Local Woman Appointed

LANSING — The human resources director for a Grand Rapids company is being appointed to the state’s Certificate of Need Commission, which oversees hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities.

Vicky Schroeder of Byron Center, a 32-year veteran of Monarch Hydraulics, is joining the commission, which is a part of the Michigan Department of Community Health. She is the only member from West Michigan.

“I was looking for a community service of some type, and by chance this just came up through our insurance broker,” Schroeder said. She is representing businesses that are not self-insured.

“My goal is to be a good representative for the small businesses of Michigan. That’s where my experience will come in,” she said.  “I’m not a doctor or a lawyer, but I can represent the challenges of small business. I’m familiar with all the struggles and challenges we have to keep costs down and give our employees a plan.”

Schroeder said she has volunteered in inner-city schools and has been involved with human resources groups and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The CON Commission is her first involvement in politics, she said.

Appointed by the governor, Schroeder still faces confirmation in the state Senate.

Schroeder also serves as corporate secretary at Monarch Hydraulics, which was acquired by $1.8 billion public company Bucher Industries of Switzerland as of Jan. 1, after 151 years of ownership by the Jackoboice family. The company has 175 employees in Michigan.