For Dan Travis, local politics and township government were never about money or a job. It was about love and dedication to the community he loves.
‘Dan Travis has served Independence Township for 28 years as a dedicated public servant. His longevity in office speaks to a recognition of his positive impact on our community,? said Jim Wenger, former Independence Township treasurer. ‘For the past 12 years, I was honored to serve with Dan on the township board. We owe Dan a debt of gratitude for a job well done.?
Not only did he serve as a township board member, but also was on the planning commission for 24 years as well. Richard Carlisle, township planning consultant of 27 years, said watching Travis on the commission was both ‘enlightening and a pleasure.”
‘One of the things Dan always did was wait and listen to what others had to say and then come forth with his opinion,? said Carlisle. ‘He gave his wisdom in terms of what his perceptions were of what it meant to be a part of Independence Township and what is has meant in the past and hopefully what it meant going forth in the future. It was that particular characteristic of him that I always admired.?
Fellow Trustee Dan Kelly, Travis ‘had an impact on the township few people have had.? Serving both on the board and the commission played an ‘intricate role? in how the township develops, Kelly said.
‘I think the board will miss his level headedness as well as his history of events because, in a lot of ways, he was like the resource for why things happened the way they happened over the last 30 years,? he said.
Trustee Larry Rosso agreed, saying Travis became more valuable with time because hearing Travis? perspective on various topics gave new board members greater awareness and information to gauge issues.
‘I think his commitment to this community speaks volumes of his sincerity,? said Rosso.
‘I think he is a person of great integrity, and had excellent leadership skills?
Former township attorney Jerry Fisher said it was “not exaggeration to say Dan has more valuable and usable information about this township than anyone else alive today.?
‘Information without integrity is as useless as having integrity without information. And, Dan’s integrity has consistently been as good as it gets anywhere,? said Fisher.
‘Dan was not one to waiver or flag with passing whim. He is an immensely principled and solid person. He became informed on issues and then acted in the manner he believed to be in the best interest of the township ? in many cases recognizing it was not the easy road to take.?
Travis grew up in Alton, Ill., graduated from Westminster College in 1964, and went to work for Laclede steel as a regional manager, the same company his father worked for. He then worked for Franco Steel and, in 1995, set up his own agency. He came to Detroit in 1965 and moved to the Village of the City of Clarkston with his wife in 1969. Later, they moved to Independence Township. Travis is also a director of the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy and served with Oakland Parks for 10 years.
‘Dan Travis has been a fixture in Independence Township government since 1980 and has served the township with great compassion and great intelligence,? said former Supervisor Dale Stuart. ‘He’s a person who’s going to be sorely missed.?
Travis works at Great Lakes Crossing at Bass Pro Shop. As an avid fisher and hunter, it seemed like an ideal place, he said.
He teaches hunter safety, teaches and plays tennis, and used to shoot skeet and run track competitively.
He’s been married to his wife, Betsy, for 41 years. They have two children, Daniel Travis, who lives in Los Angeles as an actor, and daughter Amy, who is married to Mark and has two children, Phoebe and Miles.
‘It’s been a distinguished honor for me to do public service for this community,? said Travis in his final remarks as trustee.