| State Rep. Nancy DeBoer was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2022. She represents the 86th District, which encompasses the greater Holland area. The district includes the City of Holland, most of Holland Township and all of Park and Laketown townships in Allegan and Ottawa counties.
Committees
Rep. DeBoer serves on the House Appropriations Committee. She is the Republican vice chair of the School Aid and Michigan Department of Education Subcommittee and also sits on the subcommittees on Higher Education and Community Colleges, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and Department of Insurance and Financial Services.
Education
Nancy graduated from Calvin College where she received a B.A. degree in Secondary Education. She has completed 20 hours of post graduate classes at WMU and is also a graduate of Leadership Holland.
She was named Alumna of the Year by her alma mater, Wheaton Academy, in 2022.
Professional Experience
Nancy began her career as a middle and high school English teacher. In 2002, she co-founded the West Michigan Character Council and served as executive director for 17 years. She co-hosted the morning radio show on WPNW The Pledge, Holland's local Christian station, from 2013 to 2015. She later served as assistant director for the She Leads Michigan organization and host of the Heart and Soul segments on WLNS-TV.
Public Offices
Nancy was a member of Holland's City Council starting in 2005, before becoming the first woman elected as mayor in Holland in 2015, serving two terms through 2019.
Nancy led all public meetings, was the public face and voice for the city, sat on numerous committees, led the $17.5 million community effort to renovate the Civic Center without increasing taxes, closed the city coal powerplant to build a new $260 million state-of-the-art natural gas power plant which lowered electrical prices by 10% across the city. Nancy oversaw the added block of business development, parking garage, theater and restaurants and condos, hosted the state conference for the Michigan Municipal League, approved over 2,500 units of housing developments for various income levels, expanded the city's snowmelt system to become the largest in North America, began community waterfront study process, and expanded fiber broadband service throughout the downtown.
During her tenure, WalletHub gave Holland the award as "The Best Small City to Start a Business" for four straight years, and Holland received the "Most Beautiful City" award from America in Bloom.
Nancy has served as a trustee on the Michigan Municipal League Board, and as the Assistant Director for She Leads Michigan and She Leads America. She has co-hosted broadcasts for women of faith across the state and nation. She has also worked as a radio talk show host and producer, Co-Founder and Executive Director of West Michigan Character Council, and was a high school English teacher.
DeBoer is heavily involved in her community, having served on the following committees- Community Development Committee, Windmill Island Strategic Planning and Business Committees, Parks and Recreation Committee, Holland in Bloom Committee, Farmer's Market Committee, Civic Center Committee, Holland Energy Labeling Committee, and the Holland Youth Advisory Committee.
Personal
Nancy was born in Grand Rapids and has been a Holland resident for four decades. She and her husband, Jim, have three children.
The DeBoers have a passion for music. Jim was a music teacher in the public school system for 30 years and is currently a professor of music at Hope College. Nancy is a former member of the Holland Community Chorale and has served on the worship team at her church for many years. |