GLBM Aug 2019

AUGUST 2019

ALL ABOARD

Don Wotruba, executive president of the Michigan Association of School Boards, provides districts with the educational resources needed for success IN THIS ISSUE • Greater Michigan Construction Academy is opening the doors for skilled trades career opportunities • MI Bright Future places students on a meaningful path to success

• Innovative agricultural practices enable farmers to reap the benefits this season

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COMCAST FULL PAGE

AUGUST 2019 ON THE COVER Innovative Agricultural Practices Enable Farmers to Reap the Benefits this Season......................................................12 All Aboard............................................................................................... 14 MI Bright Future..................................................................................18

14 NEWS "TEACH" Learns a Thing or Two....................................................................................................... 6 Sharing For Success................................................................................................................................. 8 Lansing's Hidden Gems Commemorate 90 Years of Success............................................ 10

FEATURES Washed Out?.............................................................................................................................................. 20 Behind the Scenes.................................................................................................................................... 22 Visual Breakdown..................................................................................................................................... 24

CORRECTIONS

Cover photography by Mary Gajda

A Notable News headline in the July edition of Greater Lansing Business Monthly incorrectly stated that attorney Jack C. Davis received recognition from the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. Davis, of Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting PC, was awarded recognition in the 2018-2019 10 Best Estate Planning Attorneys for Client Satisfaction Award by the American Institute of Legal Counsel Attorneys.

Greater Lansing Business Monthly | Volume 32, Issue 8 Greater Lansing Business Monthly is published monthly by M3 Group at 221 West Saginaw Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Michigan USPO. USPS number 020w807.

Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $22 per year for postage and handling or $38 for two years. Call (517) 203-3333 or visit lansingbusinessnews.com to subscribe.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, 221 West Saginaw Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Send additional subscription requests and address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc., 221 West Saginaw Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Copyright © 2016 The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Office: 221 West Saginaw Street, Lansing, MI 48933 lansingbusinessnews.com 2

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COMMENTARY

IT TAKES A GLOBAL VILLAGE Publisher: Tiffany Dowling, tiffany@m3group.biz Sales Manager: Jennifer Hodges, jhodges@m3group.biz Editor: Kelly Mazurkiewicz, kelly@m3group.biz Asst. Editor: Mary Gajda, mary@m3group.biz Media Specialist: Carey Jarvis Account Managers: Megan Fleming Liz Reno-Hayes Zack Krieger Bruce Ellison Jami Anderson Art Director: Mark Warner Publication Designer: Quandrel Ollie

For a long time, there has been a discussion of the global village. When I first heard this term, I didn’t understand what that exactly meant, but I felt it was explaining that the world was getting much smaller. Now, we’re so linked by communications tools and social media that it is easy to see how this is true.

Since we’ve grown our networks, it only stands to reason that we need to keep pace in this global society. That’s why 2B Inclusive and M3 Group are working on a global leadership conference. We need to educate our burgeoning leaders by giving them a global perspective.

Therefore, the first annual Global Leadership Summit: Success 2025 will launch in Lansing on Nov. 21.

Global leadership is defined in many ways. Sources say that global leaders have to engage very diverse groups of stakeholders and colleagues to get things done. Global leaders need to create a good understanding of where it adds value to be global and where it is better to be local. This can be a challenge and difficult to ascertain, but working to understand the difference is where an educational regimen should begin.

The following is a comprehensive list of global leadership attributes:

Graphic Designers: Jeanette Wummel Cody Fell Matthew McDaniel Chelsey Freedman Communications Specialists: Alicia Frank Christopher Nagy Rich Adams Adam Lansdell Photographer: Mary Gajda Videographer: Michael Cagney GLBM Editorial Board: April Clobes — President and CEO, MSU Federal Credit Union Calvin Jones — Government Relations Director, Lansing Board of Water & Light Lisa Parker — Director of Alumni Career and Business Services, Michigan State University Alumni Deb Muchmore Consulting — Owner, Deb Muchmore Consulting Tom Ruis — Vice President, Fifth Third Bank

• Experience working on projects overseas • Self-awareness • Belief in cultural diversity • Humility and understanding • Curiosity • Honest feedback • Global strategic thinking • Patience • Understanding legacies • Being well-spoken • Negotiation skills • Being present Any employee at any company may be called upon to act as a global leader at some point in his or her career. This is already the reality for some organizations where employees are expected to interact with clients or co-workers in other countries. These individuals may not have the skills necessary to meet the needs of the company. As our managers strive to represent the company well, they may seek information, and we need to make sure there are educational opportunities available.

It’s easy to see how this is an issue for larger companies, but even small companies like mine can have work emerge with international businesses. There are stories of how time zones, cultural and verbiage differences, and awkward interactions have unnecessarily created business debacles. It’s our responsibility to make sure we are giving our team members the tools necessary to think big and keep a global perspective that brings success to all involved.

Let’s educate our global leaders so they can be good stewards in our global village.

Doug Klein — Executive Director, Mason Area Chamber of Commerce Mark Hooper — Partner, Andrews Hooper Pavlik Diontrae Hayes — Supervisor, Charter Township of Lansing

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Tiffany Dowling | Publisher

AUGUST 2019

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NEWS

“TEACH” LEARNS A THING OR TWO: A troubled financial aid program gets a much-needed makeover

BY NICK MCMORMACK

The life of a teacher can be riddled with many challenges. Facing difficult students, difficult parents or an unsympathetic school board can really suck the fun out of preparing future generations for the adult world. Alongside essentially serving as tutors to a couple dozen children every day (daunting just to see it written out), teachers have historically found it hard to make ends meet on a standard teaching salary. In recent years educators have begun to speak out on this issue louder than ever before with strikes and protests sweeping Michigan and turning their attention toward the Capitol.

With the issue of livable wages rightfully taking center stage, it is easy to forget that teachers themselves were once students. As such, many aspiring teachers are faced with hefty loans through college and a potentially unsustainable salary at the end of it all. Enter Teacher Education Assistance for College and

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Higher Education Grants (TEACH grants, for short), a student aid program devised by the U.S. Department of Education in 2008 catered toward future educators. Each TEACH grant provides financial aid toward a teacher’s education under the stipulation that the recipient of the grant teaches for four years in low-income areas of the United States. Other stipulations include teaching high-demand subjects such as science or math and completing the required four years of low-income teaching within an eight-year time frame. If any of the aforementioned criteria are not met, the grants are either taken away or converted into loans. This is all well and good, as long as the system works as promised.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t.

As with many federal systems, TEACH grants turned heel on their intended purpose of alleviating the stress of American educators, leading to paperwork-tinged nightmares for

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thousands of its recipients. In late March 2018, National Public Radio caught wind of rampant problems with TEACH grants and turned to two of the people it directly affected as a case study to highlight the issue. One TEACH recipient, a Massachusetts math teacher, was hit with a $5,000 loan after the paperwork for her $4,000 TEACH grant was seemingly lost by FedLoan, the company brought in to manage the TEACH program. A similar story came from a South Carolina high school teacher who made the minor mistake of failing to sign one of his TEACH forms. In both cases the former grant recipients had attempted to resubmit their “botched” forms only to be met with a harsh submission deadline that converted their grants to loans without a second thought.

Soon after the initial report, it was found that thousands of teachers across the country were experiencing the same unfair paperwork hits

NEWS

at the hands of FedLoan. In response to public outcry, the federal Education Department began a comprehensive review of its TEACH program in May 2018. During the investigation the department found all the hallmarks of a bureaucratic failure: important documents sent to outdated addresses, forms deemed “too complicated and confusing,” etc. By the end of the year the department announced that a fix was on its way. Teachers were now allowed to prove that they were meeting grant requirements, and their loans would turn back

into grants, ending their nightmare as suddenly as it started.

Since the TEACH reevaluation opened up in January, over a third of the 6,000 applicants have been approved for loan reversals. Additionally, more changes are on the horizon with the Education Department vowing to expand the TEACH fix to reach more recipients and unknot the complicated processes that the program has followed to date. All this amounts to a step in the

right direction in the fight to make educators heard.

Nick McCormack is a fourth-year advertising major at Michigan State University and a freelance contributor for the Greater Lansing Business Monthly. He enjoys covering surfacing trends and local innovators. In his free time, he busies himself with good books, scenic hikes and shooting his bow.

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NEWS

SHARING FOR SUCCESS

Coworking, shared-space offices range from virtual to vast

BY RICH ADAMS

Entrepreneurs with great ideas for a startup have many costs to consider in turning a vision into an enterprise. One daunting expense involves securing, supplying and maintaining an office space.

According to fundera.com, business owners can expect to pay from $100 to $1,000 per employee per month for a conventional office, 10% of the total budget for furniture and supplies and $2 per square foot of office space for utilities.

the state Capitol without all of the traditional expenses.

A virtual office, depending on the plan selected, includes a professional business address, mail receipt service and discounted conference room rental, plus add-ons such as a local phone number with voicemail and, eventually, personalized live phone reception.

Plus there are no utility bills and free highspeed internet service.

Also known as coworking, the premise involves renting anything from a virtual office to an all-in private office with sit/ stand desks and office furniture. The benefits include a place to work and meet clients, plus a prestigious business address to wow them without the traditional overhead.

Lansing Shared Office Space, located in a historic building on Prudden Street in Lansing, gives startups access to the main workspace, meeting room and phone room, Wi-Fi, blackand-white printing, parking, the ability to receive mail and a front-desk receptionist for the basic package, which costs $95 a month.

On the other end of the Lansing Shared Office Space spectrum is a private office that accommodates four people, offering the same amenities plus a large, private office that comes furnished and includes sit/stand desks for a monthly fee of $995.

A virtual office at Capitol Hall Executive Offices on Allegan Street in Lansing – right across from Boji Tower – will enable an entrepreneur to work from home in pajamas, but also have access to professional conference rooms and a mail address just steps from

Lansing’s Instant Offices, located in Washington Square, gives clients a modern and technologically powered workspace with a strategic corporate address. While costs can vary based on the amount of space needed and length of contract, a basic virtual office costs

That’s a lot of overhead for a business just starting out. And that’s why shared office spaces have become a popular alternative since their inception in 2005.

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$65 a month, while coworking spaces start at $179 per person every month and serviced offices start with a monthly lease of $271 per person, according to the website.

A fourth option is Regus, which operates out of One Michigan Avenue in downtown Lansing.

Regus offers a variety of options, including everything from serviced offices with highspeed internet and modern workspaces to virtual offices with call handling and mailforwarding services.

Virtual offices are shown on the Regus website to run from $2.20 to $8.80 a day, while coworking accommodations start at $6.60 daily. More traditional offices rent for between $7.50 and $10.30 a day. Meeting rooms are also available, with hourly rates that require the user to seek a quote. All prices are based on a 24-month contract, according to the website.

OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITY COSHARING AND INCUBATION SPACES: • The Allen Neighborhood Center offers rental of its incubator kitchen for farmers and entrepreneurs to develop value-added food businesses and build client bases. The center also offers conference room rental.

NEWS

• The East Lansing Technology Innovation Center is a business incubator for technology startups and professionals in the Greater Lansing region. It provides collaborative workspace for members, occupying 7,000 square feet of office space, which includes 19 standard offices, two conference rooms and a 3D printer room.

• The Hatch in East Lansing was designed as a coworking incubator space for Michigan State University students to develop their business ideas. It contains a common workspace for members at 325 E. Grand River Ave. Coworking was the subject of a Harvard Business Review survey that took place between 2017 and 2018. The publication collaborated with WeWork, which provides coworking spaces, to survey more than 1,000 of its new individual members in the United States.

According to the Review, 71% of respondents worked full time for companies that are either located in a WeWork office or use WeWork for remote individuals and teams. The remaining

Regus: regus.com/locations/united-states /michigan/lansing

29% included business owners, contractors, sole proprietors and part-time workers.

RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATED:

Allen Neighborhood Center: allenneighborhoodcenter.org

• Coworking spaces give some members a sense of professionalism and credibility that traditional remote working does not.

East Lansing Technology Innovation eastlansingtic.org

• Workers with company-subsidized memberships feel that their employers take their needs seriously – regardless of where they are located.

The Hatch: msuhatch.com

• Coworking spaces help new businesses make a positive impression on potential clientele.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: Capitol Hall Executive Offices: cheolansing.com Lansing Shared Office Space: lansingsos.com Instant Offices: instantoffices.com/en-us/us/office-space/ lansing

Rich Adams is a communications specialist at M3 Group and was a print and broadcast journalist for more than four decades. When he is not watching his beloved Chicago Cubs, he is counting the days until spring training begins.

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NEWS

Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winner Audra McDonald Photos © Allison Michael Orenstein

LANSING’S HIDDEN GEMS COMMEMORATE 90 YEARS OF SUCCESS

BY ALICIA FRANK

In the heart of Lansing sit two hidden gems that symbolize and celebrate nearly a century of success. The Lansing Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and the University Club of Michigan State University (MSU) have joined forces to commemorate 90 years of serving the Greater Lansing area.

A night of music, community, and casual elegance on Sept. 21 will celebrate the two institutions’ anniversaries. Attendees will enjoy a three-course meal at the University Club and be transported by luxury coaches to a performance at the Wharton Center by Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winner Audra McDonald together with the LSO. McDonald will perform a selection of songs from the Great American Songbook. To cap off the evening, guests will return to the University Club for an afterglow reception with dessert, coffee and a cash bar.

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“The U-Club and the Symphony have enjoyed a long and wonderful relationship,” said CEO and General Manager of the University Club Karen Grannemann. “It’s the perfect partnership for a joint celebration, and we invite everyone to join us for an exquisite evening.”

Although the University Club is a private member club, the 90th celebration for LSO and the University Club is open to the community. Both organizations were founded at the inception of the Great Depression, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for area residents. Both have flourished over nine decades to become vital and cherished components of the Lansing community.

The LSO began as a community orchestra, expanding to a professional orchestra of more than 70 accomplished musicians. The LSO serves over 20,000 mid-Michigan residents by providing both concerts and educational programs. The LSO is the only professional orchestra in the area and to this date stands as the oldest arts organization in Lansing.

Known for entertaining with a variety of concerts and symphonies throughout the year,

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the LSO also provides many educational and outreach programs and community engagement activities for the area.

The State College Club was founded for the then all-male faculty to convene outside the classroom and share ideas. The club opened its doors to community members in the ‘30s, and women were welcomed in the late ‘60s.

The club has greatly expanded its services and scope to become a full-service private social and recreational club serving over 1,400 area families with everything from cherished holiday traditions to a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa; the latest addition features a spectacular pool and recreational area.

Members value the Club as a place where cherished memories and life long connections are made.

The joint celebration is a testament to the organizations' ability to advance, transform and progress with the times over the last 90 years.

If interested in joining in on the festivities, ticket packages can be purchased online at lansingsymphony.org/events/evening-audramcdonald.

.

NEWS

The LSO performs a variety of shows for mid- michigan redisents.

IMAGINE

the possibilities

Both organizations provide a high-quality experience for mid-Michigan residents through exceptional cultural, social, and recreational offerings. The University Club and the LSO attribute their success to outstanding support from the community and will continue to serve the region with a focus on enhancing the quality of life for area residents.

To learn more about the LSO, please visit lansingsymphony.org. For more information on the University Club, please visit universityclubofmsu.org.

Alicia Frank is a journalism graduate of the University of Akron and is now residing in Mason. When not playing with her yorkie poo, she enjoys her coral reef tank and all things fitness related.

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NEWS

AGRICULTURAL TILE SYSTEMS HELP EASE WET CONDITIONS Farmers see less flooding when drainage is installed

BY RICH ADAMS

Since Roman times, farmers have practiced agricultural tile drainage to improve their crop yields.

Dani Dryer not only farms at her family-owned Dryer Farms & Daughter in Portland, but also installs custom field tile throughout the mid-Michigan region.

Modern tile drainage involves installing perforated plastic piping beneath a field at a specific slant so water runs away from the crops into a drainage ditch or county drain system. The lowered water level in normal times aids crops in growth by allowing the root system to extend deeper into the ground to reach the water level. Stronger roots result in a larger crop yield.

“One purpose of putting tile drainage in is it helps drain fields, especially those with soil that is heavier with clay where it is harder for water to move,” Dryer said. “A lot of farmers who have tiling find it very effective in this type of rain, especially this year when we are getting more rain than ever before.”

This year Michigan farmers who have tiling beneath their fields are benefiting in terms of drier planting conditions during an unusually rainy spring and summer.

In the spring, tile allows for early field access. It eliminates drowned-out spots, which allows farmers to get into the field to do fieldwork, according to an article in Successful Farming.

Logistically, tiling allows you to do fieldwork when you have the time, said Chad Watts, project director for the Conservation Technology Information Center.

The result is more timely access for not only spring planting, but also spraying and harvesting. Saturated fields in the fall could prevent a timely harvest, leading to the same negative impact on timely planting that Michigan’s spring rains have caused.

Rich Adams is a communications specialist at M3 Group and was a print and broadcast journalist for more than four decades. When he is not watching his beloved Chicago Cubs, he is counting the days until spring training begins.

Alando Chappell

Manager of Water & Steam Distribution

“I’m a board member with the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing and we reach out to primarily inner-city kids. We provide a number of different services including community outreach and education, to show our young folks that they can make it no matter what their conditions are.

I appreciate the Board of Water & Light’s support for my volunteer efforts. I think that employees going out and giving back just lights up the whole community.”

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LEGISLATIVE

ADVOCATING FOR A STRONGER REGION

BY STEVE JAPINGA

Government, in some shape and form, impacts your business. For the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC) government relations team, our main focus is to represent Lansing businesses at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure the voice of business is heard and considered during important

policy discussions and decisions. Together, our more than 1,000 members strengthens our voice as we work with policymakers and elected officials to lead and execute a policy agenda that focuses on the priorities of our members to create an environment in which all businesses can thrive.

Our 2019 priorities concentrate on five pillars, including: talent and workforce development, regional infrastructure, economic development, regulatory environment and local municipal financial health. In the first half of the year, we’ve made significant gains in key areas that are important to our members and the Lansing business community. Some of the notable efforts the chamber has made are highlighted in our advocacy scorecard to the left.

As we enter the second half of 2019, the chamber is devoted to continuing to represent Lansing businesses and working on the issues that matter most to our region’s business community. If you have specific issues that you want our staff to review and act on, please contact Steve Japinga, vice president of government relations at sjapinga@ lansingchamber.org or Amanda Fischer, communications, policy and talent manager at afischer@lansingchamber.org.

Learn more at lansingchamber.org.

Steve Japinga is Director of Government Relations for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is responsible for developing and managing the Chamber’s policy priorities as well as monitoring local, state, and federal issues that may impact the business community and the Greater Lansing region. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and lives in Lansing with his wife Katherine and dogs, Charlie and George.

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COVER

Don Wotruba, Michigan Association of School Boards

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COVER

All Aboard

BY STEFANIE POHL

S

chool boards and districts across Michigan are getting the support and resources they need from the Michigan Association of School Boards.

most important thing — how does district governance work, how are districts run. That’s a knowledge base that our staff has to have the best handle on.”

A school district is at the heart of every community, and its success depends upon the involvement and support of all.

Superintendents, administrators, boards and local communities each serve key roles in the functioning and future of their districts. School boards are tasked with the role of governing the school district by paying attention to the budget, developing policy, and hiring and evaluating the superintendent. Thanks to the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB), school board members across the state have the resources they need to be successful in their important roles.

MASB has been around since 1950 when a group of school board members from rural areas felt it would be important to have an organization providing them knowledge and information on how to be in their roles.

Don Wotruba has worked for MASB for almost 22 years. He first interned at MASB during college to get a better idea of the policy landscape in Lansing and how it affected education. “I liked the advocacy role,” he said.

“I got a job with the legislative staff, which was a fairly common path to lobbying.” Wotruba became a junior lobbyist before moving up to director of government relations, doing state and federal affairs. “I did that for about 18 years before the executive director retired and they put me in the position.”

Wotruba and the MASB’s 30 staff members’ main focus is representing the nearly 4,200 individuals in their membership, requiring a vast comprehension of the inner workings of the industry.

“We serve boards and administrators,” he said. “Having that understanding is the

“They were smart enough to say they didn’t know what they didn’t know,” Wotruba said. “The organization was created with that in mind. We’re set up as an educational organization, which means our mission is predominantly providing education and knowledge to school board members across the state of Michigan to better perform their responsibilities.”

The association became more organized in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, starting a certification program with classes that board members could sign up for voluntarily. In working with boards and superintendents, MASB came up with a curriculum that highlights the things members need to be successful. MASB now offers over 50 classes — 20 of which are available regularly — on topics such as roles and responsibilities, public relations, advocacy and one-day workshops on trending items. Wotruba says that over 90% of MASB members have taken something in the last three years.

The Lansing School District is one of many districts in the state that takes advantage of the resources and services available from MASB. Yvonne Caamal Canul, who became superintendent in 2012, said that working

with MASB has been an integral part of their success as a district.

“One of the things that they did early on was to help us develop our strategic plan,” Caamal Canul said. “We worked with them, and they worked with focus groups from around the community as well as internal focus groups in our own school district. They helped us put together a really viable strategic plan that we’ve been using for the last five years.”

In addition to their work with the district’s strategic plan, MASB was contracted to work on a series of videos about aspects of the Lansing School District, including one with voices from alumni and another about dreaming big. The most recent video project memorializes Eastern High School as it moves out of its 92-year-old building.

MASB also assists in facilitating the superintendent’s evaluation with the Board of Education -- one example of how the association provides members with support and knowledge. With new legislation passed frequently and new members being elected to boards across the state, MASB works diligently to offer the most current information and certification programs. It is something Caamal Canul supports and advocates in the Lansing School District.

“All of our school board members are encouraged to participate in School Boardsmanship 101 in order to maintain a current, up-to-date understanding of what the role of a board member is,” she said. “They’re very helpful in helping school boards and superintendents to understand the dividing line and what the lanes are for school board L

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Don Wotruba hosting his podcast MI Sound Board, a MASB’s podcast of regular dialogue on the current state of public education in Michigan and nationwide.

10%

In 2014’s school board election, nearly 10% of the available seats had no candidates at the deadline.

members and superintendents. Between administration and governance, they’re excellent in helping them.”

-1%

For the 2016 election cycle, that percentage was cut in half, with 5.4% of the seats not filed for in the state.

-2%

5.4%

-3% -4% -5% -6% -7% -8% -9% -10%

Wotruba says the Get on Board campaign played a role in that, thanks to radio ads, toolkits, a standalone website and connecting with districts.

MASB aims to continue its focus on recruiting the next wave of school board members.

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Caamal Canul sees school board members as representatives of the community-at-large, noting that running for school board is a great first step for those interested in public service.

“These are all entire-community positions, so they represent all. If a person is interested in running for the Senate, this is a very good way to get a handle on what it means to be a member of a voting constituency that wants to get a program or proposal to move forward.

It’s a very important role in every community.”

John Tramontana, CEO of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, is the former director of communications, PR and marketing for MASB and currently serves on the DeWitt School Board. He says working at MASB helped him understand the value of board service and compelled him to step up. “I thought, 'If I'm going to encourage others to run for a school board seat, I should be willing to do so myself,'” he said.

COVER

While the state does not require participation in MASB's certification programs for all school board members, Tramontana thinks there should be mandatory training.

“Legislators have orientation and training, as do police officers and firefighters, and just about every other type of government-related job,” he said. “Yet we trust people with our most precious resource, our kids, and we do nothing to help them to understand the job or set expectations. That needs to change. That's why MASB is such an important organization.”

Tramontana encourages anyone who has ever considered board service to get involved.

“Now, more than ever is the time when we need good people to step up and lead,” he said.

Those who are interested can get started by attending their local school board meetings and finding out the key issues in their communities.

For more detailed information on board service, Tramontana points to MASB’s Get on Board campaign.

Launched in April 2016, the Get on Board campaign was focused on recruiting new school board members, in turn reducing the percentage of board seats unfiled for across the state of Michigan. In 2014’s school board election, nearly 10% of the available seats had no candidates at the deadline. For the 2016 election cycle, that percentage was cut in half, with 5.4% of the seats not filed for in the state.

Wotruba says the Get on Board campaign played a role in that, thanks to radio ads, toolkits, a standalone website and connecting with districts. MASB aims to continue its focus on recruiting the next wave of school board members.

For Wotruba, a school district and its community are inextricably linked, and that’s why community interest and involvement in school boards is so crucial to their overall success. He says it’s not just the school district that should be engaged in who runs for a board, but the business community, too.

“If you went back to the ‘70s and looked at who was on a local school board, the local bank president sat on the board, maybe the hardware shop owner, maybe a farmer, some parents,” Wotruba said. “It was a mix of people, but definitely leaders in their communities. If a business wants to be successful, that community around them has to be successful, and part of that is about giving back.”

With school districts at the heart of their communities, Wotruba and MASB are dedicated to keeping them going with a steady beat, strong connections and fresh blood.

Stefanie Pohl earned a BA in English and Creative Writing from Michigan State University and an MA in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. She is currently a freelance writer raising her two young daughters with her Spartan sweetheart. Find her musings about motherhood and more on her blog, www.mostefinitely.com. Stefanie has been spelling out her name since 1985.

Taking care of business means taking care of the people who make it run.

Local. Personal. Flexible.

Physicians Health Plan Everything you want a health plan to be. phpmichigan.com/employers

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FEATURE

MI BRIGHT FUTURE Bridging the Gap Between Young People and the Businesses Wanting to Hire Them BY TEECE ARONIN If you haven’t heard about MI Bright Future, now would be a very good time. If you have heard about it, chances are there’s more to learn. If you are a middle or high school student, an employer, or a parent, or if you care about the future of Michigan’s workforce or the businesses needing vast numbers of graduates to keep them running, read on.

and it allows local companies to create profiles that show students who they are and what they do. It puts career exploration opportunities like job shadows and company tours within students’ reach.

The mission of MI Bright Future is to build partnerships with local companies and professionals who can provide middle and high school students with meaningful career awareness experiences. By doing so, everyone benefits with Michigan seeing more jobs filled, students gaining invaluable information and experience and businesses accessing enough qualified applicants to keep them in the black.

Sarah Gregory is MI Bright Future’s program director. She has her hands full with implementation strategy, fundraising, business recruitment, marketing, communications and staff oversight. That list is of the “including but not limited to” sort, meaning that her full responsibilities are much greater. Gregory has been involved since the program’s inception and says it is the culmination of a lot of research around the need for a single system to provide connections between businesses and high schools statewide.

MI Bright Future has been in force since the spring of 2015. It connects businesses to students, high school counselors, and teachers,

“It is a partnership of schools, chambers [of commerce], postsecondary institutions, community organizations and employers

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Sarah Gregory working together to ensure the academic and financial success of all Michigan students,” said Gregory.

MI Bright Future’s parent organization, the Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN), had been examining education completion data for several years prior to MI Bright Future’s launch. It found the state was falling far short of producing the numbers of qualified graduates necessary to fill all its high-demand jobs. According to Gregory, job demand in a given field can be up to 10 times higher than the number of people completing any type of degree in that field, and people need to be getting these degrees in order to qualify for the jobs.

Complicating matters is that students are expressing interest in occupations such as “professional athlete” or “video game developer,” occupations not in high demand

FEATURE

in the way engineering and information technology jobs are. Says Gregory, “WIN and its partners recognized the need for a program allowing students to touch and feel the jobs that are actually available to them in their own backyard – great jobs with high salaries and interesting work.” Through the program, students can chat online with virtual career coaches and ask questions about dayto-day life in specific jobs, likes and dislikes, educational pathways and more.

The MI Bright Future website is easy to navigate with numerous ways businesses can engage, including online marketing, presentations, working with chambers of commerce, networking and participating in one-on-one meetings.

Students can choose from 20 types of experiences offered by companies. Beside the aforementioned job shadows and tours,

students might obtain internships, project support opportunities, and summer and parttime jobs. As of this writing, the site offered 5,328 available activities with over 750 companies in a range of industries. Gregory feels that all students should try the program whether they know what they want to do after graduation or not.

“Either they can figure out what they might want to pursue after school, or they can confirm that pathway early through direct experience. Some students declare a major in a field without ever experiencing it, and later find they do not enjoy that field. Not only that, but colleges and employers look for work experience and extracurricular activities on applications, and MI Bright Future helps students access that experience.”

If you’d like to learn more about the program, visit mibrightfuture.org/.

Teece Aronin is a blogger and columnist. Teece writes a humor/ health and wellness column for the Oakland Press and is the Featured Writer for October at TrueHumor. com. Her artwork is available at the Redbubble.com store, phylliswalter, and Teece seriously considers any request for workshops, coaching, and speaking engagements. Read her blogat ChippedDemitasse.BlogSpot.com, contact her at paronin1@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @taronin.

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FEATURE

WASHED OUT?

Heavy spring rains delayed, prevented crops from being planted

BY RICH ADAMS

Farmers, producers and consumers in Michigan are feeling the impact of the seemingly incessant rains and cool temperatures that descended on the state in the spring and through the early part of summer.

Because of the third-wettest year in the state’s history, farmers were mostly unable to get their planned crops planted, or did so in wet soil, which affected yields. Wet hay and a shortage of feed crops played havoc with livestock producers.

And people who buy agricultural products, from sweet corn to ice cream, are likely to feel the pinch in the grocery aisle with increased prices on Michigan-grown items.

Andy Todosciuk, owner of Andy T’s Farm in St. Johns, said the great amount of rain is something that hasn’t been seen in Michigan in generations.

“None of us have lived through anything like this,” Todosciuk said in June while planting soybeans in less-than-ideal soil. “We had a similar situation in 1992, when Mount St. Helens blew, and I can understand that, but this is all caused by a weather pattern.

“Some of the old timers remember a five-year period when it was really wet in the 1950s and 1960s,” he said. “Some farmers who are 78 or 80 years old have told me about that time.”

Theresa Sisung, associate specialist with the Field Crop and Advisory Team at Michigan Farm Bureau, agreed that the soaked spring is historically unusual.

pin down just because of the verbiage used in collecting the crop report.

It’s the conditions ratings that are concerning.

“The ratings show only 40% of corn is in good to excellent condition, 38% of the soybean crop and 38% of the wheat,” she explained.

“That shows us what is planted is struggling.”

Todosciuk said farmers across the board will see less yield because of the weather pattern, noting in mid-June that strawberry growers were still waiting for their berries to ripen, which needed more heat than Mother Nature was providing.

“The sweet corn yield will be a third less than last year,” said Todosciuk, who is famous for his Andy T’s corn. “We missed the traditional planting and it isn’t even tasseling yet. It isn’t even close. I usually figure we should have sweet corn by July 15th or 20th, but now it is looking late July. I can’t be sure until I see a tassel.”

He said prices would rise, but not on account of producers.

“Unfortunately, stores control a lot of our prices,” he explained. “Farmers always get nicked on in the end. There will be a ripple effect. We are already struggling and now we’re getting kicked in the teeth again.”

Sisung agreed about the impact on both farmers and consumers.

“I had one farmer who has been farming for 60 years say he never saw a string of weather like this,” Sisung said. “Nobody has much to compare this to.”

“This will have a huge trickle effect,” she noted. “You have people trying to plant crops, dairy farmers struggling to get hay made.

There was a winter kill on alfalfa and they are encountering difficulty finding forage for their animals.

Sisung had just received the most recent crop report and explained the numbers are hard to

“It is also affecting agribusiness, with farmers returning their unused seed and not using as

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much fertilizer,” Sisung added. “This will trickle down and eventually affect the consumer.”

Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan AgriBusiness Association, said farmers are not the only players in agriculture who will feel the crunch.

“Overall, it’s creating some issues with both producers and agribusiness in that there are not going to be the usual amount of products sold,” Byrum explained, referring to seed and fertilizer. “Sales are not going to be where they usually are, retail operations won’t be where they normally are, equipment sales will be down.”

Byrum said the positive condition numbers for corn and soybean are usually in the 70% or 80% range this time of year.

“Farmers are going to rely on government assistance more than ever in our history,” he noted.

Byrum said while the corn and soybean yields will be significantly lower, he explained that consumers might not be overly impacted by the shortages.

“In reality, corn is primarily used as livestock feed and to produce ethanol, and soybeans are used primarily as livestock feed,” he said. “The dairy industry will see higher food costs, but we have excess production of milk in Michigan right now. Overall, any increase in milk prices will probably be minimal.”

Rich Adams is a communications specialist at M3 Group and was a print and broadcast journalist for more than four decades. When he is not watching his beloved Chicago Cubs, he is counting the days until spring training begins.

Our region is rich with initiatives connecting FEATURE businesses with students: Earlier this spring, a regional “reverse” job fair brought students and specialized employers together in a twist on the traditional job fair with ready-to-work students who’ve completed certification and technical training programs. The students — not employers — sat at the tables and laid out their resumes, info cards and work examples and employers visited them to learn more about them as potential employees.

EDUCATING OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE TODAY

BY EDYTHE COPELAND, CEO OF CAPITAL AREA MICHIGAN WORKS! One of the most common questions adults ask children is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Though we get responses that are sure to drastically change in the next decade of their life, it is normal to discuss these topics with younger generations.

Workforce development starts at birth, and we need every single student in the Greater Lansing region to be as prepared as possible to fill the jobs of the future. We can’t always know what those jobs will be or who they’ll be with, but we do know that young people — be it a senior in high school or a kindergartner — are our future workforce.

Our educational partners in the region work tirelessly to educate and inspire youth. As a business community, it’s our responsibility to support them as much as we can to ensure tomorrow’s employees are getting prepared today.

According to research by the Harvard Business School, businesses with corporate social responsibility practices outperform their competitors over time. One way for your business to show its commitment to social responsibility is to invest in your community’s

younger generations. Consider it an expansion of your training programs.

Oftentimes, talking to and inspiring youth can be enough to motivate them to achieve their goals. This is especially beneficial for lowerincome and urban youth who may not have the resources that middle- and higher-income students do. Encourage your business to reach out to schools in the Greater Lansing area to see if a representative of your company can visit and give a talk. An even better option would be to schedule a field trip for students to visit your workplace.

According to the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), companies with social impact programs performed better financially between 2012 and 2014 than those without these programs. This committee would know — it’s made up of 150 CEOs from some of the world’s largest companies. So, investing time and energy into these initiatives is clearly worthwhile. If you can afford it, try offering internships or apprenticeship programs so students can work hands-on with you and your employees.

MiCareerQuest is a student-focused, employer-driven event that engages both employers and students in activities that expose students to a variety of occupations and career pathways available throughout the region and around the world. T3: Teach.

Talent. Thrive. and CAMW! partnered to host the first capital-area event, with dozens of hands-on exhibits, thousands of students and hundreds of individuals from local employers interacting directly with students about local career opportunities.

The Board of Water & Light developed 1st S.T.E.P., or the School to Training and Employment Program, which has graduated over 100 students, hired nearly 20 full-time employees and awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships. The program allows students to explore career opportunities, links education to the real world of work and provides potential for paid, work-based learning and a Lansing Community College scholarship.

Additionally, you can encourage your employees to volunteer with education organizations that work with students to teach them about careers, confidence and skills.

Depending on your field, local options might include ITEC, Impression 5 Science Center and REACH Studio Art Center. Employers also can support programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, which allows for longer, deeper periods of mentorship and nurturing.

Investing in the future workforce today ensures that our businesses — and our youth — will go on to succeed far beyond our time.

Capital Area Michigan Works!

Visit www.camw.org to connect with the Capital Area Michigan Works! team for assistance with career exploration or staffing needs. Capital Area Michigan Works!, a proud partner of the American Job Center Network, offers services in Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties at our Lansing, St. Johns and Charlotte 21 L a nAmerican s i n g B u Job s i n Centers. e s s N e w s . c o m

Behind the Scenes

BY MARY GAJDA | PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MCDANIEL

KARYN DARNTON Greater Lansing Construction Academy

Karyn Darnton taught for a few years in the metro Detroit area before deciding she wanted to explore a different career path in education. Working for the Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA) allows her to do that. She’s still on her own educational journey and is in the process of taking classes for a master’s degree at Michigan State University in the HALE program (Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education).

FIELD AND THE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES GMCA OFFERS?

As the regional director for Lansing, Darnton works with the instructors and students to ensure that everybody is successful and that day-to-day operations for the GMCA run smoothly.

Skilled trades are really at a crucial point in time where people are seeing what a difference skilled trades workers make in the world. Right now, Michigan has thousands of jobs that need to be filled, and it’s so important to be educated, skilled and safe when working in the trades and GMCA helps students do that. The skilled trades industry has so many different career paths – from residential or commercial and industrial or even green technology (like solar or wind power), so there’s really a lot of room to decide how you want your career in the trades to be shaped.

SKILLED TRADES SEEM TO FINALLY BE GETTING MUCH DESERVED ATTENTION – TELL US ABOUT THE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS

GMCA offers classes in many trades, but our Lansing location currently offers classes in electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Students attend class one night a week during the fall and winter semesters, which leaves them time

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Behind the Scenes

to be able to work to get on-the-job training and still have a work-life-school balance.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? The construction industry is great for people who want to work with their hands or are interested in problem-solving and love being able to see a real product at the end of their workday or project. Every company in the industry does things their own way, but many construction companies are helping their employees grow as a person. Construction companies are encouraging their employees educationally to attend GMCA, or even professionally by challenging them to receive a certificate of project management.

One of our third-year electrical classes actually did a class competition to demonstrate students’ lab skills, and it was great to see their hard work and then also use the competition as a way to self-reflect on which skills they needed to improve. I am so proud of what our students accomplish, and I can’t wait to see what the new school year brings!

Mary Gajda Mary Gajda a multimedia specialist at M3 Group. She is a wife, mom and photographer who loves music, Pinterest and all things chocolate.

GMCA has three locations including Lansing, Midland and Saginaw. Prospective students can call 855-832-8879 or visit www.gmca.edu for more information.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT EDUCATION IN YOUR TRADE? I’ve learned so much about the construction industry, and I have so much respect for the people who work so hard every day in the skilled trades. Education isn’t always just in the classroom either. Between lab time, textbook/ codebook time and on-the-job training, students are challenged to be able to not only be book smart but hands-on smart too.

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? The students and instructors here consistently amaze me. Our high school, work-based learning program built a shelter (similar to a doghouse) that was donated to Potter Park Zoo to be an off-exhibit shelter for the wolves.

The instructor used this as an opportunity to not only apply classroom curriculum, but also teach soft skills like teamwork, communication and project management.

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VISUAL BREAKDOWN

LEARNING IN LANSING THE GREATER LANSING AREA IS A HUB OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. WHETHER SEEKING TRAINING IN SKILLED TRADES OR ADVANCED ACADEMIC DEGREES, THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY • •

5,200 - ACRE CAMPUS IN EAST LANSING. 566 BUILDINGS, INCLUDING 110 WITH ACADEMIC OR INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE.

STUDENT POPULATION FALL 2018: APPROXIMATELY 50,351 TOTAL – FROM ALL 83 COUNTIES IN MICHIGAN; ALL 50 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES AND WASHINGTON, D.C.; AND 141 OTHER COUNTRIES. 39,423 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, 10,928 GRADUATE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS 51.9 % WOMEN, 48.1 % MEN.

51.9 %

48.1 %

20.6 % STUDENTS OF COLOR, 12.4 % INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. (SOURCE: MSU)

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY COOLEY LAW SCHOOL

LAW SCHOOL

STUDENT ENROLLMENT AS OF OCT. 5, 2018: 1,323 STUDENTS ENROLLED; 717 JURIS DOCTOR (J.D.) STUDENTS ARE MEMBERS OF MINORITY GROUPS (56.5%); 739 J.D. STUDENTS ARE WOMEN (58.2%); 10 J.D. STUDENTS ARE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES (0.8%); 82.7% OF J.D. STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED PART TIME. 416 DEGREES (377 J.D. AND 39 MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M) AWARDED FROM OCT. 6, 2017, TO OCT. 2018.

SINCE ITS FOUNDING, COOLEY HAS AWARDED 20,630 J.D. DEGREES AND 497 LL.M DEGREES. THE LAW SCHOOL IS COMPRISED OF THE 10-STORY COOLEY CENTER, THE NEARBY 60,000-SQUARE-FOOT BRENNAN LAW LIBRARY AND THE ADJACENT 64,000-SQUARE-FOOT CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND STUDY. (SOURCE: COOLEY LAW SCHOOL)

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VISUAL BREAKDOWN

LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE SERVES 16,031 STUDENTS (37% OF STUDENTS ARE FULL TIME).

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

MINORITY ENROLLMENT IS 30% OF THE STUDENT BODY.

37% FULL-TIME STUDENTS

LCC IS THE ONLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITHIN INGHAM COUNTY. THE NEAREST COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO LCC IS BAKER COLLEGE OF OWOSSO, 25.8 MILES AWAY. LCC IS A MULTIPLE-CAMPUS INSTITUTION WITH SATELLITE CENTERS. THE MAIN CAMPUS LOCATED ON TWO BLOCKS NORTH OF THE HISTORIC STATE CAPITOL, COVERS SEVEN CITY BLOCKS. LCC ALSO HAS A 262,000-SQUARE-FOOT CAMPUS IN DELTA TOWNSHIP. COLLEGE FACILITIES INCLUDE LCC NORTH IN ST. JOHNS, LIVINGSTON COUNTY CENTER IN HOWELL AND MICHIGAN HOUSE IN OTSU, JAPAN. (COMMUNITY COLLEGE REVIEW)

GREAT LAKES CHRISTIAN COLLEGE THE CAMPUS OF THE PRIVATE COLLEGE ON W. WILLOW HWY IN LANSING COVERS 47 ACRES AND IS COMPRISED OF THE DOTY CENTER, A MULTI-PURPOSE ATHLETICS FACILITY; THREE DORMITORY BUILDINGS; AND AN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, WHICH CONTAINS FACULTY OFFICES, CLASSROOMS AND THE SCHOOL LIBRARY. ENROLLMENT IS 111 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. STUDENTS STUDY FOR A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN THEOLOGY WITH A SELECTED MAJOR, THE MOST POPULAR OF WHICH INCLUDE BIBLICAL STUDIES, LIBERAL ARTS, AND HUMANITIES AND HISTORY. (SOURCE: GREAT LAKES CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, NICHE)

SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITY, LANSING CAMPUS DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAMS INCLUDE BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK, ASSOCIATE AND BACHELOR OF BUSINESS, AND BACHELOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT. GRADUATE DEGREES INCLUDE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MASTER OF COUNSELING, MASTER OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP, MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK AND MASTER OF NURSING.

SKILLED TRADES TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES CAREER QUEST LEARNING CENTERS,

AIS HEAVY EQUIPMENT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE,

DRM INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CENTER,

3215 S. PENNSYLVANIA AVE., LANSING TRAINING IN HEALTH CARE SUPPORT; BUSINESS; HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING TRADES; CHILD-CARE ASSISTANT; LEGAL OFFICE CAREERS; AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

3600 N. GRAND RIVER AVE. LANSING TRAINING IN HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATION, HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPAIR TECHNICIAN AND SAFETY TECHNICIAN.

809 CENTER ST., SUITE 9A, LANSING HEALTH CARE TRAINING IN CERTIFIED NURSE AID, PHLEBOTOMY, PATIENT CARE TECHNICIAN, MEDICAL ASSISTANT, AND CPR AND FIRST AID. CONSTRUCTION CAREERS IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, RESIDENTIAL BUILDER, AND CARPENTRY AND DRYWALL.

NEW HORIZONS OF MICHIGAN-LANSING, 1146 S. WASHINGTON AVE., SUITE A&B, LANSING TRAINING IN ANALYTICS AND DATA MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS ANALYSIS, CLOUD COMPUTING, CYBERSECURITY, NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE, PROGRAMMING AND DEVELOPMENT, AND HELP DESK.

ROSS MEDICAL EDUCATION CENTER LANSING CAMPUS, 4106 W. SAGINAW HIGHWAY CAREER TRAINING IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICAL ASSISTANT, MEDICAL INSURANCE BILLING AND OFFICE ADMINISTRATION, DENTAL ASSISTANT, AND PHARMACY TECHNICIAN.

PROTÉGÉ ACADEMY, 4960 NORTHWIND DRIVE, EAST LANSINGCOSMETOLOGY CAREERS EDUCATION IN MAKEUP, CUTTING AND COLORING.

DORSEY BUSINESS SCHOOLS, 6250 S. CEDAR ST., LANSING CAREER INSTRUCTION IN MEDICAL TRAINING, CULINARY ARTS, SCHOOL OF BEAUTY, SKILLED TRADES AND THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL ACADEMY.

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BUSINESS CALENDAR

AUGUST 2019 Aug. 3

AUGUST 3

SMALL BUSINESS EXPO, LANSING Shop, mix and mingle with some of Lansing's entrepreneurs! This event is free to the public. Offer a product or service?

Be sure to bring your business cards.

There will also be speakers to give useful information about growing your business. If you would like to become a vendor, email urbanembodiment313@gmail.com. Visit facebook.com/UrbanEmbodiment313/ for more information about this event.

Aug. 7

AUGUST 7

USING ONLINE SURVEYS TO UNDERSTAND YOUR MARKET Using surveys to ask questions is critical to understanding your market and sales potential,

whether you’re starting or growing an existing business, presenting at a business pitch competition or seeking a loan at a bank. In this session, we’ll cover why you should create a survey, discuss techniques for writing objective survey questions, and review popular DIY online tools for creating and sharing surveys.

Visit sbdcmichigan.org for more information.

Aug. 15

AUGUST 15

THE DRINKING LUNCH, LANSING There was a time when it was expected that people would have a few drinks at a business lunch and then it vanished. The Drinking Lunch is proud to be bringing back the afternoon libation, but without any of the judgment. So, bring business cards, and raise a toast to The Drinking Lunch. Visit TheDrinkingLunch.com for more.

WHERE BUSINESS GETS DONE #LOVELANSING, MICHIGAN

Aug. 20

AUGUST 20

2019 LANSING OPEN, BATH As the Greater Lansing region’s premier golf outing, the Lansing Open attracts a couple hundred golfers each year. Played at one of the state’s most pristine courses, the Lansing Open is a great opportunity to network with the area’s top business leaders while enjoying a fun and relaxing day. Contact michiganpremierevents@lansingchamber.org for more information.

Aug. 29

AUGUST 29

7TH ANNUAL MICHIGAN INVENTORS EXPO, EAST LANSING Industry experts from a range of fields will be presenting so that you can learn how to

Award-Winning Experts* *Voted Best Large CVB in Michigan Two Years Running

S EAT TLE

MACKINAW CIT Y

BO S TO N

TR AVERS E CIT Y GR AND R APIDS CHIC AGO DENVER

S AN FR ANCIS CO

INDIANAPOLIS

NE W YO R K

D ETR O IT CL E VEL AND FO RT WAYNE CO LUMB US 90

WAS H ING TO N D.

CINCINNATI 300

Central Location Boosts Attendance LOS ANGELES

600

PHOENIX DALL AS

NE W ORLEANS

MIAMI

Access to Thought Leaders at Michigan State University

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BUSINESS CALENDAR

be a successful inventor, navigate patents, manufacturing, startup phases and capitalizing on your invention. Visit Eventbrite for more information.

VARIOUS DATES

Various Dates Throughout August CONCUR USER TRAINING, EAST LANSING

The Travel at State Project team offers biweekly, half-day training sessions in a computer lab. These sessions are strictly for colleges/MAUs that have been invited to or have completed implementation of concur (request and expense). Morning and afternoon sessions are available. Visit Eventbrite for more information.

VARIOUS DATES

Various Dates throughout August

CBD BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, EAST LANSING Learn about earning money in the revolutionary Cannabidiol marketspace in this online event. This event will teach the uses of CBD, health benefits, CBD products effect on pets and CBD in forms other than ingestibles.

This is a free event, learn more by visiting the event page on Eventbrite.com.

AUGUST

NOT JUST ANY TEAM

Tom Hoban

Lansing Community President

Annie Wittenberg

Treasury Sales Officer II

Jeff Hodges

Treasury Sales Manager

Mark Conn

Commerical Lender

Kurt Hanus

SVP Commercial Loan Manager

Amy McNamara Commercial Lender

Since 1997, we’ve been engineering winning drives for businesses of all sizes from across our state. From managing growth to streamlining daily processes, our commercial team of business banking pros have been there from the start, building winning teams and strong relationships with your business at the center.

For banking that’s here to get you there®, visit MercBank.com/Business BUSINESS LOANS TREASURY MANAGEMENT SERVICES WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT TOOLS

mercbank.com

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NOTABLE NEWS

2018 COLDWELL BANKER AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Travis Conti, Tracey Hernly, Jessica Hillyer and Raeanne Mardigian

MCNABB HONORED BY EATON RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Coldwell Banker has announced its 2018 award winners for numerous Coldwell Banker-affiliated company, office, team and agent categories.

International President’s Elite: Awarded to individual sales associates/ representatives for closed adjusted gross commission income or total units.

Jim Kost

Don McNabb, CEO and principle scientist of Triterra, was inducted into the Eaton Rapids Public Schools Wall of Fame Don McNabb during the Eaton Rapids Chamber of Commerce Dinner.

International Diamond Society Team 1-3: Awarded to teams of one to three sales associates for closed adjusted gross commission income or total units.

The Laforet Team: Kim Laforet, Erin Klinger and Leigh Henrys International Sterling Society Team 1-3: Awarded to teams of one to three sales associates/representatives for closed adjusted gross commission income or total units. Amber Kennell and Gayle ShafferThornton Realty Team: Jeff Thornton and Sean Gardner International President’s Premier: Awarded to individual sales associates/ representatives for closed adjusted gross commission income or total units.

International President’s Circle: Awarded to individual sales associates/ representatives for closed adjusted gross commission income or total units.

Tavis Cherry, Dave Hall, Shelly Hall, Stephanie Holly, Emily Lott, Nancy Petroff, Rochelle Ridgell and Ted Westfall Coldwell Banker also announced an award to teams in Adjusted Gross Commission Income, Total Units: The Lynne VanDeventer Team: Lynn VanDeventer, Diadre Pagliei and Tomas Brown Huggler, Bashore & Brooks: Brian Huggler, Martha Bashore and Nancy Brooks

When it comes to searching for commercial space,

Inductees are Eaton Rapids Public Schools graduates who have achieved significant and positive professional or personal accomplishments.

YESMUNT ELECTED AS CEO OF LANSING PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATES Julie Yesmunt was recently elected as CEO of Lansing Psychological Associates. Yesmunt has 25 years of

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experience in social services and has 10 years of leadership in the private practice outpatient setting. She also is a partner and senior therapist at Lansing Psychological Associates.

President-Elect: Jack Wheatley, ROWE PSC in Flint

G. Ramanujam, Somat Engineering Inc. in Detroit

Treasurer: Christopher Cook, Abonmarche in Benton Harbor

BUILDING DEDICATION TO HONOR DART FOUNDATION

National Director: Michael Cooper, Harley Ellis Devereaux in Southfield

Jeffrey Schumaker, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc. in Grand Rapids

On June 5, Highfields formally dedicated its new, state-of-the-art family treatment and education center, which was made possible through a $600,000 legacy gift from the Dart Foundation. The ceremony featured remarks from Highfields President and CEO Brian Philson and Dart Foundation Vice President Jim Lammers.

Past-President: Sean Kelley, the Mannik & Smith Group Inc. in Detroit

“Highfields is grateful to the Dart Foundation for its continuing support of our mission to serve the youth and families of mid-Michigan,” said Philson.

“This generous donation has created an amazing family treatment and education center that will directly impact the quality of services to children and families.”

ACEC/MICHIGAN ELECTS PRESIDENT AND BOARD The American Council of Engineering Companies/ Michigan (ACEC/M) has announced Steven Gravlin of Steven Gravlin Michael Baker International as its 2019-2020 president.

Gravlin was born and raised in Michigan and is a product of Michigan Lutheran Seminary, the University of Michigan, Michigan Technological University and California State University. He is a vice president of Michael Baker International and a partner in the wholly owned subsidiary Baker and Associates.

He is both a professional engineer and a professional surveyor.

The 2019-2020 ACEC/M officers are: President: Steve Gravlin, Michael Baker International in Detroit

The 2019-2020 ACEC/M directors are: Rick Chelotti, Bergmann Associates Inc. in Lansing Paul Galdes, Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering Inc. in Grand Rapids Chuck Gemayel, SME in Plymouth Jon Kramer, OHM Advisors in Livonia Eric Morris, HNTB Michigan Inc. in East Lansing Jayson Nault, Tetra Tech in Brighton

Oge Udegbunam, Tyme Consulting Engineers Inc. in Livonia Michael Weingartz, SmithGroup in Detroit FOSTER SWIFT ANNOUNCES WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC has announced its 2019 leadership team, which includes a record number of women. The firm’s 2019 leadership roster includes two female executive committee members and female leaders for three of the firm’s

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seven practice groups. Women also chair the political action committee and the associate attorney committee.

Anne Seurynck was recently reelected as vice president of the firm’s executive committee for Foster Swift’s west Michigan offices. Julie Fershtman was newly elected as vice president of the executive committee for the firm’s southeast Michigan offices. Anna Gibson, Patricia Scott and Mindi Johnson are

practice group leaders of trusts and estates, finance and bankruptcy, and business and tax, respectively. Laura Genovich chairs the firm’s political action committee. Allison Collins chairs the firm’s associate attorney committee.

Foster Swift President Mike Sanders noted, “It’s exciting to see the firm successfully hiring and promoting more women. While the legal industry as a whole lags in the promotion of women,

we are thrilled Foster Swift is a leader in this respect. As the father of two professional young women and as part of the firm’s management team, I believe it’s critical that women have the opportunity to lead early in their careers.”

HOMTV RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION The Alliance for Community Media has announced HOMTV as a first-place national award winner in the 2019 Hometown Media Awards competition.

For two years in a row, HOMTV has received the Overall Excellence in Governmental Access Award from Alliance for Community in the $650,000$1 million budget-based division.

The Overall Excellence awards recognize access organizations for their overall operational activities and programming efforts.

HOMTV’s Overall Excellence submission included a combination of programs HOMTV staff and interns produce each year, offering a well-rounded viewing experience for Meridian Township residents.

“It means a tremendous amount to us to receive this national recognition for the second year in a row from such a highly regarded association. This award indicates the high quality of programming that HOMTV provides to area residents as well as the hard work and dedication our staff and interns put into the programming we produce,” said HOMTV Executive Producer Brandie Yates.

MSUFCU EMPLOYEES DONATE TO CHARITY PARTNERS

1999 E. SAGINAW HWY. | EAST LANSING, MI 48823 | 517.339.6300

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MSUFCU employees were proud to donate to Capital Area United Way, among other charities and Nonprofits.

NOTABLE NEWS

As part of a yearlong charitable giving campaign, employees of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) raised $42,497 in the first quarter of 2019. The funds were donated to four charities: the Capital Area United Way, Child and Family Charities, Hope Against Trafficking and the Mental Health Foundation’s Be Nice program.

dress-down days, raffles, bake sales and more. Money raised each quarter is divided evenly between the four charities and then presented to a representative of each of them. In the first quarter of 2019, each charity received $10,624 on behalf of the more than 900 MSUFCU employees.

SPARROW STROKE CENTER AWARDED TOP NATIONAL HONOR

“I am continually impressed by the compassion and generosity our employees show through our annual charitable giving campaigns,” said April Clobes, MSUFCU president and CEO. “The work our employees do to raise funds and volunteer to support these organizations is how we fulfill our core value of giving back to the community. Each of these nonprofit organizations plays a vital role in serving and strengthening the communities we serve.”

For the second year in a row, Sparrow Hospital and its Comprehensive Stroke Center has received the highest level of recognition for stroke care nationally.

The stroke center has been honored by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association with the Get with the Guidelines - Stroke GOLD PLUS Achievement Award and the Target: Stroke Elite Gold Plus Honor Roll.

The honors recognize Sparrow for its continued success in using standards set by the Get with the Guidelines - Stroke and Target: Stroke program.

Every year, credit union employees select three charities, along with the United Way, to support through charitable giving efforts. Funds are raised through special events and activities, including

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"We pride ourselves in serving our community with the best stroke care in the region by using specialty trained providers combined with the latest clinical guidelines and state-of-the-art equipment,” said Dr. Anmar Razak, director of the Sparrow Comprehensive Stroke Center. “Strokes come in different forms and severities, and stroke care has evolved tremendously over the last few years to include highly complex surgical treatments such as thrombectomy, carotid surgery and stenting, and aneurysms clipping and coiling. As the region’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center, we offer these treatments 24/7– and this award exemplifies the hard work we do at Sparrow to remain at the national forefront of stroke care. " For more information about the Sparrow Stroke Center, visit Sparrow.org/ strokecenter.

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2425 E. Grand River Ave., Ste. 1 Lansing MI 48912

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NEW HIRE FOR TRITERRA

Brannon Roach

Lansing-based environmental consulting firm Triterra announced the addition of Brannon Roach as an environmental scientist for

the firm.

Roach’s work focuses on contaminant investigation and remediation projects along with aiding on environmental due diligence projects. His responsibilities include coordinating field work, communicating with subcontractors, completing subsurface investigations, overseeing remediation work and preparing technical reports. Roach has a thorough understanding of Part 201 (environmental remediation) and Part 213 (leaking underground storage tanks) regulations.

Roach holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Alma College.

NEW MANAGING PARTNER AT LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE LongHorn Steakhouse of Lansing has announced the addition of Andrew Poe as managing partner. Poe has worked with Andrew Poe LongHorn for the last five years and credits his managers and team members for his success today.

As managing partner, Poe oversees the more than 40 employees and brings over 20 years of restaurant industry experience to his new role.

MANER COSTERISAN NAMED TO BOB SCOTT’S TOP 100 VARS Public accounting and business advisory firm Maner Costerisan has been named to Bob Scott’s Top 100 VARs for 2019.

The top 100 resellers are chosen from organizations specializing in the sale and

Experience That Matters Jennifer Marsh Commercial Banking 517.318.3345 jsmarsh@fnbmichigan.com

A key player on the business banking team, Jennifer’s extensive banking and financial experience enable her to provide expert knowledge to help plan and expand any business with customized financing solutions. She has extensive experience including commercial development, company acquisitions and healthcare financing.

Her clientele includes small businesses, independently owned multi-million dollar companies and commercial real estate investors.

Together, We are First.

fnbmichigan.com | 330 Marshall St. Suite 200, Lansing | 517.319.8000 32

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implementation of enterprise resource planning and accounting software.

“We want to congratulate this year’s class of Bob Scott’s Top 100 VARs,” said Bob Scott, executive editor of ERP Global Insights. “This selection represents recognition of leaders in this important field.”

WILX SPORTS DIRECTOR TO BE INDUCTED INTO BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME Known as the “Dean of Sports,” WILX News 10 Sports Director Tim Staudt will be inducted by the Michigan Association of Tim Staudt Broadcasters into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Staudt has anchored sports for WILX since 1980. He is involved with the Sparrow Children’s Miracle Network, Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame, Ultimate Spartan Challenge, Capital Area Athletic Conference and more.

Staudt’s annual Michigan State University Marching Band concert has raised more than $1.4 million for the Sparrow Children’s Center and Spartan Marching Band.

“I’m extremely proud that Tim will be recognized for his significant contributions to sports broadcasting and to our mid-Michigan community, said WILX General Manager Debbie Petersmark.

NOTABLE NEWS

CHANGE is all around you. It’s time to

EMBRACE IT. You need a different kind of master’s degree. One that will prepare you to be an effective leader, communicator and team builder. One that will teach you technical and leadership skills.

Central Michigan University’s MSA offers classes that provide much more than a traditional business degree. Your courses can include:

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Disruption, Innovation, Transformation and Change Succession Planning Managing Change with Emotional Intelligence

The MSA is available online and at CMU’s East Lansing Center. Be prepared for what lies ahead.

Learn more at global.cmich.edu/MSA Central Michigan University in East Lansing & online 517-337-8360 or 877-268-4636 » Lansing@cmich.edu

Central Michigan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www. hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex3 based stereotypes, sexual L aorientation, n s i n g transgender B u s i n estatus, s s Nveteran e w s status, . c o or m weight3(see http://www.cmich.edu/ocrie). 3842475 7/19

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