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November 4, 2025

The Ferris Foundation to celebrate champions on the field, in the classroom, and in the community at annual Benefit for Excellence Gala

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BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — 

Four Ferris State University “champions” will share their experiences and show how supporters change lives at The Ferris Foundation Benefit for Excellence Gala on Friday.

The annual event supports the foundation’s mission of developing support for Ferris State students, faculty, and staff with an evening highlighting former and current students who have thrived due to the foundation’s work.

The event, planned for Nov. 7 at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids, will celebrate the university’s champions – those succeeding on the athletic field, in the classroom, and in the community.

The highlight will be an alumni panel discussion featuring:

  • Jay Cooke, a member of the Class of 1970, who is a practicing attorney and principal at CRG Investment Properties of Troy. The firm specializes in development and management of commercial and industrial properties across California, Colorado, Michigan, Texas, Utah, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.
  • Sylvester Hester, a member of the Class of 1987, who is founder and CEO of LM Manufacturing of Detroit, and previously served as president of ARD Logistics, co-founder of Key Logistics, and chairman and CEO of Grupo Antolin, all of which provide logistics and supply chain management to aerospace and automotive industries.
  • Laurie Placinski, a member of the Class of 2006, who is vice president of Design, Real Estate, and Partnerships at BAMF Health, a Grand Rapids-based company pioneering the advancement of theranostics, a field of medicine that utilizes diagnostic imaging to personalize and target treatment for cancer and other diseases.
  • Jennifer Wheeler, a member of the Class of 1991, is the founder of The Michigan Training Center on Abuse and Trauma of Children in Detroit, which provides education to community schools, organizations, and professionals working with juvenile victims. She is also managing partner of the practice consultancy J. Winston Group.

The event is a fundraiser to support the work of the foundation and its efforts to help remove financial obstacles for Ferris Students. People not attending the event but wishing to contribute can offer donations here.