By James Windell
In December, 2024, Mayor Annie honored South Haven’s City Clerk, Megan Kiker, with a proclamation for her “exceptional dedication and tireless work during the 2024 election season, ensuring the integrity and success of the electoral process.”
Throughout her five years, Kiker has admirably fulfilled the many duties of a city clerk. However, Kiker has submitted her resignation as City Clerk.
Kiker’s resignation will be effective April 30, 2026. She said in an interview on March 20, 2026, two days after tendering her resignation, that it was not an easy decision to make.
“I weighed my decision very heavily,” she said, “because I have enjoyed my job here and have appreciated the support I have received from the city staff and the residents. I’ve grown up in South Haven after moving here when I was 17. Everything I have today and the woman I am today is because of South Haven.”
She said that she gave a six week notice because of very specific reasons. “I gave my notice for six weeks instead of the standard two weeks because I wanted to make sure they would be able to get someone hired and trained before the August election,” she explained. “If I stayed through August, it would be very difficult for the city to get someone hired and trained before the important November election. I felt that that was not the right way to leave.”
Kiker said that her reasons for leaving the job she has so enjoyed doing was related to wanting to move to a warm weather state.
“I’m going to be moving to San Diego in September of this year,” she said. “My mother was actually born and raised in California, so a part of me always thought I would end up back there somewhere. I visited San Diego and fell in love with the area. We had a really hard winter here and I didn’t like struggling with the winter weather and feeling a little isolated and cold. But I also wanted to try something new. I’ve lived here for 14 years, and I believe there is something new on the horizon for me.”
Kiker said that her plans are to stay in South Haven until September and then move to San Diego. “After I leave my job, I plan to work Three Blondes Brewey fulltime this summer. Then I will move to San Diego in September.”
She said that she has loved her time with the City and that she is very grateful for the experience of being City Clerk. “But I have acquired institutional knowledge because I started out working for the city six years ago in customer service. At first I was answering phone calls and getting to know the ins and outs of the city, and all that definitely helped. I know that I have become a good resource for the city and I hope I can continue to be after I’m gone.”
Mayor Annie Brown has high praise for Kiker. “Megan’s departure is a huge loss for the City of South Haven,” Brown said. “She is the kind of City Clerk who can keep all the plates spinning without any falling to the floor.”
Among the plates she kept spinning as part of her job was overseeing elections. “She is amazing at running elections,” Brown added, “as well as working at every city council meeting to keep the minutes, monitor the time limits on public comments, and keeping track of motions and voting.”
The mayor not only appreciated her hard work and her knowledge of election laws, but she said that Kiker has a “wonderful personality that supports our city’s goal of being a welcoming community.”
“Our entire staff will miss her,” Mayor Brown said.
