Category: Leader2Leader

We sat down with two local leaders to get their insights on success, development, motivation, and more. Joseph Thomas III FIELD Services and Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Manager at Kalamazoo County Ninth Circuit Court—Family Division Linda Apsey President and Chief Executive Officer of ITC Holdings Corp. — First Things First First big purchase? Thomas: My […]

Or should we say “succession plan”?Or should we say “succession plan”? Human resources (HR) functions within organizations are changing. Fading are the days when HR managers were hired solely to keep employees compliant with policy and the benefits competitive. Today, organizations are seeking leaders of “people departments” to usher talent development initiatives forward, provide organizational […]

ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME LEADERS Mary: You have to be authentic in your leadership. It’s easy to imitate someone else’s leadership style, but if you do that, you’ll always come up short. You’re unique—you’ve been created this way for a reason. You have to find your leadership voice and lead with authenticity. Tim: Take time and […]

Elisabeth Von Eitzen, partner at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, and L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D., president of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, tell us their thoughts on mentorship, values, and more. FIRST CAR Von Eitzen: 1991 Mercury Tracer Washington: An Oldsmobile ‘98 FIRST TIME PUBLIC SPEAKING Von Eitzen: Narrator of a seventh-grade Shel Silverstein play Washington: […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

We spent some time with Deborah Jackson, Mathematics teacher at Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts, to hear her take on leadership, routine, and more. Define leadership. Teachers, individually or collectively, influencing others to improve teaching and learning for students. Who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Linda Comer, my […]

We sat down with Dannie Alexander, Director of Facilities and Construction Management Services at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Nicole Marques, Business Development Manager at Miller-Davis, to hear what they had to say about leadership, creativity, free time, and more. How Can You Identify a Great Leader? Dannie Alexander: I identify a great leader as […]

We sat down with John Rumohr, Senior Mechanical Engineer at TowerPinkster, and Jim Ritsema, City Manager of Kalamazoo, to hear their thoughts on leadership, childhood, and Labor Day plans. What is your most important role as a leader? Jim Ritsema: A leader needs to establish a vision for the organization and then get out of […]

We sat down with Director of Service at CTS Telecom, Tom Ward, to get his perspectives on leadership, risk, and more. What does it mean to be a good leader? A good leader is a person who people look up to and want to follow. They’re someone who is willing to sacrifice for their team, […]

We sat down with Kay Clark, Relocation Director with Jaqua Realtors, to hear her thoughts on leadership, summertime, and beyond. What does it mean to be a good leader? A good leader is somebody who not only has a vision but can also paint that vision for others. How do you get everybody involved on […]