Change-Ups: Griffin promoted to Kentwood’s PWD director

The city of Kentwood promoted Chad Griffin to director of the Public Works Department. Griffin succeeds John Gorney, who in May accepted a position with the city of Grand Rapids as its public works director. Griffin previously served as Kentwood’s building maintenance supervisor. In his new role, he will oversee the city’s Public Works Department functions and staff, which includes maintaining the city’s infrastructure, more than 150 miles of underground pipes and more than 155 miles of streets above ground, as well as Kentwood’s parks and grounds, buildings and fleet of vehicles.

ACCOUNTING

Southfield-based Plante Moran appointed Rob Bondy financial institutions practice leader in its Grand Rapids location.

ARTS

The Grand Rapids Public Museum announced the implementation of Aira, an app-based service on the user’s smartphone that connects people who are blind or have low vision to highly trained, remotely located agents in real time to guide them through exploration of the museum at no cost to the visitor.

AWARDS

Professional engineer/stormwater manager for the city of Grand Rapids Carrie Rivette is the recipient of West Michigan Environmental Action Council’s 2021 Heartwell Environmental Legacy Award.

BANKING

Grand River Bank opened a regional banking center at 50 Crahen Ave. for the Ada/Cascade area.

EDUCATION

A pilot program by Holland-based Hope College and Western Theological Seminary to provide a Christian liberal arts education to incarcerated men at Muskegon Correctional Facility in Muskegon has shown such initial success that the college is now pursuing accreditation for a full Bachelor of Arts degree.

Former Ferris State University staff member and current doctoral student Danyelle Gregory has returned to the Big Rapids campus as Office of Multicultural Student Services director, becoming the third person to lead that Student Affairs division operation.

Grand Valley State University associate professor of engineering Lindsay Corneal and Wendy Reffeor, associate professor of engineering, were named fellows in the third cohort of the IAspire Leadership Academy, a leadership program aimed at helping STEM faculty from underrepresented backgrounds ascend to leadership roles at colleges and universities.

Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo and Hackett Catholic Prep announced the appointment of Paul Dull as the high school’s principal for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Oakland University board of trustees appointed trustee Joseph “Joe” Jones, president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Urban League and co-chair of the Urban Core Collective, to vice chair of the board.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Tyler J. Anderson, Nicholas W. Van Loo and Calvin D. Wiersma joined Grand Wealth Management as financial advisers.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

A.J. Mathews, president of West Side Beer, was elected vice-chair of the Lansing-based Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association board of directors.

FOUNDATIONS

Janessa Smit joined the Hudsonville Education Foundation as its first executive director.

GOVERNMENT

The city of Grand Rapids earned Resource Recycling Inc.’s 2021 Program of the Year Award in the Large City category, which was open to municipalities with 150,000 residents or more.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners appointed Commissioner Mandy Bolter to the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention Arena Authority board, to fill an unexpired four-term term ending Dec. 31, 2022.

GRANTS

The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Charities Foundation announced a new, one-time grant to six partner organizations that will receive varying amounts totaling the $100,000. Recipient organizations are: In The Image; Cherry Health Foundation (in partnership with The Children’s Advocacy Center); Hand 2 Hand; New City Kids; SuitUp Inc.; and The Fountain Hill Center for Counseling and Consultation.

HEALTH

Holland Hospital’s Boven Birth Center recently received for the third consecutive year Platinum designation for maternal care from the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.

Six Spectrum Health physicians recently received the 2020 Annual Distinguished Physician Society Awards. The recipients are: Emeritus Lifetime Achievement Award: Larry Robson, MD, vascular surgery; Barbara Wynn, MD, emergency medicine; Jeri Kessenich, MD, pediatric hospitalist; John Visser, MD, neurology; Thomas Wright, DO, family medicine; and Leslie (Les) Wong, MD, hand and microvascular surgery.

LEGAL

Bloomfield Hills-based Plunkett Cooney was ranked No. 275 in a 2021 survey among the 350 largest firms for female diversity in the United States by the National Law Journal, moving up 58 places in the ranking from last year. The firm also was one of the top five in the nation for percentage growth at 16.8% in 2020.

Forty-four Warner Norcross + Judd LLP attorneys have been named to the 2021 Michigan Super Lawyers list in the 16th annual publication of the Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine for attaining a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 5% percent of the lawyers in Michigan were recognized. Managing partner Douglas A. Dozeman was named to Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine’s 2021 Top Lawyers list for his work in business litigation.

Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine named 19 Warner Norcross + Judd LLP attorneys to its 2021 Rising Stars list. The peer-review award requires attorneys to be 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. They are selected for attaining a high degree of peer recognition and personal achievement. Fewer than 2.5% of attorneys in Michigan are selected.

Attorneys from the Grand Rapids office of Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC were selected to the 2021 Michigan Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists: Frederick D. Dilley, general litigation and Laura J. Genovich, bankruptcy: business.

LOGISTICS

Reese Van Heck joined Fifth Wheel Freight as chief executive officer.

NONPROFITS

La’Leatha Spillers joined the YWCA as chief advancement officer and Kelli Langan Pfister took on the role of chief external affairs officer.

Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates announced it is growing to better meet community demand for high-quality and affordable immigration legal counsel in West Michigan. In 2020, LIA opened hundreds of new cases, serving clients from 43 different countries. LIA’s legal team reported a 100% approval rate of renewal cases submitted in the past 12 months, including immigration cases to reunify separated families.

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP attorney Malaina J. Weldy has been appointed to the board of directors of Affinity Mentoring, which connects children with adults through weekly school-based mentoring sessions to children in the Grand Rapids and Wyoming school districts.

RELIGION

Calvin Christian Reformed Church installed 126 solar panels on its roof as it switched to renewable energy. The project is expected to keep 5.4 million pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere — the equivalent of 7.4 American homes being taken off the grid or the carbon sequestered by 3,000 acres of forest in a year.

RESTAURANTS

Joe Peebles joined Garage Bar & Grill in Ada and Graydon’s Crossing as culinary director and executive chef, and general manager, respectively.

TECHNOLOGY

Atomic Object received Michigan Celebrates Small Business’s Michigan 50 Distinguished Alumni Award – Strategically Focused.