(231) 591-2365
420 Oak Street
Prakken 101
Big Rapids, MI 49307
The Ferris Foundation in GR
Ferris's Grand Rapids Advancement office provides the vision, leadership, and management for fundraising efforts in West Michigan. The office brings together university partners to strategically develop funding models and cohesive messaging to share with the community. Barbara Benda, Executive Director of Leadership Gifts and Relationships Grand Rapids Region and Associate Director of The Ferris Foundation, leads this effort.
The Ferris Grand Rapids Council
The vision of the council is to build a robust Bulldog community that ensures every area student has an accessible pathway to a Ferris education and a successful career. A group of dedicated volunteers, the council collaborates with the Ferris Foundation to cultivate Bulldog Pride, support Ferris' economic impact, and increase educational opportunity in the area.
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In Grand Rapids, Ferris State University meets students “where they are”. Beyond traditional college recruitment, Ferris Grand Rapids works with under-connected and under-represented communities: listening, identifying needs, and finding partners.
Since 1991, Ferris Grand Rapids has been building these bridges for the educational and professional achievement of current and future students while cultivating a vibrant and supportive community around them. This important work is not done alone, in a vacuum. Our work engages partner organizations that in turn make our programming more robust and valuable to students.
Ferris State University has laid institutional foundations in Grand Rapids for many years. Moving forward, our work will focus on our strengths:
- Ferris Grand Rapids will address financial barriers with comprehensive scholarship
development. Ferris Grand Rapids will cultivate a welcoming and inclusive outreach
to diverse populations, meeting students of all backgrounds and walks of life “where
they are”.
- Ferris Grand Rapids will echo the larger university’s commitment to graduating students
who are ready to work, emphasizing hands-on experiences and real-world skills. Through
collaboration and community partnerships today, we will offer our students and the
larger Grand Rapids community a head start on the agility and scholarship to adapt
for tomorrow.
- Ferris Grand Rapids will remain a community of learners. Collaborating in meaningful ways is dependent on the humility to acknowledge that no person or institution has all the answers. Ferris Grand Rapids is unencumbered by the restrictions of a conventional institution. Instead, we are a living, adaptive organization that is very comfortable in ambiguous space.
West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship
In the West Michigan area, there are talented students who have dire need, but aren't eligible for scholarships because they come in just under the usual scholarship GPA. The West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship broadens scholarship availability beyond those who are already high-achieving, creating a base of support for West Michigan Ferris State University students to succeed.
Wayne Bersano
Financial Relationship Banker, Huntington Bank
FSU: Hospitality Administration/Management
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Jeffrey Cave
CEO, Orthopaedic Associates of Muskegon
FSU: Healthcare Systems Administration
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Chuck Christmas
EVP - Chief Financial Officer, Mercantile Bank
FSU: Accounting
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Liz Cotner
HR Business Partner, CAE
FSU: Healthcare Administration
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Mary E. Dale
Global Vice President of Human Resources, Convivial Brands
FSU: Applied Speech Communications
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Jean K. Elder
CEO and Senior Partner, J.K. Elder and Associates
Ferris Foundation Board of Directors
FSU: Honorary Doctorate
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Linda Hook
Producer, 44North/Acrisure
FSU: Education
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JAson Johnson
Senior Director of Growth, Cannon Quality Group, LLC
FSU: Advertising
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Mary Anne Jones (Co-Chair)
Former CFO and SVP of Operations, Priority Health
FSU: Accounting
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Susan K. Jones
Professor of Marketing, Ferris State University
Ferris Foundation Board of Directors
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Andrew Kapanowski
Territory Sales Manager, Western Michigan, Haworth
FSU: Business Administration
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Ken Komejan
Business Development Executive, VP Demand Creation Services
FSU: Business- Sales and Marketing
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Andy Maier
Marketing Consultant and Brand Strategist
FSU: Business Administration/Advertising
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Evvia Marshall
Sr. Consumer Insight Analyst, Priority Health
FSU: Computer Information Systems
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Paola Mendivil
Vice President of Catering. El Granjero
Business Development Advisor, GROW
FSU: Business Administration
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Scott Miller
Director of Operations, Jireh Metal Products Inc.
FSU: Industrial Technology and Management
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Andy O'Brien (Co-Chair)
Benefits Consultant, Axios Incorporated
FSU: Business Marketing
LinkedIn
Vince Owen
Employee Benefits Producer, Doyle & Ogden Insurance Advisors
FSU: Operations Management
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Carolina Puerta-Estevez
HR-BIS Human Resources Bilingual International Services
FSU: Public Relations
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Corey Sandner
Director of Lending, Team Financial Group
FSU: Business Administration
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Laura Smith
Director, RCM Integrations at Radiology Partners
FSU: Project Management
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Betsey Spayde RPh
Property Manager and Owner, FMG Properties, LLC
FSU: Pharmacy
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Jeff Totten
Chief Engineer, Cascade Engineering
FSU: Plastics Engineering Technology
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Mike Van Diepenbos
Senior Vice President & Group Manager – Business Banking, Comerica Bank
FSU: Business Administration
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Spencer Whitmore
Vice President, AE Betancourt
FSU: Human Resource Management
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Interested in joining the Council?