Recent Profile Articles
As the president at The Watermark Center in Muskegon, Sarah Rooks does everything from taking out the garbage to making multimillion dollar decisions, like one of the company's first projects–breaking ground on a million square foot urban development property–the...
Kristin Britt bucks tradition and paves her own way with sheer will power. She never cowered away from adversity, and seems to thrive in situations that have pulled her in as many directions as there are days on the calendar. Kristin grew up in Muskegon, moved to...
Heidi VanderWal is "one of those full time girls," she says, but when she goes to work, it's on her own terms. As a Silpada Director, Heidi puts to use her love for selling things that sparkle, but for someone who has no background in sales, she draws on a more...
Diana Sieger has captained the ship of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation since 1987. Since then, the organization has grown in assets from $35 million to $260 million, and with Diana at the helm, citizens of Kent County and beyond are reaping the benefits of her...
If you can dream it, she can bake it–into a cookie. Monica Mitidieri wears as many hats as there are ingredients in her professional-size kitchen at Monica's Gourmet Cookies, but one thing is for sure, "you can't have a bad day making cookies." Monica infuses her...
MSU grad Angela Topp knows a thing or two about "going green," and she's planting her alma mater's well-known slogan in a community on the cusp of environmental sustainability. As owner of Tree Huggers in Holland and Grand Rapids, Angela is bringing a green awareness...
Like any woman in tune with the importance of breast examinations, Teresa Hendricks was well aware of the need for annual mammograms, even before she was 40 years old. She kept track of lumps, one in particular that she questioned. But what Teresa did not know is that...
With her Nikon in hand, Kelly Sweet is ready to take on the world, or at least commit it to film. The Grand Rapids business owner is forever advancing in the field and willing to go anywhere to perfect her craft. After high school, Kelly hit the road and landed in San...
With a degree in elementary education and work experience as a manager and a buyer, Amy Ruis takes a well-rounded approach to her nearly 10-year-old business, Art of the Table. "I got the idea because I love to entertain, drink good wine and beer, cook, and bake," she...
Writers block doesn't scare Linda Nemec Foster–she's always writing. As Grand Rapids' first poet laureate, from 2003 to 2005, her literary oven is always cooking, although she hesitates to talk about the projects that are still in the works. "I'm superstitious. If I...