Angela D. Hood, executive director of The Flint & Genesee Literacy Network, has stepped down from that position to become the executive director of Educare Flint & Flint Early Childhood Collaborative for the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
The Community Foundation of Greater Flint has named Lottie Ferguson as their vice president of development and donor services. In this role she will be responsible for building the community’s endowment and connecting donors with community needs.
The Bastille Day Race – including a 15K run, 5K run, and 5K walk – is scheduled for July 8 in downtown Fenton. All proceeds go towards supporting Genesee County Habitat for Humanity’s mission of providing decent, affordable housing. Yearly, Genesee County Habitat for Humanity builds or rehabs six to eight homes, provides approximately 200 homeowners with critical repairs, and invests in various neighborhood improvement projects. For more information, visit geneseehabitat.org/bastille.
John P. O’Sullivan Distributing broke ground for a new 200,000 square foot warehouse in Grand Blanc Township. This new facility will replace one they have located in Flint Township and will grow their suppliers as well as create new job opportunities.
Mott Community College’s Al Perry was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Athletic Director of the Year. This is the second time he has received this honor.
Additionally, the Mott Community College Centennial Committee invites businesses and organizations in Genesee County to participate in the MCC Centennial Celebration parade Saturday, Sept. 23.
The parade will start at Atwood Stadium in Flint and wind its way through downtown and along Court Street to the MCC main campus. The Centennial Committee is seeking floats/entries including marching bands, local businesses, non-profit organizations, walkers, cars and other vehicles, and musical groups to help celebrate the College’s 100 in the community.
“We’re looking forward to kicking off our big Centennial Celebration day with our community,” said Dale Wieghill, associate vice president of Institutional Advancement. “We want it to be a fun and festive start to our 100th birthday party.”
To register an entry in the MCC Centennial Parade before the Sept. 1 deadline, visit qrco.de/be2Ajm.
Serenity House Communities will be expanding into Lapeer County. They will be offering support groups and workshops and educational sessions to begin. Serenity House is a dedicated holistic recovery community organization.
The University of Michigan-Flint has announced the launch of a new program that offers direct admissions for graduating high school seniors. The UM-Flint Direct Admission Pathway allows qualifying students from Beecher, Bendle, Carman-Ainsworth, Flint, Grand Blanc, and Westwood Heights to be admitted without first applying. Part of the program will allow the university to help students prepare for college with admissions, financial aid, and career counseling in anticipation of future attendance. The hope is to eventually grow this program to encompass all of Genesee County students.
The University of Michigan-Flint has established the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics, and Science, known as IDEAS. IDEAS will be housed in the Murchie Science Building and will coordinate research, teaching, and data-related concepts which will pair faculty with students and community partners.
The National Science Foundation has granted Kettering University Assistant Professor of Physics Dr. Demet Usanmaz $249,999 to design thermoelectric materials that can convert waste heat to electricity to increase clean energy creation.
The Ruth Mott Foundation has announced a new impact investment initiative with a commitment of $5 million that will provide funds to organizations doing business in Flint that also generate positive social change and financial returns. These funds will be deployed via program related or mission related investments that will create high social returns for the city and real financial returns. Financial returns will be filtered back into the impact investing fund for future use.