Join the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids on June 26th for our annual "Passing of the Tiller" Luncheon, a special tradition marking the transition of club leadership. During this ceremony, outgoing 2024–2025 President Eunice Lopez-Martin will officially pass the presidential tiller to incoming 2025–2026 President Shannon Kolarik. We’ll celebrate the accomplishments of President Eunice’s term…
Speaker: Kevin Guskiewicz – President, Michigan State University Bio: Kevin M. Guskiewicz, a neuroscientist, academic leader and concussion researcher, was appointed president-elect of Michigan State University on Dec. 8, 2023, by the MSU Board of Trustees and started as president on March 4, 2024. A member of the University of North Carolina’s faculty since 1995…
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids is excited to announce the return of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program (RYEP)! After a pause in recent years, we’re bringing this life-changing opportunity back for local students and families. Join us to learn how the program works and how you can get involved—as a student, a host family,…
Speaker: Mark Washington - City Manager, City of Grand Rapids Speaker Topic: Balancing Commerical and Community Interests in Decision Making for City Development BIO: Mark Washington has been Grand Rapids’ City Manager since October 2018. As City Manager, he functions as the municipal corporation’s Chief Executive Officer. He oversees a $690 million budget, a 2700-person…
Speaker: Scott Vander Kooy – President, Comprenew Speaker Topic: Protecting People and Planet Bio: Scott Vander Kooy started Comprenew in 1986 as an IBM mainframe refurbisher in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As computers became more affordable and more electronics began entering the waste stream, Comprenew expanded its services to include recycling to help reduce this environmental…
Speaker: David Vessey – Philosophy Professor, GVSU Speaker Topic: Philosophical Reflections on Artificial Intelligence Bio: ​David Vessey is a Professor of Philosophy at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), where he has been a faculty member since 2008. He specializes in 19th and 20th-century Continental philosophy, with a particular focus on hermeneutic phenomenology and the philosophical…
Join us for our annual STRIVE (Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Education) student mentorship luncheon. We will celebrate and highlight all the progress and wonderful things the student mentees and mentors have been up to! ABOUTÂ STRIVE: Strive is a motivational mentoring program that targets high school junior and senior students who want…
Join us for a special luncheon led by the Rotary Interact Club! This event brings together community members for a delicious meal while supporting a good cause. The Rotary Interact Club is a youth-driven organization focused on leadership, service, and community engagement, and they are excited to share this experience with you.
Speaker: Andy Guy - Chief Outcomes Officer, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Speaker Topic: Grand River Greenway Projects Bio: Andy Guy serves as Chief Outcomes Officer at Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., responsible for place management and city building in Downtown Grand Rapids. Guy directs DGRI’s policy, strategy and communication initiatives in this role. Guy brings 15…
Speaker: Ryan VerWys - President & CEO, ICCF Community Homes Speaker Topic: Affordable housing Issues in Kent County Bio: Ryan Verwys is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ICCF Community Homes, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing and supporting economic development in communities across the region. With a passion for empowering individuals…