Jack Elder – Candidate for OT Trustee

Brief biography

• Lifelong resident of Oakland County (grew up in Royal Oak)
• Graduate of Oakland University
• Moved to Oakland Township to be in our Church community, close to friends and relatives
• Built our house in OT- Oak Arbor Sub – 1985
• Married to Karen Childs Elder for 39 years
• Three of our six children born in OT. We are currently “empty nesters”.
• Profession is Auto & Product design + business management
• Employee of General Motors (Cadillac) for 16 years – design and engineering
• After career at GM, I have started or helped start multiple manufacturing companies
• Currently owner and manager of Multiject, a tier One auto supplier and many other industries
• Past Oak Arbor HOA board member and board president
• Past board member – Upland Hills School
• Currently Adjunct Faculty at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, teaching Product and Transportation undergrad and grad students
• Currently on the board of multiple private manufacturing and real estate companies
• Past Republican precinct delegate for OT
• Lifelong enthusiastic supporter of:

o   Nature Conservancy (multiple locations)

o   Mackinac Center for Public Policy

o   Cato Institute

o   Multiple Religious organizations including Oak Arbor

I think it is important for private citizens to step up and serve their communities when possible. Similar to my job to teach college design students for the last 10+ years, I see this as an opportunity to give back to my OT community.

I sincerely believe that problems are solved best in the private/free market, and that governments should only step in when absolutely necessary, performing functions that they only can do best.

Transparency and responsiveness are essential to all government.

Although this has changed much over the last three decades, we love the rural / farming / nature aspects of OT. We have been involved with the Leelanau Conservancy (a private charity) which has done a great job of either buying sensitive properties, locking them up as nature preserves for posterity, or working with farmers to keep their lands as “farm properties” for posterity.

I am new to elected office, and have no big personal political ambitions.

Thanks,

Jack Elder