Page 21 - LRCC FOCUS September 2020

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE

Plan. Through a Request for expertise in economic development — especially in
Proposals process, MPS has catalyzing entrepreneurial programs and industry
hired Dr. Karlin J. Tichenor of cluster initiatives.
Karlin J & Associates, LLC to
support its diversity and inclusion Dewpoint Inc. of Lansing has donated 25 iPads to
work. Dr. Tichenor received his Sparrow for a pilot Age-Friendly initiative aimed
Doctor of Philosophy in Human at advancing the health of vulnerable elders in our
Development and Family Studies community. The iPads will contain specialized
Tichenor
with a specialization in couple materials and resources and will be provided to a small
Despite a quiet construction site in recent months, and family therapy from Michigan State University. group of medical-surgical patients. The patients will
work is expected to resume on the proposed Village Locally, he worked in the Lansing School District as use the iPads to respond to age- f r i e n d l y
of Okemos project, located on the northwest and the executive director and associate superintendent questions via Sparrow’s MyChart patient app aimed
southwest corners of Hamilton and Okemos Roads of school culture, an assistant professor at Michigan at improving their care. Sparrow is among the first
in Okemos. Meridian Township, the State of State University, and an adjunct professor at Siena healthcare systems in the country implementing age-
Michigan, the project owner WestPac Communities, Heights University. friendly healthcare.
and True North Development are working together
to resume work on the project and extend Michigan The local branch of a national lending company plans
Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Eagle to relocate to a new office in a Lansing shopping
funding for asbestos abatement and demolition work, center. Supreme Lending is moving across the street
originally slated for spring 2020. In an effort to secure to 620 S. Creyts Road to a 1,116-square-foot office
additional funds, the development team plans to nearby Quality Dairy. The Lansing office of Colliers
submit a request to Meridian Township for use of the International worked with Supreme Lending on the
Meridian Redevelopment Fund to cover a portion deal, and represented the landlord, 5 M Company
of the asbestos abatement and demolition costs on LLC. Supreme Lending is a respected, nationwide
all buildings within the two-block site. If the capital mortgage banker. Its loan officers have served the
raise is successful and the redevelopment funding is Lansing market for 28 years.
secured, the development team aims to begin the work
in October and complete the asbestos abatement and The MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) Sparrow Laboratories has achieved a milestone by
demolition by Dec. 15. Board of Directors and management are pleased to performing more than 100,000 tests for COVID-19,
announce the Credit Union opened its 21st branch becoming one of only a few hospital or private labs
at 2313 Cedar St., Holt, Mich., on July 24. This full- in Michigan to achieve that level. The huge numbers
service location features both drive-up video tellers are fueled by the continued incredible popularity of
and 24-hour ATMs, and an integrated branch design, the innovative Sparrow Laboratories Drive-
which offers sit-down stations rather than a traditional Thru Services site at Frandor in Lansing. Sparrow has
teller line. The stations are staffed by employees who added other drive-thru sites and continues to respond
are universally trained to handle a wide variety of to the community’s needs with special testing events,
transactions, including opening new accounts and such as the recent one at Union Missionary Baptist
processing loan applications. The branch also has Church in Lansing and on Aug. 12 in Saranac.
a digital station where youth members can play the
MSUFCU’s free gaming apps. Michigan State University’s Michigan Political
A local businessman who was diagnosed with Leadership Program is again breaking new ground.
stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma and his wife have For the first time, they are hosting their annual
committed $100,000 to the Sparrow Herbert- fundraiser virtually. The 2020 MPLP fundraiser is
Herman Cancer Center in honor of the incredible set for Thursday, Oct. 1 online over Zoom. It starts at
care he received there. Tim and Debby Hanna of 6:30 p.m., The featured speaker will be Larry Sabato,
DeWitt say the Cancer Center, and specifically his founder of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
oncologist, Muhammad Hamdan, M.D., were
crucial to his surviving the diagnosis. The Hannas During Grand Ledge Public Schools’ annual
have committed the donation to the Cancer Center’s Comet Camp, the Eaton Regional Education
precision medicine program in honor of Dr. Hamdan. Service Agency (RESA) Fab Lab made its fall
Precision medicine is a personalized approach to Left to right: Julie Metty Bennett, CEO, and Rachel Kuntzsch, president debut. The Fab Lab is a mobile pathway trailer
cancer care in which treatment is based on the specific featuring a 3D printer, a virtual welder, a CNC
characteristics of an individual’s tumor rather than a Public Sector Consultants (PSC), a force in public machine, and a drill press. The goal of the Fab Lab
one-size-fits-all approach. policy for more than 40 years, was recently certified is to expose young students to career opportunities,
as a Women-Owned Small Business by the U.S. programming, and resources available to them at
Last fall, Mason Public Schools created a committee Small Business Administration. Metty Bennett, PSC the Eaton RESA Career Preparation Center. The
consisting of teachers, students, and community CEO, has been with PSC for more than 20 years and Fab Lab works by bringing learning experiences in
members to examine the District’s strengths and is a leading voice in water, environmental, land-use manufacturing and technical equipment to students
weaknesses when it comes to diversity and inclusion. and energy policy in Michigan and beyond. Rachel in grades 4-9, making it easy for students to explore
This spring, the committee made a recommendation Kuntzsch, co-shareholder, and president of PSC manufacturing as a potential career. This year’s
to the Superintendent to hire a professional founded and led her own public policy consultancy Comet Camp was purposefully smaller in size due
consultant that would guide the direction of the for 12 years before merging with PSC in 2016. Her to safety requirements, and the Fab Lab will use
team as well as support the District’s Strategic business management experience combined with her extra cleaning protocols before each presentation.

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