Meet Marshall Kilgore: Grand Rapids' first Gen Z and LGBTQ+ city commissioner

Updated, 12/19/2024, 6:50 p.m., with correct details regarding Kilgore's listening tour

Upon walking into Last Mile Cafe, the commissioner-elect's neighborhood coffee shop, Marshall Kilgore greets the barista by name. It was clear from the beginning of our conversation that the new face to the City Commission is already an active player in the community. 

Choosing the table with the best view through the bay windows on a sunny afternoon overlooking Hall Street, Kilgore introduced himself to fellow cafe patrons sitting around us.

“Politics is life to me, it really is. It’s literally in every facet of your life,” said Kilgore, who proudly claims the title of the first person from Gen Z and the first openly-LGBTQ+ person to be elected to Grand Rapids City Commission. “I believe that diverse groups of people need to be part of the civic process from point A to Z.”

While shoveling sidewalks during a snowstorm earlier this year, Kilgore, a fourth-generation community member, was prompted by neighbors to run for the open Third Ward commission seat. 

Up until this week, when Kilgore was sworn into office, the seat was held by Bing Goei, who was appointed to the position in March to replace former Commissioner Nathaniel Moody, who resigned in December 2023. At the time he was appointed, Goei indicated he did not intend to run for the seat, but had a change of heart after beginning the role.

During his campaign, Kilgore knocked on thousands of doors in the Third Ward to introduce himself to the community and to hear directly from voters. 

“About 50% of what people want is to be seen, heard and valued,” Kilgore reflected on his conversations with constituents. “These folks know there’s no magic wand. If there were, they would want to use it in their personal lives. These are professionals working two to three jobs with families of their own. They know in the civic process that there’s no magic wand, but they do feel, maybe in a way, left out, maybe in a way, not invited.” 

To address the concerns of community members feeling sidelined, Kilgore plans to hold a listening tour in his first 100 days to hear directly from constituents, “so that the conversation would continue through my tenure.” Kilgore emphasized the importance of going to where the people are rather than making them come to him.

His first listening event will be hosted by his local barber shop, The Mane Attraction, located on 28th Street. 

Kilgore said State Representative Kristian Grant’s regular coffee hours, where she makes herself available to the public, inspired his listening tour. 

In his current role as the Director of Engagement for West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WEMAC), Kilgore aims to address both environmental and humanitarian concerns affecting Grand Rapids communities. Kilgore supports the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, while also expressing a desire to push beyond the project’s current scope and introduce ideas such as community-owned utilities. 

He also expressed concern for environmental justice on behalf of people of color, or to use a term he prefers instead of people of color, the “global majority.” Understanding that perception shapes policy, Kilgore is thoughtful in his choice of words. 

With a degree in Political Science from Western Michigan University and a staunch human rights advocate, it is clear that Kilgore is comfortable with complexity. Discussing the effects of new development projects on communities, Kilgore readily admitted that the council can never please everyone, but what city officials can do is support community engagement from the very beginning. 

Kilgore points to the city’s Community Master Plan, a recently approved plan that serves as a roadmap for the next 20 years of growth and development in Grand Rapids, as a guidepost in building strong and resilient communities while mitigating potential problems.  

“Everything I’m trying to do is to drive us forward, not backwards, not idle,” Kilgore said. “I want future constituents to know I am teachable. I would love to connect with the people who voted for my opponent. I hope they will join me at the City Commission or City Hall to share their perspective, so I can see them, hear them and value their feedback.” 

By the time our coffee cups were cold and held nothing but the foamy memory of a latte, our conversation had easily meandered from the personal to political and back again. As a closing question, I asked Kilgore what books he would recommend. 

He mentioned “A Return to Love” by Marinanne Williamson, as a book he read in college that informed his relational approach to politics.

“That’s where I got looking at things as relationships,” he said. “Those teachings simply help me lead from love.” 

Kilgore quickly rattled off several recommendations for books about the built environment and their effects on humanity, naming, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” by Jane Jacob, “Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis” by Charles Marohn and, the book Kilgore is currently reading, “On the Housing Crisis: Land, Development, Democracy” by Jerusalem Demsas. 

He laughed easily, “As you can see, I don’t take a break. Even when I’m trying to relax, I am still trying to learn.”

A man with aspirations equal to his hope, Kilgore, was sworn into office Tuesday, Dec. 17.