By James Windell
Brittany Abrams became the new South Haven City Clerk on June 8, 2026. Since then, she has been getting acquainted with her new job and learning about South Haven.
Although she’s never been a city clerk before, she was familiar with the South Haven area – and that was motivation enough for her to apply for the job to replace Megan Kiker, who resigned after six years as the City Clerk.
“I was interested in the job because I had come out here quite often, and not only do I love the area, but I felt like I needed a change,” Abrams said in a recent interview. “I loved my previous job, but at the same time I just felt like I needed more of the outdoors, and I needed more of a beach lifestyle.”
Prior to coming to South Haven, Abrams had 12 years’ experience working in municipal government positions and most recently had served as the Parks and Recreation Office Manager at the Village of Romeoville about 30 miles southwest of Chicago in Illinois. She also served as the Administrative Clerk at Lake County Forest Preserves and as the Economic Development Coordinator and Office Administrator at the Village of Justice. In her previous positions she had been staff liaison to Boards, and had prepared resolutions, agendas, agenda packets, and meeting minutes. She has also assisted with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, budget preparations, payroll processing, Human Resources record keeping, and organizing various community events.
She said that so far after three months the role of City Clerk was pretty much what she expected.
“I knew there was going to be a lot to learn, and I knew each season would be different,” she said. “I wasn’t really familiar with elections, and I did not know the depth that we go into in running an election. I don’t think a lot of people realize all the planning and the deadlines that go into an election.”
Having had the August primary election as a learning experience, she said she is ready for the November general election.
Overall, though, she feels like she is settling in really well in South Haven and she adds that she enjoys living in South Haven.
“I feel like I finally am settling in,” she said. “I know there’s still a lot to learn, but overall I feel like I’m gaining a lot of training and using a lot of resources, and everybody here has been very helpful.”
In order to get to know South Haven and the area better, Abrams has been very involved in the community outside of work hours.
“I’ve gotten involved in a few different things,” she said, “such as the Citizens Police Academy, which I think is going to be very rewarding. But I’m planning on taking a leadership course through Lake Michigan College.”
Abrams grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and went to college at Western Illinois University. “Then, after I graduated, I went out west for a little while and served in AmeriCorps,” she said. “Then I came back to the Chicagoland area again, and I’ve been there ever since, although I’ve spent a lot of summers and weekends out here.”
When living in Illinois she recalls battling traffic outside of Chicago. That’s when she began asking herself what she was doing. “I realized that the lifestyle in South Haven was more what I wanted,” she said. “I told myself I could always go back to visit family and for those important events.”
She says that it is her love of being outdoors that appeals to her and helps her maintain a proper work-life balance.
“I love kayaking, hiking, camping – basically anything outdoors that is adventurous,” she says. “I’m just trying to find people here that like to do these things, too, so I’m getting involved with different organizations.”
She and her dog go out on the trails in the evening. “I’m loving the work-life balance,” she says. “I have a house here now, and I also have a dog, so I take her out a lot. We’ll go to the trails and we’ll go catch the sunset at the beach.”
An important plus for working in the City Hall downtown is what she can do during her lunch break. “During a lunch break I try to walk down to the pier when I can because if it’s a beautiful day, I can get some steps in, go down to the beach and enjoy the breeze.”
And the sunsets. “That’s s one thing I always enjoy,” she says. “I always try to watch the sunsets as much as possible.”
