police
- Sgt. Tyson Moore, Kent County Sheriff
- Sgt. Robin Maley, Walker Police
- Sgt. Tim Pearce (Ret) Walker Police
- Sgt. Rob Shoemaker (Ret) Walker Police
- Sgt. Bert Elliott (Ret) Walker Police
- Ofc. Jon Kooistra, Walker Police
- Ofc. Jeff Augustyn (Ret), Kentwood Police
- Ofc. David Thompson (Ret), Wyoming Police
- Ofc. Tony Leonard, Grand Rapids Police
- Ofc. Mitch Harkema, Walker Police
- Ofc. Shawn Bailey, Walker Police
- Dep. Julie Brown, Kent County Sheriff
- Ofc. Brian Sulak, Walker Police
- Ofc. Rich Brown, Grand Rapids Police
- Dep. Patrick Kent, Kent County Sheriff
- PSO Beth Moore, East Grand Rapids DPS
- Dep Ed Kolakowski(Ret), Kent County Sheriff
- Ofc. Jim Bivins (Ret), Wyoming Police
- Ofc. Eric Jenkinson, Walker Police
- PSO Troy Brown, East Grand Rapids, DPS
- Dep. Stephen Dumond, Kent County Sheriff
- Ofc. Denny Ferguson (Ret), Wyoming Police
- Ofc. Andy Bingel, Grand Rapid Police
- Ofc. Bryan Rader, Lowell Police
- Ofc. Tim J. Todish (Ret), Grand Rapids Police
- Ofc. Mark Doornbos (Ret), Wyoming Police
Fire and EMS Professionals
- Chief Robert Walker (Ret), Walker Fire
- Chief Aaron Garrett (Ret), Frankfort Fire
- Chief Mike Rexford (Ret), Kent City Fire
- Lt. Ted Westerman (Ret), Wyoming Fire
- Lt. Jeff VanderWerff, Kent City Fire
- FF. Keith Munro, Walker Fire
- PSO Beth Moore, East Grand Rapids DPS
- PSO Troy Brown, East Grand Rapids, DPS
- FFPM. Marvin Raap, Life EMS
service oriented
Serving The Community
Jonathan J. Paasch, a native of Kent County, has dedicated himself to ensuring the safety and prosperity of his community. Throughout his tenure as a police officer in Wyoming, Walker, and while assigned to the Kent County Sheriff's Department, he tirelessly worked across various high-profile assignments. From serving as a school resource officer to assuming roles in the Honor Guard, the Special Response Team, hostage negotiation, undercover narcotics investigation, and road patrol supervision, he consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment and expertise. His devotion to public safety and service is unmatched and surpasses any candidate for the 63rd District Court Judgeship.
United By A Common Goal
Jonathan J. Paasch transcends the stereotype of a typical lawyer. Unlike others who have sought the bench, he doesn't hail from a family of lawyers or judges. Instead, he independently pursued his ambitions with unparalleled dedication, balancing the demanding responsibilities of a third-shift police supervisor with full-time attendance at law school, graduating with top honors. His career reflects this dedication, working with top-tier law firms and a Fortune 500 company, emphasizing his commitment to the rule of law and service to the community. His career has been entirely focused on fairness, the rule of law, and public safety for the benefit of the community, without the benefit of favor or bias.
unmatched qualifications
