Former Holland mayor appointed as general counsel for U.S. Office of Personnel Management
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced Wednesday, March 4, that it had appointed former Holland mayor Kurt Dykstra as its general counsel, placing him in charge of the agency’s legal office and policy advisory functions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former West Michigan leader is heading to Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced Wednesday, March 4, that it had appointed former Holland mayor Kurt Dykstra as its general counsel, placing him in charge of the agency’s legal office and policy advisory functions.
The OPM serves as the central human resources agency for the federal government. Its primary role is to ensure that the federal workforce is managed effectively, fairly and in accordance with merit-system principles.
The agency said Dykstra will serve as chief legal officer and oversee the Office of the General Counsel, providing legal guidance to OPM’s director and senior leadership.
OPM Director Scott Kupor said Dykstra brings leadership experience and legal expertise that will help the agency address complex workforce and legal challenges.
“He understands how strong governance, accountability, and sound legal strategy support effective government. I am confident his leadership will help ensure OPM continues to serve federal employees and the American people with integrity and excellence,” Kupor said in a news release.
Before joining OPM, Dykstra worked with Milwaukee-based law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, where he specialized in providing legal counsel to colleges and universities, representing businesses in high-stakes disputes and advising on matters related to public entities and economic incentive programs.
A Wisconsin native, served as the city’s 31st mayor, serving in the role from 2009 to 2015, after previously serving as a council member (2005-2009). He also spent over 12 years as an instructor at Hope College.
He left Michigan to become Illinois-based Trinity Christian College’s 10th president, serving in the role until 2022 and briefly served as the president and CEO of Independent Colleges of Indiana, a group that represents Indiana's 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities.
He rejoined Milwaukee law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren in 2024, where he started his career as an attorney 20 years after graduating from law school at Milwaukee-based Marquette University. The firm provides legal counsel to businesses and organizations in the areas of dispute resolution, litigation regulatory compliance and organizational governance.
Other credentials include being a senior executive in a Michigan regional bank, serving as a judicial law clerk at the Wisconsin Supreme Court and lecturing on legal, educational, and public policy topics. He also served as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve as a civil affairs officer.
He was also one of five finalists for the Ottawa County administrator position in summer 2025; former deputy administrator Patrick Waterman was selected for the job.
Read More: What you need to know about the 5 finalists vying to be Ottawa County's next administrator
When asked why he applied for the administrator position, Dykstra said it “feels like home.”
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“We've been engaged in the community — more maybe in the southern end of Ottawa County. Over the course of our time, our children are here. My in-laws are here. … Dovetailing that with this position and this institution is a place that matters,” he said.
“I get to help clients figure things out in higher education spaces, some government spaces. But at the same time, caring about places is really important. Caring deeply about places that shape us is pretty important. So I've always been a believer in, if opportunity is there, you try and seize it, and the opportunity presented itself.”
