Mayor Stephen Kepley, P.E. has served the Kentwood community since 2003 with his current position as Mayor and head administrator commencing in 2013. Mayor Kepley has served on the RAPID board for the past 11 years, four of which as Chair and one as Vice-Chair. He serves on the Grand Valley Metro Council executive board as Treasurer, the Waste-to-Energy advisory board, and the Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee. Mayor Kepley continues his service as the CFO and board member of Kentwood’s YoungLife and as the President of the Kentwood Community Foundation.
Mayor Kepley gained much of his valuable experience while working for Kentwood as the Director of Engineering and Inspections/City Engineer for 11 years which proceeded after 15 years in the private manufacturing design and construction sector. His experience has been put to good use in Kentwood leading and managing infrastructure projects such as City Hall reconstruction, the new Kentwood Library, the new Kentwood Community Center, Kalamazoo and Forest Hills Avenue reconstruction projects, multiple water and sewer projects, and multiple park and trail projects.
He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Virginia Tech and is certified by the State of Michigan in multiple vocations. Mayor Kepley has always loved working with people to solve problems, encourage growth, and serve the common good for those around him. He is married to Susan, and they are celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary this year. They live in Kentwood and have three daughters and a son-in-law.
