Grand Rapids Business Journal 10.04.21

CITY approves affordable housing fund.

PAGE 3

OCTOBER 4, 2021 VOL. 39, NO. 20

The Business Newspaper of Metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon & West Michigan

THIS WEEK

MALL OWNER STRIKES BALANCE Nancy Quero Ramirez’s store, Guelaguetza Designs, is a hub of cultural activity. Page 13

Downtown office space rent increases Report also indicates more companies will be moving to the suburbs.

Danielle Nelson

dnelson@grbj.com

Housing start Whitmer’s $2.1B proposal earmarks $550M to build homes, invest in underserved areas, including West Michigan.

PAGE 3

Inching up Comerica Bank’s economic index improves for eighth consecutive month.

PAGE 3

NEW HQ Disability Advocates kicks off $750K public phase of fund drive to move to Special Olympics campus.

Page 14

THE LISTS

The area’s top home health and hospice agencies Page 6 The area’s top urgent care facilities Page 9

According to JLL’s Grand Rapids 2021 Skyline report, the rent for office spaces in high-rise buildings in downtown Grand Rapids is increasing after two years of stagnation.

The direct average asking rent per square foot is $22.22, which is a 1.7% year-over-year increase, surpassing the previous high in 2018. One of the reasons the average asking price for rent has increased is because of the new construction of Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building, Studio Park and also the ongoing construction

Rental rates for office space in downtown Grand Rapids, like that shown here at 99 Monroe, are up 1.7% over last year. Courtesy Vision Real Estate Investment

of Perrigo’s new 125,00-squarefoot North American headquarters at 430 Monroe Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids.

“Some of the increase in rent is because of the movement of tenants in downtown,” said Jeff

Karger, senior vice president of JLL. “There is new inventory on the market such as the Perrigo’s new corporate headquarters so the asking rate for new construction for those spaces ticked up because of new inventory. New

construction of buildings is much more expensive than second generation space so the cost to lease that space is typically not the same that it is for historical buildings.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Partners look to close economic gender gap Project 257 launches with PNC funding nonprofit’s zero-interest loans to women, nonbinary customers.

Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

PNC Bank recently launched an initiative designed to help close the economic gender gap and expand on the bank’s support for female financial decision makers.

“Project 257: Accelerating Women’s Financial Equality” launched in mid-September with a name derived from the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap Report that found

that at the current pace of progress, it will take 257 years for women to catch up to men from an economic perspective.

“I don’t know anyone who thinks this is an acceptable timeline,” said Beth Marcello, director of PNC Women’s Business Development. “As a financial institution that prospers when our customers prosper, it makes perfect sense that we would want to help tackle the economic gender gap. Project 257 aligns with our brand purpose — when we accelerate women’s financial equality, we are making a positive difference, leveraging the power of our resources to help all move forward financially.”

Coinciding with the launch of Project 257 is PNC Bank’s partnership with SheEO, a global

nonprofit whose mission addresses one of the major factors driving the 257-year gap: women’s lack of access to capital. SheEO provides interest-free loans to businesses, or “ventures,” owned and led by individuals who identify as women or nonbinary and crowdfunds capital from “activators” who fund the loan pool and play an active role in evaluating and selecting the ventures. To date, SheEO has crowdfunded $7 million to support more than 100 ventures in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

PNC Bank’s three-year, $1.257 million commitment to SheEO is the largest contribution the nonprofit has received from a U.S. company, SheEO said. Through the partnership, PNC will work with

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PAGE 12

SheEO to drive awareness and help increase the number of activators who support SheEO ventures. Fifty PNC employees who identify as women or nonbinary have Welsh been chosen to serve as activators on behalf of PNC — one per market in which PNC has a presence — and they will play a significant role in the selection, mentorship and success of SheEO ventures.

Sean Welsh, West Michigan regional president for PNC, said his team in the local market is CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

City approves affordable housing fund Partnership with GR Community Foundation will bolster efforts to eradicate racial and ethnic disparities.

Chelsea Carter

ccarter@grbj.com

The city of Grand Rapids is working to preserve and increase its affordable housing supply, establishing one of many necessary steps to address racial and ethnic housing disparities in West Michigan.

A joint agreement with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation (GRCF) was approved by the Grand Rapids City Commission to establish the Grand Rapids Affordable Housing Fund as one of the foundation’s non-endowed designated funds.

“Establishment of the housing fund is a major accomplishment that has been a priority for this commission,” Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said. “This effort is essential as we work to ensure that Grand Rapids remains a desirable and equitable place to live for all. I am grateful for all of our partners, residents, commissioners and city employees who worked hard over the years to make this fund a reality.”

West Garfield Apartments, a 26-unit complex on the city’s southwest side, is one recent example of new affordable housing cropping up in the city. Courtesy Orion Construction

The initial concept of the Affordable Housing Fund was first established in 2015 through the work of the city’s Great Housing Strategies initiative and was aided by the suggestions of Housing Now!. The city later suspended its plans to move forward with creation of the fund due to a perfect storm of events, including closure of the Kent County Land Bank Authority and the need for a housing strategy aligned with the city’s strategic plan, which still was in

the process of being formed.

Housing Next — a pilot program of the Greater Ottawa County United Way — was first hired by the city in 2019 to support work city staff and the Grand Rapids Housing Commission were doing under the strategic plan to address housing disparities in West Michigan. Priorities of the plan’s economic prosperity and affordability include an objective that “supports housing development and services that

help keep people in their homes.”

Housing Next’s objective was to provide support in helping to craft the Affordable Housing Fund and policy surrounding it through adopting best practices from other versions of affordable housing or trust funds from across the country with the intention of creating a standout local model. The organization also played a primary role in identifying GRCF as the fiduciary management steward.

“What we want to be able to do with the Affordable Housing Fund is to create a long-term source of funding that is capable of supporting the necessary housing supply and affordability,” said Ryan Kilpatrick, executive director of Housing Next. “In the short-term, what we need to do is support preservation of existing affordable housing and new construction, but we also need to simultaneously try to grow the size of the fund as much as we can so that ultimately, that fund can be self-perpetuating.”

The fund also seeks to address racial and ethnic barriers in housing by focusing on a few primary objectives, one of them being homeownership rates among households of color.

“We’ve got a lot of evidence that demonstrates Black house-

Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Housing and Community Development Fund has never been adequately capitalized, according to MSHDA’s interim leader, but all that may change if Gov. Gretchen Whitmer succeeds in getting a cluster of proposed investments pushed through the state Legislature.

Whitmer in late August proposed using Michigan’s $2.1 billion in funding from the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 to make critical, longterm investments in families, small businesses and communities, including an historic, approximately $550 million investment in affordable housing.

Now that the Michigan Legislature has approved and signed the governor’s executive budget for fiscal year 2022, it is turning its focus to considering her proposal for the ARP funding — a process that is expected to take several weeks.

Although Michigan’s economic recovery is underway — the state had the fastest-growing

economy in the Midwest over the first three months of the year; a lower unemployment rate than the national average; a $3.5 billion surplus, up from a projected $3 billion deficit; and two boosted credit rating outlooks — the state faces several economic challenges, including a lack of affordable, attainable housing.

Whitmer’s proposed plan — in addition to allocating $722 million to grow the middle class and educate more workers and $651 million to support small businesses and create better jobs — allocates about $550 million to investments in housing.

Whitmer’s ARP proposal expands on her previous recommendation to put $100 million toward building 2,000 units, creating 1,600 jobs and housing 6,000 Michiganders (a sum that would go into MSHDA’s Housing and Community Development Fund); proposes a further $50 million to create healthier, cleaner and more energy efficient homes ($15 million of which would be administered by MSHDA); allocates $100 million to rehabilitate vacant buildings; and allots $200 million to redevelop brownfield sites. She also proposed $100 million to build development-ready sites conducive to business investment.

Gary Heidel, acting director of MSHDA, said the agency’s Housing and Community Development Fund has existed for around 15 years, but he believes it has never been sufficiently funded.

“The last time was several

years ago, when the Legislature — led by Sen. Mark Jansen, a Republican from the west side of the state, and Rep. Steve Tobocman, a Democrat from the east side Heidel of the state — was able to put $3.5 million into the fund (in 2008-09), and so we operated on that,” he said. “The Housing and Community Development Fund is referred to as a trust fund. Forty-seven states have such a trust fund. Every state in the Midwest has one, but the Michigan trust fund, which is the Housing and Community Development Fund, has just never been adequately funded.

So, this is a great opportunity for us — if the Legislature approves the funding — to really catch up to the unique kinds of things that are done with these flexible funds by other states. It’s so critically important, especially considering we have such an affordable housing crisis in Michigan right now.”

Even before Whitmer proposed using ARP funds for affordable housing investments, MSHDA was in the process of creating a statewide housing plan drawing on public input; insights from a partnership council of 18 organizations involved in affordable and workforce housing, including nonprofits, for-profit developers, senior citizen groups, organizations that serve individuals with

Comerica marks more growth Economic activity report sees gains for the eighth consecutive month.

Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

disabilities, and local governments; and a coalition of state agencies including the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Transportation and the State Land Bank Authority inside the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

To obtain the legally required public input, MSHDA surveyed about 7,000 residents on the housing crisis, receiving feedback on their specific needs, Heidel said.

That feedback will help MSHDA decide how to allocate whatever funds come through from ARP, he said.

“We’ve been working with solutions groups — which are work groups around 17 major issues about affordable and workforce housing — and digging a little deeper into some of those priorities. We will also, as we move out of the solution groups, do much more penetration in getting down to people who normally don’t get an opportunity to provide input on what housing needs are,” Heidel said.

Although the work is not done, Heidel said data collected during the past couple of years give MSHDA a strong sense of what needs already exist, including more rental housing for extremely low-income people, significantly more homeowner rehab funds, more senior housing and more homeownership opportunities for people of color.

Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index increased in July to a level of 107.6, over seven points higher than the average for all of last year.

July’s reading was 25.4% higher than the historical low of 85.8 reached in June 2020.

The index averaged 100 points for all of 2020, 9 points below the index av- Dye erage for 2019.

June’s index reading was revised to 107.3.

Comerica’s Michigan Economic Activity Index increased by 0.3% in July, for its eighth consecutive monthly gain.

“The index is within striking distance of its pre-COVID level of 109.2 from February 2020,” said the report authored by Robert Dye, senior vice president and chief economist at Comerica. “We expect it to get there before the end of the year, pending increased output by automakers.”

The auto production sub-index for July was up slightly for the month at 89.8, still well below its February 2020 level of 106.2.

In July, six out of nine sub-indexes improved. The gainers were nonfarm employment, unemployment insurance claims (inverted), house prices, light vehicle production, total state trade and hotel occupancy. Industrial electricity demand and state sales tax revenues declined. Housing starts were unchanged.

COVID-19 cases increased in Michigan since midsummer, as they did in many other states.

Fortunately, the most recent data through mid-September shows a flattening curve for new cases, Comerica reported.

“We expect business to continue to operate in the state without increased restrictions through the remainder of this year,” Dye wrote.

Even without new restrictions, the state’s manufacturing sector will face the continued challenges of a tightening labor market and supply chain constraints, the report said. Light vehicle assemblies increased for the second straight month in August to a 9.235-million-unit annual rate, which still is well below the roughly 11-million-unit rate trend through 2018 and 2019.

Comerica’s Michigan Economic Activity Index consists of nine variables: nonfarm payroll employment, continuing claims for unemployment insurance,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Whitmer’s plan for ARP funds targets affordable housing $2.1B proposal earmarks $550M to build homes, invest in underserved areas, including West Michigan.

3

4

OCTOBER 4, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

End-of-life planning can avert unnecessary confusion Faith Hospice urges individuals to have a plan in place long before using its services.

Danielle Nelson

dnelson@grbj.com

It’s not the easiest topic to talk about, whether you are young or old, but conversations about death need to happen — and sooner rather than later.

Benjamin Jacobs, director of operations for Faith Hospice, said conversations about end-of-life planning reduce confusion during a trying time and provide clarity about what a person would like to have happen at the end of their life.

“Hospice care is a service for folks who are very near to the end of life,” he said. “That is the primary people we end up working with and serving, and it is surprising how often we are working with families or a patient who has not done any end-of-life planning.

There can be some major drawbacks to that, especially if you are wanting that comfort care at the end of life. In the state of Michigan, if you don’t have a patient advocate, which I refer to as a power of attorney for health care, and you are not your own decision-maker any-

more — maybe someone is incapacitated, or they are unable to make a decision — that can really delay receiving some health services, including hospice care, if you Jacobs have not designated a patient advocate to sign on your behalf.”

End-of-life planning also includes a power of attorney for finances, a living will and funeral planning. It does not include estate planning or the traditional sense of a will because, according Jacobs, those elements address matters after someone dies.

Faith Hospice does provide assistance with end-of-life planning to patients with a terminal illness who have six months or less to live.

Some of Faith Hospice’s patients receive inpatient care at its Trillium Woods facility, while others receive at-home care either at their private homes, residential homes, assistant living or nursing homes by Faith Hospice employees. Their employees include physicians, nurses, medical social workers, chaplains certified nursing assistants and volunteers.

Jacobs said typically what Faith’s social workers do is help

“This is uncomfortable to talk about for most people and I think that is a big challenge. No one likes to think about death, let alone talk to others about it.”

Benjamin Jacobs families with getting some advance directives in place.

“We help them designate a decision-maker if they haven’t already and start talking about other end-of-life planning topics that may not have been addressed yet,” he said. “They help to facilitate discussions and include the patient and their family in on those discussions so that we can help to get a plan in place.

“This is uncomfortable to talk about for most people and I think that is a big challenge. No one likes to think about death, let alone talk to others about it, so I think that is one of the challenges for people who, despite an increase in health care providers urging people to plan ahead of time, some people continue to put it off because it is uncomfortable.

It is an uncomfortable topic to address but it should be talked about and planned for.”

Whitmer’s plan for ARP funds targets housing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

To that last point, MSHDA has ensured community and economic development nonprofits are at the table from under resourced, under invested in and diverse neighborhoods to ensure those voices are being heard, and it also is working on creating a legal formula based on housing needs, poverty and economic distress to determine how housing funds will be distributed.

MSHDA implemented a similar formula when, earlier this year, it added a program called the MI 10K DPA Loan that provides Michigan residents in 236 ZIP codes up to $10,000 in down payment assistance.

The areas eligible for the MI 10K DPA Loan — including parts of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties — were identified by analyzing census data, Home Mortgage Disclosure Acts (HMDA) data and historical data of MSHDA activity.

With these data points, MSHDA created an overlay to identify opportunities available for employment, income, housing stability, value, education and other related factors, leading to the identification of areas with greater access to quality, affordable housing and areas with less.

Heidel said a significant percentage of the targeted ZIP codes have high concentrations of residents of color — a fact which is no

coincidence, given historic government-sanctioned redlining.

“It’s been a very successful program so far,” he said.

“About 67% of the down payment assistance and mortgage finance we have been doing over the last few months has been in those targeted areas.”

Heidel said he believes the governor’s plan is taking a “people-centered economic development approach,” and he is hopeful the investments will make an impact.

When it comes to applying the funds for affordable housing, he said he believes the most important step will be to increase supply.

“What we saw coming out of the Great Recession 10 years ago is the amount of disinvestment that went into our housing production, and that’s one of the reasons why you’re seeing housing prices increase, is because there’s just not enough supply. Or why there are not many opportunities for people of color, or why homes are in such disrepair, or why as new factories move in, especially in certain rural areas, they can’t find housing for their workers. We’ve got to increase production, and that’s what the housing development fund is all about,” he said.

“And I think the other big part of what we have to do is create equity in housing also. We’ve got to make sure that there’s access for everyone and that everyone has opportunities to have a (home).”

Stepping up when it matters most Last year, we committed $1.25 billion over five years to build on our long-standing work in support of driving racial equality and economic opportunity. To date, we’ve directly funded or invested nearly $400 million of this commitment, in addition to other ways we continue to make an impact in our communities.

Our actions include: •

$36 million to 21 Minority Deposit Institutions (MDIs) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) banks that support minority-owned businesses. This is in addition to our approximately $100 million in deposits to MDIs and our existing $1.8 billion CDFI portfolio.

•

$300 million to 100 equity funds to provide capital to diverse entrepreneurs and small business owners

•

$10 million grant to fund the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE), in partnership with Spelman and Morehouse colleges

•

$25 million to 21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and community colleges in support of job skilling and placement

•

Establishing new partnerships and coalitions focused on building skills and creating job opportunities for people of color

•

$60 million to increase access to capital and career opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) affordable housing developers

•

33 million+ masks, more than 272,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 8 million gloves to communities in need

•

$1.35 million in grants to support mental health initiatives for young people of color

•

$25 million founding partnership in the Smithsonian’s new initiative on race, Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past

These are just some examples of how we’re working with community partners, business leaders, experts and academics across the public and private sectors to continue to drive progress.

At Bank of America, we call this a nice start.

Renee Tabben President, Bank of America Grand Rapids

What would you like the power to do?® Go to bankofamerica.com/grandrapids to learn more.

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender

© 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

6

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

THE LIST

Top Area Home Health Care & Hospice Providers (RANKED BY 2020 TOTAL WEST MICHIGAN REVENUE)

New facility

2020 2019 total W. Mich. revenue

No. of W. Mich./ national locations

2006

$28.93M $25.02M

1 0

84 32

80 4

32 1

Both

Core care team, complementary alternative medicine, bereavement services, volunteer services, spiritual care, medical equipment is provided when it is required due to your hospice diagnosis, medications needed to control symptoms related to your hospice diagnosis

Tammy Sue Veldkamp

1995

$25.32M $23.93M

2 0

121 80

82 13

39 0

Both

Hospice services provided in homes, facilities, hospitals and at Trillium Woods, our hospice in-patient facility; complementary therapies including massage therapy, aromatherapy, virtual reality program

Karen Pakkala Steve McNeely

1895

$24.09M $24.83M

1 0

161 97

76 20

17 34

Both

Skilled nursing, pediatric nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medical social work, private duty care, telehealth services and flu shots

Top administrator(s)

Year founded

Lisa VanderWel Karen Pakkala

No. of full-time/ No. of W. No. of W. Accepts Medicare, part-time W. Mich. Mich. RNs/ Mich. CNAs/ Medicaid, both or employees LPNs HHAs neither Services offered

1

Spectrum Health Hospice & Palliative Care 750 Fuller Ave. NE Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 391-4200 f 391-4270 spectrumhealth.org/hospice

2

Faith Hospice 2100 Raybrook St. SE, Suite 303 Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 235-5100 f 235-5050 faithhospicecare.org

3

Spectrum Health Visiting Nurse Association 1401 Cedar St. NE Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 486-3900 f 486-3999 spectrumhealth.org/vna

4

Hospice of Michigan 989 Spaulding Ave. SE Grand Rapids 49301 p (616) 454-1426 f 356-5230 hom.org

Robert J. Cahill Patrick Miller Michael J. Paletta Lee Ann Myers Marcie Hillary

1979

$12.12M $10.99M

2 13

82 12

36 0

15 15

Both

Adult and pediatric medical, social work, spiritual care and grief support; palliative care; volunteer support; music therapy; pet visits

5

Atrio Home Care 2100 Raybrook St. SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 235-4663 f 356-4967 atriohomecare.org

DND

2017

$8.78M $8.77M

3 0

72 80

43 2

5 49

Both

Physical, occupational and speech therapy; medical social services; registered dietitians; home care aides; life enrichment and massage therapists; medical, surgical, psychiatric, rehabilitation and more

6

Health Care Associates 3101 Prairie St. SW Grandville 49418 p (616) 531-9973 f 531-3440 healthcareassociates.net

Lawrence Treece Lance Treece Lenny Treece

1980

$7.33M $7.28M

1 1

92 101

13 11

6 168

Neither

Home health care, nonemergency transportation

Faith Hospice plans to construct a Grief Support Center at its Trillium Woods inpatient facility in Wyoming.

Hall of fame Atrio Home Care Executive Vice President Carolyn Flietstra was inducted into the Michigan HomeCare & Hospice Association Hall of Fame.

ListStore

@ GRBJ.com

Download this list now at GRBJ.com in Excel or PDF format.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal list of top area home health care and hospice providers, ranked by 2020 total West Michigan revenue, is the most comprehensive available. The Business Journal defines "West Michigan" as Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties. The Business Journal surveyed 58 agencies; 8 returned surveys and 6 are listed. To be considered for future lists, email dnelson@grbj.com. DND = Did not disclose

The Book of Lists and other lists are also available.

Here to talk.

Here to heal.

There’s no question life has its challenges. For those dealing with mental health issues, trauma, or loss, overcoming those challenges can feel like an impossible struggle, but it’s not a struggle that you have to go through alone. Our team of mental health professionals is here to help you get back to feeling like yourself.

Give us a call today at (616) 954-1555 or visit reliancewellness.org for more information.

It’s answering the call.

Wherever. Whenever.

Molly, Faith Hospice Nurse

It’s 4 a.m. phone calls. It’s nights, days, and holidays. It’s being there; physically, spiritually and emotionally.

It’s compassionate hospice care from an expert team of doctors, nurses, aides, social workers, therapists, chaplains, and volunteers—all guided by one very simple rule. The Golden Rule. It’s doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s being your champion.

your champion

In-home Hospice Care • Trillium Woods • Bereavement Services • Pastoral Services • Palliative Care

For information on Faith Hospice in-home hospice care, our Trillium Woods inpatient facility, virtual or in-person grief counseling, contact us at 616-235-5113 or faithhospicecare.org.

8

OCTOBER 4, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Experience a new destination for senior living, Rivertown Ridge

Distinctive Style. Unmatched Services.

I

mmerse yourself in the elegant surroundings of Rivertown Ridge’s retirement lifestyle – designed entirely for your happiness and wellbeing.

Nestled among wooded grounds in the heart of beautiful Wyoming Michigan, Rivertown Ridge is a boutique senior living community offering independent living, assisted living and memory care services. With its high appointed detail to design and convenience, Rivertown Ridge offers prime shopping and entertainment venues, luxury amenities and a culinary team that is unmatched. No matter where your interests lie, you’ll quickly see all that Rivertown Ridge has developed to energize your body, stimulate your mind and enrich your overall wellness.

Ask about how you could save up to

$6,000 WITH THE AUTUMN

AT RIVERTOWN RIDGE SAVINGS!

Come and experience a new destination for senior living. Call now, 616.258.2715 for your no obligation tour to learn more.

3555 Copper River Ave SW Wyoming, MI 49418 616.258.2715 www.rivertownridge.com

Managing symptoms.

Relieving pain.

Trillium Palliative Services provides relief and comfort to those suffering from the symptoms of a serious or on-going illness such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, depression, or sleep problems. Our physicians and nurse practitioners are specially trained in the field of palliative care to meet the emotional, psychological, and physical needs of each patient. Through conventional methods and non-traditional therapies, we help enhance the quality of life of those living with a life-limiting illness.

If you or a loved one is in need of some relief, call us at 616-235-5101.

Managed by

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

THE LIST

OCTOBER 4, 2021

9

Top Area Urgent Care Facilities (RANKED BY 2020 NUMBER OF PATIENTS SERVED)

1

*Spectrum Health System 100 Michigan St. NE Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 391-1382 f 391-3822 spectrumhealth.org

2

Holland Hospital Urgent Care: Lakeshore Medical Campus 3232 N. Wellness Drive, Bldg. B Holland 49424 p (616) 494-4250 f 494-4261 hollandhospital.org

Top administrator

No. of patients served in 2020

Tina Freese Decker

80,488

Lydia DeVries Melissa Spooner

30,000

No. of staff

Elected member

Average wait time

73 clinical staff; 5.23 minutes for 4 physicians; online; 21.17 65 APPs (PA & minutes for walkNP) in

50

15 minutes or less

2020 2019 W. Mich. revenue

Insurance plans accepted

Services

DND DND

Cofinity, ASR Physician Care, BCBS Medicare Advantage Plus Blue, BCBS PPO, BCBS Traditional, Blue Care Network, Blue Care Network Medicare Advantage, Cigna Great West, Coventry First Health, Humana Medicare, McLaren Commercial, McLaren Medicaid, McLaren Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare, Meridian Choice Commercial, Meridian Complete, Meridian Medicaid, Molina Medicaid/MI Child and more

Allergies, asthma attacks, bruises/ abrasions, burns (moderate), coughs/ congestion, cuts/puncture wounds, dizziness, earaches, eye infections/ injuries, fevers, headaches/migraines, sore throats, sprains/strains, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract/ bladder infections, vomiting

$6.03M $8.78M

We accept a variety of insurance plans, and we encourage patients to contact their carrier directly to determine their coverage for services at our facilities

Treating injuries and illnesses that require prompt care but are not life threatening such as access to onsite lab and x-ray

3

Mercy Health Urgent Care Sherman 1670 E Sherman Blvd.

Muskegon 49444 p (231) 672-3600 mercyhealth.com

Gary Allore Kristen Brown

16,825

10

DND

$3.1M $3,152

Mercy Health accepts most types of insurance. Contact the office directly to determine if they participate with your insurance product.

Persistent nausea and/or vomiting; minor strains or backache; cough with or without fever, moderate asthma; earaches, infection, foreign object, severe dizziness or drainage and more

4

University of Michigan HealthWest 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW Wyoming 49519 p (616) 252-7200 metrohealth.net

Dr. Peter Hahn

12,357

11 employed and three contracted

14 Minutes

$1.84M $1.87M

All major insurance plans operating in West Michigan are accepted

Urgent care services including x-ray and lab

5

Mercy Health Urgent Care Rockford Matthew Biersack 6050 Northland Drive NE Kristen Brown Rockford 49341 p (616) 685-7961 mercyhealth.com

10,800

7

DND

$2.72M $1.37M

Mercy Health accepts most types of insurance. Contact the office directly to determine if they participate with your insurance product.

Scrapes, swelling, bruises, infections or a sty, objects in the eye; frequent trips to the bathroom, burning/pain with urination, vaginal/penis discharge, bleeding or discomfort with intercourse; no loss of consciousness, cuts less than one inch and more

6

Mercy Health Urgent Care North Muskegon 2006 Hilton Road Muskegon 49445 p (231) 672-3333 mercyhealth.com

Gary Allore Kristen Brown

8,872

8.5

DND

$3.1M $602,713

Mercy Health accepts most types of insurance. Contact the office directly to determine if they participate with your insurance product.

Sprains without deformity, shallow cuts, stitch removal, puncture wounds to hands or feet, minor scrapes or burns, rash, insect or animal bites; infection; sore throat

7

Mercy Health Urgent Care Hudsonville 3925 32nd Ave. Hudsonville 49426 p (616) 685-1530 mercyhealth.com

Hyung Kim Kristen Brown

7,236

6

DND

$1.4M $374,889

Mercy Health accepts most types of insurance. Contact the office directly to determine if they participate with your insurance product.

Persistent nausea and/or vomiting; minor strains or backache; cough with or without fever, moderate asthma; earaches, infection, foreign object, severe dizziness or drainage; scrapes, swelling, bruises, infections or a sty, objects in the eye; frequent trips to the bathroom, burning/pain with urination, vaginal/penis discharge, bleeding or discomfort with intercourse; no loss of consciousness, cuts less than one inch; sprains without deformity, shallow cuts, stitch removal, puncture wounds to hands or feet, minor scrapes or burns, rash, insect or animal bites; infection; sore throat

8

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services 300 68th St. SE Grand Rapids 49548 p (800) 678-5500 f 493-6043 pinerest.org

Mark Eastburg, Ph.D. Bob Nykamp Paul Karsten William Sanders, DO Alan Armstrong, MD

4,278

64

27 minutes

DND DND

9

Mercy Health Urgent Care Lakes Village 6401 Prairie St., Suite 1200 Norton Shores 49444 p (231) 672-7875 mercyhealth.com

Gary Allore Kristen Woods

1,217

3

DND

Gary Allore

DND

5

DND

Mercy Health Urgent Care Whitehall 905 E. Colby St., Suite 120 Whitehall 49461 p (231) 672-8050 mercyhealth.com

Accepts most insurance

Psychiatric crisis stabilization, screening and placement

$3.1M $1.79M

Mercy Health accepts most types of insurance. Contact the office directly to determine if they participate with your insurance product.

Persistent nausea and/or vomiting; minor strains or backache; cough with or without fever, moderate asthma; earaches, infection, foreign object, severe dizziness or drainage; scrapes, swelling, bruises, infections or a sty, objects in the eye; frequent trips to the bathroom, burning/pain with urination, vaginal/penis discharge, bleeding or discomfort with intercourse; no loss of consciousness, cuts less than one inch; sprains without deformity, shallow cuts, stitch removal, puncture wounds to hands or feet, minor scrapes or burns, rash, insect or animal bites; infection; sore throat

DND $1.02M

Mercy Health accepts most types of insurance. Contact the office directly to determine if they participate with your insurance product.

Persistent nausea and/or vomiting; minor strains or backache; cough with or without fever, moderate asthma; earaches, infection, foreign object, severe dizziness or drainage; scrapes, swelling, bruises, infections or a sty, objects in the eye; frequent trips to the bathroom, burning/pain with urination, vaginal/penis discharge, bleeding or discomfort with intercourse; no loss of consciousness, cuts less than one inch; sprains without deformity, shallow cuts, stitch removal, puncture wounds to hands or feet and more

The Grand Rapids Business Journal's list of top area urgent care facilities, ranked by 2020 number of patients served, is the most comprehensive available. The Business Journal surveyed 22 urgent care facilities; 10 returned surveys and 10 are listed. To be considered for future lists, email dnelson@grbj.com. *Spectrum Health has multiple urgent care centers. DND = did not disclose

Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Spectrum Health System, was elected a member of the American Hospital Association. She will serve a three-year term beginning on Jan. 1.

New name Metro Health – University of Michigan Health was recently renamed the University of Michigan Health-West.

Transition Mercy Health Muskegon Hackley Campus Urgent Care operations officially changed to Hackley Community Care.

Appointed president Dr. Louis Nykamp was named the president of medical staff at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services. He joined Pine Rest in 2006 as a board-certified general adult and geriatric psychiatrist.

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@ GRBJ.com

Download this list now at GRBJ.com in Excel or PDF format.

The Book of Lists and other lists are also available.

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

PNC partners with SheEO to close economic gender gap CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

meeting to talk about how to give the partnership with SheEO more visibility in the community. Linsi Sandwisch, commercial banking relationship manager in Grand Rapids, has been chosen as the activator for this market.

She is coordinating with PNC employees who work with women and nonbinary clients, to help them in building capacity, knowledge and loan readiness.

“To drive and lift up the success of women and womenowned businesses, it’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s an incredibly smart economic thing to do.

It’s good for the business owners. It’s good for the community. It’s good for the bank.”

Sean Welsh “To do this successfully, which is the only way we want to do it, we have to create visibility … (and) we have to create infrastructure, which is getting our employees aligned and ready to go, and once we get those in place, then when we go out to the community in 2022, we’ll actually be able to act and make an impact,” Welsh said.

SheEO recently opened the 2022 venture nomination process. Businesses owned and led

by individuals who identify as women or nonbinary can visit pnc.com/women or SheEO’s website to apply to be a SheEO venture and learn more about the organization’s evaluation, community selection process and global network of support.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with PNC and look forward to what we can accomplish together,” said Vicki Saunders, SheEO founder. “As a large financial institution that already does so much for women, PNC’s reach, reputation and values will help to support our activator and venture growth and create the conditions for women in business to thrive.”

PNC’s longstanding support of women can be seen across the organization, from Women’s Business Development’s executive advisory board to its nearly 4,000 PNC-certified women’s business advocates, who are active in their communities and committed to providing resources to female decision makers.

This support also is evident in Women Connect, PNC’s employee business resource group with 11,000 members; Men As Allies, a program through which male employees support the advancement of their female colleagues; and Women’s Leadership Development program, which helps prepare high-performing female employees for leadership roles.

These and other resources have contributed to PNC having the most diverse executive committee and board of directors in the company’s history.

“Project 257 and our partnership with SheEO are two great examples of PNC’s support of

women across our footprint,” said Lou Cestello, PNC’s head of regional markets. “Whether we’re working with a woman who runs a major business or one who has just opened her first checking account, we strive to have a positive impact. And as a Main Street bank that succeeds when our customers and communities succeed, accelerating the financial achievement of roughly 50% of the population who are women can have a macro effect on the economic well-being of the markets we serve.”

Welsh said internally, PNC has been working on wage equity for a while, and currently women employees make about 99% of the salaries of their male counterparts in equivalent roles.

“We’d like to see that 100%, but we’re really close, which is way ahead of the industry. … We are holding ourselves accountable because it’s got to be more than more words; it has to be actions. … Good is good, but you always have to strive to be greater every day,” Welsh said.

“To drive and lift up the success of women and women-owned businesses, it’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s an incredibly smart economic thing to do. It’s good for the business owners. It’s good for the community.

It’s good for the bank. And I think that title of Project 257 really puts a bright light on why this needs to happen.”

SheEO has committed to transparency over the three-year term of PNC’s financial commitment as far as sharing updates on the venture selection process.

Those interested can learn more at sheeo.world.

Office space rent increases CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In addition to the increase in rent, Karger said there is a slight increase in vacancies. In its Skyline analysis, JLL reported that the total direct vacancy in office spaces in downtown Grand Rapids is 17.5%, which is a 0.5% year-over-year vacancy change. Some vacant offices are in Bridgewater Place, 250 Monroe, 111 Lyon, 99 Monroe, 171 Monroe, 37 Ottawa, 50 Louis St., 77 Monroe Center, 40 Pearl, 200 Ottawa, 300 Ottawa and the McKay Tower.

About 56.1% of the 111 Lyon building is leased due to the recent move of law firm Warner Norcross + Judd, which was the largest tenant. Arena Place, Riverfront Plaza, Warner Building and Studio Park currently are 100% occupied.

Despite the occupancy rate being at 100% in some buildings, Karger said vacancies in downtown will be much more noticeable in the next few quarters because employers will be moving their companies to the suburbs as they reevaluate their work model.

“The skyline vacancy is ticking up slightly with several companies, such as Morgan Stanley, vacating downtown for new suburban offices,” he stated in the report. “We should see that trend continue throughout the end of the year as companies are evaluating their occupancy needs moving forward. Although we won’t see a strong increase, it will be a trend nevertheless.”

Some of the issues Karger said employers think about when making the decision to move out of the city are city income taxes and the cost of parking.

“Those two things are typically line items for companies and their employees,” he said. “If there is an opportunity in the suburbs without being downtown, then they will look at that more. That also means

City approves affordable housing fund CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

holds and Latinx and Hispanic households have a much lower rate of homeownership in the city, and we want to bring parity there. So, there’s opportunities to invest in down-payment assistance, and rehab and repair loans to both improve existing housing stock and improve energy efficiency and climate resilience,” said Kilpatrick. “But what we also want to do is ensure that we have enough investment to support emerging developers of color who want to participate in the growth and wealth creation across the city and help us to build more housing supply, and that could be investing as an equity partner or as a gap financing partner to make sure those emerging developers have access to capital.”

An initial investment of $875,000 was included in the city’s FY21 budget and will remain available to aid the fund in achieving its goals.

Commission policy for the operation of the fund was outlined in detail by Kilpatrick at a recent Committee of the Whole meeting in which he presented the board’s

makeup, purpose, appointment process, duties and decision-making process. He also outlined uses of funds for investment in housing and the process for initial and future deposits to the fund.

“But what we also want to do is ensure that we have enough investment to support emerging developers of color who want to participate in the growth and wealth creation across the city and help us to build more housing supply.”

Ryan Kilpatrick Commissioners determined GRCF would manage the fund investments while the Housing Fund Board would be responsible for making all capital spending and distribution decisions.

According to Kilpatrick, the board also will be asked to re-

view applications at least twice per year and provide recommendations relating to investments and disbursements for gap financing, acquisition and pre-development loans to nonprofits, funding to support emerging developers of color, or homeowner assistance grants. “(The board) will also be asked to prepare an annual plan for the City Commission that sets out the goals and objectives of the fund, how they’re looking to spend those dollars each year and how they want to communicate those priorities to potential applicants,” Kilpatrick said.

A projected $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds also are envisioned in the 2022 fiscal plan, which may be permitted under federal rules aiming to encourage the development or preservation of affordable housing. The board also could consider this potential direct investment, as well as other gap financing offered to development projects that receive money from state or federal funding, or equity investment.

The 11-member board will consist of a diverse representation of

the racial/ethnic makeup of community members who have previous experience relative to housing, finance, residential development, health and well-being, lived experience, social work, philanthropy and impact investing.

The board makeup will include: • Three members nominated by commissioners — one from each ward • One member nominated by the mayor • The city manager or their designee • The executive director of the Grand Rapids Housing Commission • Five members nominated from community through the Committee on Appointments The Affordable Housing Fund will not solve the problem by itself, however. “(It’s) one step among many that needs to be taken both in the city and across West Michigan to increase housing supply and affordability,” Kilpatrick said. “(It) definitely isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a really important tool that helps us get further, faster.”

corporations are being cautious of where their employees are and with the hybrid (work location) model taking place, we anticipate that the hybrid model will be prevalent, Karger which allows people to work from home periods of time and being a little bit closer to their household, and less commute time is something that people are evaluating.”

While the work-from-home and hybrid models have proven to be successful, Karger said the office workplace still will be relevant.

“I am a firm believer that work from home and hybrid work strategies are a real thing moving forward,” he said. “People will use it. I think the office will be the central point of business and where work is located. How employers use the space will probably change. We are seeing that throughout our market, meaning that it will be a central place for people to come to meet, collaborate, work on projects, but we probably will not see a dedicated space for them to use moving forward. That was a model that was on track, but the pandemic accelerated that.”

According to the Bloomberg, Partnership for New York City, Forrester Consulting and JLL Global Corporate Solutional Survey, 62% of people who were highly satisfied with their office environment strongly miss their workplace.

The survey also stated that most offices are expected to reach 85% capacity, and 75% of employees want to be able to work from the office, 24% want to work exclusively from the office and 63% prefer a hybrid model. The number of employees that do not want to work remote is continuing to increase.

Comerica marks more growth CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

housing starts, house price index, industrial electricity sales, auto assemblies, total trade, hotel occupancy and sales tax revenue. All data are seasonally adjusted. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages.

Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Inc. (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank and Wealth Management. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank has locations in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $86.3 billion as of March 31, 2021.

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during the construction of Legacies of Caledonia Assisted Living and Memory Care was excellent. We are proud to be working with CD Barnes again to expand the Legacies brand in Caledonia to Legacies Village Independent Living as we continue to serve seniors in the area with life enriching housing and care. ” - Wirt Rivette Group Senior Living

Meijer Sports Complex hosted 25 tournaments in 2021 featuring 684 teams. Courtesy Meijer State Games of Michigan

Baseball, softball lead sports tourism rally While not yet back to 2019 levels, sports visitors blew away 2020’s economic impact numbers.

Danielle Nelson

dnelson@grbj.com

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Sports is proving to be vital in reviving the tourism industry in West Michigan as it emerges from the pandemic, but not just any sports.

Baseball and softball tournaments have been at the forefront of attracting individuals back to the region this year. Meijer Sports Complex in Rockford has been the epicenter of sports tourism in the region during the April-October baseball and softball seasons.

With one final tournament to go this month, the economic impact of the 2021 baseball and softball seasons in West Michigan will have doubled that of 2020.

After the conclusion of all 25 tournaments, the newly named complex will have welcomed 684 baseball and softball teams, 8,892 athletes and 22,230 spectators who will have booked 5,973 hotel room nights, which will result in more than $5,618,365 in estimated visitor spending.

The total number of tournaments that will be hosted this year is an increase of 67% from 2020, which saw 15 tournaments, and an increase of 14% from 2019, when there were 22 tournaments.

Fifty percent of the teams that will have played this year are travel teams. Last year, 27% of the teams that played at the complex were travel teams, or 124 of 462 teams.

These teams travel from southeast Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Ontario. The travel squads resulted in a 145% increase in hotel nights booked in 2021 at 5,973, versus 2,433 in 2020, but a 7% decrease from 2019.

As the number of tournaments, teams, athletes and spectators visiting West Michigan increased, so did direct visitor spending. The estimated $5.6 million in visitor spending through hotel nights and other purchases will have jumped by 134% from last year’s $2.4 million.

That number still is 8% below 2019’s pre-pandemic level of $6.1 million.

“The 2021 season at the Meijer Sports Complex has been a complete success, proving that sports tourism is leading the comeback of our regional tourism economy,” said Mike Guswiler, president of the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC). “The return of more baseball/softball tournaments, especially those that attract travel teams, is a bellwether of more positive change to come in the sports tourism industry.”

The 25 tournaments held this year included 19 back-to-back weekends from April through August. Among the 25 tournaments, 14 were put on by Game Day USA, a youth baseball and softball event management organization, and five tournaments were sanctioned by USA Softball, the national governing body of softball in the United States

“You have the city life — the cities, breweries and things for an entire family to do in downtown Grand Rapids.”

Ryan Rosmonowski Game Day USA’s 14 tournaments included two preseason championships; a super regional tournament; two “Rumble in the Rapids” tournaments; a Stars N’ Strikes Showdown tournament; two Silver Series championships; a state championship; Meijer State Games of Michigan; two national championships; a “Summer SlugFest”; and an all-star tournament.

The WMSC just signed a new, three-year operating agreement with Game Day USA and already has secured 14 dates on the 2022 calendar.

Outside of the “stunning” complex, Ryan Rosmonowski, senior director of events and operations for Game Day USA, said the organization renewed the contract because the greater Grand Rapids area has something for everyone.

“You have the city life — the cities, breweries and things for an entire family to do in downtown Grand Rapids,” he said. “When you get out to the suburbs of Rockford, CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

INSIDE TRACK

Mall owner strikes a balance

OCTOBER 4, 2021

13

Being part of an entrepreneurial family convinced Nancy Quero Ramirez to eventually start her own business.

Courtesy of Nancy Quero Ramirez

Nancy Quero Ramirez’s store, Guelaguetza Designs, is a hub of cultural activity.

Paul R. Kopenkoskey

Special to the Business Journal

Baked into Nancy Quero Ramirez’s retail store and online business is the hope that fostering an appreciation and understanding of Mexican culture will arise.

Guelaguetza Designs, 2727 DeHoop Ave. SW in Wyoming, sells handmade, fair-trade merchandise made in Mexico, which includes craft products such as textiles, avant-garde footwear and looms made by more than 30 artisans.

But, as Quero is proud to point out, “Guelaguetza” comes from the Zapotec language that’s typically interpreted as the reciprocal exchange of gifts and services, or to help each other. The Guelaguetza also is an annual indigenous cultural event in Mexico that takes place in the city of Oaxaca, Quero’s hometown.

It’s a celebration that features parades of indigenous walking bands, native food and statewide artisanal crafts, such as pre-Hispanic-style textiles. Each costume, or traje, and dance usually has a local indigenous historical and cultural meaning. While the celebration has attracted an increasing number of tourists, it is primarily one of deep cultural importance for the indigenous peoples of the state and is important for the survival of these cultures, according to Wikipedia.

That is Quero’s heartbeat.

“I like the meaning,” said Quero. “That’s what we’re trying to do: building bridges with other people so we can understand each other.

We want to make sure people who don’t have any Mexican heritage appreciate that, understand the culture. What is the meaning of the colors? What is the meaning of the designs? That way we can understand the meaning of culture when you understand your neighbor and the meaning of culture.”

Quero’s customers are a blend of those of Mexican decent and those who are not but have an appreciation for the colors, fabrics, textures and Mexican milieu inherent in the products Guelaguetza Designs sells. But that’s not enough for Quero.

She also hosts workshops, put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of them are artistic in nature that offer the potential to expand one’s understanding of the world, including a Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar exhibition, sugar skull painting and ornament painting.

“The intent is to bring people together to learn about Mexican cultures to the different communities,” said Quero. “We had people from different backgrounds and cultures who were interested in learning about Mexican cultures and we got to meet and learn a little bit about them through the workshops, which is open to conversation for the people who attend them. People love it. We hope we can get back to those workshops again.”

Quero said she hopes to resume hosting the workshops next year that would have people painting Mayan and Aztec calendars made by an artist from Yucatan.

Quero emigrated from Mexico to the United States 19 years ago with her mother, two sisters and a brother. She didn’t speak English, which was initially a drawback in acclimating herself to her new homeland.

“I felt not belonging, and I wanted to go back,” recalled Quero. “I started meeting amazing people and, little by little, I started feeling that I started belonging to this community, especially hearing people speaking Spanish in stores. That’s one of the reasons I started getting involved in different organizations because my community needed that. We need to belong to it and the way to do that is having events and making sure people understand what’s going on. That’s part of why I started to join (community organizations) because I wanted people to know that there is help, there are many things to make them feel part of this community.”

“I came basically without anything, just the clothes I had on, no luggage,” said Quero.

She pauses to collect her emotions.

“It’s a little hard to think about that,” continued Quero. “It was a

NANCY QUERO RAMIREZ Organization: Guelaguetza Designs and 10-unit plaza Position: CEO/owner Age: 38 Birthplace: Oaxaza, Mexico Residence: Grand Rapids Family: Husband Gerardo, sons Damien, Ethan and Caleb Community/Business Involvement: Wyoming Community Enrichment

Commission, Mexican Heritage Association and Lanzita Community Center, and former board member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish.

Biggest Career Break: Purchasing a 10-store plaza, which includes my very first brick-and-mortar store. I am very happy with that because now I can have this goal where people can come and build this connection with Mexico and not only with the Latina community but build those cultural bridges.

great journey of growing as a person, as a professional. I’m proud to help my community, in working hard for everything that I have.”

Working hard is a mantra that runs through Quero’s life.

She worked for 15 years for electronics services manufacturer Firstronic, first as an assembler and then — putting to good use the accounting acumen she learned through her associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College — went to work as a buyer in its purchasing department.

“I have these natural skills of business is in my blood,” said Quero. “My father was a businessperson and my whole family is in some kind of business, my grandpa or my uncle, so that is really in my blood. I started working in accounts payable in the company and doing purchasing at the same time. Working in purchasing comes very natural to me and I decided to keep on purchasing 100%. It was tough sometimes working in that field. We had a lot of shortages. I quit before the pandemic but before that we had a lot of shortages, but it was a challenge every day and I did enjoy it.”

In the end, it wasn’t enough.

“It was a paycheck, but it’s not the same because it’s not doing what I love the most,” said Quero.

“Every immigrant is looking for a better life. I overcame the language barrier by educating myself and growing within the company,

from the production floor to front office work. I helped to change the perception of my team members about Latino employees through my hard work and dedication to the company. This grew into an environment where they accepted my language, my culture and myself as a valued employee.

As immigrants, we live every day trying to fit into this new American culture.”

The draw to be an entrepreneur herself proved too irresistible. She credits family members for paving the way.

“Multiple members of my family in Mexico have built small businesses from the ground up with very little money and lots of hard work,” she said. “They inspired me to one day be an entrepreneur and make a difference in my community.”

Quero took the plunge two years ago to open a brick-andmortar store thanks to a friend who connected her to SpringGR, a 12-week training program that helps people develop their business plans.

Then she bought a 10-unit strip mall for $320,000 (asking price was $345,000) where Guelaguetza Designs is housed as well as her other tenants. She intends for her store to soon occupy a second one of those storefronts.

“We are expanding because we just keep growing,” said Quero. “We were just running out of space, so we just decided to ex-

pand into the next unit, but we’ll be in the same building, which has windows because right now, we’re like hidden. We’re excited for the growth. We’ll have more room to sell more items. Sometimes people will come in for items that we don’t have so we are going to bring new items that people have been looking for.

“The other units are occupied, which is a huge help financially,” added Quero. “I’m not so much worried as I would be if I was by myself trying to cover all my expenses at the end of the month.”

Quero said she has ingratiated herself into the American way of life, yet she remains true to herself.

“I know my accent would never go away,” she said. “I’m just proud of my accent. I’m proud to be a bilingual person. I had to go to classes for many years.”

For Quero, “to thy own self be true” is not a banal phrase.

“To do what you love the most because when you’re doing something that you love, you feel happy,” she said. “Do what you love the most because for me what I’m doing, when I come to my shop happy every day ready for what’s coming, I love it. I used to work in the factory and that’s OK, it was a paycheck. But it’s not the same because it’s not doing what I love the most. In my business I’m helping people through my business. That fulfills me, and I think that’s very important.”

14

OCTOBER 4, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Disability Advocates looks ahead to new $2.5M HQ Kent County nonprofit kicks off $750K public phase of fund drive to move to Special Olympics campus.

Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

Disability Advocates of Kent County has raised more than $1.75 million to build its new headquarters and accessibility showroom at the Special Olympics campus in Byron Township and is asking the community to chip in another $750,000.

The Grand Rapids-based nonprofit that works alongside people with disabilities is currently based at 3600 Camelot Drive SE and is planning to move its headquarters to the new Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center at 160 68th St. SW in Byron Township in April 2022.

Disability Advocates’ new, 8,600-square-foot space technically will be smaller than the 10,000 square feet it currently occupies at Camelot Drive, but according to Executive Director David Bulkowski, the current HQ spans four separate suites linked by a hallway, lacks storage space for medical equipment and a place to demonstrate and sterilize it, and is in an off-the-beaten-path residential neighborhood —which makes the location less than ideal for seeing clients and maintaining and developing partnerships.

The new Home Accessibility Center is designed to help users learn ways they can be safer or more independent in their homes. Courtesy Disability Advocates of Kent County

Special Olympics Michigan purchased the former South Christian High School in Byron Township in 2019 and is amid a $20 million construction project to transform it into the organization’s largest Special Olympics facility in the world.

Besides Disability Advocates, the other organizations that will lease space at the campus include Autism Support of Kent County, Brody’s Be Café, Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan, Far Out Volleyball Club, Mental Health

Foundation of West Michigan/be nice, MOKA and Thresholds.

Bulkowski said being part of the new campus will increase his organization’s internal and external collaboration and its community visibility, while at the same time allowing it to build the area’s first Occupational Therapy Home Accessibility Center, which will be an 800-square-foot dedicated area separate from the offices, meeting rooms and other features of the HQ. “The Home Accessibility Center

(will be) built for people to come in and check things out and learn about ways that they can be safer in their home or more independent in their home,” Bulkowski said.

The center will serve as a “test space” showroom where people with disabilities, their families, health care professionals, and design and building contractors can explore options for a safer home, including models and adaptive equipment — something that is not currently offered anywhere

else in the region.

“The Home Accessibility Center is a response to a demonstrated need,” said Peggy Helsel, development director for Disability Advocates. “Often, people ask, ‘What does that mean?’ when we talk about universal design and the home. We are giving people a real-life model home to experience what a universally accessible space can look like.”

The center will include features such as a bathroom with a 5-footby-5-foot universal design-accessible shower, but also a bathroom next to it that is inaccessible, which will allow Disability Advocates’ staff to demonstrate to clients how to use adaptive equipment in their homes without retrofitting their bathrooms to universal design, Bulkowski said.

The showroom also will contain moveable walls so that architects, builders and developers can see the difference in accessibility between various widths of rooms, so they can keep it in mind as they design and construct future commercial and residential buildings.

Bulkowski added Disability Advocates also will use the space to host occupational therapy students from local colleges and universities as they go through their training.

He said being located steps away from other organizations that serve the disabled community will have built-in benefits, including being able to send clients to cooking classes and independent living CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

15

Baseball, softball tournaments lead sports tourism rally CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

if you want a little bit of open land or open space, Rockford has that as well, in addition to the complex. And 20-30 minutes away you can get to Lake Michigan and you can see everything that the state of Michigan has to offer. So, when we pick venues, we look for family-friendly destinations and Grand Rapids is exactly what we are looking for because it has something for a 7-year-old baseball player to do. It has something for his little brother or sister to do and it also has things for the parents to do — to have a night away from their children or go out with other parents on the team and ultimately that is exactly what we are looking for.”

USA Softball played five tournaments at Meijer Sports Complex this year, including two national

USA Softball tournaments — the USA Softball Men’s Open East Fast Pitch National Championship and USA Softball Men’s Slow Pitch Class D National Championship — that welcomed 372 participants and garnered 600 spectators who booked 300 hotel room nights. It all resulted in more than $500,000 in estimated direct spending. USA Softball also hosted three state tournaments in 2021.

Darrin Duistermars is the Northern Territory Region 6 Vice President of USA Softball and a commissioner for USA Softball of Michigan. He said the pandemic did not affect the organization’s ability to bring teams to the complex, unlike other states where they encountered some difficulties.

“The facility was available,” he said. “We, per the guidance of state and county regulations, were

able to have tournament play there when many places, especially in the Midwest, were not able to do so. Illinois had some hurdles to go through but in West Michigan, if there was a tournament going on, teams were playing, especially on the youth side. It is one thing to have a tournament to just play in, but when you are offering a quality event and you are playing at a place like Meijer, quite frankly, the pandemic really whetted people’s appetite to play and we had a lot of success with that.

“We ended up playing (adult) national tournaments and state tournaments. These individuals wanted to play so badly that it was not a problem getting them to go there. Even with the pandemic, the facility was inviting. The facility had rules and regulations in place, we followed them, and they com-

municated them very nicely to all the people involved and we had no issues. Despite the pandemic, we had great tournament play last year and it carried over to this year.”

Meijer Sports Complex was filled to capacity in June as all four weekends were booked with more than 50 teams playing per weekend. Some of the tournaments that were held were three Game Day USA events (including the Game Day USA State Championships) and the Meijer State Games of Michigan.

Aquinas College’s baseball team also played a full season including all its home games at the complex, after its season was delayed in 2020.

Guswiler said the calendar of sporting events is almost full for next year. After this year’s sizable increase in travel teams compared to 2020, he said he believes the

Disability Advocates looks ahead to new $2.5M HQ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

coaching or to have the other organizations send their clients to Disability Advocates to get help with their government benefits.

Disability Advocates also will have access to shared spaces at the campus such as community rooms and an auditorium.

“The (Disability Advocates) Home Accessibility Center is a response to a demonstrated need.

Often, people ask, ‘What does that mean?’ when we talk about universal design and the home.

We are giving people a real-life model home to experience what a universally accessible space can look like.”

Peggy Helsel Launched earlier this year, Disability Advocates’ Building Opportunities, Creating Independence capital campaign has raised more than $1.75 million over the past several months, thanks to lead gifts from contributors such as Dr. Kimberly Y. Barrington, the Kate and Richard Wolters Foundation, Meijer Foundation, Mike and Sue Jandernoa Foundation, Wege Foundation, John and Nancy Kennedy Family Foundation and Frey Foundation.

The public campaign, announced Sept. 14, aims to raise another $750,000 to help cover construction and campaign costs, new programming and the organization’s Home Accessibility Center.

Disability Advocates has allocated 40% of its construction budget to hire local minority-owned contractors, which so far include

DHE Plumbing, Monte Christo Electric and Grand Rapids Fire Suppression. Wolverine Building Group is serving as the general contractor, and Mathison | Mathison Architects is the architect.

“Wolverine Building Group is honored to lead the build out of Disability Advocates of Kent County’s new headquarters and occupational therapy showroom,” said Curt Mulder, president, Wolverine Building Group. “For 40 years, the staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to serve people living with disabilities. They all deserve a world-class space, so we are eager to showcase our craft and provide them with a new environment that they can be proud of.”

At the public announcement of the fund drive, co-chairs Cameron Young, digital marketing specialist at Behler-Young, and Angela Nelson, vice president of multicultural business development at Experience Grand Rapids, invited the public to join in the fundraising effort, which will continue through the end of the year.

“The invitation to join the Special Olympics at this new campus was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Young said. “As we work to help those with disabilities, I am pleased to be part of an effort that truly gives local residents a strong support network in a space where we can continue to build partnerships with like-minded organizations.”

Nelson added: “Demand for our programs is increasing, and we know we can serve more people in this new space as West Michigan grows.”

Bulkowski emphasized his gratitude for the local and regional foundations, area businesses and community donors.

“We have been so fortunate to receive gifts to this important campaign,” he said. “Our campaign cabinet joins me in thanking the community for their meaningful gifts. We now invite the broader community to help us complete this campaign effort.”

Those interested can donate to the campaign at dakc.us/donate.

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number of travel teams will continue to increase in 2022.

“The 2020 ratios we saw 15% travel and 84% local participation,” he said. “People weren’t comfortable going too far outside of their local area and we saw about 50/50 this year — 50% of people traveling — which is what we’d like to see again. So, I think that is where we will see that growth in 2022, where we could get back to our average, which is about 60% of teams traveling from outside the area and 40% local participation, and I feel pretty good about that. Things continue to move ahead. In the world of the pandemic, where there is the booster shot and younger ages being eligible for it, those things are going to make a difference in terms of seeing more travel parties.”

16

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

COMMENT & OPINION

GUEST COLUMN Vanessa Greene

Eliminating health care disparities requires systemic change

A

frican Americans and other diverse populations in West Michigan, and across the U.S., have been fighting for their rights and equality and have seen progress.

A real discussion of history and its long-lasting negative impact on certain diverse groups is happening, with more attention being paid to how we can address those issues. Legislators also addressed past discrimination by recognizing racism as a national health crisis.

While this is an opportunity to celebrate, we still have a long way to go, and there remains a need to address inequities that are directly affecting the health and well-being of our communities.

At the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI), one of the biggest obstacles we address every day is the ongoing battle with disparities in the quality of health care for African Americans and other diverse groups in Michigan.

The arrival of COVID-19 further amplified our understanding of the racial inequities embedded in Michigan’s health care system — with African Americans hit harder by the disease due in part to a higher level of underlying health conditions — and how much quality of care can differ based solely on a patient’s race. Yet, research conducted on behalf of Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) shows that this is not just a problem in Michigan. A majority (56%) of Americans agree that COVID-19 has exposed racial disparities in our system.

Here are some sobering stats: • In 2017, 10.6% of African Americans were uninsured, compared with 5.9% of non-Hispanic whites. 16.1% of Hispanics were uninsured.

• 12.1% of African Americans under the age of 65 reported having no health insurance coverage.

The number was 20.1% for Hispanics.

• 13.8% of African Americans reported having fair or poor health, compared with 8.3% of non-Hispanic whites.

• African Americans have the highest mortality rate for cancer, compared with any other racial and ethnic group.

• In Kent County, African American infants are 2.5-times more likely to die before the age of 1 than white infants, and 2.2-times more likely to be born with low birth weights.

Our goal must be to remove these racial disparities in health care, but it will be a long battle and require systemic changes beyond health care. At GRAAHI, we are on the front lines battling these disparities.

The disconnect between minorities and health care is reflected in the breakdown of health care workers. Less than 20% of registered nurses identify as minorities, despite minorities comprising 40% of the U.S. population. In 2018, 13% of the U.S. population was Black, but only 5.4% of physicians were African American.

One way to address health care disparities is to encourage

more minorities to work in the health care field. Lack of diverse representation is one reason many people of color are hesitant to seek the proper care, preventive or otherwise, so the role of African American health care pro-

viders is critical in building trust and improving health outcomes in communities of color.

To support increasing health care provider diversity, GRAAHI CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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GUEST COLUMN Dave Yonkman

Attracting talent begins with public relations

E

ver met a successful professional who became depressed and complained about their dead-end situation a few months after taking a new job?

Or, after settling in, are they boasting about their work culture, opportunities for promotion and bosses who help them become the best versions of themselves?

How employees talk about where they work greatly determines whether their company will survive the ongoing labor shortage.

Their language determines whether anyone with whom they speak would consider working there or whether they would refer anyone they know to work there.

The ability to influence how your employees talk about you represents the core function of public relations. It doesn’t begin with words. It starts with action.

Your message to new talent begins with how you treat your current team.

Their words influence the actions of others. What they have to say speaks much more to potential employees than advertising $18-per-hour jobs with starting bonuses.

They won’t sing the praises of

businesses that deliberately suppress wages and benefits. Likewise, a lack of opportunities for professional development and career advancement will repel the best recruits. Nobody jumps at the opportunity to join an organization with toxic middle managers who hold the most talented people back.

Employees of such businesses are more than likely to discuss their poor treatment with their colleagues, friends and online networks. It represents a potential problem because 69% of recruits will not accept a position with a company that has a bad reputation. A full 84% will consider leaving their current jobs to work for an enterprise with more credibility.

The bad news is nearly all professionals engage in at least one social media site. Half of them post regularly about their company.

It’s also some of the best news ever.

A workforce so active on online networking sites offers incredible options to build your company’s reputation and credibility.

Encourage your employees to talk and post about your business. Engage them in sharing open positions, photos from company

events and your latest news. They want to be proud of the company for which they work. It’s where they spend one-third of their lives.

Colleagues, friends and potential hires also want to see authentic information about your business, not marketing collateral.

Organizations with employees who promote them are 58% more likely to attract, and 20% more likely to retain, top performers.

Talent has more options than ever right now with Michigan’s unemployment rate at 4.8% and a 5.4% national rate. The additional federal unemployment benefits didn’t help in closing a growing labor gap, but their recent expiration will help encourage more participation in the workforce. However, if the people you’re trying to get to work for you smell a poor work culture, they won’t come in at any price.

How do you get your team to speak highly of you?

Respect every member of your team as critical to your mission. If they’re not mission critical, they probably shouldn’t be with your company in the first place. Pay them competitive wages in good times and bad. Give them the latitude to attend to personal matters

during the day without requiring a reason. Provide opportunities to grow and succeed. Get to know them. Be honest with them.

Take a few lessons from “The Great Game of Business,” “Traction” or “Good to Great.” Gamify your work by hosting competitions that support your company’s bottom line. Publicly recognize individuals in your organization when they exceed expectations.

Many West Michigan firms adopted such an approach long before the market required them to. They consistently offer some of the best career opportunities in the country.

It’s never been a better time to recruit and retain the right talent to succeed over the long term.

Treat your current workforce professionally, authentically and gracefully. They will return the favor in spades in their personal and online social interactions. It’s public relations at its finest when it operates as a virtuous circle that invariably attracts professionals who brag that they get to work for you.

Dave Yonkman is president of the digital public relations firm DYS Media, a former Capitol Hill communications director and former Washington correspondent for Newsmax Media.

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL GUEST COLUMN Joe Novakoski

A chaplain for a construction company?

F

or 13 consecutive years, EV Construction has been a Best & Brightest Award recipient.

Though we take great honor in the receipt of these awards, the true sense of satisfaction we feel comes from knowing that we are doing our best to provide a great workplace for our employees.

We currently have 150 employees, many of whom have families in need of care. Every employee has needs, goals, fears, personal challenges and life demands. Our employees are more than names on a spreadsheet; they are part of a family, a community, they coach little league or teach Sunday school. They are valued.

Like most companies, we provide health insurance, which enables care for a person’s body. We have paid time off for sick days and vacation time to provide rest and recovery when it is needed and/or wanted. Paychecks obviously provide financial means.

Looking at our benefits package, we felt good about what we had to offer, but we saw a gap in coverage. We felt we could do better supporting the emotional needs of our team members.

Corporately, we believe it is our responsibility to take care of our employees as best we can.

Life often times takes unexpected, and in extreme cases, unfortunate turns. Our people experience the pain of terminal illness, loss in their families, struggles with mental dysfunction and emotional distress, endure broken relationships and so on. As an employer we know our managers and supervisors are ill-equipped to address struggles and emotional concerns

of this magnitude. Additionally, while speaking to a counselor or going through therapy is helpful, many struggle with where to go and how to ask for help.

Our leadership saw a need and found a resolution — a corporate chaplain. Josh Zoerhof is not only a pastor at Ridge Point Community Church, he also is a licensed therapist. He had previously been a guest speaker at the monthly, companywide safety meetings as well as a presenter to many of our leaders on the topic of mental health in the workplace. The impact of these guest appearances led to making him a formal team member and valued resource for the EV family.

Now Zoerhof hosts a regular segment at the monthly safety meeting. He shares insights into things such as common triggers that affect a person’s mental and emotional health and ways to deal with those triggers. By instituting his consistent voice and presence, we’ve seen our team members build rapport, respect and trust in his skill and knowledge. We believe that by continually establishing trust and rapport, we provide the confidence in our team members to reach out if/when the need for a professional voice arises.

In addition to attending our safety meetings, Zoerhof is available to any employee desiring to meet with him at no cost to the employee. His contact information was distributed to each employee to use as they need it. When he bills his time to EV, no names or identifying factors about those using his services are ever given. Employees can have complete confidence in

the fact that their time with him is completely confidential.

We’ve already seen success in the short season since we’ve instituted this “corporate chaplaincy” and we’ve asked Zoerhof to share a bit from his perspective.

“Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of professionals whose work was impacted by negative and/or pervasively difficult life situations. Some of these situations came as a result of stress in the job, but many of them came from situations outside of the workday or jobsite. For years, companies and employers have operated on the belief that stress, anxiety, depression and a host of other life issues can be compartmentalized and work can stay at work and home can stay at home,” he said. “While it’s true that the human mind and spirit are capable of navigating work-life environments and stressors, true compartmentalization is a myth.

As human beings we carry our pain, sadness, stress, fears, worries of life with us into workplaces and into our homes and families.

Simply put, if we have a bad day at home — it’s going to show up at work in some way (loss in productivity, friction in interpersonal relationships, etc.). Conversely, when we have greater peace and overall positive mental health, it’s going to show up at work in some way (higher productivity, lower attrition rates, more positive morale and staff interactions).

Wanting the best for employees (emotionally and psychologically) often yields getting the best from employees.”

Zoerhof pointed to the corona-

virus pandemic as a stress ignitor for so many people.

“This last year has been profoundly difficult on the emotional health of humanity. Every business, organization, household and family has been impacted.

COVID-19 amplified virtually every aspect of emotional health issues present in our society. If you have employees and staff struggling with depression and anxiety or difficult life stresses (grief, loss, etc.), odds are you are seeing it in the workplace,” he said. “Common examples are: loss in morale, loss in productivity, difficulty managing tasks that were previously manageable, increased aggression and hostility, drinking to excess or using other substances for escape and a general apathy toward company goals or initiatives. Helping employees, staff and colleagues find safe and professional voices and people to interact with can make a significant impact on the whole person and organization. It’s good business sense — yes — but it’s also good human sense and can change the game for so many.”

Bottom line is, as employers we care about the whole person who works for us and not just when they are at work. We recognize the obvious needs — health care, paychecks, PTO, etc. But there is more that can be done. Based on voluntary feedback I’ve already received, the time and investment in bringing a corporate chaplain on board is moving the needle of the mental health of the EV family in the right direction.

Joe Novakoski is vice president of operations at EV Construction.

GUEST COLUMN David Van Andel

25 years on, VAI is transforming human health

V

an Andel Institute’s story began with a vision: create a world-class biomedical research and education institute in Grand Rapids for the betterment of human health for generations to come.

To many, this seemed like a tall order — too tall, they said. But my father, Jay Van Andel, having decided to create the Institute, also was clear that Grand Rapids was the place.

Why not Grand Rapids? He asked this question despite the skeptics who urged him to build the Institute in a much larger city, or closer to a top-tier university with an established research enterprise. Still, my family was set on supporting the region that had long supported us.

So, in 1996, the decision was made by the family to officially found the Van Andel Institute. This year, we celebrate 25 years of innovation, breakthroughs and growth.

From the beginning, we said we would never be the biggest, but we were determined to be the best.

We also knew it would take years, even decades, of hard work and dedication. But once we began, it didn’t take long for the fruits of our labor to bloom.

Over the years, we’ve made vital breakthroughs in diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s, and in the areas of cell biology, structural biology, and metabolism and nutrition. We’ve found evidence of the origins of Parkinson’s disease in places you wouldn’t suspect, such as the nose and the appendix. VAI scientists are developing a combination blood test that could detect pancreatic cancer earlier, and the test is currently undergoing clinical validation to test its efficacy in real-world settings. We are a national powerhouse of epigenetics research, investigating the very code that makes us who we are.

Through it all, we are committed to translating discovery into the clinic, where it can help people live longer, healthier lives. We support an array of clinical trials designed to find effective new treatments and therapies, most notably through our collaborations with Cure Parkinson’s in the United Kingdom and the work of the Van Andel Institute-Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team.

VAI also remains dedicated to developing the next generation of scientists who will build on the foundations our world-class

faculty have laid. Our expert educators at Van Andel Institute for Education offer cutting-edge science educational programming for K-12 educators and students, and Van Andel Institute Graduate School trains the scientific leaders of tomorrow through a rigorous Ph.D. program in molecular and cellular biology.

As we look back on and celebrate our history, we also have our sights set on the next 25 years. VAI recently welcomed six new faculty members under a recruitment push to expand our research capacity in our areas of strength.

In August, Van Andel Institute Graduate School welcomed its largest and most diverse student cohort yet: 14 students from eight countries. Van Andel Institute for Education has deftly responded to upheavals in the educational landscape by tailoring its programs to be available online, in-person or a hybrid of the two — positioning us well as a valuable asset for educators everywhere.

As an independent, not-forprofit organization, we could not do this work without this community. I wish that I could mention here every name, every school and

organization, and every family that has contributed to our success over the years. There are so many who invested their time, energy and resources into our work. We are so grateful for all who support our mission through their generosity.

This support has helped our Institute come so far. From those early days, with a staff in the dozens and temporary research space at Butterworth Hospital, we’ve grown into an organization whose work is recognized around the globe, boasting almost 500 scientists, educators and staff.

The Medical Mile continues to spring up around VAI. My parents would be proud that their decision to build the Institute in Grand Rapids spurred such strong investment and growth in health and biomedical sciences. Their vision set the pace and tone for a bright future where VAI can continue to help lead the charge into a healthier future for all of humankind. As we mark our 25th anniversary, we are as energized as ever to carry the torch into the next quarter-century and beyond.

David Van Andel is chairman and CEO of Van Andel Institute.

OCTOBER 4, 2021

17

GUEST COLUMN Stacy Paul

Aerospace women need to be role models

W

omen leading the next generation of women: this is what is developing in the aerospace industry in Michigan.

With a skilled workforce, a host of manufacturing capabilities, several globally competitive universities, and a government that supports business, Michigan is poised with incredible opportunities for those interested in aerospace. This is especially true for women in or interested in being part of the industry.

As a member of the Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM), we keenly believe in the power of supporting and encouraging young women to dream big.

In a recent virtual conference, the AIAM and the robotics organization FIRST in Michigan came together to inspire K-12 students to pursue STEM fields and provide information on what the aerospace industry looks like for female engineers. The conference had an esteemed panel of female engineers as well as two keynote speakers, Huy Tran, director of aeronautics at NASA Ames CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Eliminating health care disparities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

is collaborating with colleges and universities across West Michigan, with support from Kellogg, to help create a pipeline of students of all ethnic backgrounds from high school to careers in health care.

Increasing awareness of the social determinants and key issues affecting health for diverse populations also is essential. Advocacy, education and research will be crucial to effectively improving health outcomes.

Our end goal is to create a culture where we have moved beyond the need to address inequities and can guarantee that everyone can access a healthy lifestyle, preventive care and understand how to navigate the health care system.

We can create real, impactful and meaningful health care change for diverse populations by eliminating disparities and ensuring that all West Michigan residents will receive affordable quality care without race being a determinant.

Vanessa Greene is chief executive officer at the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute.

18

OCTOBER 4, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Push for regulation of mining draws opposition Locals worry loss of control for sand, gravel extraction will lead to other problems.

Joseph Dungerow

Capital News Service

LANSING — Proposed state regulation of sand and gravel mining wrests control from local authorities and could lead to a similar loss of authority elsewhere, according to local and environmental officials.

Every chip away at local control sets a precedent for any other group or industry to come in and demand the same for them, said Jennifer Rigterink, a legislative associate at the Michigan Municipal League, which opposes the legislation. Local governments are losing control of other industries, such as short-term vacation rentals and soda pop taxing.

When local courts do not find in favor of these industries to operate in the ways they want to, they will sometimes go to the Legislature and ask it to overturn these decisions, she said.

The gravel bills would allow mining corporations to file permits with the state to set up sand and gravel mines, but they overlook the concerns of people who live nearby, said Rep. Gary Howell, R-North Branch, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee where the bills are pending.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has not taken a position on the bills but plans to work with Sen. Jim Ananich to ensure an effective mining program, said Dean Scott, strategic communications adviser for

the department. Ananich, D-Flint, sponsored the bills, but could not be reached for comment.

Proponents say the legislation is needed to help improve the economy. Local communities have opposed mining permits, making it difficult to get sand and gravel out, said Berl Falbaum, a spokesman for the Levy Co., an aggregate mining operation in Dearborn.

“This hurts the economy, it hurts, you know, airports, housing, pavement,” he said. If potholes need to be filled, “we need this material.”

Howell, however, argues that

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the bills “are written by and for the gravel mining corporations.” The bills passed the Senate on June 2 but stalled in the House.

Instead of holding a hearing on those bills, Howell has proposed a separate bill to ensure local control in permitting, environmental regulations and residential concerns, such as hours of operation and light pollution. That power should remain in the hands of local governments and groups, he said, adding that state comment and input are good, but the power to issue permits at the state level is bad.

Giving control of permits and environmental regulations to the state could produce environmental and human harm, said Tim Minotas, the legislative and political director of the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club.

There are sand and gravel mines throughout Michigan, but many are in rural areas of the southeastern region, Minotas said. They often are found in or near glacial outwash areas near groundwater and drinking water.

These areas contain wetlands, streams and lakes. Aggregate mining can contaminate and deplete these water supplies, which are vital for people and the environment, he said.

That is a problem both for human health and for returning natural areas to their original state, Minotas said. He wants to see a hydrogeological study on top of other requirements for protection before backing the bills.

Falbaum said, “We were environmentally friendly at a local level.”

The state’s uniform system is what is best for the environment and the industry, he said.

Gravel and sand mining are important in creating and maintaining Michigan roads, said Mike Spence, administrator of government affairs at the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

The permitting process, now handled locally, allows governments to consider the needs for infrastructure and their community, Spence said. The Senate bills would eliminate all local authority, and the state would likely introduce a one-sizefits-all approach to permitting and environmental protection.

Howell’s bill may be the avenue for compromise, Spence said.

It suggests making the permitting process clearer, and also clearly defines situations in which aggregate mining operations might be a threat to a community, Spence said.

Minotas said local concerns, such as light and sound pollution and hours of operation, should be governed locally, but there may be room for statewide intervention and control when it comes to environmental impacts.

Most Michigan communities are doing a good job at regulating and controlling environmental concerns, but there are some outliers, Minotas said, where state-level expertise and resources may be valuable to maintain the environment.

Overall, though, locals are doing a good job, he said.

Howell said state input is appreciated, but the people that know best and care the most are locals. “In my experience, the locals are more likely to be the watchdogs that are really gonna highlight problems more so than the state.”

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

19

Organization leads students toward work with innovation skills TalNET provides a structured path from school to employment.

Danielle Nelson

dnelson@grbj.com

A networking system is addressing the region’s talent shortage at a very early age.

Talent Innovation Network for West Michigan (TalNET) is a networking system that focuses on improving the quality of career decisions in education, training and job selection based on five innovation components: SkillSense, CareerPoint, JobSync, HireReach and IncludeAll. The first component, SkillSense, is being implemented in students as early as kindergarten and focuses on social and emotional skills.

SkillSense specifies 12 foundational skills that are deemed important for K-12 students: communication, participation, good choices, teamwork, achievements, responsibility, reasoning, time management, tech management, decisiveness, adaptability and innovation. Each element is progressive and designed to complement a specific grade level when they are intentionally taught by teachers and practiced by students over time.

Jason Pasatta, director of instructional services for Ottawa Area ISD, said those elements originated from he and his team’s collaboration with employers who identified specific skills they would like employees to have.

Pasatta acknowledged that many schools have programs in place that utilize different resources involving social and emotional skills.

He said SkillSense provides a framework educators can follow to be included in the curriculum at different age levels, so students develop those skills over time and they are reinforced from level to level.

To make that somewhat easier for teachers to introduce elements of SkillSense, Pasatta established a pilot program two years ago in seven school districts, including Grand Haven Area Public Schools and Zeeland Public Schools. He said some districts are working with SkillSense as it corresponds to grade levels in elementary schools or middle schools, while others are teaching some of those skills at a specific grade level.

Pasatta said the goal is to continue the pilot program for the next year, but as it is being implemented, he is learning from it.

“Students are in all sorts of different contexts, neighborhoods,” he said. “There are different settings, from rural to suburban to urban areas. The school districts that exist within different contexts are all different. They have different pressures, different things that they are dealing with, different strengths and having a one size fits all sort of approach to the work probably doesn’t make sense, especially when you are trying to align systems where we are all speaking the same language and we want to have the same terms. We are not saying that this going to be

a structured curriculum that we want everyone to implement and do it a certain way. It will be more of a framework where you can apply to what you are currently doing that, hopefully, you’ll have a little more flexibility in how it is being implemented from schools to schools or districts to districts.”

Nevertheless, there is a clear goal of how SkillSense is meant to guide students in their life and career decisions after they graduate from high school.

“First and foremost, I hope they have these skills that will

honestly allow them to excel in post-secondary education and any jobs they would like to pursue, but I also hope that they realize that through this process that they might have strengths and skills that may align with different career industries,” he said.

“So, if I am really good at things like innovation, (or) I am really good at time management and decisiveness, those are different (skills) that they might want to think about and see whether that might apply to engineering or health care or the service indus-

try, or something else that might lend itself to the skills that they are naturally good at.”

CareerPoint helps high school graduates determine career options and how to pursue them. It is designed for employers, educators and job placement professionals to work with individuals to identify their skills and abilities that will lead them to jobs that are suitable for them. CareerPoint uses seven steps to help potential employees: intake, coaching, support, learning, credentials, profiles and placement.

The intake step connects individuals to career pathways. The coaching step helps individuals make informed career choices after advancing through four stages, which include self-awareness, option exploration, decision-making and action planning.

The third step is helping individuals find financial support and other wrap-around services to support their career choice.

The learning step links individuals to education, training and CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

ACCOUNTING

Colby Craig has been hired as Pennell CPA’s business support manager.

Memorial Garden earns landscape award

Rehmann is the recipient of the 2020 Best Pivot Award by the Association for Accounting Marketing for best external campaign or initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Memorial Garden at Michigan Veteran Homes in Grand Rapids received a 2021 Community Landscape Beautification Award from the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association. Initially conceptualized by Robert Troost, the Memorial Garden eventually became a joint project between MVHGR and the Kent Garden Club. A capital campaign raised over $18,000 through the MVHGR, Kent Garden Club, Michigan Garden Club, Secchia Family Foundation, West Michigan Alliance for Veterans, veteran service organizations and the community at large to establish the garden for the benefit of its members.

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Extra Credit Projects recently earned one of only five gold awards, as well as two silver and two bronze, presented at the 79th annual OBIE Awards.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING Benton Harbor-based Wightman promoted Ashley Sonnevil to human resources director and Kevin Marks to engineering director.

AWARDS

Mercantile Bank is the recipient of the 2021 MBA Financial Literacy Award and the 2021 MBA Innovator Award by the Michigan Bankers Association for its financial literacy efforts throughout 2020.

Rockford-based Morris Builders Inc. received a 2021 Guildmaster with Distinction Award from GuildQuality for demonstrating exceptional customer service within the residential construction industry.

BANKING

Credit Union Trust appointed Carrie Iafrate, Members First Credit Union, and Dana Tell, Team One Credit Union, to its board of directors.

Honor Credit Sanders Union in Berrien Springs announced the internal promotion of Tracy Sanders to assistant vice president of operations.

BUSINESS SERVICES

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce hired Muskegon native Tamara Jackson-Gatewood as its director of membership services.

director of Strategic Initiatives and LaughFest for Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, took on the role of director for WMU’s Grand Rapids regional location.

CONSTRUCTION

FOOD & BEVERAGE

CD Barnes Construction hired Casey Pinkelman as a project manager and Trevor Petroelje, who attended Grand Rapids Community College and Ferris State University for construction management.

EV Construction hired the following: Jennifer Rodriguez-Duran, painter; Chad Wilcox, field manager; Brian McGhee, interiors foreman; Judd VanBergen, assistant project manager; and interns Marcelo Laranja, Ben Mesler and Madelyn Wright.

EDUCATION

Godfrey-Lee Public Schools has been awarded $10,000 for the enhancement of its current STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) programs because it contributed in the MiSTEM Place, Project and Problem (3-P) Based Learning Playbook for the State of Michigan.

Nichols Paper & Supply Co. in Norton Shores promoted Heather Smith to marketing manager.

Ryan Corcoran has been named principal of Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic School.

RanDee Hartman joined JetCo Solutions as a technical writer.

Two-time Western Michigan University graduate Joanne Roehm,

OCT 4-MID JAN Grand Rapids Public Museum Exhibition. Bats: Masters of the Night.

Exhibit explains bats are actually gentle, helpful little animals. Hands-on display showcases evening activities of bats, such as echolocation (sonar ability), pollination, diet and flight. Registration/ information: grpm.org/Bats.

Muskegon County’s Celebrate Impact Gathering. 5 p.m. social hour, Frauenthal Center Western Avenue lobby, 6 p.m., gathering in the Frauenthal Theater for updates from the Community Foundation and featured speaker Brianna Scott, on the life-changing power of positive impact in Muskegon County. Registration/information: (231) 722-9750.

OCT 4 Family Business Alliance Board of Directors Workshop. Members only.

Practical ideas from attorneys and family business owners for building or utilizing a board. 3:30-6 p.m., Warner Norcross + Judd Grand Rapids office, 150 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 1500. Registration/information: bit.ly/ BoardDirectorsWorkshop.

OCT 4-APR 23 Lakeshore Museum Center Jewish Community in Muskegon Exhibit.

“L’Dor V’Dor (Hebrew meaning from generation to generation): Generations of Muskegon’s Jewish Community.

Registration/information: lakeshore museum.org.

OCT 6 Builders Exchange of Michigan Webinar. Topic is Planroom Training For Interior Contractors. 3-4 p.m. Cost: free. Registration/information: (616) 9498650 or courtney@grbx.com.

OCT 6 St. Cecilia Music Center Folk Series With Sam Bush. 7:30 p.m. Cost: $45 (section A); $40 (section B). Registration/information: (616) 459-2224 or scmc-online.org.

OCT 7 The Community Foundation

OCT 7 The Downtown Market Event. Topic is Ethical Dilemmas And Unwritten Rules, by former Enron chief financial officer and convicted felon Andy Fastow. 6:30 p.m., the Downtown Market, 435 Ionia Ave. SW. Registration/information: josh@ eowm.org.

OCT 7-NOV 18 Grand Rapids Young Professionals Bowling League. 6:30 p.m., Wengers Bowling Alley, 629 Leonard St. NW. Registration/information: Registration/information: gryp.org/upcoming-events-copy.

OCT 9-30 Grand Rapids Public Museum Saturday Investigation Education Classes. Ages 8 and older can sign up for hands-on educational classes to investigate science, history and culture. 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the museum. Registration/information: grpm.org/EduClasses.

OCT 11 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Government Matters Zoom Meeting with Elected Officials.

Bring your top issues and interact with policy makers. 8-9 a.m. Registration/ information: (616) 531-5990 or michelle@ southkent.org.

OCT 13

Mitten Foundation Inc., the charity arm of The Mitten Brewing Co., elected Chris Andrus to serve as board president and Julie Green as board vice president.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Huizenga Gamache & Associates earned the 2020 Ameriprise Client Experience Award for its ability to consistently deliver personalized, goal-based advice and exceptional client service.

Kalamazoo-based Amerifirst Home Mortgage hired Matt Jones as senior adviser-capital markets.

GOVERNMENT

Karianne Thomas joined the Grand Rapids Police Department as the department’s first chief of staff.

Thomas comes to the GRPD with comprehensive public safety fiscal management experience, including eight years in the leadership of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.

The Grand Rapids Fire Department achieved accredited agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. It earned reaccreditation,

Builders Exchange of Michigan Webinar. Topic is Planroom Training For Exterior Contractors. 3-4 p.m. Cost: free. Registration/information: (616) 9498650 or courtney@grbx.com.

OCT 13 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Business N Beers Networking.

4:30-7 p.m., Noto’s Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th St. SE. Registration/ information: bob@southkent.org.

OCT 14 Every Woman’s Place Power of The Purse Runway Show. Showcasing luxury purses for auction and online silent auction. Includes appetizer buffet, Fricano’s pizza and cash bar. 5-8:30 p.m., Fricano Place Muskegon Lake, 1050 W. Western Ave., Muskegon. Registration/information: bit.ly/EWP2021.

OCT 14 MomsBloom Bloom Award Luncheon.

Hear stories about love, hope and possibilities. 11:30 a.m., Cascade Hills Country Club. Registration/information: momsbloom.org.

OCT 15 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce 3rd Friday Networking Lunch. 11:30 a.m.1 p.m., Candied Yam, 2305 44th St. SE. Cost: $17/members, $22/nonmembers. Registration/information: bob@southkent.org.

OCT 15-16 Grand Rapids Public Museum In-Person And Virtual 2021 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert Series. Featuring the silent film “Safety Last!” with organ performance by Andrew Rogers. Cost: $15/in-person, $10/members, $10/virtual

CHANGE-UPS & CALENDAR

originally awarded in 2016, for meeting the criteria established through the CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program.

Commercial Member Health Plan Study.

This marks two out of the last three years that HAP has been ranked No. 1 according to this study by J.D. Power.

GRANTS

LEGAL

Women’s Resource Center is the recipient of a $200,000 grant from the Michigan Justice Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The grant will provide an expansion of the jail-based New Beginnings program to Muskegon and Ottawa county correctional facilities.

HEALTH

Dr. Alex Korte joined Mitten Kids Dentistry.

Douglas Apple, MD, has been appointed to serve as chief clinical officer for the Warrenbased Ascension Michigan market.

A mental health practitioner with Apple over 25 years of experience, Patricia Roehling joined Holland Hospital Women’s Specialty Care.

Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital was in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Children’s Hospitals in seven of 10 specialty pediatrics areas: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; nephrology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; pulmonology; and urology.

United Methodist Retirement Communities and Porter Hills have been named a Best and Brightest Company to Work For in both Metro Detroit and West Michigan.

Bloomfield Hills-based Plunkett Cooney added associate attorney Andrea L. Kahn to its transportation law practice group in Grand Rapids.

Mark Greidanus joined Rhoades McKee as an associate and member of its litigation practice group.

Melissa B. Heinz joined Gruel Mills as an associate attorney.

Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge announced shareholder Michael E. Doversberger has been named chair of the firm’s business and real estate practice group.

MEDIA

Dan Boers has been hired as FOX 17’s news director. He previously worked nearly 20-years at WOOD/WOTV/ WXSP, where he most recently was news director for the past 6-plus years.

NONPROFITS

Lake Michigan Credit Union’s Band Together campaign recently raised $75,000 to support kids’ care in their local communities. More than a dozen different hospitals throughout Michigan and Florida will each receive a portion of the donations.

Solutions to End Exploitation, a nonprofit committed to creating a future free from human trafficking, announced the appointment of Missy Weismann as executive director.

Grand Rapids Community Media Center appointed Karisa Wilson Sprite to its board.

HOSPITALITY

Ben Koopman joined Hudsonville-based Suburban Inns’ leadership team as chief operations officer; Danielle Matz has been named chief financial officer.

INSURANCE

Health Alliance Plan ranked highest in member satisfaction among commercial health plans in the Michigan region, according to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S.

per household. Oct. 15, 7 p.m., 2 p.m., Oct. 16, virtual concerts of the Friday performance will be streamed live over Zoom.

Registration/information: grpm.org/Organ.

OCT 18 Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce In-Person/Livestream Advocacy In Action. Lakeshore government updates. 8-9 a.m., Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant, 216 Van Raalte Ave., Holland. Cost: $35/members, $50/nonmembers, $10/members livestream, $20/nonmembers livestream.

Registration/information: (616) 928-9101 or colleen@westcoastchamber.org.

OCT 20 Builders Exchange of Michigan Webinar. Topic is Planroom Training For General Contractors. 3-4 p.m. Cost: free. Registration/information: (616) 9498650 or courtney@grbx.com.

OCT 22 Express Employment Professionals 25th Anniversary Client Appreciation Open House. 4-7 p.m., Express Employment Professionals, 1760 44th St. SW, Wyoming.

Registration/information: (616) 281-0611 or Ana.Nichols@ExpressPros.com.

OCT 26 Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce Power Lunch. Expand your network. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Macatawa Golf Club, 4600 Macatawa Legends Blvd., Suite No. 1, Holland. Cost: $35/members, $50/nonmembers. Registration/ information: (616) 928-9101 or colleen@ westcoastchamber.org.

OCT 26 Wyoming Business Leaders Meeting.

8-9 a.m., Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th

CHANGE-UPS POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the Change-Ups section. Send announcements concerning personnel changes, new businesses, changes of address etc. to Change-Ups Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjchangeups@grbj.com.

St. SW, Wyoming. Registration/information: (616) 261-4500 or d.kuba@instantcashmi.com.

OCT 27 Builders Exchange of Michigan Webinar. Topic is Planroom Training For Suppliers and Manufacturers. 3-4 p.m.

Cost: free. Registration/information: (616) 949-8650 or courtney@grbx.com.

OCT 30 Ottawa County 231 10K and 4 Mile River Run. Runs/walks begin at 8:30 a.m., Connor Bayou County Park, 12945 North Cedar Drive, Grand Haven. Registration/ information: bit.ly/2021RiverRun. NOV 8 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Government Matters Zoom Meeting with Elected Officials.

Bring your top issues and interact with policy makers. 8-9 a.m. Registration/ information: 616-531-5990 or michelle@ southkent.org.

CALENDAR POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the calendar section. Send items to Calendar Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjcal endar@grbj.com. Submissions must be received at least three weeks prior to the event.

The Business Journal calendar posted on the publication’s website (grbj.com) includes listings for events extended beyond those printed in the weekly publication that are limited by space restrictions.

PUBLIC RECORD MORTGAGES

Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds STOREY, Ryan et al, Northpointe Bank, Parcel: 4121033150039, $444,000 BRAMEIJER, Michael T., Flagstar Bank, Parcel: 411904476033, $361,500 DEBRIE, Joni M. et al, MiMutual Mortgage, Caledonia Twp., $446,000 CUCCARESE, Thomas A. et al, Wyndham Capital Mortgage, Parcel: 411108160006, $447,000 BEACH, Lisa A. et al, Quicken Loans, Parcel: 411912300031, $409,500 1188 EAST PARIS BUILDING LLC, Old National Bank, Parcel: 411436351013, $1,618,402 BLUE LABEL PROPERTIES LLC et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411429379001, $1,800,000 WILTSE HAMILTON WAREHOUSE LLC, Live Oak Banking Co., Parcel: 41143045202, $1,433,000 FALCON CUSTOM HOMES, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411508102001, $1,500,000 INTERRA HOMES LLC, Mercantile Bank, Parcel: 411014276001, $873,115 TAPESTRY SQUARE SENIOR LIVING, Orix Real Estate Capital LLC, Parcel: 411431101030, $4,660,200 SWJH PROPERTIES LLC, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411419251005, $380,000 SLOT, Julie, Hometown Lenders, Parcel: 412018100031, $396,000 SCHAFFER, Matthew et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411531126023, $621,000 MONARCH TOO LLC, Budelman Trust, East Grand Rapids, $400,000 DURLING, Luke et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411913100054, $1,862,350 IDE, Aaron et al, Grand River Bank, Parcel: 412303176014, $377,400 ROBERTSON, Kahler et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Plainfield Twp., $397,600 JOHNSON, Daniel M., Ark-La-Tex Financial Services, Gaines Twp., $386,250 BONDY, Robert, Macatawa Bank, Cannon Twp., $548,250 WITT, William, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411419152001, $720,000 CULP, Michael, Mercantile Bank, Parcel: 411903226015, $876,500 BLATMAN, Robert, Turnstone Financial Credit Union, Kentwood, $999,999 P&L CO. LLC, Macatawa Bank, Parcel: 411419480039, $703,500 WARD, Amy M. et al, Equitable Mortgage Corp., Parcel: 412110252008, $460,000 LACHMAN, Blair et al, Neighborhood Loans, Parcel: 411430453025, $465,000 BROWN, Alexander C. et al, Independent Bank, Parcel: 411534155004, $517,500 ICHESCO, Jeffrey et al, Cason Home Loans, Parcel: 411524126005, $367,250 FIERENS, Louis J. II et al, Primelending, Parcel: 410802326021, $546,000 NELSON, Jeffrey et al, Independent Bank, Parcel: 411623100041, $548,250 DOWNS, Elizabeth et al, Mercantile Bank, Parcel: 411431206029, $535,500 COPUS, Cody et al, PNC Bank, Parcel: 411433453020, $599,500 ZDARSKY, Christopher J. et al, Mercantile Bank, Grand Rapids City, $366,600 MURPHY, Steven R. et al, United Wholesale Mortgage, Parcel: 411433351001, $477,800 HUMMEL, Christopher et al, Finance of America Mortgage, Ada Twp., $634,000 BEHM, Daniel et al, Huntington National Bank, Parcel: 411906489031, $635,000 KENNEDY, Drew A. et al, Huntington National Bank, Parcel: 412332200022, $563,500 SINGH, Darshan et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 412116201006, $640,000 DENBRABER, Jeffrey, Neighborhood Loans, Parcel: 411432434006, $352,000 PELTIER, Nathan, Ark-La-Tex Financial Services, Wyoming, $352,000 KLECZYNSKI, Joshua, Mercantile Bank, Lowell, $418,000 JELOVAC, Sanel, Consumers Credit Union, Cascade Twp., $540,900 WINQUIST, Erik S., Grand River Bank, Ada Twp., $540,000 PASNICK, Susan D., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411132153007, $540,000 LEUTHEUSER, Robert, Northern Mortgage Services, Parcel: 411904176006, $363,000 WOTRING, Perry S., Mercantile Bank, Cascade Twp., $500,000 FRITTS, David, United Wholesale Mortgage, Vergennes Twp., $432,250 GANDY, Steven L., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Plainfield Twp., $498,400 DOOR, Kristin, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Gaines Twp., $351,500 MALTBIE, Sean C., Mortgage Research Center LLC, Parcel: 411411202117, $396,000 TABIN, Mary L., United Wholesale Mortgage, Grand Rapids Twp., $481,050 VAIL, Corbin R. et al, Northpointe Bank, Gaines Twp., $392,000 SHIELS, Craig W. et al, Independent Bank, Parcel: 412315480013, $480,000 MURRAY, Robert E. et al, Old National Bank, East Grand Rapids, $360,000 REINARTZ, Phillip et al, Inlanta Home Mortgage, Parcel: 411532220006,

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL $355,000 CELICHOWSKI, Mark et al, Benchmark Mortgage, Parcel: 411934201026, $636,000 VROMA, Stephen, Huntington National Bank, Parcel: 411114400055, $382,500 DRAKE, William et al, Freedom Mortgage, Parcel: 411019151028, $454,000 LOTT, Jason, Low VA Rates LLC, Parcel: 411907101048, $442,911 ROELOFS, Robert, Rocket Mortgage, Cascade Twp., $353,700 COHEN, Rachel L. et al, Northpointe Bank, Ada Twp., $475,000 HENDRICK, Miki S. et al, Guaranteed Rate, Cannon Twp., $628,000 SCHOONBECK, Kelly et al, Hometown Lenders, Byron Twp., $532,000 DUNLOP, Karla R. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cascade Twp., $378,000 SOULES, Kevin E. et al, PNC Bank, East Grand Rapids, $629,833 ELLIOTT, Amy et al, United Wholesale Mortgage, Sparta, $349,200 WESTGATE, Michael J., Churchill Mortgage, Plainfield Twp., $376,000 GAYNOR, Geoffrey et al, Fifth Third Bank, Byron Twp., $441,000 HIRSCH, Zachary et al, Neighborhood Loans, East Grand Rapids, $438,675 YEATTS, Cecil G. III et al, Fifth Third Bank, Byron Twp., $597,329 TAPPAN, David L. et al, Quicken Loans, East Grand Rapids, $388,500 MOQUIN, Jesse et al, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Ada Twp., $585,000 SOLT, Kevin et al, Independent Bank, East Grand Rapids, $1,282,500 KAIL, Matthew et al, Old National Bank, Algoma Twp., $638,500 DALE, Shannon K., Mercantile Bank, Gaines Twp., $351,000 ZAMZAM TRUST, Huntington National Bank, Ada Twp., $787,800 BEDFORD, Christine et al, United Wholesale Mortgage, Plainfield Twp., $398,050 BHONET, Matthew S. et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Cascade Twp., $860,000 THIEL, James et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Ada Twp., $1,024,500 WYMA, David J. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Byron Twp., $520,000 DEVRIES TURST, Old National Bank, Byron Twp., $500,000 MIDDAUGH, Yaro, Neighborhood Loans Cascade Twp., $372,000 SANDMAIR, Michael F., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cannon Twp., $669,700 CAIROLI, Amy et al, Independent Bank, Parcel: 411430163006, $379,000 ZAJAC, Steven et al, Northern Mortgage Services, Courtland Twp., $369,000 MILLER, Michael et al, Quicken Loans, Parcel: 411403252009, $512,000 RICH, Jonathan, Northern Mortgage Services, Parcel: 411435376048, $450,000 DELONGCHAMP, Jeffrey S., Fifth Third Bank, Ada Twp., $1,000,000 ARAMBURU, Martin et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp., East Grand Rapids, $515,000 QUAIN, Thomas, ChoiceOne Bank, Parcel: 411416126028, $369,000 WILLIAMS, Bruce K. et al, Freedom Mortgage, Courtland Twp., $374,597 ANDERS, Shaun T. et al, Inlanta Mortgage, East Grand Rapids, $461,800 VECHEY, Eric Z. et al, Huntington National Bank, East Grand Rapids, $543,000 MORGAN, David et al, Better Mortgage Corp., Gaines Twp., $465,987 PATTERSON TRUST, Bank of America, Parcel: 411909128015, $362,400 PROBST, Nicole et al, MSU Federal Credit Union, Cascade Twp., $468,000 SWERBY, Julie et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cascade Twp., $1,622,400 LU, Min et al, New American Funding, Ada Twp., $434,250 COOK, Dustin et al, Old National Bank, Byron Twp., $480,000 O’BRIEN, John P. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Walker, $451,250 MIEDEMA, Bruce W., Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Byron Twp., $1,120,000 GEDDIE, Brooke et al, MSU Federal Credit Union, Courtland Twp., $602,000 620 STOCKING LLC, Union Bank, Parcel: 411324313017, $872,000 HANSEN, Erik et al, Neighborhood Loans, Cannon Twp., $464,000 TULLIO, Matthew et al, Huntington National Bank, Walker, $357,000 TIERNEY, Brian O. et al, Fifth Third Bank, East Grand Rapids, $1,296,000 PUETZ, Catherine et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cascade Twp., $1,200,000 PAUL, Katheryn A. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, East Grand Rapids, $765,000 VANDERPLOEG, Mark et al, Grand River Bank, Byron Twp., $430,000 EARLY, Arlene et al, Fifth Third Bank, East Grand Rapids, $364,000

PUBLIC RECORD AVAILABLE ONLINE: For the full version of this week’s Public Record, visit the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s website at grbj.com.

OCTOBER 4, 2021

21

Organization leads students toward work with innovation skills CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

work-based learning. In order to get employment, some employers would like employees to have such credentials as certificates, degrees, certifications and/or licenses. TalNET helps individuals to develop a profile that outlines skills and potential employers.

The final step is placement, which involves employer discussions with employees about hiring.

JobSync helps individuals identify and understand what jobs or careers are in demand within the West Michigan region.

The next step, HireReach, involves employers using better practices such as data and metrics to find the right employees.

“People keep doing the same old thing,” said Bill Guest, senior consultant for TalNET. “They are skimming resumes or using software to automatically skim resumes and interviewing people and them sending them off to a hiring manager who does the final interviews and not using anything that is statistically valid in all of that. People making individual judgments and data would say that those judgments are fairly random. The old method of skimming resumes and doing faceto-face interviews without other tools is not very reliable at all.”

Another hinderance that Guest said might prevent employers from finding the right employee is over-specification of job qualifications.

“Post-secondary education is really important, some level of training is important, but confusion gets created around college for all,” he said. “It gets interpret-

ed as a bachelor’s degree for all, and a bachelor’s degree for all is not a positive for society. That is creating a barrier that cuts some people out. If we are trying to be more inclusive and help everyone get to their optimal place, over-specifying a job by asking for a bachelor’s degree when you don’t need a bachelor’s degree is a negative and that is hurting everyone. If an employer is over-specifying a job, they are missing out on some really good candidates.

They aren’t just hurting the candidates that don’t get in, they are hurting themselves because they are not getting access to the best candidates.”

To change the way employers select their next employee, TalNET has established HireReach Academy, which has helped 34 employers so far. Four employers are currently enrolled in the fall academy.

It’s a virtual five-month academy that combines a series of learning modules and activities with tools and courses, peer learning and consulting support.

Following completion of the academy, organizations should be able to establish a custom evidence-based selection framework, which includes jobs, selection tools, data and outcomes.

Some of the selection tools include cognitive assessments, personality assessments, career interest assessments, online reference checks and structured interview guides.

“Using assessments and other tools such as cognitive assessment where you measure people’s general mental ability; personality assessments where

you look at the big five dimension of personalities and the different facilities of that,” Guest said. “There is a career interest assessment that talks about what kind of work interest people, engages people and not just the whole job but the individual tasks. What kinds of things people like to do, because you can find people that have the ability to do the work and the personality to do the work and that is a good fit and it is interesting to them. Those kinds of measures are really good at helping to predict who would be the best performer for the job.”

The final segment is IncludeAll, which is based on diversity and inclusion strategies and leadership competencies.

While TalNET has outlined innovations that may take years to implement and come to fruition for individuals who are finding a career and want to land employment, it all starts with SkillSense, Pasatta said.

“The idea with SkillSense is that in the future, after they’ve graduated from grade 12, hopefully, we have an aligned system where the other side of town can pick up where we left off, so individuals are going through the career coaching module, they are utilizing the same skills to help them assess what careers are open in the area and utilize those skills and get them the education they need to get to wherever they want to be in the future,” he said.

“It is all about having an interconnected system where SkillSense is the upfront innovation leading into the other ones.”

Women aerospace engineers need to be role models CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Research Center, and Janelle Wellons, instrument operations systems engineer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In sharing the journey that has led them to their careers, they opened the floor for engaging panel discussions moderated by women in executive leadership positions from companies in Michigan’s aerospace industry.

In addition to the panel discussion, Calumet Electronics engineers Dr. Meredith LaBeau, director of process, R&D and manufacturing engineering, and Audra Thurston, product realization/R&D manager, presented on developing next-generation technology in a traditionally male-dominated industry, breaking down barriers and never offering an apology for dreaming to the highest level. They believe that aerospace needs ambitious female engineers who think creatively and bring innovation that will influence the future of the industry.

Other AIAM members joined the conference such as Angela Kimber, mechanical engineer in

product design, at Woodward; Lisa Peterson, VP of business development and marketing, at AirSpace Link; and Kaylee Konwinski, process engineer, at Barron Industries.

These AIAM women believe in the power of mentorship and encouragement of the next generation.

Approximately 11% of aerospace engineers in the United States are female, according to Deloitte and Datawheel. Though the level of interest in the industry may never equal that of their male counterparts, the number of women is increasing, and being able to navigate the internal pathways of a structure largely tailored to men begs the wisdom and mentorship of women in aerospace.

With students returning to their schools this fall, the mentorship and direction starts with the school infrastructure. Principals, counselors, teachers and parents often are the mediator between a dream at a desk in a classroom and the first steps toward a career in aerospace.

Tony Vernaci of AIAM said, “It is the belief of AIAM and FIRST in Michigan that it is everyone’s col-

lective responsibility to encourage and support the future talent that will lead our industry.” Janelle Wellons echoed this in her exhortation to the young women at the conference: “The universe lies ahead, nothing will hold you back, and if someone like me could end up at places like MIT and JPL, that means that you too, absolutely can.”

The creativity, collaboration, and moxie to be gained by the upcoming generation of women in aerospace are all too important to ignore. Encouraging young women who decide to venture into aerospace is our first priority.

Stacy Paul, aerospace engineer and CEO of Array of Engineers, has worked in the aerospace industry since 2000 on various projects ranging from the manned space program at NASA to modern commercial aircraft. She grew up in a small town in northern Michigan where she found her love of exploring, creativity and the night sky. She has mentored/ coached a middle school FTC FIRST Robotics team in West Michigan for the past five years.

22

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

OCTOBER 4, 2021

Wyoming puts parks, public safety on the ballot Pinup experience.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL STAFF

have clearly illustrated a need for additional, proactive traffic enforcement and community policing in our city. City parks built 25 or more years ago are now in need of capital investment to continue to meet the community’s needs.

“After carefully reviewing our options, the City Council has agreed that an income tax is the most equitable way to fund these needs and ensure a sustainable economic future for Wyoming.”

The funding generated by the income tax would allow the Wyoming Department of Public Safety to add 27 firefighters and 14 police positions, significantly improving public safety by decreasing response times, enhancing crime prevention efforts and adding more proactive traffic enforcement. The funding also would provide $600,000 in sustainable annual capital investment in the city’s parks system. The current parks millage does not have capacity to provide any funding for capital investment.

If approved by voters, the income tax – for residents, businesses, and non-residents working in Wyoming – would go into effect starting January 2023. State law allows the city to levy an income tax of up to

he Wyoming City Council recently took action to place two proposals on the May 2022 ballot that, if approved, would provide future funding to support public safety and parks needs, make the city more financially sustainable and minimize the overall tax burden of residents.

The first ballot proposal would allow the city to levy an income tax on residents, businesses and non-residents who work in Wyoming. The second ballot proposal would decrease the city’s property tax millage by more than half.

If approved, the proposals would generate an additional $6 million in revenue each year, supporting significant investment to improve public safety and parks infrastructure for residents, businesses and visitors. Both proposals need to pass for either to go into effect.

“These proposals support the city of Wyoming’s commitment to community, safety and stewardship,” Mayor Jack Poll said. “Our current revenues are not able to support the community’s public safety and parks needs. Public Safety has seen an increase in the frequency and complexity of calls for service and resident surveys

For This

1% for residents and businesses and up to 0.5% for non-residents.

The city estimates it needs to levy 0.8% from residents and businesses and 0.4% from non-residents who work in Wyoming to generate enough revenue to support these needs. A $2,000 deduction will be applied for each member of the household. Retirement benefits, annuities, pensions, military pay, unemployment benefits, welfare relief, tax refunds and other similar types of income would be exempt from the tax.

Property owners would see a decrease of 4.3497 mills in summer 2022 and an additional decrease of 2.5450 mills in summer 2023. This reduction in property taxes would offset, at least in part for many residents, the impact of the income tax.

If the ballot measures pass, Wyoming would join Grand Rapids, Walker, Muskegon and 21 other Michigan cities that levy an income tax.

MORE HOPE Hire for Hope is making the YWCA West Central Michigan the exclusive beneficiary of its philanthropy.

A recruiting firm on a mission, Hire for Hope was founded in 2017

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after its founder, Ashley Ward, escaped a domestically abusive relationship. She started the company out of a dream to make a difference and give other women the chance to escape abuse and get back on their feet. Hire for Hope gives 10% of its profits to organizations that serve women who have been abused.

Last year brought a time of reflection and change to many organizations — Hire for Hope included. During the pandemic, domestic abuse increased by at least 50%, especially to those in marginalized communities, the firm said. Hire for Hope felt it was increasingly important to make its donations count, and it set out to find an organization to partner with that aligned perfectly with the work that needed to be done.

Eventually, the team zeroed in on the YWCA West Central Michigan, which works to empower women who are experiencing domestic violence and to eliminate racism. Its mission aligned with the change Hire for Hope wanted to see in the world, so a partnership was born.

To kick off the collaboration, Ward visited the YWCA offices on Sept. 1 with employees Asad Khaja and Tasia Allison to present a donation of $6,800 from its 2020 profits to YWCA West Central Michigan CEO Charisse Mitchell. Hire for Hope is on track to triple that donation amount by the end of 2021.

“The YWCA has a very special place in my heart,” Ward said. “They were the agency that provided me the funding for an apartment and advocated to help me transition out of my abusive relationship and into permanent housing. I will forever be grateful

to them for their impact on my life and am thrilled that Hire for Hope can contribute to the life-changing work the YWCA is doing.”

Hire for Hope will partner exclusively with the YWCA moving forward with its giving and volunteering efforts, Ward said.

PICTURE OF HEALTH Is 60 the new 40? In terms of celebrating fitness, it might be.

West Michigan residents in their 60s have been chosen to be featured as “pinups” on an exclusive 2022 calendar that highlights events and activities around West Michigan and serves as a roadmap to good health.

A panel of celebrity judges from West Michigan selected the 60 Strong Ambassadors because they have achieved remarkable levels of fitness, overcome major health issues, served as leaders in their community, or dedicated their lives to helping others.

The winners were: Celeste Davis, Lee Elston, Rudy Escobar, Shelley Irwin, Kathy Jackson, Ron Jolly, Don Kern, Lloyd Kilgore, Chris Lane, Tammy Martin, Anne Stanton and Joni Vander-Till The calendar will be available for purchase online at www.WestMI60Strong.com beginning this month. The cost is $15 for each calendar and all proceeds will benefit Senior Neighbors.

The program is sponsored by Answer Health in conjunction with the launch of Answer Health Senior Care Advantage, a new program designed to keep seniors active and help them navigate the complexities of Medicare coverage and other health care decisions.

Steelcase, Inc. seeks a Consultant, Material & Process-Technical in Kentwood, MI responsible for coordinating concept and development projects.

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, & 10 years of experience in job offered or related.

Send resume to: Katie Hoogewind, Steelcase Inc., Resume Processing/ JO#8421486, GH-3C, P.O. Box 1967, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. reference Job Code CMPT-1.

No phone calls, please.

pinerest.org/urgent • 616.455.9200

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