Meet Mr. East Lansing

It’s 7:58 a.m. on the first Monday of the month and Matt Apostle is already on a ladder, changing the calendar of downtown events on the tower near the Albert Street and M.A.C. Avenue intersection.

In any given week, Apostle’s duties might include presenting to City Council about block grants for local nonprofit organizations, coordinating a commission of civic leaders or setting up tables and chairs for a weekend event.

Apostle’s official title is community and economic development specialist but because his work brings him into interaction with seemingly every corner of the community, “Mr. East Lansing” might be more fitting. He creates opportunities and spaces that bring residents together downtown to engage, learn, spend money and have fun.

ELi spoke with Apostle about his work in a Zoom interview earlier this month.

The Dearborn native earned a degree in social relations and policy from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.

“I learned a lot about housing and community development through the classes,” he said. “It piqued my interest, so I interned with the City of Westland in their Housing Choice Voucher Program.”

That experience led to an internship with the City of East Lansing and then a full-time position in September 2021.

One of Apostle’s biggest responsibilities is overseeing the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for East Lansing. In that role, he coordinates the commission that reviews applications requesting federal funds the city allocates each year.

“The program benefits low- to moderate-income residents of East Lansing,” he explained. “The primary constituency here is MSU students.”

Block grants support nonprofit organizations like Haven House and the MSU Migrant Services Program, as well as development projects such as the expansion of the Northern Tier Trail.

Asked about his current projects, Apostle rattled off a long list of efforts aimed at improving downtown and offering programming for residents and families.

“We’ve got several workshops coming up, so I’m doing outreach to 20 or 30 different organizations to get them engaged in giving community feedback on the process,” he said. “Later today we have a Downtown Management Board meeting, where I’ll be discussing upcoming events like the Great Pumpkin Walk in late October. The board is also considering a tree-lighting event.

“It’s a wide variety of things each and every day. After I get off with you, I’ll be ordering lunch for that meeting. I do a lot of cradle-to-grave projects where I’m involved in every single facet. There are a lot of fun, random little things I do every day.”

Apostle said his passion for the work is partly due to his youth and his recent experience as an MSU student, which he believes gives him a unique vantage point.

“When you’re talking about MSU students, we have 50,000 bright, young, soon-to-be graduates who would be great to keep in the Lansing region,” Apostle said. “That’d be great for our economy, whether they’re developing new businesses or stepping into local industries.

“If we can make downtown East Lansing — and the region as a whole — an attractive place during their four to six years here, and make that pitch strong enough, that would be a huge win.”

Apostle particularly enjoys connecting with community partners for events.

“The Greater Lansing Area Moms, or the GLAMs,” he said of one group. “I love working with them because they come from a very different but important perspective that I don’t necessarily have. Collaborating with people like that often leads to a better product than either of us could create alone.”

Outside of work, Apostle lives in Owosso with his fiancée. The two have acted and danced in community theater for several years, and he serves on the theater’s board. Together they also care for a seven-and-a-half-pound dog named Maple.

Looking ahead, Apostle hopes to earn a Certified Economic Developer designation and continue growing in his profession.

“I’m interested in roles where I can work directly with community members and businesses, assisting them where I can and making an impact on the community,” he said.