Provost Runs for Hamilton’s Planning Board

By Rosie Drinkhouse ‘17

Contributor

Since coming to Gordon in 2012, Provost Janel Curry has sought ways to integrate both herself and Gordon into our local community. Stemming from her academic background as a geographer and her Christian determination to love her neighbor, Curry has been involved in local politics in many parts of U.S., including the Planning Board in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

On April 6, 2017, Curry is running against the incumbent for a spot on a Hamilton’s Planning Board for a three-year term. Her platform expresses desires to expand housing options for all citizens, enhance quality of life for seniors, and to ensure Hamilton has recreational space while maintaining its character. When asked about her motivations for this position, Curry said, “I love the challenge of helping in the process of managing change in a way that maintains the integrity and character of a place while adjusting to meet changing community needs.”

As a trained geographer, she is passionate about land use that ensures a healthy and communal-living environment with green space, vibrant commercial districts and housing for a range of income levels.

“I get great pleasure out of seeing people and places thrive through helping manage change. I love the challenge of helping in the process of managing change in a way that maintains the integrity and character of a place while adjusting to meet changing community needs,” Curry said.

Since her recent arrival to New England from the midwest, Curry has connected to the community through her membership at Christ Church, engaging with the Community Read Collaboration at the library and through support work at the Institute for Public History, a collaborative effort its collaboration with Joanne Patton and the Patton Archives.

Determined to enact Gordon’s commitment to civic responsibility, Curry has involved students directly into her campaign, exposing them to the sequence and value of local government.

As her Campaign Manager and a current Gordon student, I have truly enjoyed this opportunity to apply my Political Science major to a concrete context, but I am not the only student who is involved. From graphic designers to canvassers, many Gordon students are voluntarily contributing. Regardless of the election’s outcome, Curry will host a forum about her experience, which will be open to student’s questions. More information to follow.