Change Ups: Lockwood honored as Emeritus Faculty

Change Ups: Lockwood honored as Emeritus Faculty

Professor Walter Lockwood was recently honored as Grand Rapids Community College's 2016 Emeritus Faculty. Lockwood taught writing, film and literature from 1965 to 2001. In that span of time, his teaching helped shape generations of writers and analytical thinkers. Lockwood is the author of novels, stories, newspaper features, screenplays, musicals, documentaries and poetry, including his novel “Jones Unbound,” an HBO feature film "Finnegan, Begin Again," and a PBS documentary "Dyslexia, the Hidden Disability."

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

Josh Kemp, Brittany Laham and Musnad Muntasir have joined Holland-based Driesenga & Associates as engineering technicians who will work in the Ypsilanti office. The firm also welcomed back Dennis Snyder, senior engineering technician.

ARTS

Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Grand Rapids Art Museum have partnered to offer reciprocal membership benefits during May. GRPM members receive free general admission and all benefits to GRCM and GRAM, and GRCM and GRAM members receive GRPM free general admission, planetarium shows, carousel rides and admission to special exhibit The Robot Zoo.

AWARDS

Lambert, Edwards & Associates has received the Healthy Workplace Award from the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. Its health and wellness initiatives include a partnership with the YMCA, LEAn Wellness Program, Zumba and Yoga on the Rooftop Deck, In-Office Basketball Courts and H.O.R.S.E. Tournaments, and Wellness Reimbursement

State Reps. Tim Kelly and Lisa Posthumus Lyons and Sen. Dave Hildenbrand were presented the Golden Apple Award by the Michigan Chapter of Public School Options, an organization founded by parents who support public school options in Michigan.

State Rep. Ken Yonker, R-Caledonia, received the Legislator of the Year Award from the Michigan Pharmacists Association. 

BANKING

West Michigan Community Bank will mark its 40th anniversary with open houses May 16-21 at its offices in Hudsonville, Jenison, Zeeland, Grand Rapids and Holland. The bank started in Hudsonville in 1976.

CONSTRUCTION

Morris Builders Inc. in Rockford has been named a 2015 All Star Award winner by Constant Contact Inc. The firm also announced the addition of Mark Beach, project estimator.

EDUCATION

Grand Rapids Community College’s Class of 2016 includes the first students in its Wyoming High School middle college program, which allows students to start courses toward an associate degree in 10th grade. GRCC also has teamed up with the Cedar Springs, Ottawa Area Intermediate and Grand Rapids school districts on middle college programs.

The Grand Rapids Community College Armen Awards gave teacher Katie Vander Meer and her students first place for her class that taught computer programming logic to Orchard View Elementary fifth-graders. Second-place went to Holly VanRyn and students in her Restaurant Leadership and Management course; third-place was given to Leigh Kleinert and students in her General Human Anatomy and Physiology course. Other finalists were Lauren Elliott and students in her Intro to Biology course, and Margie Erlandson and students in her Fashion Merchandising course.

ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE

SMG-managed DeVos Place placed second in the Michigan Battle of the Buildings program’s Mix Use category for decreasing its energy usage by 6.03 percent in 2015.

GOVERNMENT

The City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department earned a PACE Award of Excellence from the Central Michigan Public Relations Society of America chapter for its Stormwater Management and Awareness Campaign.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced James Robert Redford has been named director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service recently issued Kent County a Triple-A credit rating for the 18th consecutive year.

GRANTS

Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids’ Breast Health Navigation and Support Program for the Underserved received a $24,200 grant from Susan G. Komen Michigan to provide emotional support and education to underrepresented communities, and logistical services to promote breast health and early detection of breast cancer.

The Ottawa County Planning and Performance Improvement Department was awarded a $25,000 grant from Consumers Energy Foundation for a 3.8 mile non-motorized pathway that will connect to the Sgt. Henry E. Plant Pathway on the M-231 Bridge over the Grand River. The pathway is known as the Spoonville Trail.

HEALTH

Spectrum Health for the fifth time was named one of the 15 top health systems and one of the five largest health systems in the nation by Truven Health, based on performance measures in quality, safety and patient satisfaction.

LEGAL

Mika Meyers attorney Bradley A. Fowler was elected to a three-year term on the Grand Rapids Bar Association board of trustees

Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge announced Stephen W. Edison has joined the firm as financial services director in its Grand Rapids office. Edison oversees the accounting and financial department, supplies financial reports, provides analyses to management and shareholders, and leads financial relationships internally and externally.

MANUFACTURING

LG Chem Michigan Inc. recently held a job fair at Michigan Works in Holland to add 50 new team members, which would increase the company’s employment in Holland to more than 400 employees.

MEDIA

Michigan Radio announced Doug Tribou has been named the station's new “Morning Edition” host, 5-9 a.m. His first day is June 6.

WZZM 13 has earned three regional 2016 Edward R. Murrow Awards for Investigative Reporting, Sports Reporting and Writing.

NONPROFITS

Carol’s Ferals marked its 10th anniversary with a dedication of its newly renovated TNR wing to the late Dr. John E. Martell, retired assistant dean of the Lee Honors College at Western Michigan University. The new wing is located at Brooknelle Pet Resort, 4600 Knapp St. NE.

The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University has named Jodi Petersen, Ph.D., its Community Research Institute director. Petersen will provide information for leaders and community members to engage in data-informed decision-making, and will focus on collaboration with local, regional, and national stakeholders to improve communities through the nonprofit and philanthropy field.

RESTAURANTS

The Michigan Restaurant Association announced Derek Bitterman of Three Brothers Pizza in Lowell has been honored as Heart of the House Restaurant Employee of the Year.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Van Andel Research Institute will present neuroscientist and clinician Stanley Fahn, M.D., with the 2016 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Parkinson’s Disease Research. The award ceremony and Fahn’s accompanying lecture will kick off VARI’s Sept. 26-27 Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium.

TECHNOLOGY

Precision digital measurement tool company Modustri will relocate and will lease the sixth floor of the co-working space Blue 35 at 35 Oakes St. SW in downtown Grand Rapids.