Trent Taylor for Grandville School Board, Grandville, MI (2026)

11/10/2022

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING THE CAMPAIGNS OF Trent Taylor and Cameron Zbikowski for Grandville School Board. It was a close race, and we came up a little bit short. I have said all along that I would rather lose with integrity than win without it. While I was hoping that would not come to pass, I accept the final election results. Congratulations to Bob Wondergem and Joe Steffes on their victory. Congratulations also to Erica Abel for running a clean campaign and making a good showing.

Biggest congratulations to Cameron Zbikowski for showing incredible grace under fire, though we should have expected nothing less from a Navy veteran. This election set a new low for decorum in the local Grandville political scene, and Cam certainly bore the brunt of it. Yet throughout being slandered, falsely accused and threatened by PAC pit bulls, radio hosts and cult leaders masquerading as ministers, Cam kept his cool. I was proud to run with him as a co-candidate, and I am proud to have him as a friend. He would be great on the school board. Just great. I may never understand how someone who successfully sponsors a bill through both houses of Congress and is signed into law by the President of the United States is blocked from winning a local school board election.

Thank you to my best friend and wife Wendy for putting up with what amounted to a 500 hour frolic in politics for me. In addition to running the farm and driving the kids, on top of her three jobs, she was an invaluable social media advisor to me, technical guru, and sounding board for my thoughts and ideas. Wendy, I love you very much. Thank you for who you are and for what you have done. The truth of the matter is, I garnered many votes and donations because of you and what you have done in the community. You are smart, passionate, beautiful, caring and selfless. I hope that our girls grow up to be just like you.

Thank you to my sweet, beautiful and independent girls, Braylon, Erin and Lane, for supporting me in this campaign, particularly for your words of encouragement when you found out while at school yesterday that my apparent victory had been reversed. Erin and Lane, I was selfishly hoping to hand you your diplomas when you graduate in 2024 and 2026, like Grandpa handed my diploma to me. They say you can’t choose your kids, but I would have chosen all of you.

Thank you to my girls’ teachers for helping them through yesterday and for your support of this campaign. My girls conveyed your expressions of disappointment to me last night – your thoughts mean a lot to me. Thank you to a majority of the current school board for cheering me on in this endeavor. Thank you to Mayor Maas for his strong support and to the members of the Grandville City Council who stood up to be counted. Thank you to my loyal friends and donors all across the political spectrum who funded this campaign. I am sorry that we could not bring home a victory.

Last, enormous thanks to my new and wonderful friends at SOS Grandville for making this campaign possible. This effort would have been impossible without you. I desperately wanted to win for all of you and make you proud. I hope that I accomplished half of that.

I have learned a lot during this campaign. I have learned that we have an incredibly large and diverse district, with 12% minority student representation and at least 30 different languages spoken. I have learned that the economic disparity in the district is stark; life is not fair throughout the world, and life is not fair throughout Grandville. I have learned to approach interactions with people with a blank page, without preconceived opinions of the person opening the door. I was able to find common ground with anyone willing to listen to me. If we listen, we can understand; if we understand, we can communicate; if we communicate, we can build trust; if we can build trust, we can build a relationship. Maybe that relationship is a friendship, a civil agreement to disagree, or a peaceful coexistence. All of those represent progress in my mind. The parable of the Good Samaritan asks us “who was the good neighbor?” As that story tells us, anyone can be a good neighbor. Everyone can be a good neighbor.

Most of all, I learned that social media is an incredibly effective yet incredibly dangerous tool. It is effective in that it enables us to quickly find lots of “friends” with common interests and common thinking. However, when we limit our interactions to those in our friend groups, everyone else in the world quickly becomes our adversaries, whether intended or not. And when we limit interactions with our adversaries to social media or other forums not conducive to dialogue – such as public comment periods at school board meetings – we turn our divides into chasms. Think about it – does anyone ever apologize or make amends with someone on social media or during a public comment period? No. Those are terrible forums for remedying disputes.

Instead, we need to build bridges face to face, as is done by world leaders at peace summits. In Grandville, reasonable people from both sides need to sit down, face to face, with a willingness to listen to one another. If the two sides don’t extend olive branches to each other, we will find ourselves in this same or worse position in 2024. If that happens, the school district, the students and our greater community will be the losers.

I leave you with the lyrics to “One Tin Soldier” – a 1960s anti-war song. The words are haunting when read in the context of this election. When you read it, remind yourself that one of the treasures we have in this community and this country is public education.

Listen children to a story
That was written long ago
About a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folk below
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath a stone
And the valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they'd kill
Came an answer from the kingdom
With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain
All the riches buried there

Now the valley cried with anger
Mount your horses, draw your sword
And they killed the mountain people
So they won their just reward

Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain dark and red
Turn the stone and which beneath it
Peace on earth was all it said

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won’t be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

11/07/2022

THE DEED IS DONE. I just submitted my ballot to the City of Walker Clerk’s office. It was a surreal experience to see my name in print. Penmanship was my worst grade at Grandville, but I can still complete an oval.

In addition to voting for Cameron Zbikowski for Grandville School Board, I had the privilege to vote for my two Miller Canfield colleagues Stan Stek, Kent County Commissioner (Chair of the Kent County Commissioners, seeking re-election) and Paul Hudson (candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court). I am proud to work with other civic minded professionals on a daily basis.

Life is about more than moving up the corporate ladder, building a bigger house, buying a nicer car, and feathering one’s own nest. Sometimes we must take the path less traveled and use our talents for the betterment of our community. My talents include an open mind, an open heart, a thick skin, a strong work ethic, a short memory, a relentless optimism and an ability to make peace. I believe that I am exactly what the Grandville School Board needs right now.

Please follow Cam and me and do your duty for Grandville Public Schools by casting your vote for us. The students, parents, teachers and taxpayers of today and tomorrow will thank you.

11/05/2022

THIS ELECTION IS SERIOUS BUSINESS. Cam and I are merely two aspiring civil servants running for local public office. However, with the federal and state political fires heating up the doors of our school district, this school board election has become a BATTLE FOR THE CONSCIENCE OF GRANDVILLE.

By voting for Cam and me, voters in the Grandville School District have a chance stop these fires from igniting our public schools. In doing so, they will be voting for candidates who:

a. Have demonstrated in the past three months that they are highly qualified, involved, ethical and inclusive.

b. Have plans and platforms which put the student at the center, rather than a select group of parents.

c. Are committed to serve as trustees for the entire district and all students in it, regardless of race or orientation.

d. Are hard-working and involved in the community.

e. Broker peace on a daily basis in their occupations.

f. Follow the rule of reason, not conspiracy theories.

g. Respect the rule of law and honor election results.

h. Strive to win with integrity, rather than win at all costs.

Wildfires in politics, just like wildfires in California, can be frequent occurrences. They can be interesting to watch from a distance. Yet, when they threaten the institutions which we hold most dear, such as Yosemite National Park or our public school system, it is time to act with urgency. BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING. SHARE THIS POST! GET OUT AND VOTE! THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION THIS IMPORTANT.

11/03/2022

THE SECOND OFFICIAL MAILER FOR TRENT TAYLOR AND CAMERON ZBIKOWSKI ARRIVED YESTERDAY! Please see the mailer below. This is the only mailer hitting mailboxes in November which was written, designed, approved and funded by our campaigns. You can tell this by the presence of the “Paid for by: CTE Trent Taylor” and “Paid for by: CTE Cameron Zbikowski” verbiage on the flyers.

Please note that there are various independent PACs supporting us in separate mailers which they design, fund and send without our knowledge or input. Those mailers do not include “Paid for by: CTE Trent Taylor” and/or “Paid for by: CTE Cameron Zbikowski.” Cam and I find out about these mailers at the same time as everyone else does – when they first hit the mailboxes of voters in the Grandville School District. These mailers are typically sent all across the state, with the verbiage identical in each mailer except for changes in the names of the candidates and school districts at issue. Any statement that these independent PAC mailers were/are instigated, designed, sent, funded or otherwise affected by Cam or me is 100% inaccurate.

I am politically independent and am running for the school board to give back to my alma mater and improve our community. I will pit my qualifications and skin in the game in Grandville against anyone.

11/01/2022

QUALIFICATIONS STILL MATTER. This school board election has become highly politicized, and I have spent much time recently discussing my beliefs and values. I am politically independent and articulated in my October 21 post the various ways in which I am conservative and ways in which I am liberal. I have been endorsed by at least eight different groups - see my 10/28 post regarding the endorsements I have received.

Today’s post focuses on my academic and professional qualifications for the position of school board trustee. All candidates, myself included, have talked at length about subjective matters such as their beliefs and goals for the board. This post details my track record and is purely objective.

ACADEMIC HISTORY. I was the co-valedictorian of the Grandville High School class of 1989, receiving the departmental awards for both mathematics and instrumental music. I then attended Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, graduating magna cm laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1993, with a major in political science, participating in the band and other musical groups as a trombonist. Following college, I fulfilled a lifelong dream by attending and receiving my law degree from the University of Michigan in 1996. U of M was the no. 2 rated law school in the country the year I applied. I barely squeaked in and had to work extremely hard to keep up with my peers. In the end, I managed to graduate in the top half of my class. To this day, I am very proud to have continued a family tradition at the university where my grandfather received his dental degree and my father his medical degree.

LEADERSHIP. I am a senior partner at Miller Canfield, Michigan’s oldest law firm, founded in 1852. I was chosen by the CEO as the head of the Grand Rapids office in 2011, despite being the youngest partner in the office at that time. I served in that position until 2021, when I handed over the reins to focus on leadership of our Financial Institutions and Transactions group (aka banking group). I became the leader of our banking group in 2017, being the first banking group leader located outside of our headquarter office in Detroit. I continue to serve as leader of that group today. I love my firm and my colleagues. We have experts across the board who work together to get things done. We accept each other for our respective quirks and varying political beliefs.

LEGAL AND FINANCE EXPERTISE. In my daily work, I represent national, regional and local banks in commercial lending transactions ranging from $1 million to $100 million. As a transactional attorney, I bring parties together all day, every day in pursuit of a common goal – closing the deal. I represented Wells Fargo on the construction loans for the Bucktown Center (Cabela’s, Target, etc.) at Ivanrest and Rivertown Parkway. I represented Wells Fargo on loans for the acquisition and renovation of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island a few years ago. I represented Huntington National Bank on the construction loan for the first Costco in West Michigan. I have represented banks in loans for the Women’s Health Center and other projects on the Medical Mile. This month, I am representing Fifth Third Bank in loans to Delta Airlines, Procter & Gamble and Toyota Motor Credit Company. When the COVID crisis hit, I represented two local banks in the rollout of their Paycheck Protection Program loans and prepared the forms of PPP loan documents for them to use. Clients engage me because I am experienced, organized, polite and direct. They trust me not only to advocate for their position and navigate risk, but also to be fair and reasonable to the borrower with whom they desire a long term relationship. Over the years, many of those borrowers have recommended to their banks that they hire me.

I have a deep love for Grandville Public Schools and hope to use my skills and experience to improve our district, stop the fighting, and return the focus to providing a high quality education to our students. I am an extremely hard worker and believe that my legal and finance expertise would be welcome additions to the board. I would greatly appreciate your vote on November 8.

10/31/2022

ALL THREE OF MY DAUGHTERS HAVE RUN CROSS COUNTRY FOR GRANDVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND/OR HIGH SCHOOL. Cross country has to be near the top of the list of the most grueling high school sports. It starts with summer run club in June and ends with regionals at the end of October (or, for a few, the state meet in November). The repetitive nature of the sport can lead to injuries, despite coach’s and athlete’s best efforts otherwise. As bodies change, it can be difficult to improve times year over year – some athletes peak as freshmen or sophomores. Anyone who can make it through 3-4 high school seasons is a true warrior.

Fortunately, the positives outweigh the negatives. First, each athlete runs at every meet (sometimes varsity and JV run separately). Nobody is stuck on the bench, waiting for the opportunity to participate. Second, regardless of how well the team may be doing as a whole, each kid has something to run for in every race, be it a better time or perhaps a higher place on the team. Third, the sport is a complete meritocracy – the faster runners finish first. Fourth, the challenging nature of the sport breeds a special type of camaraderie, something akin to boot camp. Fifth, the support which teammates give each other is unmatched. Kids who finish early run back up the course to cheer on their teammates who follow, giving them that added push of support to finish strong.

But perhaps the aspect of cross country which I like the most is that it is ALL about the kids. The “ugly parent” or “ugly fan” syndrome which accompanies so many other sports is almost entirely absent from a cross country meet. Here is a list of comments NOT heard at a cross country meet:

Why is no. 3 starting? No. 7 is better than no. 3.

When are they going to pass it to my kid?

No. 22 is no good – why is he out there?

Hey, that’s a foul!

33 is a dirty player!

Instead, the comments go something like this:

Great start – keep it up!

You’ve got this!

Almost there!

One more mile – you can do it!

Finish strong!

If I am fortunate enough to win election to the Grandville School Board, I will work hard to ensure that the board’s compass is pointed as it is in a cross country meet – on the students. After all, the students are the persons who are receiving the education from our public schools. The students, not the parents, should be at the middle of the circle, surrounded by supportive teachers, administrators AND parents committed to work and communicate with one another to (a) maximize the academic potential of the student, and (b) provide the student with safety, security and a sense of belonging at school.

10/27/2022

INCLUSIVENESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME. As a kid, I was always the one who struggled in making the decisions as to who to invite or not invite to birthday parties. Growing up in a rural part of the district, it was ALWAYS a big deal to have anyone over to play. I was not in any position to pick and choose among my peers. This approach led to hosting my entire Cummings class for a party during second grade. It also meant a large wedding in 2002.

Fast forward to parenthood. In 2016, my daughter Braylon and next door neighbor Jill wanted to co-host a party to celebrate sixth grade “graduation” from Century Park. Of course, Century Park had three sixth grade classes at the time, meaning that both girls had friends in the other two classes. Tough decisions. Suffice it to say, we hosted the entire sixth grade – all three classes - on the afternoon of the last half day of school. Fantastic party, with an obscene amount of pizza consumed. Two years later, we did the same thing for our daughter Erin on her last day at Century Park. Two years later, we had plans to do the same thing for Lane, but COVID had other ideas. I’m still grateful to have survived those parties without any kids diving into the shallow end of the pool.

If I am fortunate enough to win a seat in this Grandville School Board election, I look forward to bringing this inclusiveness attitude and love for all people to the board. Life is too short to not be open and accepting of everyone.

10/25/2022

ANOTHER FAVORITE TROLL STRATEGY IS TO ATTACK CANDIDATES BASED ON THE ENDORSEMENTS THEY HAVE RECEIVED. Let’s review the groups which have supported Cam and me for this Grandville School Board election.

GRANDVILLE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION / MICHIGAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. These groups deemed Cam and me the best candidates following a written application and interview process. I have a bachelor’s degree and a law degree, and Cam has a bachelor’s degree, a post-graduate degree, and is now seeking a second post-graduate (master’s) degree. Yet, according to the trolls, these endorsements have nothing to do with the importance of education in our own lives or our qualifications for the position we seek. Rather, these endorsements signify that we support the over-sexualization of children. Because of course, the father of three daughters and the Grandville substitute teacher have nothing better to do than to sexualize children. Yet another baseless conspiracy theory from the far right.

VOTE COMMON GOOD. We are also endorsed by Vote Common Good, in connection with which we have agreed to uphold VCG’s principles of dignity, mutuality, humility, civility and democracy. Candidates who distribute fliers against other candidates and otherwise adopt a negative campaign strategy need not bother seeking VCG’s endorsement, nor should election deniers. Because again, despite best efforts on January 6 and otherwise to the contrary, America remains a democracy, a place where people can vote regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or economic wherewithal.

PROGRESSIVE WOMEN’S ALLIANCE. Last week, Cam and I celebrated receiving the endorsement of the Progressive Women’s Alliance of West Michigan. I am wearing my Athena cufflinks again today. We respect and honor women and are proud to have their support. My late mother, three sisters, wife and three daughters deserve nothing less. Cam’s mom, Kim, has been an absolute beast in support of these campaigns. He comes from very good stock. Women HAVE to fight harder than men for equality (witness the U.S. Women’s National Team’s efforts to receive pay equal to their male soccer counterparts), otherwise we revert back to the 1800s. Ever read or watch Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”? Don’t think that can’t happen in America. All bets are off after January 6.

MICHIGAN BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL AND IBEW LOCAL 275. Oh no, Trent and Cam are endorsed by unions. UNIONS! That’s tantamount to a swear word in Grandville. Thus, they must be Marxists, communists or worse. Or maybe, just maybe, they intend to serve ALL students in the Grandville School District, including those who take the non-college prep route. Currently, approximately 80-85% of Grandville grads move on to college, yet only about 50% of those entering college finish in four years. That tells me that there are a LOT of grads who might be better off entering the trades right after high school. Kids who are wired to understand everything that goes into building a house. Or programming a computer. Or running a car. That is a type of intelligence which I do not have, but these kids have it and deserve the opportunity to develop it. Let’s find these kids internships with local businesses for high school credit. That’s only fair, given that we already offer AP courses through which the college prep kids can earn college credits. Kent Career Technical Center is a great program BUT its location way out on the East Beltline makes for a difficult commute for our GPS students. It is time to explore other options closer to Grandville, internships which at a minimum open our students’ eyes to what is available for them and, perhaps better, could potentially lead to permanent positions upon high school graduation.

Cam and I are proud of ALL of the above endorsements. If nothing else, they demonstrate how hard we have worked to reach out to EVERYONE during this campaign. If you want an indication of how hard a candidate will work for the district if elected, you need look no further than at how hard that candidate has worked during the campaign.

10/23/2022

I WAS PRIVILEGED TO MEET WITH THE EAST ELEMENTARY PTC ON THURSDAY NIGHT with Cameron Zbikowski for Grandville School Board! Of the six total PTCs with whom we have met during this campaign, East (despite being one of our smallest elementary schools) had the biggest turnout of them all. Talk about a school on the rise! The good feelings between the parents and the staff was palpable. Yes, I speakest the truth – parents and staff living in harmony . . . in Grandville! I saw it with my own eyes! I was privileged to be included and found the positivity in that room to be a breath of fresh air.

The East PTC parents, like the parents on the PTCs at the other Grandville schools, are active participants in their children's educations. These people choose to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty for the sake of improving their children's educational experience, rather than launch insults and complaints from the cheap seats. They dialogue with school staff in a collaborative setting to find ways to move our district forward. Thank you PTC parents for making the extra effort! We need more people like you.

10/21/2022

I HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY ENTERTAINED THIS PAST WEEK BY THE TROLLS TO THIS FACEBOOK PAGE. Never a dull moment. Even though school board trustee is a non-partisan office, some people cannot accept that I am politically independent and continue to dig very hard (to the point of sleep deprivation) to put a label on me. So what’s the answer? Am I liberal or conservative? Let’s take a look.

WAYS IN WHICH I AM CONSERVATIVE.

1. I grew up in one of the most conservative areas of the Grandville School District (South Walker) where private school families were the norm and public school families the exception. There was no mowing the lawn on Sundays (at least not the front yard).

2. Want family values? How about marital fidelity? I have been married to one woman in my life. Can the other candidates say that? My wife and I met on a Church mission trip to Cuba and have been married for 20 years.

3. My kids are 4th generation members of First United Methodist Church of Grand Rapids through both my wife’s side of the family and my side of the family. My oldest sister, Tracey, is a chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital. She presided at my wedding. My youngest sister, Mary, is the Director of Education for First United Methodist Church of Evanston, Illinois.

4. Want more family values? How about hard work? I grew up and still live on a hobby farm, where I learned the value of a hard day’s work. Starting in second grade, my dad made me pick strawberries with other neighbor kids and migrant workers in the summers for Versluis Orchards for 20 cents a quart. Each day when my dad returned home from work, I had to give him a report of how much work I had done that day. If I hadn’t produced enough, I heard about it. Laziness was not tolerated.

5. Sticking with the hard work theme, I have hauled horse manure more times than I can count. My dad would ask “when are you coming home from college, the horses’ heads are hitting the ceiling?” Shoveling manure was a rite of passage for any high school boy wanting to date one of my sisters. The ones who ignored my dad’s invitation to “grab a pitchfork” didn’t last long. My future brother-in-law Jack jumped right into the stall with brand new white tennis shoes. He is still married to my oldest sister today.

6. Want more family values? How about protecting the innocence of kids. I have three daughters of whom I am very protective. I would put them all in a convent if I could, except I’m not Catholic. You want an anti-porn candidate? You’ve got one - no other candidate in this race has anything close to the skin in the game that I have on this point. Other candidates may claim to be anti-porn. Are they sincere? Do your research.

7. I am fiscally conservative but believe in sharing. I trust Republicans to grow the pie and Democrats to cut it.

8. As a practicing lawyer, I believe in upholding the law, including the law related to elections. Under our legal system, George W. Bush rightfully defeated Al Gore in the 2000 election despite losing the popular vote, and Donald Trump rightfully defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election despite losing the popular vote. In 2020, Joe Biden rightfully defeated Donald Trump. We are a nation of laws, not men, and anyone who challenges those results is un-American in my eyes.

9. I don’t believe that Grandville or any other public school district in the State of Michigan, is ready to teach or should teach critical race theory. CRT is a graduate level economic and legal theory which should probably stay at the graduate level in the foreseeable future. CRT is a lot like Bigfoot – neither of them is likely to be found in Grandville anytime soon.

WAYS IN WHICH I AM LIBERAL.

1. I believe that, by definition, public schools exist for all students, regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. I consider discrimination on any of these bases to be morally wrong. Worth noting, discrimination on any of these bases also violates the City of Grandville’s non-discrimination ordinance, an ordinance which was passed unanimously by the Grandville City Council.

2. I live by the Methodist motto “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” I believe that life is too short to spend time worrying about which people to include and which people to exclude.

3. While I live a conservative lifestyle, I don’t care if others do so. I am tolerant of everyone but bullies and cheaters. Live and let live.

4. I believe in the inherent equality of all people. Nothing hammers home that point more than does running for office. In the end, each person has one vote. No more, no less.

5. My kids are not better than your kids, and your kids are not better than my kids.

6. Our freedoms do not exist in a vacuum. They must be exercised in a manner which neither hurts nor discriminates against other people. Be a good neighbor. Be responsible.

7. The word “liberal” is used way too often as an insult in Grandville. Abolitionists were considered liberal back in the 1850s. Suffragettes were considered liberal before women were given the right to vote. College towns are liberal and grow at a faster rate than almost any other type of community. You want a nice return on your money? Buy real estate in a college town. Funny how diversity and tolerance attract talent. Grandville could learn something from college towns.

So what do you think? Am I conservative or am I liberal? Please let me know, as I’ve been trying to answer that question for years.

Trent Taylor for Grandville School Board

11/10/2022

11/07/2022

11/05/2022

11/03/2022

11/01/2022

10/31/2022

10/27/2022

10/25/2022

10/23/2022

10/21/2022

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