DOWAGIAC — In a fitting analogy, given the vast farmlands surrounding his hometown, 1st Ward Councilman Patrick Bakeman has a particular philosophy when it comes to building the economy of Dowagiac.

In what he calls describes as “economic gardening,” the local leader said that, over the next year, he and other members of the city’s recently created economic development and opportunity board would like to start with a few small ideas that he hopes will grow into future pillars of the community.

For example, Bakeman said that perhaps he could encourage a local entrepreneur to open a piano business downtown. If successful, the owner will eventually begin hiring additional instructors and other employees, creating another fixture in the local economy.

It is a lesson that Bakeman — himself a self-made business man — has learned through experience. Thirteen years ago, the Dowagiac native purchased the old Bear’s Den barbershop at the corner of Front and Division streets downtown, and reopened it as Bakeman Barbers.

Unfortunately, his venture was not an overnight success. 

“We had some long, slow days,” he recalled. “There were a lot of days where I was just sitting there, by myself. Because I had bought a business, some old customers stopped coming, just because there was somebody new there. Now, we have four chairs in the shop.”

The city’s newest elected official talked about his plans to improve the local economy and about his experiences since joining the city council during the meeting of the Dowagiac Rotary Club Thursday afternoon at the local Elks Lodge. Rotarian Jeremy Truitt invited Bakeman — who was joined by his wife, Ravan — to speak to the club that afternoon.

The barber — who helped form another local service club, the Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac, along with Truitt several years ago — joked that the noon time meeting was only the third lunch date he has had with his wife in 13 years.

“With my work, I don’t usually take lunches,” he said. “To serve the public, you have to be there. It’s same with organizations or with politics. You have to be there.”

The local barber has deep roots in The Grand Old City.

All four sides of his family have called Dowagiac home for more than 120 years, with many of them also establishing businesses in town, he said. Outside of living in Lansing for barber college and working at barbershop in the Detroit area for several years, Dowagiac is the only place where Bakeman has called home as well.

After years of working to improve his community through his business and through his work as vice chair of the Young Professionals, Bakeman decided last summer — after speaking with Ravan and Truitt — to get involved in city politics as well, by running against incumbent Lori Hunt for her seat on the Dowagiac City Council. In November, he defeated Hunt, and assumed office Nov. 13.

Not content to just sit on the sidelines, Bakeman came to the council with lots of ideas — many suggested to him by his neighbors — on how to improve Dowagiac. In spite of being a fresh face to local government, he found that his ideas were warmly received by the veteran members of city hall.

“I was worried that I might upset some of the elder statesmen,” Bakeman said. “But it has been the total opposite. They have dropped off books for me, or suggested that I should talk with certain people. The people who are in place in Dowagiac want what is best for Dowagiac, and they are working their hardest to do that.

“All the conversations we have are how to make Dowagiac better, and help the people,” he said.

In spite of the many challenges facing the city — including the continual stagnation of revenue from the state — Bakeman said he is eager to get started working with the economic development and opportunity board, an idea he presented to the rest of council shortly after taking office.

Earlier this week, the city selected four other local professionals — Sarah Mathews, Natasha Williamson, Kelly Ariel and Paige Behnke — to serve on the board with Bakeman. The group will begin working on ideas to improve the Dowagiac economy next month, starting off by developing a survey for local residents to share their ideas and concerns about the direction of the city’s job market.

“If all five members of this board can do one thing a month, we will have done 60 positive things for Dowagiac,” Bakeman said. “That’s what it is all about. Taking small steps forward. Businesses aren’t built overnight. It takes a lifetime of consistency.”