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The highest annual salary earned among Kalamazoo County employees was $240,415 to Elizabeth Aardema.
The highest salary was $243,674 in 2020.
According to records, 6,224 individuals received compensation for their work from Kalamazoo County in 2021. Of those, 2,241 earned less than $20,000.
A report from members of the Federal Salary Council published on May 2, 2019, argued the pay structures within the U.S. government are skewed and federal workers are overpaid.
Downsizing the Federal Government, a project advocating for smaller government in the face of rising deficits, argued over 2 million federal employees earned $30,000 more on average than private-sector employees in similar fields and have more generous benefit packages.
Highest paid Kalamazoo County employees
| Employer | Employee | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| Portage Public Schools | Mark Bielang | $240,415 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | David Campbell | $224,567.21 |
| Schoolcraft Community Schools | Wayne Stitt | $191,334.02 |
| Western Michigan University | Peter Strazdas | $179,393.52 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Gary Start | $166,711.52 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Thomas Zahrt | $166,670.30 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Scott Myers | $165,709.95 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Steven Walman | $164,864.59 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Scott Thomas | $161,678.01 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Cynthia Green | $158,602.22 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Cynthia Schauer | $157,738.31 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Sheila Dorsey-Smith | $153,318.21 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Mindy Miller | $151,670.31 |
| Portage Public Schools | Ronald Herron | $150,798.26 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Raphael Rittenhouse | $147,845 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Brian Schupbach | $147,664.58 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Jeffrey Thoenes | $144,890.21 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Keevin O'Neill | $142,400 |
| Climax-Scotts Community Schools | Douglas Newington | $142,028.32 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Rachel Roberts | $141,388.18 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Johnny Edwards | $140,652.62 |
| Portage Public Schools | Michael Pascoe | $139,949.76 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Timothy Welsh | $139,161 |
| Parchment School District | Jason Misner | $137,800 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Reuquiyah Saunders | $137,611.67 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Nkenge Bergan | $137,611.67 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Valerie Boggan | $137,209.19 |
| Portage Public Schools | James French | $136,787.03 |
| Portage Public Schools | Eric Alburtus | $136,787.03 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jeanine Mattson-Gearhart | $136,787.01 |
| Portage Public Schools | Michael Huber | $136,787.01 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Joseph Brady | $136,584.24 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Bryan Zocher | $135,306.41 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Angela Telfer | $135,306.41 |
| Portage Public Schools | Kelly Jensenius | $134,802.30 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Thomas Johnson | $133,489 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Lisa Meredith | $133,026.95 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Michael Tanoff | $132,245.98 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Stephen Louisell | $130,701.72 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Jon Stasiuk | $130,579.25 |
| Portage Public Schools | Daniel Vomastek | $130,403.85 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Lindsay Noakes | $130,382.09 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Eric Stewart | $130,261.33 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Gail Van Daff | $130,158.99 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Matthew Johnson | $128,975.70 |
| Western Michigan University | Dean Johnson | $128,884.76 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Mark Hill | $127,917.54 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Stephen Goss | $126,759.05 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Angela Justice | $126,564.98 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Michael Roty | $125,506.15 |
| Galesburg-Augusta Community School District | Janan Zimmerman | $125,156 |
| Portage Public Schools | Bradley Galin | $124,080.82 |
| Portage Public Schools | Clinton Wagner | $123,965.76 |
| Portage Public Schools | Travis Thomsen | $123,786.19 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Craig McCane | $123,692.98 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Micole Dyson | $123,671.49 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Jeffery Boggan | $123,645.17 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Christopher Aguinaga | $123,392.97 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Julie Stotz-Ghosh | $122,736.58 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Victoria Wentela | $122,725.96 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Lisa Anderson | $121,784.23 |
| Western Michigan University | Teresa Crumpton | $121,232.60 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Michael Hughes | $121,217.91 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | William Hawkins | $121,002.58 |
| Galesburg-Augusta Community School District | Wendy Maynard-Somers | $120,964.75 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Jason Luke | $120,904.70 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jason Messenger | $120,180.94 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jeffrey Hamilton | $120,180.94 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Cameron Buck | $119,900.96 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Atiba McKissack | $119,764.28 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Janine Vanstee | $119,231.58 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Barry Smith | $119,231.58 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Elizabeth Jackson-Spaner | $119,231.58 |
| Portage Public Schools | Christopher Riker | $118,737.55 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Theo Sypris | $118,367.13 |
| Western Michigan University | Joel Fletcher | $118,216.02 |
| Portage Public Schools | Paula Johnson | $117,805.29 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Andrew Laboe | $117,774.26 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Mark Sigfrids | $117,729.55 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jason Frink | $117,618.55 |
| Portage Public Schools | Joseph Wallace | $116,801.29 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | William Kring | $116,190.81 |
| Western Michigan University | Shashanta James | $116,044.50 |
| Portage Public Schools | Nathan Ledlow | $115,618.55 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Jill Ansel | $114,621.79 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Mary Pickett | $114,601.19 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Donald Eastman | $114,338.96 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Craig Lesuer | $114,257.91 |
| Portage Public Schools | Kelly Hinga | $113,989.01 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Julie McDonald | $113,331.17 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Erick Martin | $113,259.23 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Brian Olson | $113,135.05 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Laura Kayser | $113,098.25 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Geoffery Howe | $112,682.84 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Bruce Punches | $112,241.10 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Michael Collins | $111,607.46 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Aubree Spencer | $111,558.06 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Patricia Henning | $111,555.48 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Nathan McLaughlin | $111,409.55 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Sheila Baiers | $111,093.05 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Tamica Frison | $111,085.72 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Victoria Hileski | $110,802.49 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Dylan Patterson | $110,746.64 |
| Portage Public Schools | MacKenzie Sheahan | $110,338.55 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Jennifer Sova | $109,796.89 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Matthew McCullough | $109,644.20 |
| Portage Public Schools | Daniel Wytko | $109,386.91 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Urminda Firlan | $108,694.53 |
| Parchment School District | George Stamas | $108,569.20 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Diane Owen-Rogers | $108,468.78 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Joletta Drake | $108,461.40 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Verne Mills | $108,438.45 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jeremy Zonts | $108,354.81 |
| Portage Public Schools | Heather Yankovich | $108,354.81 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Michael Coats | $108,262.78 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | William Dedie | $108,234.25 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Robert Post | $107,909.64 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | William Wangler | $107,723.75 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Lois Baldwin | $107,652.75 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Bethann Talsma | $107,359.93 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Laura Draper | $107,079.13 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Adam Brush | $106,855 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Nancy Vendeville | $106,489.32 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Bobbi Jo Stoner | $106,430.74 |
| Western Michigan University | Carol Dedow | $106,430.34 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Kurt Torok | $105,855.56 |
| Portage Public Schools | Anne Gordon | $105,829.41 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Susan Caswell | $105,588.72 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Michael Barwegen | $105,464.34 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | William Blakely | $105,162.37 |
| Western Michigan University | George Jarvis | $105,087.36 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Bethany Foote | $105,023.59 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Lisa Dewey | $104,590.28 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Brian Deller | $104,441.27 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Daniel Stout | $104,419 |
| Portage Public Schools | James Schafer | $104,309.31 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Caycee Sledge | $104,274.48 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Katherine Ferraro | $104,257.14 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kathleen Kerstetter | $104,111.78 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Jack Boerman | $104,098.02 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Jay Birchmeier | $103,708.07 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Douglas Martin | $103,503.96 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Shelly Hawthorne | $103,334.77 |
| Portage Public Schools | Justin Walker | $103,201.41 |
| Portage Public Schools | Craig Medd | $103,201.41 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Amie McCaw | $103,024.66 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Richard Brill | $102,925.26 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Caroline Whiting | $102,925.05 |
| Portage Public Schools | Andrew Fuehr | $102,559.76 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Benjamin Rosier | $102,394.75 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Matthew Vandussen | $102,378.64 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Drew Bordner | $102,114.68 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Melissa Nantais | $102,047.29 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Phillip Heasley | $101,692.74 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Sarah Neumann | $101,587.75 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Linda Mitchell | $101,276.49 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Sylvia Washington | $101,222.22 |
| Schoolcraft Community Schools | Matthew Dailey | $101,020.30 |
| Comstock Public Schools | James Ansel | $100,947.51 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Kelly Corrigan | $100,778.20 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Carl Patrick | $100,659.55 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Terri Aman | $100,659.55 |
| Climax-Scotts Community Schools | Teri Peters | $100,658.08 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Ajamian Gardner | $100,492.63 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Christopher Chopp | $100,407.35 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Erin Anderson | $100,372.13 |
| Climax-Scotts Community Schools | Brent Cole | $100,078.08 |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Comstock Public Schools Board• Vicksburg Community Schools• Galesburg-Augusta Community School District• Kalamazoo Public Schools• Schoolcraft Community Schools Board• Gull Lake Community Schools• Kalamazoo Resa• Portage Public Schools Board• Parchment School District• Western Michigan University• Kalamazoo Valley Community College• Climax-Scotts Community School District Board
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