{"id":688,"date":"2026-10-15T17:14:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T17:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westmichiganwoman.com\/brilliance-awards\/?page_id=688"},"modified":"2026-10-15T17:32:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T17:32:53","slug":"2018-finalists","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/westmichiganwoman.com\/brilliance-awards\/2018-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 Finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BRILLIANT WOMAN OF THE YEAR<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Joan Budden<\/h4>

President and CEO, Priority Health<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Peaches McCahill<\/h4>

Founder, The McCahill Group<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT TENACITY<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Mary Hollebeek<\/h4>

Ambassador and Board Member, Mel Trotter Ministries<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Melba V\u00e9lez Ortiz<\/h4>

Associate Professor, Grand Valley State University<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Marcia Warner<\/h4>

Director, Grand Rapids Public Library<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT TEAM PLAYER<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Dr. Jamie Caughran<\/h4>

M.D., Medical Director of the Mercy Health Comprehensive Breast Center<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Megan Bylsma<\/h4>

Associate Director, Urban Institute for Contemporary Art<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Cori Friar<\/h4>

Owner, Beer City Barre<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT SOCIAL CHANGE AGENT<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Tessa Hessmiller<\/h4>

J.D., Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Dr. Katie Bozek<\/h4>

Ph.D. Marriage and Family Therapist, Transitions Therapy, PLLC<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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India Manns<\/h4>

Community Volunteer<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT MENTOR<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Tanell Hills<\/h4>

Co-Founder\/Assistant Executive Director, Endless Opportunities<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Nancy French<\/h4>

Sr. Director of Communications for Development, Grand Valley State University<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Linda Vos-Graham<\/h4>

Community Volunteer<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT ENTREPRENEUR <\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Karen Scarpino<\/h4>

President and Owner, Green Giftz<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Catherine Lazarock<\/h4>

President and Founder, Simplicity Communications<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Kim Bode<\/h4>

Founder, 8ThirtyFour Integrated Communications<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT EMERGING LEADER<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Denavvia Mojet<\/h4>

Strategic Communications Coordinator, LINC<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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CJ DeVries<\/h4>

Owner, GR Now<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Megan Sall<\/h4>

Assistant City Manager, City of Wyoming<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT CONNECTOR<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Judy Welch<\/h4>

Executive Director, Michigan Women's Foundation-West Michigan<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Michelle Jokisch Polo<\/h4>

Editor, On The Ground<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Jane Royer<\/h4>

Encore Fellow, Grand Rapids Community Foundation<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT CHAMPION OF SERVICE<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Latoya Person<\/h4>

Managing Partner, Management Business Solutions<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Deb Verbrugge<\/h4>

Account Executive, Scott Group Studio<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Vonnie Woodrick<\/h4>

Founder, i understand<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BRILLIANT BEST SUPPORTING MAN<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Top Honoree<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Carl Erickson<\/h4>

CEO and Co-Founder, Atomic Object<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Dr. Neil Carlson<\/h4>

Ph.D., Director-Center for Social Research, Calvin College<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finalist<\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Jim Paparella<\/h4>

President and CEO, D.A. Blodgett-St. John's<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-688","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n2018 Finalists - Brilliance Awards<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/westmichiganwoman.com\/brilliance-awards\/2018-finalists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2018 Finalists - Brilliance Awards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/westmichiganwoman.com\/brilliance-awards\/2018-finalists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brilliance Awards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-15T17:32:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westmichiganwoman.com\\\/brilliance-awards\\\/2018-finalists\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westmichiganwoman.com\\\/brilliance-awards\\\/2018-finalists\\\/\",\"name\":\"2018 Finalists - 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