EVENTS
Upcoming
Event
Stay tuned for upcoming September events!
Past Events
June 2010
Community Outreach
in partnership with Blandford
Nature Center
May 2010
Professional Development
hosted by Grand
Valley State University, Inclusion and Equity Division
featuring Dr. Jeanne Arnold, Vice President, Inclusion
and Equity Division
Participants were engaged in an informal dialogue with
Jeanne Arnold, a professional with extensive experiences
in traditional social work and higher education environments.
Dr. Arnold shared her educational, professional and community
leadership experiences with participants under the "Unconventional
Leadership Experiences and Opportunities" professional
development theme of the year.
May 2010
Community Outreach
in partnership with Friends
of Grand Rapids Parks
April 2010
Social Networking BL²ENDer
Blue
Water Grill
5180 Northland Drive, Grand Rapids, MI
March 2010
Community Outreach
in partnership with Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF)
December 2009
Social Networking BL²ENDer at JW Marriott
Grand Rapids
six.one.six "Mixology" lounge
235 Louis Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI
November 2009
Professional Development
hosted by Cornerstone University
"Global Leadership Experiences & Opportunities"
featuring Sandra Upton, Ph.D., Dean, Business Programs, Professional and Graduate
Studies (PGS) Division. Participants were engaged in an insightful dialogue with
Dr. Sandra Upton, a professor, dean and organizational development consultant,
with extensive business and higher education leadership experience.
October 2009
Community Outreach
hosted by Mercantile Bank of Michigan
“Understanding your Credit and Buying your First Home”
featuring Andrew M. Baker, AVP, Mortgage Lender at Mercantile, and Takara Taylor,
BS, Licensed Realtor at Audu Real Estate
September 2009
Professional Development
hosted by Steelcase Inc.
"Global Leadership Experiences & Opportunities"
featuring Brian Cloyd, Vice President, Global Community Relations, Steelcase
Inc. Participants were engaged in a dialogue with Brian Cloyd, a Steelcase Inc.
executive with extensive corporate leadership experience, and learned more about
his background and global leadership experiences and opportunities available
today.
Photos courtesy of 1080
HD Productions.
August 2009
BL²END presents "A New Conversation"
sponsored by SMG and the Convention/Arena
Authority
featuring partner organizations including the
Asian Professionals Organization; Grand Rapids Young
Professionals; West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network
DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Avenue, Grand Rapids, MI
July 2009
Community Outreach event
in partnership with the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks
North Park Elementary School
3375 Cheney Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI
June 2009
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
Bistro Bella Vita
44 Grandville Avenue SW, Grand Rapids, MI
May 2009
Community Outreach
hosted and sponsored by Guiding Light Mission
255 South Division, Grand Rapids, MI
www.guidinglightmission.org
April 2009
True Colors® Personal Success Seminar at GRCC Tassell M-TEC Building
622 Godfrey SW, Grand Rapids, MI
featuring MarcQus Wright of Quality Collaborators
www.qualityteams.com
April
2009
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
Republic
45 South Division Avenue, Grand Rapids, MI
March
2009
Professional Development
hosted by Amway
"Global Leadership Experiences & Opportunities"
featuring Candace Matthews, Chief Marketing Officer, Amway. Participants
were engaged in an insightful dialogue with Candace Matthews, an Amway executive
with extensive corporate leadership experience, and learned more about her background
and global leadership experiences and opportunities available today.
February 2009
Social Networking with
The Grand Rapids Symphony
Symphony
with Soul concert, and
"post-concert" Celebration
of Soul reception
DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe
Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI
January 2009
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
the JW Marriott Grand Rapids
six.one.six "Mixology" lounge
235 Louis Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI
December 2008
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
Churchill's Bar & Bistro
70 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI
November 2008
The "Young Professionals
Issues" Forum brought
together local community leaders and dynamic young professionals
from BL²END, the
Grand Rapids Young Professionals,
and the Center
for Community Leadership, a
resource of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce,
to discuss topics critical to recruitment and retention
of young professionals, including employment, diversity,
entertainment, transportation, and downtown housing options.
Panel Members
- Mike Freed, CFO, Spectrum
Health
- George Heartwell, Mayor,
City of Grand Rapids
- Eli Lumpkins, Commissioner,
City of Grand Rapids
- Rich MacKeigan, General
Manager, SMG
- Suzanne Schulz, Planning
Director, City of Grand Rapids
Moderator
Eva Aguirre Cooper,
Communications Director, WOOD TV8/WOTV4/WXSP
October 2008
Professional
Development
sponsored by Cascade Engineering
"A New Day: The Changing
Face of Executive Leadership" Career
Panel, featured local executives of color who shared their
educational, professional, and community leadership experiences
responsible for shaping them into the influential leaders
they are today.
Panel Members
- Sonali Allen, Vice President
of Community Development, Mercantile Bank
- Kenyatta Brame, Senior
Vice President, Department of Business Services, Cascade
Engineering
- Floriza Genautis, CEO & Founder,
Management Business Solutions
- Mark Iverson, Director,
Organizational Integrity, Saint Mary's Health Care/Trinity
Health
- Karen Morris,Senior
Vice President, Human Resources and Government
Relations, Meijer, Inc.
- Patrick Miles, Jr.,
Member, Dickinson Wright PLLC
- Lauri Parks, City
Clerk, City of Grand Rapids
- Jonse Young, Donor
Services Director, Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Moderator
Shaquanda S. Gordon, PHR, Manager,
Human Resources - Eastern Region, Priority Health
September 2008
Social
Networking BL²ENDer at
McFadden's
58 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI
August 2008
Community Outreach
BL²END partnered with the
Inner City Christian Confederation (ICCF) to make a difference
in the lives of low-income families within our community.
July 2008
The Second Annual Minority Intern Skyline Reception took
place on the 17th floor of the Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett
law firm located at Bridgewater Place, in downtown
Grand Rapids. The event was hosted by the Multiracial
Association of Professionals (MAP), a program
of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Black
Professionals and Executives Network (BPEN), BL²END, and
the Asian Professionals Organization (APO).
June
2008
Professional Development
"Networking in the 21st Century"
Sponsored by Spectrum Health
Presenter: Jerry Conrad, MA,
DTM, CSP, CEO, S.G. Maverick, Inc.
May 2008
Social Networking BL²ENDer
Spectrum
Lanes
April 2008
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
Naya Bistro & Wine
Bar
1144 E Paris Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI
March 2008
Community Outreach
“The
Process: From a Student to a Professional” Panel,
in partnership with
Grand
Valley State University, Office of Multicultural Affairs
BL²END Panelists
Anissa Eddie, School Social
Worker, Cedar Springs Public Schools
Darquillius
Johnson, Graduate Assistant, Grand Valley State
University,
Office of Student Life
Cynthia Offutt, Human Resource
Manager, AIS Construction Equipment
Angela
Nelson, Contributions Specialist, Alticor, Inc.
Marnique
Harris, Student Outreach & Recruitment, Western
Michigan University College of Aviation
March 2008
Professional Development
"Young Professionals and Career"
Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank
Presenter: Christopher Macon, Professional
Development Consultant, Fifth Third Bank
January
2008
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
Churhills Bar & Bistro
70 Ionia Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI
November 2007
Social Networking BL²ENDer at
McFadden’s
58 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI
