Jason Ballew of Three Rivers

Jason Ballew didn’t grow up in Three Rivers or the state of Michigan, but that hasn’t stopped this native Oklahoman from embracing his life as a small-town Michigander since 2018. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, Jason’s career took him to Austin, before being transferred to Chicago. He received his master’s degree in environmental management and sustainability from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and worked in business management, interior design and architecture. 

After living in Chicago for 25 years, Jason moved with his husband to the Southwest Michigan region to enjoy a quieter life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It didn’t take long for Jason to make an impression on his new community – and vice versa. He joined the Three Rivers DDA’s Design Committee in 2019 and became a board member three years later.

Jason has been instrumental in bringing vibrancy to the community through gardening, landscaping and other beautification projects that are drawing visitors and businesses to the area.  The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has supported many of these revitalization and placemaking efforts. Those include transforming an unused portion of the community’s Memory Isle Park into a dog park with the support of a Public Spaces Community Places crowdfunding campaign. The MEDC provided $10,000 in matching grant funds, and the Downtown Dog Park was unveiled in May 2024.

As a Master Level Michigan Main Street community, Three Rivers has been the recipient of several Main Street Vibrancy grants, including funding to create a downtown historic walking tour awarded in June 2025 and funding for holiday décor awarded in February 2024.

Most recently, Three Rivers received certification as a Redevelopment Ready Community in July 2025, which recognizes the community’s efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further built on municipal assets.

As a champion for the thriving community of Three Rivers, Jason is embracing a beautiful life with his husband in their adopted hometown.

What initially brought you to Michigan, and did you have preconceived notions about the state before moving here?

In 2013, my husband and I began to look for land to build a vacation home. We first started looking in Wisconsin, but the drive time to find something away from the hustle and bustle was too long. We had spent some time in Michigan in previous years, mainly along Lake Michigan. We then came across six acres of undeveloped land in Jones, MI, just west of Three Rivers. The land was heavily wooded and backed up to T.K. Lawless County Park. It was peaceful, quiet and off the beaten path, exactly what we were looking for. We camped on the land for the first couple of years and then started building the house in 2016. Since its completion in 2018, we have entertained many family members and friends, who are consistently in awe of the natural beauty. It’s only a two-hour drive from Chicago but couldn’t feel more different. You can’t help but feel a sense of calm when you turn down our dirt road.   

How did you first get involved in the Three Rivers DDA and what does it mean to contribute to the community’s vibrancy?

My love for nature, environmental sustainability and design ultimately led me to Three Rivers' DDA Design Committee. I was drawn to the committee’s goals of improving downtown’s physical presence through historic preservation and beautification. I became a member of the Design Committee in 2019 and have been its Chair since 2021. I became a DDA board member in 2022. I love being part of a smaller community and seeing that work come to fruition in such a positive and meaningful way.

After living in Chicago for so many years, and then moving to Three Rivers, it was a wonderful change. I loved getting to connect with people who were born and raised in Three Rivers and care so deeply about the community and want to continually improve upon its amazing characteristics. I have been fortunate to be a part of many vibrancy grants that we've won over several years, including the mural mall space and all new holiday décor in 2024.

It takes a village to get things done, and we are fortunate to have a very committed group of volunteers and stakeholders who share a common vision for Three Rivers. There's so much opportunity; now it's just a matter of capitalizing on its characteristics and bringing more opportunities for residents, visitors and new businesses alike.

As a Main Street community, Three Rivers has received several Main Street Vibrancy program grants as well as support for projects like the Downtown Dog Park. What does that state support mean for a community like Three Rivers?

We have been fortunate to have won several Vibrancy grants, from improvements to the Mural Mall outdoor space and new holiday decor for Main Street to winning the latest grant, a project we are calling “Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space” in conjunction with The Historical Society of St. Joseph County. In 2023 and 2024 I led a crowd-funding campaign through the Public Spaces Community Places program to build and install the Downtown Dog Park. We recently celebrated its one-year anniversary!

In 2023, we also won the Community Development Block Grant Public Gathering Spaces Initiative for a new amphitheater. We broke ground earlier this year and it’s expected to be completed by the end of this summer 2025, with programming beginning next year. It will totally transform downtown. I can’t wait to see it bring people together through live music and entertainment. 

I can’t emphasize enough how much State support means to our community. Without the support of these programs, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity for these incredible initiatives. Being a Michigan Main Street community, we have a built-in framework to support both economic and community development, with tools and resources at the ready. Not only has it allowed us to invest in and support our local economy, but it also supports our long-term strategic planning and community vibrancy.  

Having lived in the city of Chicago, it is so refreshing to be part of a smaller community. I love doing everything I can to make Three Rivers a more vibrant, beautiful and welcoming place. As one of its ambassadors, I’m constantly singing its praises and speaking with potential businesses about the opportunities here. 

What do you enjoy most about living in Michigan and Three Rivers specifically?

I enjoy the natural beauty that Michigan has, from cross-country skiing in the winter to walking in the woods, to watching the sunset over Lake Michigan. There’s no other place like it. I also enjoy landscape gardening. I became a Master Gardener through Michigan State University and have planted well over 2,000 native plants on our property. I’ve channeled that love for planting into my work with Three Rivers, for example with the Three Rivers Woman’s Club to install a pollinator garden in The Mural Mall.

I love that the historic downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places because of the intact Victorian-era architecture. We have a social district in our historic downtown area, and many of the buildings have been renovated and are just beautiful. A lot of them have fallen into hard times and disrepair, but the opportunities are there. Part of the master plan is to expand the hiking and biking trails along our waterways, so that’s a real opportunity for us in the future.

And there’s the community’s pride. We have such hardworking people who care so deeply and who are willing to go the extra mile to come downtown and volunteer, whether it’s our clean-up in spring or hanging flower baskets. We’re a little off the beaten path, but we have a storied past, and there’s so much to learn about what makes it unique.

Learn how the MEDC is helping communities like Three Rivers thrive.