Candidate for Waterford Board of Education

Listening Comes Before Leading

Waterford graduate. Local Realtor. Small business owner. Community advocate. Mom of three Waterford students.

Meet Kelly Upcoming events

Kelly Hamilton holding a Waterford Board of Education campaign sign

WATERFORD GRADUATERaised here

MOM OF 3Waterford students

LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERInvested here

COMMUNITY ADVOCATEShowing up here

Who is Kelly Hamilton?

Why this Waterford mom decided it was time to get involved.

I’m a Waterford graduate, local Realtor, small business owner, community advocate, and most importantly, a mom of three children who all attend Waterford schools. Waterford has been home for most of my life. I grew up here, graduated here, built my career here, and now I’m raising my own family here.

I’ve spent years working with families throughout our community and organizing free local events that bring neighbors and businesses together. I’m invested in Waterford far beyond this election, and that’s ultimately what pushed me to put my name on the ballot.

I’m running for the Waterford Board of Education because I believe listening comes before leading. I want more consistent opportunities for parents, teachers, staff, students, business owners and residents to be heard — not only during an election or at a board meeting.

Kelly Hamilton at the Waterford Township sign

Waterford has been home for most of Kelly’s life.

Kelly is raising her three children in the same community where she grew up.

The Waterford I believe we can be

A district families actively choose.

That starts with taking care of the families, students and staff who are already here. Kelly wants stronger connections between schools and community, more consistent ways for parents, teachers, staff and students to have a voice, and a school board that is visible in buildings and throughout Waterford.

She wants the district to ask why families leave, learn from their experiences and look for ways to earn their confidence back — while making sure students feel safe and supported, teachers feel heard and valued, and parents feel like true partners.

“My goal isn’t to tear down what we have. It’s to listen, learn what’s working, be willing to address what isn’t, and help move Waterford forward together.”

A fresh perspective

Ideas Kelly wants to bring to the table.

These are the practical ideas Kelly has been talking about during the campaign.

Student voice, starting young

Explore elementary student councils and leadership opportunities so younger students have a voice, too.

Ask why families are leaving

Use exit surveys or interviews to understand why families leave Waterford and what could have made them stay.

Focus on retention

Bringing families in matters, but keeping the students and families already here matters just as much.

Consistency across Waterford

Work toward strong opportunities and support regardless of which school a student attends.

More transparency

Make Board discussions and decisions easier for the community to follow, including greater access to meeting recordings.

A visible school board

Get Board members out of the boardroom and into schools, PTO meetings, events and the community.

Connect our PTOs

Create more opportunities for PTOs across the district to share ideas, resources and what’s working.

Schools + local businesses

Build partnerships that create mentorships, career exposure and opportunities for students.

Address bullying early

Protect students being targeted while intervening with repeated behavior before it becomes a bigger pattern.

Learn from other districts

Look at what surrounding districts are doing successfully and bring good ideas back to Waterford.

Upcoming

Come meet Kelly in the community.

Three upcoming opportunities to stop in, ask questions, share an experience, or simply say hello.

Saturday, October 3

Coffee with Kelly at High Octane

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

High Octane Cafe & Bakery · 7192 Highland Rd, Waterford

An informal conversation with Waterford residents. Come with questions, ideas, or just stop by to meet Kelly.

Monday, October 5

Then & Now Coffee Talk

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Independence Village of Waterford · 900 N Cass Lake Rd

A conversation with Waterford seniors about what schools were like then, what matters now, and what we can learn from both.

Sunday, October 11

Waterford’s Trunk or Treat & Car Show

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Bin Street · 5100 Dixie Hwy, Waterford

Candy, food trucks, cars and family fun — a community event Kelly helped organize long before the campaign became the focus.

These are conversations, not speeches. Kelly wants people to be able to ask what matters to them and tell her what they want her to understand about Waterford Schools.

Community

Showing up for Waterford didn’t start with a campaign.

Before there were campaign signs, there were Santa rides, Easter Bunny visits, parades, community events and years of helping families put down roots in Waterford.

$Santa through Waterford$

Santa through Waterford

When a Christmas parade plan didn’t work out, Kelly helped bring Santa through Waterford neighborhoods instead.

The Easter Bunny ride

The same idea carried into spring — driving through neighborhoods, tossing candy and giving kids something fun to remember.

Showing up at community events

From parades to family events, Kelly has spent years being present in Waterford, not just during election season.

Helping new families choose Waterford

Kelly with a first-time homebuyer and her daughter after helping them move into Waterford — one family choosing to make this community and school district home.

Recent campaign conversations

A few moments from recent coffees, candidate events and community conversations.

Coffee with Kelly

Meet the Candidate

Talking with Waterford residents

Read the campaign newspaper that inspired this site.

The first issue of The Waterford Times introduces Kelly, shares her Waterford story, explains the kind of district she hopes to help build, and lays out the ideas she wants to bring to the Board.

It also tells the story of the community events that came long before the campaign — because Kelly wanted the newspaper, and now the website, to feel like Waterford rather than like a generic political brochure.

Read Issue 01

2026 voter information

Know your voting options.

Important dates

General Election: November 3, 2026
Absentee ballots available: September 24
Online/mail registration deadline: October 19
Early voting: October 24–November 1

Official voter information

Use official state and township resources to check registration, request or track an absentee ballot, and find early-voting or Election Day information.

Michigan.gov/Vote →

Waterford Township Election Information →

Questions or want to share something?

Kelly wants to hear from Waterford.

Email kelly4waterfordboe@gmail.com