GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids City Commissioners unanimously appointed Bing Siong Goei to fill the vacant Third Ward Commissioner position on Tuesday.
The 64-year-old Grand Rapids small business entrepreneur will serve out the remaining eight months of the position left vacant by Commissioner Nathaniel Moody's resignation.
Commissioners have been working for months to review applications, and interview candidates, and later narrowed down the field to three: Bing Goei, Marshall Kilgore and John Krajewski.
Ultimately the board went with the owner of Eastern Floral and the Goei Center. He is the first Asian American to serve on the Grand Rapids City Commission.
“I am blessed to be at a stage in my life which will allow me to provide the necessary time to listen to and serve the residents of the Third Ward. It will be an honor and a privilege to represent the Third Ward," Goei said in his application for appointment.
“Throughout my life, I have made a commitment to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of all the residents living in the Third Ward. Most of my efforts have focused on ensuring that underserved communities are not forgotten. I have been involved with the work of the Hispanic Center, the NAACP, Amplify GR, GRABB, Asian Outreach Center, West Michigan Asian American Association, WWI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, GR Chamber of Commerce and partnered with Levi Rickert on issues impacting the Native American community. While my involvement with these groups is not as active as it was in the past, I continue to be called upon for input by many of these organizations. I am currently serving on the boards of Amplify GR and the West Michigan Asian American Association."
The City Commission will formally appoint and swear him in at Tuesday's 7 p.m. meeting.
“This has been a transparent and thoughtful process and I am grateful for members of our Committee on Appointments for their work,” Mayor Bliss said. “I also congratulate Mr. Goei on his selection as our next Third Ward commissioner. He has been an active member of our community for decades and I trust he will represent the residents of the Third Ward to the best of his ability here on the City Commission.”
Commissioner Goei said he hopes to work to reduce poverty in the Third Ward.
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