Gov. appoints two to WMU Board of Trustees

KALAMAZOO—An Ann Arbor entrepreneur and a Detroit-area businessman and alumnus have been appointed to the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.

The new trustees will serve eight-year terms that begin in 2013, and each replaces a board member whose terms expires at the end of 2012. The appointees are:

• Michelle Crumm, CEO and owner of Ann Arbor-based Present Value, who replaces Larry Tolbert of Kalamazoo; and

• Ronald "Ron" Hall of Detroit, head of Detroit-area automotive firms Bridgewater Interiors and New Center Stamping and a 1965 WMU alumnus, who replaces Dennis Archer of Detroit.

"Michelle and Ron are outstanding Michiganders and business professionals," said Snyder in a release from his press office. "I am confident they will do great work on behalf of Western Michigan University."

The pair will join six other trustees as part of the eight-person governing body for the University.

"We're delighted that our new trustees have such extensive business and community engagement credentials," said WMU President John M. Dunn of the appointments. "We look forward to their counsel and leadership in the coming years as they bring their experience to bear in moving our University forward."

Michelle Crumm

Crumm leads Present Value, a firm that provides advice to entrepreneurs on strategies and mission statements as well as business planning and finance. Prior to taking on that role, she was a co-founder and chief business officer of Adaptive Materials Inc., a fuel cell company that she led through a transition from startup to a second-stage, fast-growing advanced manufacturing company. The company was acquired by defense industry giant Ultra Electronics in 2011.

Crumm's background also includes positions at the Kellogg Co. and at Plante and Moran. Crumm was named one of 2007's Most Influential Women by Crain’s Detroit Business and one of Enterprising Women's Women of the Year in 2008. She was also named 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and 2011 Executive of the Year by AnnArbor.com. During her 12 years of leadership at Adaptive Materials, the company was recognized for its dynamic growth, receiving Ann Arbor SPARK's FastTrack award. The company also was named to Inc. magazine's Inc. 5,000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies as well as the Inc. 100 list of top energy companies.

Active in a variety of community organizations, Crumm is a board member for the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, chair of the board of the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum and an active board member for both Arbor Hospice and Emerson Schools. She also is a participant in the Women Presidents' Organization and Women in Public Policy.

Crumm earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan.

Ron Hall

In addition to his leadership roles as president and CEO of Bridgewater and chairman and CEO of New Center Stamping, Hall is the president and CEO of Renaissance Capital Alliance, an equipment leasing company, and CEO of Departure Travel Management.

Hall is well known for turning the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council into one of the premier minority business organizations in the country. Under his leadership, the council’s minority business and corporate membership more than doubled. In addition, he was assistant vice president of minority business development for New Detroit Inc., the nation’s first urban coalition.

Hall plays an active role in business and civic organizations across the state, including Business Leaders for Michigan, the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce, the Booker T. Washington Business Association, the National Athletic Amateur Union, and a host of public and private entities. His past community engagement includes service on the board of St. John's Hospital and as chair of the American Diabetes Association of Michigan and Southeastern Michigan Junior Achievement.

In addition, Hall is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, WMU's celebrated African-American fraternity that recently observed its 50th anniversary at the University. He spoke on campus as part of the October event that marked that milestone.

Hall earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from WMU and a Master of Business Administration degree from Wayne State University.