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Diversity Lecture Series: LaTosha Brown speaks on Jan. 20

  Jan. 20 6 - 8 p.m Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503  “There is power in my voice! It is a divine gift that I use to connect different worlds. I bridge the philanthropy world to the grassroots community, traditional politics to grassroots politics, and practitioners to the scholarship of movement building” (LaTosha Brown). LaTosha Brown is an award-winning visionary thought leader, institution builder, cultural activist and artist, and connector. She is a nationally recognized, “go-to” expert in Black voting rights and voter suppression, Black women’s empowerment and philanthropy.  She is also the visionary, founder and co-anchor of a regional network called the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium. This is $100 million, 10-year initiative to invest in organizations that serve Black women and girls.  Brown has worked in 23 different countries to include Kenya, Guyana and Brazil. Her next mission involves resourcing and empowering women across the Diaspora. “I don’t want women to be seen as victims; they are the problem solvers for the world. I am convinced that Black Women are going to liberate the world!”  For more information on LaTosha Brown, and the full 30th Annual Diversity Lecture Series lineup, see the Diversity Lecture Series webpage.

Professional development for employees: Winter offerings and LinkedIn Learning

Professional development and LinkedIn Learning Whether you’re new to GRCC or a seasoned member of the employee community, there’s always something new and interesting to learn at the College! Check out the schedule of offerings in the Professional Development   tile within your  Online Center  account. After enrolling, you’ll receive a calendar appointment within 24-48 hours to hold that time on your calendar.  Please be respectful and considerate and only register for sessions that your schedule permits you to attend.  Following your participation in an internal session, your attendance will be recorded and automatically inputted in the system and will appear on your Training Summary. You can also access over 20,000 online learning options through the GRCC partnership with LinkedIn Learning. Simply  log into your MyGRCC portal account  using your regular college credentials. For more information or assistance, please visit the  LinkedIn Learning at GRCC webpage .  Reminder: any external professional development or training (not offered through HR) can be  manually added to your Training Summary . If you have any questions or suggestions, please email  arikadavis1@grcc.edu . Winter semester employee learning opportunities There are many virtual options to keep you warm while you learn during this winter season! Tues., Jan. 14 - Building a Healthy Team Culture Mon., Jan. 20 - Managing Worry and Anxiety Thurs., Jan. 23 - Eating for Energy Tues., Jan. 28 - Cryptocurrency Tues., Feb.  11 - Coping with Financial Stress Tues., Feb. 11 - Developing Grit Thurs., Feb. 20 - Active Shooter Response Training Tues., Feb. 25 - Developing Team Relationships Wed., March 5 - Multi-Generational Workplaces Tues., March 11 -  Change Management Mon., March 17 - Federal Student Loan Repayment and Forgiveness Tues., March 18 - Implicit Bias Fri., March 21 - Supervisor Technology Course Thurs., March 27 - Insights into GRCC Strategic Plan Metrics: Enhancing Understanding through Data Literacy Tues., April 8 - Dealing with Difficult People Tues., April 15 - Active Shooter Response Thurs., April 24 - Leading Hybrid Teams  

Sustainable Decorations Initiative launched to enhance events and promote environmental responsibility

  We are excited to announce the formation of the GRCC Sustainable Decorations Committee, a new initiative aimed at making environmentally and fiscally responsible choices when choosing event decorations. Led by Lisa Radak, this committee’s goal is to invest in sustainable decorations that can be reused across various departments for events such as Commencement, the Student Block Party, open houses, pinning ceremonies and more. The creation of the Sustainable Decorations Committee began with a simple question: What decorations are available for nursing student pinning ceremonies, particularly when graduations occur at different times of the year and the standard décor is unavailable? This inquiry quickly evolved into a broader and more passionate group effort. Committee members recognized the importance of these ceremonies—and all special events— as opportunities to create meaningful experiences for students, and they are committed to providing a celebration-worthy environment for each.  As the committee’s mission expanded, so did its impact. Aligning their work with the College’s Strategic Goal No. 5—“The College effectively and responsibly uses our resources to enhance and improve GRCC and our community.”—the group has begun to explore sustainable decoration practices. They are focused on reducing waste, using resources efficiently and ensuring their efforts are environmentally responsible. What started as a solution for a specific need turned into a broader initiative to honor students while promoting environmental responsibility and enhancing the overall college experience.  As Klaas Kwant notes, “We are all tired of seeing one-time-use items, like balloons, basically go from an event into the landfill. We know we can do better." The committee members, unofficially dubbed the "Green Raiders," are comprised of directors, managers, coordinators, support professionals and a dean, representing Admissions and Enrollment, Student Life and Conduct, Operations/Grounds, Alumni Relations, ATC Operations & Special Events, Spectrum Theater, GRCC Foundation, Marketing and Communications, School of Health Sciences, various areas of IT and the Ford Fieldhouse. The committee also includes representatives from all three GRCC campuses—Main, Holland and Tassell MTEC.  Whitney Marsh shared, "I joined this committee because I enjoy working with others across campus, and this committee gives us an opportunity to work together and find solutions on how we can contribute to a positive environment impact as it relates to event decorations." The committee is currently creating a list of existing decorations and exploring sustainable options that can be adapted and scaled for the various events. Considerations such as storage, maintenance, ease of use and process management are also being addressed. Once the initiative is fully developed, they plan to offer a comprehensive list of available decorations and a simple system for requesting the use of these items for events across campus. 

How GRCC’s Nat Lloyd studied art history and became an accountant

Jan. 13, 2025 Nathaniel Lloyd’s journey to a successful career wasn’t a straight path. What started as a clear plan to pursue a career as an engineer by enrolling in the engineering program at Boston University, led to a major in art history followed by a master’s degree in accounting. It took him some time to find the right fit. “I had a career in mind, but I burned out quickly. Engineering is probably the toughest major in my opinion,” Lloyd said. “I never regretted changing out of engineering, but then it became a question of "now what?" I no longer had a specific drive.” After realizing engineering wasn’t right for him, Lloyd didn’t know what he wanted to do professionally. However, he did know one thing, he had an interest in history and great experiences in film studies classes.  “I had to find something that worked for me and that I could get done in a year and a half,” he said. Lloyd decided to pursue a liberal arts degree, and, more specifically, a major in art history.  “I love the idea of getting a liberal arts degree especially if you don’t know what you want to do,” he said. “It’s a little bit more interesting than a generic business degree.” Lloyd knew he would need a bachelor's degree to further his future career, so he wanted to choose one that would make him a more interesting person and that would keep him engaged.  “I never had the intention of being some sort of art historian or working at a museum,” he said. “I took it because I enjoyed aspects of it and it was important to me to get a degree on some level.”  After graduating from BU, Lloyd still didn’t know what he wanted to do for a career. However, while working in computer services, he got some additional certifications in information technology.  “I always knew I was someone who would go on to learn more and become something so I had to ask myself, do I want to become an IT professional with all these certifications or not,” he said. IT didn’t stick for him, but he found out that he was good at accounting through filing taxes and organizing other forms and decided to further his education in that field.  “I enjoyed the organizational aspects and learning how numbers work,” Lloyd said. “I finally knew what I wanted for a career.” At age 29, Lloyd enrolled in the Master of Science in accounting at Grand Valley State University. “It’s hard to get into something like accounting when you start at 29. This field is all about experience and credentials,” he said. “Even though I started a bit late, I think I’ve done really well.” Today, Lloyd is the director of Budget and Business Services at Grand Rapids Community College, a role he’s held since 2017.  "My liberal arts classes helped me learn how to approach problems in a different way from many in the finance world,” he said. Lloyd’s story shows that a liberal arts degree isn’t just about studying subjects you enjoy. It’s about gaining the skills to think broadly, adapt to unexpected opportunities and, ultimately, build a rewarding career in fields you may never have originally considered. Explore programs in the  School of Liberal Arts at GRCC. This story was reported by Jada Reahm.

Phoenix Swope

Phoenix started working for the college as an assistant in the Computer Camp program during the summer of 2003.  After that summer she joined the US Navy Submarine fleet and served for nearly 15 years as a Reactor Operator, eventually leaving the military as a Chief Electronics Technician.  From there she spent a couple of years working as a maintenance technician in a Muskegon foundry.  She rejoined the GRCC Family in May, 2019 as a Technical Operations Technician, was invited to lead the Technical Operations department in October, 2022, and offered an adjunct position in December, 2024. Phoenix assisted in the construction of the new ATC wing in 2020 and the Lakeshore Campus in 2021. Degrees and Certifications Industrial Maintenance Technology, A.A.A.S.

Lyon Street re-opening update

The City of Grand Rapids has notified GRCC the Lyon and Division intersection work is expected to be completed on January 10 or 13, depending on the concrete curing. Once the work is complete, Lyon and Fountain Streets will return to one-way traffic flow.  Drivers and pedestrians are urged to exercise caution when traveling as the shift back to one-way traffic may cause confusion for those unfamiliar with the change. This change will be temporary as the City plans to change them back to two-way traffic again in the spring.  Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation!

New episode of Together @ GRCC podcast

Welcome to Together@GRCC, the biweekly podcast created for GRCC staff. Hosted by Ryan Nausieda, each episode features interviews with staff, students and community members, highlighting the people and projects that make our campus thrive. In this episode of Together@GRCC, the host interviews Cameron Buck, Dean of the Lakeshore Campus. Buck discusses what makes the Lakeshore community unique, the services available to students, and the importance of understanding local needs to fulfill GRCC’s mission. Listeners can tune in for an insider’s perspective on how the Lakeshore Campus is making a lasting impact on its community.  Don’t miss this engaging conversation! Be sure to subscribe and share it with colleagues who want to stay connected to our GRCC community. YouTube Spotify Apple

Above & Beyond Award for January 2025

Conor Bardallis was nominated by David Lovell for January's Academic and Student Affairs Council Above and Beyond Award.   In his nomination, David wrote: "I see Conor everywhere - oftentimes literally running. My most recent engagement involved the coordination of the public forums for Associate Provost candidates. Conor was so willing to help us, and he seems personally passionate about this work. He was so organized and willing to help and had a great positive attitude the entire time. I know he is getting pulled in a lot of directions with the number of requests he fields, yet he didn't seem bothered at all that we asked him to help us with three events. He made us look good, and I imagine we're not the only ones that he helps, but always from "behind the scenes."  Congratulations Conor and thank you for all that you do!
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