The 2021 West Michigan Woman People's Choice Brilliance Award
Voting is now open! The West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards is entering its 5th year of celebrating the unique talents of women and men in our community. For the third year, the public will select one honoree from the finalists for the People's Choice Brilliance Award. The winner will be announced on August 31, 2021 at the West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards where they will receive their award and recognition.
• To vote, please provide your first and last name and email address • You may only vote one time for one person • Voting opens June 1, 2021 and closes at 5pm on June 25, 2021
!All finalists, along with snippets from their bios, have been placed in alphabetical order below. Enjoy learning about each of them and thank you for voting!
With 26 years of experience, Jennifer Greenop leads the global coordination of large, multi-national companies in healthcare, manufacturing and consumer products. She is a Partner at Ernst & Young and believes she would not be where she is today without the guidance of one of her former mentors. Julie "sees the need for mentors of rising female leaders to help them navigate opportunities where women are historically not in the majority of leadership roles." Jennifer is the Vice Chairperson of Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids and a member of the Grand Valley State University Accounting Advisory Board. She loves the people side of business, primarily the personal impact of mentoring.
Director of Market Strategy Erhardt Construction Brilliant Best Supporting Man
Professionally, Arlen-Dean Gaddy is the Director of Market Strategy for Erhardt Construction, where he has been instrumental in building a Project Management team that is comprised of 50% women, which is rare in the construction industry. Arlen-Dean believes that promoting women in the workplace is both smart and good business, and that "by not supporting women in the workplace, organizations are hindering their ability to grow, improve and become more efficient." Influenced by his mother, wife and two fiercely independent daughters, Arlen-Dean feels a personal conviction be an advocate, ally and promoter of women.
Executive Director Hispanic Center of Western Michigan Brilliant Social Change Agent
Evelyn Esparza-Gonzalez is the Executive Director of the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan. “I firmly believe that people, systems and structures can change if we use the power of togetherness to amplify the voices of those who have been ignored,” says Evelyn. The Hispanic Center of West Michigan works directly to bring awareness to the struggles, barriers and accomplishments of the Latinx community. Evelyn admits, “we [Hispanic Center staff and volunteers] share a huge responsibility… however, there is no better time than now to ensure our voices are heard and represented.”
CEO/Founder Designed Future Brilliant Champion of Service
Julie Dankovich says, "The opportunity to change the world is around every corner." She left the corporate world in 2015 to launch Designed Future, where she now serves as Executive Director. Designed Future is a co-ed sober living facility, and Julie's goal is to break the intergenerational cycle of substance abuse and build stronger families. Julie is most proud of every person who successfully transitions out of Designed Future and continues to maintain sobriety. She uses her own life experiences to become immersed in social issues and aims to transform both individuals and society. Julie finds nonprofit work immensely satisfying because it allows her to be a part of something bigger than herself.
Manager of Neighborhood Experience DGRI - Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Brilliant Connector
Annamarie Buller is a connector – it’s right there along with organizer on her resume, which is very helpful to her in her Manager of Neighbor Experience position at Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. where she ensures productive connections are maintained with 7,000+ downtown residents. Annamarie loves the opportunity to be of use and the chance to learn, explaining “when we can feel connected, we can be there for each other and life is fuller.” A joyful and memorable day in Annamarie’s life is one where she is bringing people together, opening up important resources, connections and conversations that meet community needs.
Voting is now open! The West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards is entering its 5th year of celebrating the unique talents of women and men in our community. For the third year, the public will select one honoree from the finalists for the People's Choice Brilliance Award. The winner will be announced on August 31, 2021 at the West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards where they will receive their award and recognition.
