Program Presenters

Dr. Prudy Barrett Nelson, Tom’s wife, talked about her and Tom’s 501 (c) (3) organization, “Helping Hands for Vulnerable Children (HHVC)” in Uganda. It is home…

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Lainie Adams, shown above with President Dave, is the Director of Corporate Partnerships for LOGAN Community Services, Inc. LOGAN is a non-profit organization, based in the…

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Kiya Hudson, Welch Center Manager, was our host and guide on August 5, 2025. Kiya grew up in Van Buren County and received a degree…

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Greg, pictured with President Dave, graduated from Hope College and pursued graduate studies at WMU and UM. He was at Zeeland West High School for…

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Pam Klyn, President of the Whirlpool Foundation, reviewed many of the Whirlpool Foundation’s activities. She said that the Foundation uses a House and Home framework to guide its global giving. House…

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Jim is the Owner and President of Green Earth Electronics Recycling on 4200 Niles Rd in St. Joseph. He also owns Maverick Asset Solutions in…

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Tess Ulery, a St. Joseph City Commissioner, and Kate Ulery, Tessa’s mom, have both been integral to resuming the popular North Pier Lighthouse tours since…

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In 2009-2010, the city’s emergency manager merged the Police and Fire Departments, causing Police Officers and Fire Fighters to become cross-trained. However, the fire school…

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Edgewater Resources is a global, full-service engineering company specializing in coastal and marina engineering, established in 2010. Greg states that, as they attempt to solve…

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Laurie grew up in the Sister Lakes area and worked as an electrical engineer for Zenith for 27 years. Upon her retirement, she took on the…

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Larry was drafted into the army in 1969 and enlisted for a three-year term as a cook. He went to Vietnam in May of 1971…

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Luke reviewed the purpose of SWMAR, which includes being an advocate for realtors, providing education, offering training, and ensuring oversight. He provided a review of…

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Dan reviewed all the activities needed for maintaining the St. Joseph Harbor and River, ensuring they remain open for both commercial and recreational boating. The Corps of Engineers is responsible…

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Marla is the new President and CEO of Cornerstone Alliance. She shared that Cornerstone’s goals for the next year are: 

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Amy discussed the workings of the Prosecutor’s Office, which cover: 

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Katie Woodard, Lakeshore Key Club Advisor, welcomed us to lunch at the High School. Then the Key Club Officers gave a PowerPoint presentation of their…

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Mick gave us a review of Holtec’s history with the Palisades Nuclear Plant. In 2022, Holtec bought Pallisades with the aim of decommissioning it. With…

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Donna was recently appointed as the Director. WSG is a school, studio, and gallery dedicated to the fine arts of glass and metal. “We are…

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Rhiannon has served as Director of the BHCA for the past five years. She informed us that BHCA is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, operating under the direction of the County.…

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Glenn is the newly elected Lincoln Township Supervisor. He plans to be responsive to all the citizens of the townships. He reviewed the current state…

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Cathy took over the job as Supervisor in 2019. She discovered that the agreement with St. Joe for sewer treatment was set to expire in…

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Brian has been the B.C Administrator since 2020. Previously, he served as the City Manager of South Haven for 20 years. During the pandemic, they recognized the need…

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Chris is the Managing Director of Harbor Shores Community Development. Currently, development in the Benton Harbor Parcels includes 137 homes and apartments. That accounts for $…

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Bonita Mitchell is the Executive Director of “I’m Saving Myself (ISM)”, and Iris Watts is the BH Supervisor of ISM. Bonita started a program in…

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Al is the Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing, and Government Relations at Lake Michigan College (LMC). He told us that there are “lots of exciting things…

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