People’s Choice Award voting is now closed! The top honoree will be announced on May 17 at the West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards. Tickets can be purchased here.
Each of the West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards finalists were selected for a reason. All exude a contagious spirit and broad skill set that in one facet or another, betters the West Michigan community. This is an opportunity for you to get to know them. Read through their bios, resonate with their challenges and triumphs, and ideally, make a few new connections!
Lindsay MacMillan is a business leader, author and TEDx speaker. After attending Dartmouth and becoming a Vice President at Goldman Sachs at 28, Lindsay pursued her dream of being an author and landed two Penguin Random House book deals, publishing her bestselling debut novel in 2022, with a second forthcoming in 2023. After moving back to West Michigan and joining Sleeping Giant Capital, Lindsay now leverages her Wall Street background to empower women to become CEOs, and has helped the firm reach 50% women executives in their CEO pipeline.
Lindsay says, “Being a leader at an investment bank or private equity firm doesn’t mean I have to dress exactly like the guys, play golf or have a deep voice. It means I can wear bright colors, write novels and poetry in my free time, and use exclamation points in my emails.”
Stormie Drake, Executive Director of READ Ottawa, has dedicated her career to creating equitable, quality education for all. Since 2021, Stormie has expanded READ Ottawa’s one-on-one adult tutoring program from Northwest Ottawa County to serve the whole of Ottawa County; more than doubled annual revenue; and served more clients and volunteers than ever. Stormie serves on the leadership team of the early childhood department of the Allegan Area Educational Service Agency, in addition to volunteering for other areas of passion including immigration rights, building equitable communities, animal welfare and the giving circle Women of Color Give.
Stormie, who spends her extra time caring for her five special needs pets, says, “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up for others who may not be able to stand up for themselves. A strong leader’s purpose is not to uplift themselves as a leader, but to uplift everyone else around them to reach their goals.”
Craig Clark is the owner of Clark Communications, a Grand Rapids-based public relations consulting firm. In addition to 29 years of award-winning professional PR and marketing experience, Craig is dedicated to being active in West Michigan, including serving on the board for Nonprofit Hub, as a deacon at Magnify Church, and as former longtime board member at Women’s Resource Center.
One of Craig’s passions is to help underserved and marginalized populations to be treated with dignity and respect. He says, “I’ve made a conscious effort every time I’m able to help lift up women in whatever way was necessary; not to be charitable, but to be equitable. I try to enlighten others in my professional circles of their bias, privilege or unequal actions and words by challenging or holding them accountable.”
Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Best Supporting Man
Omar Cuevas isVice President of Investor Relations at the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Omar— whose greatest accomplishment is honoring the legacy of his grandmother and mother, who raised him as a single parent—offers close to 20 years of community-focused and results-oriented work. Omar is involved in the community, serving on many boards and committees, including Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Omar says, “One of my greatest accomplishments in supporting the work of women is creating a culture within the teams I’ve led that encourages the career development of my female employees, particularly women of color. Throughout the years, I’ve acted as a mentor and coach, providing guidance and support to my female colleagues, and working to break down any barriers that may be holding them back.”
Davenport University - Casa Latina Best Supporting Man
Born in Mexico City, Carlos Sanchez, MAD is the Executive Director of Casa Latina at Davenport University. In the past at Ferris State, Carlos developed two initiatives designed to foster Latinx leaders and entrepreneurs: LEADeres—a professional development and leadership program that has seen over 150 Latinx professionals (60% of them Latinas) graduate and advance in their organizations—and Emprende, an entrepreneurship program in Spanish that has successfully trained many Latinx entrepreneurs, as well as current Latina business owners.
Carlos says, “As a male, I believe our voices should support and elevate the voices of our female counterparts in the workplace. I believe the future is female and I’ve championed initiatives that support inclusion of women in all points of the decision-making process.”
People’s Choice Award voting is now closed! The top honoree will be announced on May 17 at the West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards. Tickets can be purchased here.
