From medic to mayor.
Service is the through-line.
Ken Massey has spent his career stepping up when communities needed him — as a paramedic, a scientist, an educator, and a longtime elected leader in Farmington Hills.
A practical Republican with a record of showing up.
Before he was elected to anything, Ken was a paramedic responding to calls across Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Northville, and the surrounding area. He spent close to a decade in pre-hospital emergency care while finishing his education.
He went on to earn a PhD in cardiovascular physiology, work as a clinical scientist at Pfizer and in Michigan biotech, and serve on the Farmington Hills City Council for two decades — including as mayor from 2015 to 2019.
Through all of it, the through-line has been the same: service. Facts first. People first. Politics last.
A record built on service
Former Mayor of Farmington Hills
Elected to City Council in 2003. Served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2006, 2010, and 2015. Elected Mayor in 2015 with 68% of the vote, re-elected unopposed in 2017. A record of practical, moderate, cross-aisle governance.
Paramedic & Emergency Responder
Nearly ten years as an advanced EMT / paramedic providing pre-hospital emergency care across Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Northville, and the surrounding region. Public safety from the ground up.
PhD Scientist & Educator
PhD in physiology from UT Southwestern. Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona. Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. Pharmacology faculty at Wayne State University.
Biotech & Economic Development Leader
Nine years at Pfizer as an Associate Director in cardiovascular and inflammation research. Managing Director at MicroDose Life Sciences in Novi. Today, Senior Director of Venture Development at Wayne State University, helping translate research into jobs.
Mental Health Advocate
Co-founder and chair of Farmington SAFE, the Farmington Area Suicide Prevention Task Force. Board member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Detroit / Ann Arbor Chapter. More than a decade of "Let's Talk About It."
Turning loss into a lifeline.
After Ken and his wife Katherine lost their son Graham E. Smith to suicide, Ken helped start Farmington SAFE in 2010 — a community task force devoted to open conversation, awareness, and prevention. The Graham E. Smith Memorial Fund supports its work.
More than a decade later, that work continues across the Farmington area — community conversations, an annual softball tournament, education events, and outreach for anyone in crisis.
Decades of service
A snapshot of the work, the milestones, and the moments that have shaped Ken's approach to public service.
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1979 – 1983
Bachelor of Science, Eastern Michigan University
Biology and Chemistry.
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1984 – 1989
PhD, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Cardiovascular physiology research, working with Dr. Karen Burton.
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1989 – 1992
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Arizona
Physiology fellowship investigating cardiac gap junction function.
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1998 – 2007
Associate Director, Pfizer Inc.
Phase I–III cardiovascular and inflammation drug development.
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2002
President, Farmington Hills Council of Homeowners Associations
Neighborhood-level advocacy across Farmington Hills.
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2003
Elected to Farmington Hills City Council
Beginning two decades of elected service.
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2005 – 2023
National League of Cities — Public Safety Steering Committee
Chaired the committee in 2012.
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2006
Joined Botsford Hospital Board of Directors
Later served as Chairman of the Board, 2014–2016.
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2010
Co-founded Farmington SAFE
Suicide Awareness for Everyone — with Randy Bruce and Nancy Bates.
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2014 – Present
Senior Director of Venture Development, Wayne State University
Technology commercialization and biotech translation.
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2015 – 2019
Mayor of Farmington Hills
Elected with 68% of the vote in 2015. Re-elected unopposed in 2017.
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2026
Candidate, Michigan State Senate District 8
Continuing a career of service to the communities of District 8.