Charles C. Stoddard

Charles C. Stoddard was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1945; Charles grew up in East Lansing. Following graduation from Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, he attended Michigan State University where he was president of the Senior Class. He graduated in 1967 with high honors majoring in Humanities. In 1969.he received an MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

He began his banking career at age sixteen as a teller in the summers with Michigan National Bank. He is a second generation banker as his father Howard founded Michigan National Bank in 1941. After graduate school, Charles worked for Citibank in New York City for three years and an investment firm in Los Angeles for two years. Moving to Grand Rapids in 1973, he spent fourteen years with Michigan National Bank, including nine years as President of Michigan National -Central. In 1987, he founded Grand Bank where he was CEO and Chairman. He retired in 2002 when Grand Bank merged with Macatawa Bank.

Charles has been actively involved in the community. He served on numerous boards, including the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids (President), Young President’s Organization (President), Blodgett Hospital, Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids Foundation, Economic Club of Grand Rapids (founding member), Grand Rapids Service Corps, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Gerald R. Ford Council of the Boy Scouts of America (President), Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Porter Hills Foundation and Forest Hills Fine Arts Foundation (Treasurer).

In 1985, he and his wife along with four other couples started a private K through 12^th grade school for children with learning disabilities called Lake Michigan Academy. He co-chaired a two million dollar capital campaign to purchase a building for LMA at 2428 Burton, Grand Rapids.

In 2004, Charles founded Grand Angels (www.grandangels.org) to make private equity investment.  Its mission is to invest in star t-up businesses in west Michigan as well as provide mentoring.

He has been active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as the Bishop (similar to a pastor) of the Grand Rapids Ward, and as Stake President (stake is similar to a diocese) of the Grand Rapids Stake presiding over thirteen congregations in west Michigan. He also served as a Mission President (2006-2009) presiding over the Santa Rosa California Mission.

Charles and Jan have four children and six grandchildren: Stephen (married to Kim Huber and have three daughters, and live in Heber, Utah); Howard (married to Kimberly Anderson and have a daughter and live in Driggs, Idaho); Deborah (married to Randy Wright and have two sons and live in Maui, Hawaii) and Philip (lives in Augusta, Michigan).

Charles and Jan live in Hickory Corners (Gull Lake), Michigan and Park City, Utah.  He enjoys travel, tennis, golf and collecting humorous stories (which resulted in eight volumes of “Grand Groaners”). He has written an autobiography called “Isn’t Life Grand?”