In February, after a comprehensive search and screening over 30 candidates from around the country, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County Board of Directors selected Lisa Humphrey to fill the position of retiring longtime President and CEO, Reta Stanley.
For David Custer, presenting the truth is everything – both as a journalist and personally. As the head news anchor at WNEM TV5 since 2016 and an openly gay man, he has hidden nothing from his viewing audience. Every night, Custer, alongside his friend and co-anchor Meg McLeod anchors the 5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm and 10pm broadcasts, providing up-to-date news bulletins and stories ranging from tragic to inspiring. His reporting has earned him seven regional Emmy Awards, several Associated Press and Michigan Association of Broadcasters Awards, and the Great Lakes Bay Region’s Ruby Award as one of the brightest professionals under the age of 40. His personality, style and local storytelling has won him the coveted My City Magazine City’s Choice Award for Best News Anchor for the last six years. (As of this writing, Custer was nominated for 5 more Emmy Awards.)“It is the job of the journalist to seek the truth, to hold people accountable and expose corruption,” he states. “It is our responsibility to accurately tell a story as it is and hold nothing back.” This is always true of Custer: even when the story is his own.
When I was in kindergarten, I distinctly remember wanting to be a doctor! I even remember dressing up as one for career day. That dream changed in middle school after I visited the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a friend. (Her parents were alumni.) If you have seen the U of M law campus, then you know: it’s gorgeous. I fell in love and decided at that moment I was going to be an attorney. My parents thought this was a great choice, as I loved to argue with them!
For many years, Shelley Spivack has been an advocate in the legal system for children and their families. Recently, Voices for Children Advocacy Center recognized her dedication with a special award – the Roy E. Patterson Caring Adult Award – sponsored by Hurley Medical Center. The honor is given to adults who go beyond the call of duty to provide services for youth in Genesee County.
Aside from the usual “kid jobs” of shoveling driveways and mowing lawns in my neighborhood at a very young age, I got my first job when I was 14 years old. I sorted bottles and cans, bagged groceries and retrieved shopping carts from the parking lot at Double D Supermarket, which was located in Flint near the corner of Pierson and Jennings Roads. It was a great job for a young kid. I made a game out of most of my job duties, which helped pass the time. It’s important to have fun at work and that’s a view I still hold to this day for myself and my team at ELGA Credit Union.
Click play and the music begins – a calming folk melody with a country feel, sometimes a little more bluesy or upbeat – it brings you back home. Back to warm days in the sun, walking the bricks of Saginaw Street in the heyday of Flint past. “Hello,” greets the soft voice of the host, “You are listening to Radio Free Flint. Thanks for joining us. Today, my guest is …” Settle in as the Radio Free Flint podcast rolls on through the past, present and future of Greater Flint.
An Elder Law Attorney is an advocate for the elderly and their loved ones. Most lawyers specializing in elder law handle a wide range of legal matters affecting an older or disabled person, including issues related to health care, long-term care planning, guardianship, retirement, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid and other important matters.
Ladel Lewis has seen it all. Born and raised in Flint’s Sarvis Park neighborhood, she has seen the community at its best and returning to the area in 2019 to care for her ailing father, found it most troubling. “The community was in a tough place. There were bullets in the streets and many residents felt like they were living in prison,” she explained. “Many of them were on a fixed income, invested in their homes, and didn’t want to leave. There were a lot of problems. They deserved better. I said to myself, ‘no more’.”
In early February, Patrick Scanlon assumed a new role as Executive Director of the Flint River Watershed Coalition (FRWC).
By the time Arvid Ehrmantraut celebrated his 83rd birthday just after Thanksgiving in 2007, he had lived a full, fulfilling life.
Beginning her career in the field of aging in 1999 as a social worker/case manager, Aubert held many positions with Valley Area Agency on Aging (VAAA) before being promoted to President/CEO in 2018. The VAAA “provides answers, action and advocacy on care for the elderly and disabled adults of Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties by enhancing lives, empowering choice, sustaining independence and supporting caregivers and families.”
On February 24, the Genesee District Library will recognize the 2022 Black History Month honorees with a virtual event that will air on ABC12. Created in 2002 by the Genesee District Library, this annual celebration of notable community servants highlights three inspiring individuals and one organization selected by the Black History Month Brunch Advisory Committee.
