KConnect is excited to announce that we have added two new board members to our Board of Trustees – Vanessa Greene, CEO of Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, and Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place. Vanessa Greene is a leader and strategist specializing in racial and health equity. Vanessa has a 30+ year track record of getting things done, while maintaining her commitment to social justice and equity. In her current role as CEO of Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, Vanessa approaches health equity from a data driven, systems-level lens and leads with quality, purpose, impact and integrity. She works with physicians, health care systems, insurance providers, educators and businesses to advocate for resources and opportunities to support the needs, well-being and quality of life for others. Vanessa began her career advocating for adults with disabilities and went on to spend more than 25 years in higher education at Grand Valley State University and Hope College, where she worked as Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Associate Dean of Students. Of all her roles, serving as mentor to young adult leaders has been the most rewarding. Vanessa completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Grand Valley State University. She also earned certifications in diversity consulting and grant writing from University of Michigan and Academic Networks.   As President & CEO of The Right Place, Randy leads economic development strategy through collaboration with local, State, and national organizations and stakeholders. His role is central to the organization’s core work of business retention, expansion, and attraction within the community, while aligning with The Right Place’s mission of driving sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity for all in the Greater Grand Rapids Region. Randy joined The Right Place team in 2021 after serving as Senior Vice President of economic development at the Downtown Denver Partnership. There he led efforts to attract investment, recruit and retain business, and advocate for housing, retail, and public policy initiatives. He supported downtown projects totaling more than $1 billion in investments. Prior to his role at the Downtown Denver Partnership, he led the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, a two-state, eight-county regional economic development effort. Randy executed a $24 million Prosper Omaha strategy which brought $3.9 billion in new capital investment and 13,000 new jobs to the area. Randy’s career began at economic development organizations in Evart and Monroe, Michigan before he moved to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). From there, he was hired as the first President of Lakeshore Advantage, where he led attraction of $1.2 billion in investments and 8,000 jobs during his 10-year tenure.

KConnect Align and Design Teams Target Workforce and Business Equity Gaps

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HAHarvey Walden

1 hour ago

KConnect Align and Design Teams Target Workforce and Business Equity Gaps

An Align and Design Team is a specific cross-sector workgroup focused on creating landscape analyses, and strategies, and identifying initiatives and solutions to close the disparity gaps identified in the landscape. These teams either align with community stakeholders around a common purpose or design a coordinated approach to address specific systemic issues identified The team is made up of representatives from key entities, community leaders, Content Experts, Lived Experience Experts, and other stakeholders invested in the field. Led by KConnect’s Director of System Change, Maegan Frierson, we currently have four active Align and Design Teams: Business Ownership, Workforce Development, College Enrollment, and Culturally Responsive Instruction. Business Ownership The Business Ownership team, funders, and community partners will conduct a site visit to the Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator housed at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber to collectively build strategies to attract, retain, and scale entrepreneurs of color and their businesses in Kent County. The purpose is to connect with thriving communities outside of Kent County regarding best practices and models that support entrepreneurs of color. YEAR ONE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES: Strategy One: Engage cross-sector partners to design infrastructure and incentives that support resource sharing and synergies for entrepreneurs of color in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Strategy Two: Support black and brown businesses with the potential to scale through the support of developing and accessing the right capital stack, joint ventures, and acquisitions. Strategy Three: Support black and brown businesses with the needed access to buyers/contracts and back office supports to scale. YEAR TWO IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY: Develop a plan to attract larger and scalable minority-owned businesses to Grand Rapids. Workforce Development The Workforce Development team launched and will have data on the dashboard in 2024. This team will align with KConnect’s Policy Priorities and the state of Michigan’s Sixty by 30 initiative. College Enrollment Bridging coordinated efforts between community, school districts, and post-secondary intuitions to elevate services, resources, and programming to students of color to increase college enrollment and attainment by 20% for economic prosperity in Kent County. YEAR ONE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES Strategy One: Disseminate information about post-secondary opportunities and resources across various platforms, ensuring consistent messaging and reaching a wide audience. Strategy Two: Implement a comprehensive support framework that involves collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including educational institutions, community organizations, and service providers, to address the diverse needs of students and ensure holistic support throughout their college journey. Strategy Three: Create alignment and establish an integrated system that consolidates all college-related services and resources, providing a seamless experience for students to access support, guidance, and information in one place. Culturally Responsive Instruction Building off the work of Dr. Brandy Lovelady Mitchell’s Educators of the Yam initiative, KConnect launched the Shades of Strength Collaborative (SOS Collaborative) alongside local educators of color in Kent County. The SOS Collaborative is a dedicated network fostering a supportive and enriching community for PK-12 educators of color in Kent County. A needs assessment for educators revealed their top priorities: mentorship, community events, space to be heard and to share experiences, and the ability to collaborate and commune with colleagues. The overarching vision is to establish a platform that champions equity, celebrates diversity, and actively supports the retention of people of color in the Kent County PK-12 system, ultimately leading to equitable educational experiences and enhanced outcomes for all students. Shades of Strength is partnering with the Educators of Color Network (GVSU) in a Professional Learning Community around the work of author Dr. Rita Kohli’s book, Teachers of Color: Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Education. This Professional Learning Community will include Kent County in-service education professionals of color and pre-service education students of color. KConnect provided a book pickup experience involving conversation and appetizers, two virtual discussion sessions, and a reflection reception. In the Spring of 2024, Dr. Rita Kohli delivered an in-person learning experience, followed by a celebratory reception for all participating Kent County educators of color. Explore the Culturally Responsive Instruction 360-Degree Model  

KConnect Launches PACE Framework for Policy and Community Advocacy

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HAHarvey Walden

1 hour ago

KConnect Launches PACE Framework for Policy and Community Advocacy

What is PACE? PACE is an acronym for Policy and Advocacy and Community Engagement. It signifies the intentional connection we are fostering between Policy and Advocacy, and Community Engagement. We seek to achieve this within our cross-cutting workgroups and our overall approach to operationalizing advocacy. Policy Our policy recommendations must contribute to the dissolution of the system as it currently stands, addressing spaces of inequity and amplifying what is just. Advocacy Our policy agenda supports the work of those in our network who contribute to managing, solving, and dissolving some of our community’s most complex problems and deepest inequities. Community Community is defined by those in our network closest to the impact and those impacted by systemic inequities/the system. Engagement Our decisions are informed from the ground up, and we hold intentional space for listening and honoring voices/perspectives/lived experiences. Why PACE? KConnect is focusing its efforts on PACE for several reasons: Systems Change PACE allows organizations, such as KConnect, to address the root causes of social issues by advocating for systematic change in collaboration with those most impacted by systemic injustices. Dissolution While organizations that manage and solve problems are crucial, they often only address the symptoms of a problem. PACE creates systemic change as it dissolves inequities affecting entire communities and populations, leading to sustainable solutions with a broader reach and long-term impact. Amplifying Voices PACE empowers individuals and communities to have a voice in decision-making processes that affect them directly. This involvement fosters ownership, builds trust, and ensures that solutions are responsive to community needs. Collective Action KConnect, as a Collective Impact organization, relies on collaboration among diverse populations to reach a common goal. PACE allows collaboration between government, nonprofits, businesses, and community members to leverage available resources and expertise for greater impact. Why a Shared Policy Agenda? Creating a shared policy agenda was important for several reasons: Goal Alignment A shared policy agenda ensures that all participants in the KConnect network are aligned in their goals and priorities. It helps to clarify the collective vision for systemic change and ensures that everyone is working toward dissolving inequitable systems. Leveraging Collective Power The network can leverage its collective power and influence to advocate for change more effectively by creating a shared policy agenda. Broader Perspective Collaboratively developing, affirming, and operationalizing a shared policy agenda ensures that diverse perspectives and expertise are considered, leading to more comprehensive and effective policy solutions. Community Engagement Involving those with lived experience in creating the shared policy agenda ensures that their voices and priorities are represented in advocacy efforts. Developing the Policy Agenda The inspiration behind developing the shared policy agenda stemmed from KConnect’s theme of being Curious, Creative, and Courageous. In pursuit of curiosity, the leadership team took a deep dive into the network’s priorities through a two-part advocacy training hosted by the Michigan League for Public Policy. Nearly seventy items were recorded as potential policy focuses for the inaugural agenda, with education being an issue that resonated across sectors. The leadership team then received survey responses from the Core Workgroups, insights from the Align and Design Teams, and listening sessions with educators, leaders, and analysts to refine the focus further. The 12-month journey was marked by equity in decision-making, accountability to our diverse network, listening, and objectivity. Creativity was sparked as the leadership team crafted tools and processes to elevate KConnect’s Policy and Advocacy work. One such tool, the Emergent Advocacy Tool, was created and implemented when the KConnect Backbone was asked to sign on to an Earned Income Tax Credit advocacy effort. From there, the team crafted an Emergent Advocacy Tool to help the Backbone and Workgroups make decisions around advocacy opportunities year-round. The Policy Formulation Tool helped the team remain objective as they selected policy priorities, which professionals and subject matter experts vetted during listening sessions. Another aspect of creativity within the work is our intentional focus on involving those central to the work in decision-making, distinguishing KConnect from traditional approaches. PACE embodies the commitment to connecting Policy Work and Community, values we aspire to achieve at a deepened level. Moving forward, we seek to facilitate community-centered, equity-driven, innovative, and game-changing strategies. One of the most courageous aspects of the work is that the team designs with dissolution in mind, which echos KConnect’s ultimate goal of dissolving inequitable systems. There are politics to policy, especially in Kent County, where advancement and opportunity are often the results of access to resources, social capital, and privilege. KConnect seeks to navigate the political spaces with a courageous commitment to dismantling barriers and fostering a community where people thrive. The Shared Policy Agenda The PACE Convening was held in January 2024 to gather feedback from the Network and ultimately affirm the Shared Policy Agenda. The following is a list of the focus areas that were included. Access to Affordable and Quality Childcare Success Measure: Kindergarten Readiness KConnect is committed to advancing accessible and quality childcare solutions by advocating for affordability, quality, and children’s and providers’ well-being. We believe that all families in Kent County have access to affordable and quality childcare, and childcare providers have the support and opportunities to thrive Access to Paid Family and Medical Leave Success Measure: Thriving Family Income KConnect prioritizes family well-being by advocating for equitable policies and recognizing the importance of supporting individuals during life transitions. We believe all employees must have access to paid family and medical leave, and all employers, whether small or large businesses, can offer paid leave without adverse impact. Equity in K-12 Educational Funding Workplan Success Measures: Kindergarten Readiness, Third Grade Reading, High School Graduation KConnect is dedicated to promoting educational equity by advocating for fair and adequate funding for vulnerable schools and districts, ensuring every student has access to a quality education regardless of socioeconomic status. Equity in Teacher Compensation Success Measure: Post-secondary Preparation KConnect champions fair and increased teacher pay as a vital component of educational equity, recognizing the essential role educators play in shaping the future. Our approach includes addressing racial and geographical disparities in teacher wages. Access to Comprehensive School-Based Supports Success Measure: Career Readiness KConnect is committed to fostering the well-being of students by advocating for comprehensive mental health support in PK-12 education, ensuring every child has access to the resources they need to thrive. Increased Access to Postsecondary Opportunities Success Measure: Postsecondary Success KConnect advocates for universal access to financial aid for all high school seniors, ensuring equitable opportunities for post-secondary education and empowering students to pursue their academic aspirations without financial barriers. Access to Wraparound Supports in Postsecondary Success Measures: Postsecondary Success KConnect strives to ensure every student’s success by championing increased college graduation rates through a collaborative community effort and statewide initiatives. Next Steps Now that the Network has affirmed the KConnect Shared Policy Agenda, the Michigan League for Public Policy will host a series of workshops to develop the next steps and strategic goals as the Network moves forward on operationalizing advocacy. You can learn more about the Shared Policy Agenda and next steps by visiting www.k-connect.org/PACE

Community Remembrances

Tyrone Township Meetings

15 hours ago

Tyrone Township Meetings

15 hours ago

Use the Traffic Safety Reporting Tool

1 day ago

"Have you experienced a “near-miss” incident or observed repeated traffic safety issues at a certain location? Use this tool (https://www.tinyurl.com/GVMC-nearmiss) to anonymously report these traffic safety concerns. The collected information will supplement existing safety data and help us better identify and understand traffic safety issues in Kent County. Be sure to save the link and remember to report any concerns as they arise, and as always, be safe!"

Ethics Policy Approved by Grandville City Council

1 day ago

" The City Council is committed to good government and serving the best interests of everyone who calls Grandville home for their family or business. As evidence of this commitment, the Council has drafted an ethics policy to guide and remind current and future elected officials of the responsibilities that come with public service. The policy highlights integrity, fairness, transparency, communication and respect. GRANDVILLE CITY COUNCIL ETHICS POLICY In order to provide for the good government and welfare of the people of the City of Grandville, members serving on the Grandville City Council will: Adhere to their Oath of Office committing to support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Michigan, the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Grandville and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Council Member. Serve the best interests of the people and continually improve the City’s ability to serve the community. Demonstrate by word and action the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in order to merit the trust and respect of the public. Public office being a public trust, an elected official shall not leverage his or her position for personal gain or benefit. Handle all matters with fairness and impartiality, without discrimination, on the basis of principle and justice. Commit to an open and transparent governance as essential to democratic local government and remain accountable to the community when making and implementing decisions. Keep the community informed on City affairs; encourage communication between the citizens and the Council; emphasize professional and courteous service to the public and seek to improve the quality and image of the City. Resist any encroachment on each other’s responsibilities, believing that each Council member should be free to carry out their duty without undue interference. Treat fellow Council members, City staff and residents with respect. Affirm the dignity and worth of local government services and maintain a deep sense of social responsibility as a trusted public servant. Refrain from all activities that undermine the public’s confidence. "

Rockford Planning Commission Meeting Canceled

1 day ago

"The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for March 26, 2026 has been canceled, as there are no items requiring action at this time."

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