Key Perspectives
The task: Provide strategic direction, resources and advocacy for Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business.
The team: The Haworth College of Business Advisory Council—a group of executives composed of alumni and friends of the college, representing a variety of industries and perspectives.
The target: Helping the college achieve vision-aligned goals in regard to operational strategies, the academic program, friend-raising and fund-raising.
The Haworth College of Business Advisory Council is a group of individuals committed to working for the betterment of the college each and every day. During both the council’s focused meetings, where members assist Dean Kay Palan and her leadership team with a variety of projects related to the health of the college, to everyday encounters with potential college of business advocates, the council members work diligently on behalf of the Haworth College of Business.
“Our focus is on highlighting the great work happening at the Haworth College of Business and helping the college meet its goals for the future,” says council president Mike Lewis, recently retired executive vice president at BMO Harris Bank in Chicago. “The college provides a superior business education and its reputation is growing regionally. The council members are here to assist in any way we can to promote the quality of the college. This is a true labor of love for us.”
Acting as a vital sounding board for the dean, council members have the perspectives, backgrounds, and skills to help move the college forward in significant ways.
What sorts of projects occupy the time and talents of the council members?
- Connections: Council members help to engage fellow alumni in the life of the college through alumni events, recruitment of prospective students and recruitment of talent from the college of business. They also connect the college to valuable resources through their own personal networks.
- A strategic point of view: The council engages in a number of strategic initiatives. Currently, council members are working with the dean on evaluating potential risks and opportunities for the college in the next five to ten years.
- Fund-raising: Members of the council assist in fund-raising efforts on behalf of the college by encouraging awareness about the impact of philanthropy as well as the fund-raising needs of the college.
“The advisory council plays a vitally important role in our college,” says Dean Kay Palan. “We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of leaders who give unselfishly of their time and expertise with the sole goal of helping us to become an even stronger college. By collaborating with our administrators, faculty and staff, council members make the Haworth College of Business a vibrant and forward-focused business college.”
Please visit the Advisory Council web page to learn more about Haworth College of Business Advisory Council members, including three new members:
- David Hoogendoorn, B.B.A.’88, Market Segment Leader, Michigan and Northwest Ohio, and Office Managing Partner, Grand Rapids, Ernst & Young.
- Tony McKinney, B.B.A.’92, Vice President, Assistant Treasurer, Stryker.
- Phil Straniero, Executive-In-Residence, Western Michigan University, and retired Kellogg executive.