May 17, 2021
Street Talk: The pause that refreshes
City Built Brewing Company no doubt was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the brewery managed to find ways to innovate and still drive sales, to the point where it may not want to go back to normal.
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds KUJACZNSKI, Doug et al, Wells Fargo Bank, Algoma Twp., $434,400 SLYWKA, Bradley M. et al, Macatawa Bank, Ada Twp., $660,000 BARNES, Michael et al, Guaranteed Rate, Cascade Twp., $375,000 GARDENTOWNAPTS LLC, MSU Federal Credit Union, Wyoming, $1,605,000 CLARK, Kyler D. et al, Dart Bank, Ada […]
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Change-Ups: Kalaczinski named MOA’s Educator of the Year
Lillian Kalaczinski, an associate professor for Ferris State University’s Michigan College of Optometry, has been named the Michigan Optometric Association’s 2021 Educator of the Year. Kalaczinski is a 1998 MCO graduate following three years in the pre-optometry program at Ferris.
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Inside Track: McKinney looks to drive inclusive change
Jazz McKinney’s converging identities and abilities could be exactly what the Grand Rapids Pride Center needs in its next season of service to the LGBTQ+ community.
State eyes revamp of court system
The state’s judiciary branch is assembling a diverse team of professionals to craft a plan for the legal system to operate in unison.
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Comerica’s index climbs for third consecutive month
Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index showed the state is continuing to benefit from the rebounding U.S. economy, but challenges remain.
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Advantage Commercial Real Estate drops first market report
Advantage Commercial Real Estate Services LLC released its first quarterly market report since opening at the beginning of 2021.
Financial literacy vital to long-term success
About two-thirds of Americans lack financial literacy — a concept that if understood and applied can change the course of one’s future — according to FINRA’s most recent National Financial Capability Study.
Buyer beware in hot housing market
Real estate in Michigan is a “seller’s market” this spring, which is all the more reason for buyers to proceed with caution.
There is something for everyone in West Michigan
The other day I met someone and we exchanged conversational pleasantries. As is the norm, our conversation meandered to discuss our origins. “Are you from West Michigan?” this person asked me. My answer: “I am now.”
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West Michigan one step closer to 90% trash reuse
Kent County is another step closer to turning its trash into treasure with the Sustainable Business Park project.
City manager presents first draft of FY22 budget
Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington recently presented the first of several planned reports on the fiscal year 2022 preliminary fiscal plan to the city commission.
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GR Chamber creates minority business councils
The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has taken its diversity, equity and inclusion goals to the next level by creating three minority business councils.
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Banker uses position to teach kids about finances
One United Bank of Michigan employee is on a mission to ensure children understand the value of money before they grow older.
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Teen rebrands, expands apparel company
Eion Jackson is one of those rare high school seniors who knows exactly what he’s going to do with his life, and he’s already making it happen.
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Beauty in the eye of the beer-holder
City Built Brewing Co. came out like a lion in March when USA Today published its 10Best Readers Choice Awards for 2021.
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Adriane Schrauben & Tessa Keena – Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors
Founded in 1941, Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors is a full-service accounting and advisory firm that works with businesses, non-profits, families, and individuals to provide professional services including accounting, tax, auditing, fraud and litigation services, business advisory services and trust, estate and technology services.
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Coleen King – King Media
When Coleen King started her career in marketing, she knew two things: she wanted to be the best, and she was willing to put in the time, effort and energy it took to get there. Over the next 40 years, she built a career that included breaking barriers as the first woman in sales at a local Lansing TV affiliate and founding an internationally recognized marketing agency.
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Laina Mills – Legacy Trust
At Legacy Trust, we focus on three things — you, your family, and the generations that follow. It’s our mission to create lasting legacies by providing trusted advice and support that reduces the burden and worry of financial decisions. We know that creating and sustaining financial legacies doesn’t happen overnight.
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Britt Cobb – Willey & Chamberlain LLP
As uncommon as it may be to see a woman practice law in the white-collar criminal defense realm, what’s more uncommon might be finding a firm that characterizes itself as compassionate and warm. However, that’s Britt Cobb’s signature approach and it’s what makes Cobb and her colleagues at Willey & Chamberlain stand out from other firms in the field.
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Missy Jackson – The Vantage Group, Inc.
As managing partner at business consulting firm The Vantage Group, Inc., Missy Jackson brings a unique and diverse skillset to help business leaders better understand their employees and solve company problems.
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Tracey Hornbeck – Legacy Trust
At Legacy Trust, we talk a lot about “answers for life.” But what does that mean? It means we’re here to give our clients the confidence they need through life transitions that are filled with uniquely delicate questions, served through a trusted and local-to-West Michigan lens.
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Angela Visbeen – Visbeen Architects, LLC
For Angela Visbeen, it’s not easy to talk about her work as president of Visibility and Director of Sales and Marketing at Visbeen Architects without mentioning another Visbeen, her husband of six years, Wayne, the Principal and Founder of the firm.
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Betsy Fahlen-Alverio – Waxology
Betsy Fahlen-Alverio opened Waxology in 2012, after her own search for an experienced waxing salon in Grand Rapids came up short. Diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Fahlen-Alverio struggles with excessive hair — a side effect of the disease brought on by higher-than-normal hormone levels.
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Mercy Health
Mercy Health is a non-profit health care system serving Grand Rapids, Muskegon, the Lakeshore, and the surrounding communities in West Michigan.
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Whitney Mooney – The Goddard School – Knapp’s Corner
Whitney Mooney, along with her husband Sean, own the Knapp’s Corner location of The Goddard School, a trusted preschool institution with franchises all over the country, including several in greater Grand Rapids. Goddard Schools offer learning programs for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years.
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Krista Flynn – TCF Bank West Michigan
When Krista Flynn fell in love with banking during a college internship, she never looked back. Now, as regional president for TCF Bank in West Michigan, she oversees a team of more than 20 relationship managers, with more than $1.2 billion in loan outstandings.
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Kelly Russell – Milestones Child Development
With a background in childcare and preschool teaching and a passion for educating young children, Kelly Russell founded Milestones Child Development Center in 2005. Since then, Milestones has grown into an institution that now serves more than 1,000 families at five locations across West Michigan.
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Kendra Pfaff – Pfaff Jewelers
Directly after college graduation in 2011, Kendra Pfaff, who grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, opened a cash-for-gold store. It became the launching point for Pfaff Jewelers, a fine and custom jewelry store she owns and operates today.
