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.
The first time Nate Brown saw an African-American Chef was at 25 years of age. “I mean, that’s crazy, right?” he asked. “I was just flipping through the TV channels and I stopped at Chef G. Garvin’s show and this dude was cooking! And he had a pretty cool watch.” Brown went out and bought the ingredients needed to make the same meal and he got to work. It wasn’t the best, but it was a start. “For weeks after, I found myself thinking about cooking all day at work,” he laughs. Then, Brown made a dish of his own and secretly put it on the table at a family open house. “I snuck it up there and then just sat back and watched. Everybody was enjoying it, so I finally told them I was the one who made it. That’s when I decided to become a chef. That was it.” Brown studied culinary arts at Mott Community College before completing his education at The Art Institute of Michigan, graduating in 2010.
In the very beginning, Rebecca Zeiss tried her best NOT to be a photographer. Because of her last name (the Zeiss company has been a worldwide leader in photographic lenses since 1890), she wanted to make a personal impact with a different style or artform. She studied painting and drawing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and took a photography class solely as a way to document and showcase her creations. That class, however, led to photography as a hobby and eventually a profession. In the end, she couldn’t escape it.
Amid the sounds of dribbling and squeaking sneakers, Keno Davis, first-year coach of the second-year Flint United professional basketball team, outlined his vision for the program.
A familiar face around Greater Flint, Lelsie Toldo has been a meteorologist with Mid-Michigan NOW since May 2015. “I’ve been reporting the weather in mid-Michigan since 2004,” she says. She got her start reporting the weather in Casper, WY and worked in Detroit for seven years, in Jackson, MS and at another mid-Michigan station for a total of 31 years in the field of broadcasting.
On December 21, 2021 founder of GoodBoy Clothing Oaklin Mixon passed away. As Christians worldwide began to celebrate the birth of the Light of the World, our community began to mourn the loss of one of its brightest lights.
Appointed executive director in 2014, Tauzzari Robinson has held various key roles with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint since 2009. Having been a Club member as a kid in Ohio, he credits that experience as having a significant impact on his life.
Cheryl Golidy has a knack for identifying the needs of her community and helping the underserved. As a nurse and caregiver, her goals are always met with compassion, understanding and the drive to support those in need. So, when she attended a conference and training session on human trafficking in Detroit, the next step for her to take in life was revealed. “I had to learn more. I had so many questions,” she states. “I spoke to the head of the organization who gave the presentation and asked for more information. They invited me to take part in their outreach program, learn how to identify those being trafficked and how to help them. I was with the program for six or seven months.” After her training, Golidy returned to Flint with a mission. “Human trafficking is a problem and a big problem in Flint,” she explains. “I’ve seen all kinds of things during training and as I ride down streets in Flint, I can spot the problem quickly.”
When the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, the soldiers and members of the upper ranks slowly journeyed back to their homes and returned to normal daily routines. When they returned to Flint, the lumber and milling industry was booming and storefronts were opened up and down Saginaw Street selling wares from dry goods to textiles. With the addition of the railroad, Flint was becoming a destination for commerce. Near the end of the 1860s, the carriage business began booming with other companies joining the Randall Carriage Company (est. 1858) in the market, setting Flint on its path toward becoming “Vehicle City.” During this time, the mayors of the city were an odd mix of professionals and businessmen from lumber barons to doctors and war veterans.
On February 12, the Flint Symphony Orchestra will continue the 2021-2022 season’s Classical Concert Series, “RENEWAL The Timeless Healing Power of Music Inspired by Nature.” The FSO and Maestro Enrique Diemecke will be joined by multi-award-winning Steinway Artist, Alessio Bax.
From her first enthusiastic “hello” to her closing “stay beautiful and stay safe,” Heather Maxwell’s love for African music and culture fills each and every episode of “Music Time in Africa” as well as every day of her life. “I love the rhythm of African music and how it is used and appreciated in the community,” she says. “For Africans, music is a very communal thing. There, people view music as a natural extension of being human.”
