Mandee rick, 37
Title: Portfolio Management Team Leader and Vice President Company: Huntington Bank
Michael Hill, 35
Title: Managing Partner Company: Edify North LLC Since founding Edify North, a Holland employee benefits consulting firm, in September 2009, Michael Hill has increased revenue significantly each year and grown the firm to include five employees. Hill said he is committed to encouraging employee awareness, engagement and personal responsibility in the area of insurance. He works to implement this through effective employee meetings. Hill also acts as the lead point of contact for all clients and works to find opportunities for employee education as well as cost reduction. The biggest influences in his life are God and those who have a strong relationship with Him. Hill is media relations chair for the Michigan Association of Underwriters, legislative chair for West Michigan Association of Health Underwriters, an at-large executive committee member of Holland Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of the West Michigan Policy Forum Steering Committee and of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Regional Issues Council. He is also a coach for Total Trek Quest, a program for third- to fifth-grade boys to educate them about healthy decisions and prepare them to complete a 5K run.
12 Grand Rapids Business Journal | 40 under forty 2012
What once seemed like the end of the world to Mandee Rick actually turned out to be her biggest professional break: when the company she worked for went out of business and she ended up at Huntington Bank. Eleven years later, Rick is honing her mentoring and leadership skills at the bank. “I have been able to work for some incredible people who were truly impactful in my career development. Losing that job was the best thing that has ever happened to me professionally,” she said. Rick’s proud of her ability to take on new roles and challenges, but when she saw the opportunity to help young professionals determine how they could grow within the business of banking, she found a challenge in which to pour all her energy.
“It was developed by us from the ground up and it is truly rewarding to see people go through that program and get something out of it for themselves,” she said of the mentoring program. “We’ve actually seen most of the participants gain some type of promotion, not as a direct result of the program but it has helped them see opportunities and explore things they may have otherwise never done.” Rick is active with Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids/Camp O’Malley, Grand Rapids Young Professionals Advisory Board and Davenport University Alumni board. She also volunteers with the American Heart Association, Saint Mary’s Doran Foundation, Heart of West Michigan United Way and Grand Rapids Relay for Life.
Amanda rogalski, 32
Title: Director of Business Development Company: viastore systems After graduating from Grand Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with emphasis on marketing an international business, Amanda Rogalski watched many of her college friends leave the area. She stayed, but she had lost much of the community she had grown to love. Joining Grand Rapids Young Professionals changed that sense of loss when she regained the sense of community she was seeking. She has been helping the organization build upon that feeling ever since. “Every time I meet someone at an event and they tell me that they were new to town and were invited to a GRYP event and that since then they made a great group of friends through GRYP, have gotten involved in the community and consider Grand Rapids home, I become extremely proud of GRYP,” she said. Formerly president of the organization, Rogalski now serves on its advisory committee. “Once I got connected with GRYP, my community involvement snowballed, and I am now as passionate about this city and the people here as I was about GVSU and the students there,” she said. Rogalski is a member of the MHIA Automation Marketing Campaign, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Roundtable for Sales and Marketing, Grand Rapids Young Professionals, Grand Valley Young Alumni Council and 21st Century State Government Advisory Council.