Victor Cardenas’ life has been characterized by service to the public and Grand Valley. Cardenas graduated from GVSU in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He earned a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University and executive education certificates from the University of Virginia and Harvard University.

Since 2010, Cardenas has worked for the city of Novi, MI. In 2023, he was selected as the city manager after serving as the assistant city manager for more than 12 years. Cardenas implemented a citizen relationship software that improved Novi’s receipt of service requests and workflow management. Previously, Cardenas worked for the communities of Indianapolis, IN, Oak Park, MI, and Brooklyn, MI.

In 2007, Victor began serving on the GVSU Alumni Board of Directors. He continued in that role until 2015 when he was appointed to Grand Valley’s Board of Trustees by Governor Rick Snyder. During his tenure on the board, Cardenas and his fellow board members hired the University’s fifth president, Philomena Mantella. He also served as chair of the finance and academic/student affairs committees.

Cardenas is actively involved in professional organizations that support city managers, locally and globally. He served on the Michigan Municipal Executives board. In 2020, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the International City/County Managers Association. He also sits on boards for the Intelligent Transportation Society of Michigan and the Michigan Library Network.

Victor and his wife Kathryn live in Novi with their children Lewis, Reina, and Emerson.

For more information about the GVSU Alumni Awards, visit gvsu.edu/alumni/awards.