Dear Readers,
I must begin by mentioning the man on our cover, former Charles Stewart Mott Foundation CEO, William S. White. He was gracious, generous and highly regarded by people all over the world. In short, our community has lost its greatest champion.
If you are familiar with the Flint Institute of Music, Flint Institute of Arts, Sloan Museum, Longway Planetarium – you might not realize that these, and other Greater Flint jewels would not exist without Bill White and the Mott Foundation. Like so many people, I can’t imagine what Flint would look like if not for his (the Mott Foundation’s) greatness, vision and investment.
As an entrepreneur, I’ve been blessed to have the community’s support since my first business venture 40 years ago. As I got older, I felt obligated to give back, which I’ve been happy to do through 18 years of service on the Flint Institute of Music board, and three years on the Flint Cultural Center Corporation board and the Campus Collaboration Committee that conceived, through the vision of Ridgway White, the new Flint Cultural Center Academy. Through my involvement, particularly as FIM Board Chairman, I had the great fortune to know Bill White.
Our tribute to Bill , and includes a timeline of his achievements in the field of philanthropy. When it’s all said and done, he will certainly hold a place at the top.
Of course, Bill was on hand last year to break ground for the new Flint Cultural Center Academy, which welcomed the first students this fall. Take a look inside this fantastic facility.
Regular MCM readers have seen many stories about people who are investing time, energy and resources into making Flint a better place. One such organization is the Urban Renaissance Center, working to improve one of Flint’s first neighborhoods, Civic Park. In just a few years, they’ve made great strides toward restoring a sense of pride in their community.
Many Flint natives go on to do remarkable things – these are some of my favorite stories. Our “My Success” pieces feature Dallas Martin, a Flint Central grad living his dream of a big-time music industry career. At the other end of the galaxy is Donald McMonagle, who went to Hamady High and went on to be the first astronaut to serve as mission specialist, pilot and commander. Maybe, in my next life, I’ll be a starship captain … take it from a space junkie, this is a cool story.
Of course, there’s much more to enjoy in this issue. In closing, I’m extremely proud to say that Bill White was a fan of My City Magazine.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Cover Image Provided by The C.S. Mott Foundation
