Hello, I'm Salim Al-Shatel, and I'm deeply passionate about making a difference in our community through politics. My journey in politics began with a desire to create positive change and ensure that every voice is heard.

Born, and raised, in West Michigan, I witnessed firsthand the impact of effective governance on people’s lives. This inspired me to pursue a career dedicated to public service. Whether it was growing up in Muskegon, building my business in Grand Haven, or living in Grand Rapids I have benefited from all that West Michigan has to offer. I have always felt at home here, in West Michigan.

Named after my Palestinian grandpa, I was raised by two amazing immigrant parents who proved to be outstanding role models for me. My mother is a refugee from Czechoslovakia, and my father was born in a Jordanian refugee camp. My sisters and I are the first generation in our family to not spend time in a refugee camp.

I attended Muskegon and Mona Shores Public Schools, before moving on to Muskegon Community College and completing my bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University. In 2015, I earned my Applied Engineering Sciences degree with a concentration in Supply Chain Management.

After college, I worked with Matt Schmitt to bring the Muskegon Risers SC to life here in Muskegon. As a former college soccer player, I was excited to use soccer as a platform to support the positive social and economic change along the Lakeshore. In our inaugural season we were able to see crowds in excess of over 6,000 people at our match against the former Grand Rapids FC.

For my first career, I worked in Detroit’s automotive industry as a corporate Sales Engineer. It is here where I learned about manufacturing on both a global and domestic level. I helped with vehicle design, oversaw multiple plants, and negotiated $154M annual sales. I understood the importance of supporting our manufacturing industry and the need to stay competitive in a forever evolving automotive market.

Following my automotive career, I pursued entrepreneurship as a small business owner. In 2018 I purchased My Barefoot Wedding which is a Michigan based, and LGBTQ+ inclusive, destination wedding business. I experienced first-hand the joys and struggles of being a small business owner. We navigated challenging Covid-19 restrictions, and continued to grow. We need to support our small businesses as these are the people investing in our community. Their businesses are constantly impacted by local and federal decisions.

I operated a non-profit called Better Coast Foundation in 2020 until 2023. Our objective was to support the West Michigan tourism industry by protecting our natural resources. During this time, we successfully removed over 800 lbs. of trash from West Michigan beaches. Working with other non-profits like WMEAC we were able to collect data and educate the community on the pollution.

I have worked part-time as a substitute teacher in the North Muskegon, Mona Shores, and Reeths Puffer School Systems. It is from these experiences that I understood the pressure our educators are constantly under. If we value our youth, and the next generation, we need to make sure we support those educating them. I support raising teacher salaries, bringing back pension programs, and attracting our top talent to this career path.

In 2021, I earned my real estate license. I have helped clients purchase, and sell, over $2M in total volume. I was able to take on my first home rehab project turning a vacant home into a livable duplex in the Norton Shores area. Housing is a challenging and complex topic to cover. There is not enough housing and we need action to be taken in order to support our growing communities.

In 2022 I was appointed by Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss to her City’s Planning Commission Board. I was on the board that approved projects such as the waterfront amphitheater, numerous West side restaurants, brought hundreds of new apartments to the Creston area, and worked on the City’s 20-year master plan. I served on this commission until 2023.