About Us

Board of Directors

The business and community leaders of Greater Grand Rapids currently serving on The Right Place, Inc. Board of Directors

Downing Steve

Steve Downing* | Chair

President & CEO, Gentex Corporation
Pink Dr Bill

Bill Pink, Ph.D. * | Vice Chair/Treasurer

President, Ferris State University

Sara Armbruster – President & CEO, Steelcase

Rick Baker – President & CEO, Grand Rapids Chamber

Matt Biersack, MD – President, Trinity Health Grand Rapids

Luke Cherveny – Grand Rapids Office Managing Partner - Tax Reporting & Strategy Partner, PwC

Michael Davenport – President & CEO, Jireh Metal

Lauren Davis* – President, West Michigan Region, Huntington Bank

Tina Freese Decker* - President & CEO, Corewell Health

Ronald G. DeWaard – Managing Partner, Varnum LLP

Katie L. Ferris, CPA – Tax Office Managing Partner, BDO

Christopher Hufnagel – CEO, Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

Joshua Hulst* – Co-founder & Managing Partner, Michigan Software Labs

Joe Hune - Vice President, West Michigan & Upper Peninsula Region, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Jonathon Husby - President & CEO, ADAC Automotive

Nick Hrnyak – CEO, Lacks Enterprises, Inc.

John Kennedy – President & CEO, Autocam Medical

William B. Kessel - CEO, Independent Bank

Rick Keyes* – President & CEO, Meijer

James Kolodziej - Operations Manager, Flexco (Manufacturers Council Representative)

Charles W. Lepper - President, Grand Rapids Community College

Charles W. Lott – Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo & Company

Philomena Mantella, Ph.D* – President, Grand Valley State University

Michael Nelson - President & CEO, Amway Corporation

Andi Owen – President & CEO, MillerKnoll

A. Michael Palizzi – CEO, Miller Canfield

Richard J. Pappas, Ed.D – President, Davenport University

Stacy Paul - President & CEO, Array of Engineers (Tech Council Representative)

Robert A. Richard - President, Chief Operations Officer, DTE Energy

Julie Rietberg – CEO, Greater Regional Alliance of Realtors

Garrick Rochow* – President & CEO, Consumers Energy Company

Nelson Sanchez* - CEO, RoMan Manufacturing

Tony Sarsam – President & CEO, SpartanNash

Triona Schmelter - Executive Vice President & President, Consumer Self-Care Americas, Perrigo Company, plc

John Shay – City Manager, City of Wyoming (Community Partner Representative)

Rich Sorota – CEO, Miller Johnson

Aron Sousa, MD, FACP - Dean, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Tom Stritzinger – Senior Vice President, Comerica Bank

Renee Tabben – Managing Director, Market Executive, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Market, Bank of America

Randy Thelen* – President & CEO, The Right Place, Inc.

John Tuttle – President, Acrisure

David L. Van Andel – Chairman & CEO, Van Andel Institute

Al Vanderberg – County Administrator/Controller, Kent County

Mike VanGessel – CEO, VanGessel Investments

Mark Washington – City Manager, City of Grand Rapids

Mark J. Wassink – Managing Partner, Warner Norcross + Judd, LLP

Daniel Watts - CEO, US Signal

Thomas G. Welch, Jr. – Regional President, Fifth Third Bank - West Michigan

Sean P. Welsh* – Regional President, PNC Bank

*Denotes member of the Executive Committee