On the Move features and celebrates Flint & Genesee businesses’ grand openings, staff promotions, new hires, recognition, and milestones
(Featured above) 810hm Massage & Co., 140 E. Second St, Suite 100 in Flint, Jan. 10
Promotions, New Hires and Recognition
Tauzzari Robinson, outgoing CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint (BGCGF), will become executive director of the Michigan Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. Robinson will manage grants, fundraising, statewide legislative initiatives, and collaboration with 16 Boys & Girls Club organizations across the state. Amber Miller, the organization’s current director of programs and operations, will serve as interim CEO for BGCGF.
Shana Rowser is now the communications manager for the City of Flint. Previously, Rowser was marketing and community relations manager at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library and public relations & fund development manager at McLaren Lapeer.
The City of Flint named Celeste Lord-Timlin as HOME-ARP Grant Coordinator. HOME-ARP aims to support programs throughout Flint that address and prevent homelessness through emergency housing and housing development.
Diajah Ruffin is now the project and partnerships manager for Communities First, Inc. She is also a co-founder of Black Women in Michigan Politics. Ruffin previously served as a community liaison and legislative aide at the Michigan State Capitol and worked at the nonprofit GreenLight Fund.
Dawn Hibbard is the new director of communications at the Flint Center for Educational Excellence. She previously was a communications specialist at Mott Community College.
The Flint & Genesee Group has welcomed Seth Walker as an accounting clerk and Bianca Morton as payroll & HR assistant. The group also elevated Sav Turbett to the role of senior communications manager.
Carma Lewis has become the community relations manager for the Genesee County Landbank. Previously, Lewis oversaw constituent services for former U.S. Representative Dan Kildee.
The Genesee District Library has named Cassandra Gauthier as the new Flint Township-McCarty librarian. Gauthier previously worked at Chippewa River District Library in Mt. Pleasant, Park Library at Central Michigan University, and Capital Area District Library in Lansing.
Mott Community College has named Robert Matthews as its vice president of Student, Academic & Workforce Success, a new division that brings together Student Success Services, Academic Affairs, and Workforce & Economic Development. Matthews was most recently the associate vice president of the Workforce & Economic Development division.
Mott Community College also recently swore in two new board members, Kenyetta Dotson and Candice Miller, and re-elected Jeffrey Swanson. All three trustee positions are six-year terms ending in 2030.
Former U.S. Representative Dan Kildee has been appointed to the Natural Resources Commission by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He will chair the panel that is overseeing the Department of Natural Resources. The appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
Vivian Rogers Pickard, a business and philanthropy leader from Grand Blanc, has joined the Ruth Mott Foundation Board of Trustees. A former General Motors executive, she retired in 2015 as president of the General Motors Foundation. Pickard serves on the Michigan Women’s Commission and as president and CEO of the Pickard Group, a consulting firm for public and private sector leaders improving corporate social responsibility, strategic planning, and business development.
Erin Franzen is the new director of Grant Services at SIPI Inc. Franzen previously worked for the American Red Cross, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and Ruth Mott Foundation. She is a current advisory board member of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint’s Gen Forward Network and president of Flint Style Soccer.
David Luke, the University of Michigan-Flint‘s chief diversity officer, was recently awarded the university’s Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award, which recognizes his efforts in fostering an inclusive campus.
The University of Michigan-Flint has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as the “2024 Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting.” This recognition goes to universities and colleges that have made efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation.
Uptown Reinvestment Corporation promoted Nikki Hopper to the role of property portfolio manager and updated Moses Timlin’s title to real estate development coordinator.
Angela Titus is now director of advancement for Voices for Children Advocacy Center. She previously served as manager of special events at the Flint Institute of Music.
The YMCA of Greater Flint has promoted Brandon Dreffs to vice president of operations, overseeing the associate’s program, membership, facilities, risk management, and the Praesidium child abuse prevention accreditation. Dreffs has been with the YMCA of Greater Flint for 23 years and was previously the interim director of the Pierson Road branch. Most recently, he was the executive director at Camp Copneconic.
Business News
The City of Flint has awarded $512,000 to help fund anti-violence work being done in the community. The grants were part of the Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative and were awarded to 21 organizations. “This funding will allow us to implement evidence-based strategies, strengthen partnerships, and make a lasting impact in reducing violence in our community,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said.
Mott Community College’s Department of Public Safety has received its second re-accreditation from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. This accreditation is effective for three years.
Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance has acquired Peabody Insurance. The business will remain managed by the Peabody family as they become a part of this national firm.
Pesto’s recently celebrated its 30th anniversary of serving “food with a flair.” The restaurant is located at the southeast corner of Miller and Dye Roads in Flint Township.
The United States Department of Labor has awarded Peckham $2 million to continue the Growth Opportunities (GO) Program. Since its start, GO has helped 140 clients identify career interests and connected them with training, credentials, and educational opportunities. Additionally, the GO Program pairs participants with mentors to help them gain the skills needed to attain a job.
The Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village (SBEV) has temporarily relocated to the Insight Institute of Neurosurgery & Neuroscience while its North Flint facility undergoes extensive renovations.
The University of Michigan-Flint’s research capabilities have received the largest grant in the school’s history. The National Science Foundation’s GRANTED initiative (Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity) addresses systemic barriers in research. The $3.3 million grant will be distributed over five years. As part of the grant, the Office of Research & Economic Development will hire a research development officer, research administrator, and community engagement officer. This grant will help the university in becoming a research-active school.
The University of Michigan-Flint’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education has received a grant of $495K from the Mellon Foundation to explore and catalog the city of Flint’s democratic practices via an interdisciplinary view. A community symposium will kick things off in the fall with national and local speakers. “This is an opportunity to bring together scholarship, teaching, and community-engaged student learning as we encourage each other to conceive of the practices of a democratic society beyond electoral politics,” said professor of sociology Jacob Lederman.
Webster Associates Group, Inc. is changing its name to Schultz, Maker & Ehrmantraut PC. The business will remain in the same location and continue to offer business consulting, tax preparation, and accounting.