Alumna Elected Commissioner in Nearby City

On December 18, 2023, Emma Kinnard was sworn in as commissioner-at-large for the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States. Kinnard’s four-year term will begin on January 8, 2024.

 

Emma (Simmons) Kinnard graduated from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, with a focus on horticulture in 1976. Since then, she has continued to hold the university's mission close to her by seeking knowledge and affirming faith to change the world. Kinnard has served her community in many ways — as a community activist, volunteer, and mother-figure to many. Kinnard struggled for positive change in her community while working in Benton Harbor Area Schools as a paraprofessional for 26 years before retiring.

 

Kinnard has also nurtured positive change over the past 15 years as the founding director of the Fresh Start Children’s Garden, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing gardens to urban communities and to educate, motivate, and encourage communities to grow fresh fruit and vegetables.

 

For 2024, Kinnard said, she looks forward to creating a larger impact by changing the world for the better — creating change with her garden by bringing fresh meals to families in need.

 

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