Rebecca StClair, Vice Mayor of Muskegon, Michigan

“Care Over Fear”

There are conversations that leave me reflecting long after they’re over—and this week’s Community Catalysts episode with Rebecca StClair is one of them.

Rebecca is the Vice Mayor and Commissioner at Large for Muskegon, Michigan—a post-industrial, working-class lakeshore city that’s transforming itself through persistence, vision, and grit. Her own leadership story is steeped in all of that. She stepped into public office through a grassroots campaign, and almost immediately found herself in the center of a deeply controversial issue—facing protests, public backlash, and personal attacks that would shake even long-serving leaders.

And yet, she stayed grounded.

What inspired me most in our conversation was how deeply rooted Rebecca is in care—for her community, for the people who live there, and for the responsibilities of civic leadership. The episode is titled Care Over Fear for a reason: Rebecca doesn’t pretend it’s easy. But she makes it clear that when we care deeply enough, we find the strength to face hard things, to keep showing up, and to lead with integrity even when it hurts.

It’s not just a story of controversy. It’s a story of conviction. Of compassion backed by courage.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your care is strong enough to carry you through the fear—through the pressure, the scrutiny, the loneliness that sometimes comes with public leadership—this is an episode you need to hear.

As always, thank you for listening—and for the ways you care for your own corner of the world.