Hello!

My name is Alyssa Bell, and I am running to be your county commissioner in District 6 of Berrien County. I come from blue collar and union roots and believe that through hard work and community support that anything is possible. I grew up in Monroe and Wayne Counties on the east side of Michigan and graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelors in political science and a law degree.

 

I had my first job when I was eight helping out my mom when she was a veterinary assistant. My siblings and I would go with her on Sunday mornings and do a few minor tasks, love on a pile of fuzzy pets, and make a few bucks. At thirteen, I had to take on babysitting after my mother abandoned my family. At sixteen I began working at Meijer to help pay household bills and remained there until I began going to college full time at twenty-one.

 

In college, I worked while going to school. I know how expensive schooling is, how worthwhile it can be, and how hard you need to work to do both. After I graduated with my bachelors degree in 2011, a friend helped me to get a temp position with Rocket Mortgage in Detroit. I was quickly introduced to a junior mortgage underwriting position at Chase Bank and my love of the mortgage industry was sealed from there on out.

 

I have now been working in mortgage finance for 13 years, am a fully credentialed mortgage underwriter, and I even had the privilege of managing a team of elite and talented underwriters for several years. The mortgage applications we get now are a microcosm of our economy and highlight how difficult it is to afford a home for the average family.

 

Now as the parent of a two year old child, I know how hard it is to afford to have a child and give them the tools they need to succeed. My wife and I hope to have another child soon, but worry about the cost. Daycares are doing an impossible job on a shoestring budget. Lastly, I am the guardian for my younger sister who has autism spectrum disorder and am sensitive to how underserved our community is when it comes to mental health and mental disability services.

 

As your commissioner, I will ensure the budget is appropriately balanced, that we pursue grants that we can bring into the county, and that I will vote for the things that benefit our community.  I am not afraid of hard work and together we can capture the promising future that Berrien County, Michigan deserves.