Morning Matters: Conversation with Local Commissioners

Join us for Morning Matters, an informal breakfast conversation with Kent County Commissioner Steve Faber, Grand Rapids City Commissioner Milinda Ysasi, and Grand Rapids City Commissioner Lisa Knight. This is your opportunity to share your experiences as an early childhood professional and discuss how policy decisions impact the children and families you serve.

What is Morning Matters?

Morning Matters brings elected officials together with early childhood professionals for genuine dialogue about policy impacts. Think coffee shop conversation, not formal presentation. These sessions create meaningful connections between policymakers and the community members who see firsthand how policy decisions affect Kent County families.

About Commissioner Steve Faber

Steve Faber has lived in NE Grand Rapids for over 20 years and is a longtime community leader dedicated to building a better, more inclusive Kent County. As founding director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, he’s led efforts to revitalize public spaces and plant thousands of trees. He’s also worked to pass key local millages supporting early childhood education, public parks, and the environment. Steve brings decades of experience across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, and believes lasting change happens when we listen, include, and act together.

About Commissioner Milinda Ysasi

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Milinda Ysasi is a city commissioner and the executive director of The SOURCE, where she works to reduce employment barriers and promote economic mobility. She brings a strong background in human resources and community leadership, with prior roles at Cascade Engineering, Herman Miller, and Spectrum Health. A co-founder of the Latina Network of West Michigan, Milinda is a recognized leader and advocate for equity, inclusion, and opportunity.

About Commissioner Lisa Knight

Lisa Knight was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of the first Black licensed plumber in Grand Rapids, 1 of 5 children, and has always had a passion for people. This passion came out in many ways through her exploration of theater, which caused her to open a non-profit organization that mentored youth. Using theater and cultural arts, her many advocacy efforts for underrepresented families at the local and State level as it pertained to health and wellness and her desire to help single mothers find success and homes, not hopelessness.

Host or Publisher First Steps Kent