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How well do you know West Michigan?
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Put your regional knowledge to the test. Click
here to submit your answer to the question below.
I was
formally organized in 1835, led by eastern capitalists who were attracted
to my impressive source of water power. I am the 18th largest
county in Michigan and have 24 Townships. I cover approximately
827 square miles of land and have 25 miles of coastline.
I am still a leader in farm production and am considered one of the
fastest growing regions in the state. Who am I?
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If
you are interested in sharing news about the West Michigan region,
providing content or would like to suggest a topic for the WMSA
monthly newsletter, please email info@wm-alliance.org
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GVSU
Honors Brooks Family with College Renaming
On March 30, 2010, Grand
Valley State University (GVSU) renamed an academic college to honor
the Brooks family of Holland, MI. Jim and Donna Brooks were on
hand for the event as the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary
Studies new signage was unveiled. The college is located in
Lake Ontario Hall on the GVSU Allendale Campus and will house
several academic programs, including: International Area Studies,
Liberal Studies, Women and Gender Studies and the Padnos
International Center.
“We’ve been supportive of
GVSU for many years because it’s our region’s largest academic
institution that provides talent, data and new ideas for our
businesses, governments and non-profits. The Brooks family is
surprised and deeply honored to have our name associated with the
College of Interdisciplinary Studies. It is especially
meaningful as we reflect on our years of involvement and support of
WMSA. Both organizations encourage collaboration among people from
different disciplines and world views to address common challenges
and opportunities that strengthen communities,” said Jim Brooks.
To learn more about the
Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, click here or
visit the GVSU website: www.gvsu.edu.
A special thanks to our friends at Grand Valley Magazine for
providing the information for this article. You can learn more
about them by clicking here.
Hundreds Attend the Lakeshore Summit
on Racism
 On Thursday, May 20, 2010, nearly 600 people gathered at
Hope College in Holland, MI to attend the 2010 Lakeshore Summit on
Racism. The Summit was put on by the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity
Alliance (LEDA) and featured keynote speakers Beverly Tatum,
President – Spelman College, Atlanta, GA and Tony Campolo, an
ordained Baptist Minister.
Click here for a
complete overview of the 2010 Summit, including an outline of the
day’s events and videos of the two keynote speakers. To learn more
about LEDA, visit their website: www.ethnicdiversity.org.
 The 'Green
Space'
WMSA Welcomes Elaine Sterrett Isely – Green
Infrastructure Project Manager
WMSA is proud to announce the appointment of Elaine
Sterrett Isely as Project Manager for the Green Infrastructure Initiative. Before
coming to WMSA, Elaine served as a member of the Green Infrastructure
Leadership Council since June 2006. She holds degrees in
finance, law, and biology, and brings with her more than 15-years of
experience in law, environmental policy, research, outreach, and
public speaking.
To learn more about Elaine and the Green
Infrastructure Initiative, please click here.
Regional Spotlight: Summer
Celebration – June 23 – July 4, 2010
 Mark your calendars for the upcoming Muskegon Summer
Celebration. Summer Celebration is a 10-day event that began in
1993 and takes place along the beautiful shores of Muskegon Lake in
downtown Muskegon. The Muskegon Summer Celebration is a
tradition among locals and out of town guests alike.
Come celebrate summer along the lakeshore while enjoying
musical acts like: ZZ Top, Foreigner, Styk and many more. For
more information and to view the complete schedule of events, please
visit: www.summercelebration.com.
About the
West Michigan Strategic Alliance
The West
Michigan Strategic Alliance serves as a catalyst for regional
collaboration among the businesses, institutions and governmental
units serving more than 1.4 million people living in an eight-county
region including: Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon,
Newaygo and Ottawa. WMSA works to encourage a regional mindset, which
will foster collaboration on critical issues that impact how we live,
learn, work and play. Additional information is available at www.wm-alliance.org
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