Kimberly Koster

Kimberly Koster, Class of 1986

2020/2021 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee

Career Achievements 

Kimberly Koster graduated from Hudsonville High School in 1986. 

She received her associate's degree from Grand Rapids Junior College, her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and her master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Ferris State University. She later graduated with Class 251 of the FBI National Academy. 

In 2018, Chief Koster was voted as director of public safety for the City of Wyoming where she leads a team of nearly 130 full-time personnel, including 88 sworn police officers and 29 full-time firefighters. She is the first woman to lead the Department of Public Safety. 

Chief Koster served many roles throughout her 25-year career including several years as the 911 Communications Supervisor during which time she led the consolidation of police and fire operations in multiple communities including Wyoming’s transition to the Kent County Dispatch Authority. She has also served as a community policing officer, a lead detective in homicide investigations, a patrol lieutenant, and a crisis negotiator. Chief Koster has continued to lead the department’s successful accreditation efforts through the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) which puts the agency in compliance with more than 470 standards of best practices in policing. This is an accomplishment shared by only 1,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide. 

Throughout her career, Chief Koster has been recognized with several commendations including the Life Saving Award, Chief’s Award of Excellence, and the Michigan Jaycee’s Outstanding Young Public Safety Officer. She serves as President of the Kent County Metro Oversight Board and Vice President of the Kent County Chiefs of Police Association. She is an active board member for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Kent County, the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance, and the Kent County Corrections Board. 

Chief Koster lives with her wife, Marie, in Grand Rapids with their three boys Bonham, Cash and Jett.