I've been a proud union dues payer for nearly 28 years as a City of Grand Rapids employee. I started my career here in the Streets and Sanitation Department, on October 28, 1996. I've worked in Sewer Maintenance, Sewer Repair, Water/Utility Field Operations, and most recently as the Risk Management Safety Technician. Prior to being elected an APAGR board member, I served in a variety of roles for church, fraternal organizations, and the GREIU. Thank you for entrusting me with this great responsibility.
Sight is what you see, VISION is how you see it! I believe the vision of this organization is clear,and that it will continue to thrive while providing great benefits to its members.
I have been with the City of Grand Rapids since June of 2014 and have served in various capacities in the Engineering Department. Prior to being elected to the APAGR board in 2024, I served as a grievance representative for the organization and am honored to have the opportunity to continue in service of our community and the APAGR membership. I’m passionate about consistency, justice, the pursuit of continual growth, and ultimately strive to leave things better than I found them. I will seek to continue the momentum of my predecessors and further our organizational goals in promoting unity and a strong labor force.
For the past 3 years, I have served the City as Utility Financial Officer. This role primarily involves preparing the annual water & sewer rate studies, developing operating budgets & capital plans, and managing debt issuances for the utility departments. Prior to this role, I worked as a Financial Analyst on the Utility Finance team for 2 years. I’ve also served on the APA Elections Committee and on the board of a local nonprofit, New City Neighbors, as their Board Treasurer. I received my bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and my master’s in public administration from Grand Valley State University. I’m a life-long West Michigander, having grown up in Cascade & Ada, and I love serving this community.
Sam is the Administrative Services Officer II for the City of Grand Rapids Utilities. She has operated in this role for over nine years, with a key focus on billing operations, community engagement, innovation, and continuous improvement. Sam has served as a member of the City’s equity and continuous improvement teams as well as an active member with APAGR. She believes in building strong relations with active listening, understanding, and engagement. She is a member of the Kent County Community Action Advisory board and is also the Communication Chair for the Michigan Section of American Water Works Association. She is a mentor for her alma mater, Grand Valley State University, master’s in public administration students and a mom to two remarkable teenagers.
Max Gilles has been with the City of Grand Rapids for four years. He is currently the communications specialist for Mobile GR. There he runs their special event sponsorship program, organizes the Mobile GR Commission meetings, creates videos, designs web pages and many other various communication duties.
Max has also worked for the City as a dispatcher, maintenance technician and custodian.
Max grew up in Grand Rapids and went to Grand Rapids Public Schools. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelors degree in Behavioral Science.
Reggie Pell has worked for the City of Grand Rapids since 2016. She is currently an Administrative Analyst I in Fiscal Services, focusing on projects and grants. She is also on the leadership board of Prism GR, the City’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. As an APA board member, she hopes to advocate for accountability and transparency from union and City leaders, and push for the City to continue making changes to make us an attractive, fulfilling, and equitable place to work.
Trey Reinhardt is a Transportation Planner with the City of Grand Rapids Mobile GR Department, where he has worked since October 2023. In his role, Trey supports the advancement of the City’s mobility programs and policies to create a safer, more accessible transportation system for all. He was elected to serve on the APA board beginning in 2026 and also serves on the PRISM employee resource group leadership board. Outside of work, Trey enjoys spending time outdoors, including hiking, skiing, camping, and going to the beach.
I have worked for the City since 2000 as a temp and have 17 plus years as a full-time city employee. I joined the APA in September 2013 when I was promoted to Parking Facilities Supervisor in Mobile GR, and have held this position for the last 10 years. I live in the Grand Rapids less than 3 miles from downtown. I love the city and am excited about the growth the city continues to see. With that growth it is important for the city to hire good people and to retain employees once they are here.
