Article Author: Jake Fredericks

Wyatt Counterman learns the ins and outs of finance at LVM Capital Management. Hometown Kalamazoo, MI Education Western Michigan University (WMU) Finance Major; Music Minor Graduation Date: May 2020 Position Financial Planning Intern at LVM Capital Management Getting Down to Business Financial planning is a myriad of things. When I first started at LVM Capital, […]

Greg Dobson, Chief Operating Officer and Principal at AVB, tells us about his journey to leadership. 1970 | Born in Quincy, MI  I grew up in a strong family environment. However, my entire family is made up of die-hard Michigan State Spartans. So, when I got a last-moment scholarship to Western Michigan University (WMU) and […]

Nick White, Director of Facilities for Ascension Borgess Health, and Nancy Turtle, Kalamazoo Community Bank President at Mercantile Bank, give their perspective on leadership. First thing you do in the morning? Nick White: Make my bed. Nancy Turtle: Brew a cup of coffee. I don’t function well without it. First pet?  Nick: A 140-pound golden […]

Michael Englmaier learns to design hydraulics at Parker Hannifin Corporation. Hometown Portage, MI Education  Western Michigan University (WMU) Engineering Design Technology Major; Business Management Minor Expected Graduation: May 2020 Position  Engineering Intern at Parker Hannifin, Summer 2018 Working on all Cylinders  I grew up in Michigan, but I was originally born in Germany. My family […]

A Q+A with Savannah Walters, Industrial Designer at Newell Brands. How do you approach design in your role at Newell Brands? I’m a staff industrial designer at Newell Brands, a leading global consumer goods company. We have a lot of great brands in our portfolio—since I started here, I have gotten to work on a […]

A Q+A with Michael Betz, President and Co-Owner of ImageStream. How do you approach design at ImageStream? My business partner Tom Brooks and I started this company 20 years ago, in 1999. We were working for Pharmacia & Upjohn, handling its media center here in Kalamazoo. But when the company started moving its jobs to […]

Christian Merasco explores career options at SalesPage Technologies. Hometown Portage, MI Education Michigan State University (MSU) Marketing Major; Retail Management Minor Expected Graduation: May 2020 Position Sales Operations Intern at SalesPage Technologies Testing the Waters When I started college, I knew I wanted to study business, but I didn’t want a career that would confine […]

Mike Roeder, President and CEO of Fabri-Kal Corporation, takes us through his leadership journey. 1963 | Born in Cumberland, Maryland My family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, when I was too young to remember. I had four brothers and sisters, so there was a lot of sharing. We shared toys, cars, bathrooms—you name it. Growing up, […]

This year’s Kalamazoo marathon is off to a running start. Event: Kalamazoo Marathon Date: Sunday, May 5 Time: 8:00 a.m. Location: 3427 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048 Ready, Set, Go! And They’re Off! We are so excited to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Borgess Run this year. We’ve grown over the past four […]

We sat down with Alan Smaka, Kalamazoo Office Director for Wightman and Associates, and Tara Vandestreek, Accounting Supervisor at Getman Corporation, to hear these leaders’ thoughts on success, development, motivation, and more. First Things First First job? Tara: Summer Camp Counselor Alan: Street Sweeper First app you check in the morning? Tara: Email and Calendar […]

Megan Scherpereel builds on past experiences at Miller-Davis. Hometown South Bend, Indiana Education Western Michigan University Civil Engineering Major, Mathematics Minor; Expected Graduation: Spring 2020 Position Project Management Intern at Miller-Davis On the Job My role is to support the project management team. Our purpose is to coordinate office communications to make sure that our […]

We sat down with Steve Hessen, Managing Shareholder/Partner at Kreis, Enderle, Hudgins, & Borsos, P.C., and Caitlin Carey, Associate at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz, & Cohn, L.L.P., to hear what they had to say about leadership, hiring, time-travel, and more. What does good leadership look like on a day-to-day basis? Steve Hessen: Leaders must be willing […]