VandeMaele
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A local business executive and his company have contributed $25,000 toward an industrywide effort to raise money to fund an endowed professorship in the Western Michigan University Department of Chemical and Paper Engineering.
Mike VandeMaele, chief executive officer and founder of PRO Services and a board member of the WMU Paper Technology Foundation, recently executed a $25,000 gift agreement to help fund the Dr. Raymond L. Janes Endowed Professorship. Janes, who died in 2009, was a longtime faculty member and chair of the former Department of Paper and Printing Science and Engineering.
training the next generation
So far, about two-thirds of the $1.5 million needed to establish the professorship has been raised. Once the money has been raised, the person named as the endowed professor will help train the next generation of leaders in the forest products industry.
VandeMaele founded PRO Services in 1987 in Portage. The company specializes in skilled trades and maintenance technicians for industrial, commercial and residential environments. PRO Services is known worldwide for shutdowns, new construction and expansion projects in the forest products industry. This past November, PRO Services completed the startup of the Pratt Industries greenfield project in Valparaiso, Indiana.
About the program
WMU's Paper Engineering Program is widely regarded as one of the world's premiere paper engineering programs. Its students become the leaders and achievers of the forest products industry. With ample support from the Paper Technology Foundation, skilled faculty and leading industry professionals, students have access to mentors, scholarships and paid internships and co-ops. That support system trains students who are job-ready immediately after graduation. Program graduates have enjoyed 100 percent job placement with high starting salaries and rapid carrier advancement. The program also places a strong emphasis on sustainable manufacturing.
For more information or to contribute to the professorship, scholarships and other activities supported by the foundation, contact the WMU Paper Technology Foundation, 4651 Campus Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5438 or call (269) 276-3964.
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