Free paper shredding provided by Shred-It, host United Bank, and the FHBA! Drive-through the parking lot for fast, fun, and secure service. Bonus: free coffee and donuts! No registration required.
Join us May 8, 2025, 7:30-9:00 AM, for Dr. Paul Isley’s West Michigan Economic Update at Mary Free Bed YMCA!
Paul is the Associate Dean and Professor of Economics for the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, which he joined in 1995 after earning his Ph.D. in Economics from Purdue University. He also holds an M.S. in Economics from Purdue University and a dual B.S. in Physics and Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Isely’s research interests have led to many local articles and reports. These articles have explored West Michigan’s economy including forecasts of growth, the state of entrepreneurship, health care costs, environmental clean-up values, economic impacts of various activities, and the costs and benefits of wind power. He has been interviewed extensively by TV, radio, and newspapers on the West Michigan economy and its relationship to the national and state economies.
L2 Advisors will be our breakfast sponsor.
Registration link is below Paul’s picture. No credit card number entry needed for this free meeting—but you do have to enter your address at checkout.
On June 12, 2025, 7:30-9:00 AM, join us for a fascinating peek into the world of the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre presented by Erik Wolenberg.
As the new Executive Director for the Civic, Erik values the organization’s past and will bring new initiatives that build on the theatre’s victories, leading the organization to success in new and bold ways. Prior to his appointment in 2024, Wolenberg’s most recent leadership role was a five-year tenure at Hope Network where he oversaw the organization’s fundraising, external relations, investments, and administration, along with creating a diversified, sustainable revenue model while also rebuilding the Hope Network Foundation. He previously served as the Marketing and Public Relations Manager for Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids/LaughFest, and at SpartanNash, as both a Product Development Manager and the Culture and Corporate Affairs Manager.
Alex Ritzenheim of Clark and Clark Realty will be our breakfast sponsor.
Location: Hungerford Nichols, 2910 Lucerne Dr SE, Grand Rapids, 49546
Registration link is below Erik’s picture below. You do not need to enter a credit card number to register for this free meeting. Visitors are welcome for their first two meetings, after which we ask that you become a member of the FHBA.
Join us July 10 for Happy Hour at the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport-Outoor Tiki Bar!
Registration link below. Remember your first two FHBA meetings are free. Afterwards, we need you to join as a member.
Join the FHBA on August 14, 7:30-9:00 AM, as we meet with Lt. Andy Albright for a tour and presentation of the Cascade Fire Department at 2865 Thornhills Ave SE.
Our breakfast sponsor will be Anneke Huisman of KSI Kitchen and Bath. Registration link is below the Cascade image.
Join us for a fascinating update on Cascade Township with Andrea Hendricks, Cascade Community Planning & Development. Our event host and breakfast sponsor is United Bank, 900 East Paris Ave. You always meet somebody new at the FHBA!
Join our panelists Charles Cottrell (Legacy Law), Rachel Dick (GROW Trust), and Sandra Wake (GROW Trust) for a timely and fun discussion on your future planning. Our generous host and breakfast sponsor is Care Patrol of Western Michigan, 5960 Tahoe Dr SE Suite 200 B, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. You don’t want to miss this one!
Join us November 13 as Joan Wallace introduces us to Hero's Corner/Shero's Corner "A Place Veterans Feel at Home." Our gracious host and breakfast sponsor will be Clark on Keller Lake, 2431 Forest Hills Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Every year we make it a point to focus on and appreciate our country’s veterans! Join us for breakfast and networking.
Join us for our annual Christmas Party! Great food, great networking, great friends, and a great time! We will be at Hungerford Nichols, 2910 Lucerne Dr SE, Grand Rapids 49546 from 4:30-7:00 PM.
Join the FHBA on April 10th for a great breakfast networking event! We will be meeting 7:30-9:00 AM at Sentinel Pointe, 2900 Thornhills Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Click below to register.
Join the FHBA on March 13th for a presentation about getting interns into your business, presented by Brigid Avery, the director of career services at Aquinas College. We will be meeting 7:30-9:00 AM at Heather Hills, 1055 Forest Hills Ave SE. Click on the “March Registration Link…” below “Heather Hills” to register.
This event has been postponed until further notice. We look forward to rescheduling! -FHBA Board
Running a business is an exhilarating venture, offering the opportunity to turn passions into profit. However, the backbone of any successful business lies in effective financial management. Join local industry experts to learn more about business management, options for funding your business and how to avoid fraud.
Expert Panel
Sandy Bloem - Commercial Lending Officer at Consumers Credit Union
Tom Cronkright - Chief Executive Officer at CertifID
Robert Cribbs - Business Mentor at SCORE
Moderator - Lynne Jarman-Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer at Consumers Credit Union
The Event is Free; But Registration is Required Financial Tips for Business Owners Registration
On Feb 13, 2025, join the Forest Hills Business Association for an educational keynote by Shelby Powers from Pine Rest.
Shelby’s informative presentation will be addressing Stress in the Workplace—a topic that directly affects all of us. Arrive at 7:30 for morning networking and a breakfast provided by our host, the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel. We finish about 9 AM. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Brittany from Talons Out will address the FHBA membership at our November meeting.
The Honor Flight Network is a national network comprised of independent Hubs working together in furtherance of the Honor Flight mission “…to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and sacrificed for our country.
In furtherance of this common goal, we have the opportunity to show our nation’s veterans the appreciation and honor they deserve. Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, to remember friends and comrades lost, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. All honored veterans travel at no cost to the veteran.
The Honor Flight Network is currently serving veterans from the WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War eras. We also serve terminally ill veterans serving during any era.
Thank you to our Host LMCU! A special shout out to our Breakfast Sponsor Care Patrol, Lauren Wu!
IT’s Oktoberfest at Care Patrol. Join the Forest Hills Business Association for Happy Hour. Enjoy some food, some drinks, a little bit of networking and some live music.
Thank you to CarePatrol for hosting our First Ever Quarterly Happy Hour. This new experience is a chance for your business to gather the membership for a time of fellowship, networking and building relationships with other members. It is also an opportunity for you to “show off” your business. If you are interested in hosting the next Quarterly Happy Hour please reach out to Lauren Wu of Care Patrol lwu@carepatrol.com
Cathy George, an accomplished, some would say formidable, college volleyball coach is GR’s professional volleyball team’s head coach. Join us in October to learn more about her career, the Rise and the future of Women’s Professional Volleyball in Grand Rapids.
With an impressive first season, George took the Rise to the Pro Volleyball Federation championship match. In leading her team to the finals she had to face the top-seeded Atlanta Vibe in the semi-finals. The Rise executed the game plan and achieved a huge up-set in five set victory over the Vibe. The first season of the Rise ended with a loss to the No. 2 seeded Omaha Supernovas in the title match. George and the Rise finished the 2024 season with a 13-13 record, with a 7-5 record at home inside Van Andel Arena.
The winningest coach in the history of Michigan State University’s volleyball program, George led the Spartans for 17 seasons (2005-21) and totaled 35 years as a collegiate head coach, including 11 seasons (1994-2004) at Western Michigan University. Upon her retirement from MSU in January 2022, her 667 career wins (667-457, .593) ranked 15th among active Division I coaches and third in the Big Ten.
As a college coach, George became the first woman to coach in the NCAA D1 Final Four when she took her University of Texas-Arlington program to the national semifinals in 1989. She has made 15 NCAA tournament appearances, coached 26 AVCA All-Americans, and garnered a slew of coaching honors.
Thank you to our Host and Breakfast Sponsor Provision Living
Tom Cronkright is the Executive Chairman of CertifID, a technology platform designed to safeguard electronic payments from fraud. He co-founded the company in response to a wire fraud he experienced and the rising instances of real estate wire fraud. He also serves as the CEO of Sun Title, a leading title agency in Michigan. Tom is a licensed attorney, real estate broker, title insurance producer and nationally recognized expert on cybersecurity and wire fraud.
Thank you to our Host the Village of Heather Hills! Also a special shout out to our Breakfast Sponsor Grow Trust Partners, Rachel Dick!
Join us Thursday for Networking and an exciting demonstration by our local Robotics Team, The Comets. The Comets are world-class team composed of students from Forest Hills Northern, Easter, and Central High Schools. In 2024, the team placed in the top 80 out of over 3400 teams worldwide. As the COMETS build robots, the students learn and practice invaluable engineering, design, communications, marketing and leadership skills. These students also mentor the middle school and elementary school teams, support many other local robotics teams and host free events at the downtown library to show kids the fun of robotics, science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
Thank you to our host and breakfast sponsor United Bank!
Come and mingle with new faces and long time members. Make connections that will last . Discover a new referral partner, and learn how to better assist the other businesses in Forest Hills. Come out, relax, have a beverage and enjoy some down time together.
Katie Ostreko, is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Quality Edge.
She loves solving big, challenging problems, and implementing the pieces that make a strategy work. Katie has always looked to storytelling as a way to connect with people and bring big, scary issues into pieces that simplify the challenges. Katie has worked to create leadership development tools and frameworks for her teams and herself. These tools break down complex situations into manageable pieces to help with things like delivering feedback, sharing perspectives, working collaboratively, negotiating within an organization, and making smart decisions.
Join us at Cascade Trails for a delicious breakfast. EXGR’s Marketing Partnership Manager, Jaylyn McCloy will teach us about Grand Rapids Destination Marketing Platform. In her role, Jaylyn ensures that relationships are beneficial for both these community partners. the meeting planners, convention attendees, and leisure travelers that EXGR serves. Register Here
Join local leaders and industry experts for a discussion on one of the hottest topics in business today: Artificial Intelligence. You’ll learn how to transform and adapt your business to this rapidly developing technology with conversations on how AI could fundamentally impact every facet of your business. No matter your industry, AI has all of the promise (and potential pitfalls) of a once-in-a-lifetime technological breakthrough. Attend this compelling panel discussion for insights on how to take full advantage of its potential.
EXPERTS INCLUDE:
Devon Bleibtry, Cofounder and Chief Executive at Flockx
Bob Dunning, Chief Information Officer at Consumers Credit Union
Nate Jean, Managing Partner/Delivery Lead at Kyros Digital
Moderated by Lynne Jarman-Johnson, Chief Marketing Office at Consumers Credit Union
Securely destroy personal and sensitive documents. We are accepting up to four boxes of documents per car. This event is available to the families and businesses of Forest Hills and the Cascade Area.
Join the FHBA with a lively conversation with Marc Dion from The Balanced Leadership Center. It is their purpose to uncover, identify, teach and hold accountable to proven fundamentals that make businesses, teams, leaders and individuals perform better.
As a former vice president of sales and marketing in the manufacturing industry, executive coach for business owners and entrepreneurs across North America, and now the CEO of a marketing agency, Rob understands the struggle many brands face when it comes to marketing. He wanted to find a better way to get his message across to clients who would care —- and HE DID!
Now, Rob is on a mission to help small businesses accelerate growth by clarifying their message through Hughes Integrated, a StoryBrand Certified Marketing Agency. And as an esteemed marketing keynote speaker and podcast host, his sessions on marketing and branding are engaging, interactive, and inspiring.
Event Website Here! Sponsorship Registration Here!
Please visit the links above to see the event website and sponsorship opportunities available for the 2024 ABA/FHBA Spring Expo!
Founder and CEO of Ride Your Way, Thomas Sikkema, was diagnosed with a rare type of pediatric brain cancer in 2013. This life experience inspired him to become a registered nurse and commit his life to serving others going through similar experiences. Motivated to help others with difficult medical diagnoses get access to the care they need, Sikkema founded Ride Your Way. Join us to learn how shifting his mindset, Sikkema was able to create a successful business and serve the community in a much-needed way.
Stuart Atwater thrives on technical and legal challenges — the more complex, the better. His journey to becoming an intellectual property attorney took a unique path. Before entering the legal profession, Stuart was an engineer and an entrepreneur. His diverse background includes working for large corporations and inventors, launching his own business, earning patents, negotiating multimillion-dollar contracts, and collaborating with investors and venture capitalists. Notably, he worked on the recyclable space shuttle booster rocket, creating a safer, more cost-effective way to reuse rocket materials. He also pioneered the first modern washing machine suspension, a crucial innovation that prevents washing machines from dancing around the floor during use and saves billions of gallons of water annually.
Stuart’s manufacturing industry experience underscored the importance of protecting intellectual property. As he built a multi-million-dollar manufacturing division for a major German global manufacturing firm, he enrolled in law school to gain expertise in intellectual property law. Today, he serves as a trusted advisor, handling patents, trademarks, copyrights, compliance, and tariff reductions for clients across various industries.
His fascination with how things work led him to pursue an engineering degree from Cornell University. Beyond mechanics, he also explored entrepreneurship, launching a childcare business that won the Johnson Business School Entrepreneurship Prize. He holds both a J.D. and an L.L.M. degree. He has been a guest lecturer at Calvin University and Alma College. Stu is also the head coach for the Forest Hills High School Robotics Team Comets, the President of the Trustees for Westminster Presbyterian Church, and serves on the board of private foundations and non-profits.
Join us for the annual FHBA Holiday Party!
Army Reserve Ambassador Steve Kenyon holds two BS Degrees from Michigan State University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Management as well as Economics.
Military Retirement Date, Date of Rank, Service and Key Positions: Retired Reserve 1 March 2014, Lieutenant Colonel, Medical Service Corps. Commander 1/339th Inf. Regt., Deputy Branch Chief 2/3rd BDE, Great Lakes Division 75th Training Command, XO- 334th Medical Group, S2 And Battery Cmdr. 4/20 FA,
OIC MEDRETE SEP2000 Camp Soto Cano, Honduras
Organizations/Clubs/Philanthropies:
St. Roberts of Newminster Catholic Parish, ESGR- Michigan Committee, ACTON Institute, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (Life) Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Grand Rapids, Heritage Foundation, 339th Inf. Polar Bear Assn., 442nd Regimental Combat Team Assn. , Right to Life, Michigan Minority Business Development Council, D.A. Blodgett Big Brother Program (Life), AUSA, AUSA-Institute of Land Warfare, MOAA, American Gas Assn., Institute of Gas Technology, Assn. Century Club (100th Division), VFW, Native American Business Alliance, Michigan State University Alumni Club, Focus on the Family, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, WD Members Credit Union V-Chair.
Civilian Honors: DG-Leadership Grand Rapids 2000, Big Brother Program–Life Award
Winnie Brinks is the Senate Majority Leader. She is proud to have earned the historic distinctions as the first woman to ever hold this position in the Michigan Senate, as well as being the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the Michigan Senate since Eva McCall Hamilton was elected in 1920.
She cares deeply about clean drinking water in Michigan and has worked tirelessly on efforts to reduce the prevalence of toxic PFAS chemicals in it. In addition to accessible, clean water, her policy passions include improving equity in maternal health care, reproductive rights, reducing prescription drug costs, and helping uplift local communities and organizations.
Before being elected to the state House, where she served three terms, Brinks was a caseworker at The Source, helping businesses and nonprofits improve workplaces and retain employees. She also worked as the director of a community-based corrections agency and as a school paraprofessional.
Brinks is a graduate of Calvin College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a concentration in sociology. She and her husband Steve, a Spanish teacher, live in Grand Rapids and are the parents of three daughters, Olivia, Annalise and Emma.
West Michigan Aviation Academy (WMAA) is a tuition-free public charter high school for grades 9-12. We are located on the campus of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, MI.
WMAA is an innovative, academically rigorous charter high school with a focus on hands-on aviation and STEM education. Our culture molds students with the executive thinking skills and the professional courtesies that are in high demand by employers.
WMAA is one of only a few high schools in the nation where a student can earn a private pilot license as part of the high school curriculum. Our students are also qualified to take the FAA Licensing Test after completing our Unmanned Aerial Systems (“drone”) courses.
WMAA opened its doors in 2010 with 75 students. The school grew rapidly and reached its chartered capacity in 2016. We routinely draw students from 40-50 schools, typically within a seven-county area.
WMAA is open to any Michigan student. Our charter limits enrollment to 620 students (155 per grade). If we have more applications than we do available spots, we conduct a lottery to determine who is eligible to attend.
WMAA ranked #1 in the state among charter schools, and #4 among all public high schools statewide, for the percentage of students meeting or exceeding college readiness targets, as measured in the spring SAT.
Vonnie Woodrick is a compassionate and enthusiastic social change agent. Her founding of the non-profit organization, i understand, exemplifies her determination to change the stigma surrounding mental/brain health illness and loss to suicide.
She is author of the book, i understand pain, love, and healing after suicide, which is currently in 52 units of the Michigan Sheriffs’ Department Victim Advocates Unit. This book is a resource to families who have lost a loved one to suicide. Her second book, Change Can Be Beautiful, is a small but powerful book that she wrote to share her life after loss lessons.
Vonnie’s pocast, Behind the Smile, is a passion project to bring the conversation of mental health to everyday places and reduce stigma. She also leads a support group and a walking group. She has been featured in the national publication Woman’s World on how walking helped heal her heart.
Her greatest passion revolves around the definition of suicide, being outdated and stigmatized. She created a petition to update the definition to a more accurate definition, changing the conversation and reducing stigma. Learn more about i understand and sign the definition petition at iunderstandloveheals.org.
A huge thank you to United Bank for being the August host and breakfast sponsor!
*****SPEAKER UPDATE*****
How to Hear What Is Not Being Said
Dave Kampfschulte is the founder of Amazing Circles Workshops. He is a keynote speaker, author and also facilitates interactive workshops for health care personnel, educators and adult education groups around the country.
Prior to his career with Amazing Circles, Dave has had experiences as a secondary school teacher, hospice volunteer, hotline crisis counselor, stay-at-home dad, wilderness canoe trip leader and a basketball coach. Dave has a Masters in Education and is a certified grief specialist.
Dave's ability to inform, entertain and inspire make him a highly sought after speaker. His workshops are instructive, fast-paced and interactive.
Alicia Cordoba, D.M.A., brings more than two decades of experience in higher education to her new role as president of Aquinas College. A motivational leader, she has broad expertise in strategic and operational planning, financial management and program design among her other talents.
Prior to joining Aquinas College President Cordoba spent four years at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, rising to the position of associate vice-president.
She also served 18 years at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL in a variety of positions including the Director of the Center for Mission and Identity.
A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City, she was the first woman to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts in English horn performance. An accomplished musician she has performed oboe and English horn as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as performing throughout Europe, Australia, Russia and South America.
In addition to a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School, Dr. Cordoba holds a bachelor’s and master’s of music from the University of Illinois. A writer and an engaging speaker on a broad range of topics she is also active in a wide variety of national organizations related to her many interests.
Acceptable items are paper documents. Limit is 4 boxes of paper items per vehicle.
Available to the residents of the Forest Hills/Cascade area.
A native of Hudsonville and a graduate of Hudsonville High School, Blake Harms is a meteorologist at WOOD TV8. After graduation Blake obtained his bachelor’s degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University in Indiana and began his career at WLNS TV6 in Lansing. After giving over 8,000 forecasts on their morning show, he made the move to WOOD TV8, WLNS’ sister station in Grand Rapids. Blake is the weekend evening meteorologist. He also does school closing predictions, providing schools’ chances of closing due to winter weather, which has proven to be popular with students, teachers and parents.
Blake is a big racing fan and on Sundays you can usually find him watching a NASCAR race. In 2022, he worked with the broadcast team at Berlin Raceway as a pit road reporter and eventually a play-by-play analyst.
He also loves all things West Michigan, including Hudsonville Ice Cream (for obvious reasons). If you see him around town, it’ll likely be at DJ’s Pizza in Hudsonville or at Grand Haven State Park. Wherever you find him, be sure to say hello!
I have been employed at the Kent County Sheriff’s Office for over 27 years. I began my career as a Road Patrol Deputy and was promoted through the ranks serving in all divisions at the Sheriff’s Office. In November 2018 I was promoted to Undersheriff. One of my proudest moments was helping initiate our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in the jail. While serving as the Jail Security Captain, I saw firsthand the impact the Opioid Epidemic had on our inmates, but also the additional work and stress for the security and medical staff that had to manage the inmates. After extensive research, consultation with the county’s legal staff and medical community, and with the approval from Sheriff, Michelle LaJoye-Young, a partnership with the 61st District Drug Court and phase one of a pilot study began in February 2017. The pilot program allowed inmates in drug court that were lodged at the Kent County Correctional Facility (KCCF) to continue to receive MAT. This pilot has since transitioned to phase two, which allows any inmate at the KCCF to continue an already established MAT program. I earned my BS in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Grand Valley State University, graduated from the Grand Valley State University Police Academy, and am a graduate of the Northwestern University of Police Staff and Command (2007) and the FBI National Academy (2010).
Forest Hills Business Association 5557 28th St SE, PMB 107 Grand Rapids, MI 49512
