They may be few in number, but their energy levels, enthusiasm and dedication are seemingly limitless.
Passionate, creative, and learner. Whether it’s my work at the AAHC or organizing in my community, I have found that my passion not only brings more meaning to my work but also sustains it. This passion has also allowed me to bring forward creative solutions to the challenges that arise within our organization and with my work on the ground. In every role I take on, I have learned that when we tap into our community’s expertise, talent and ideas, we can bring forward meaningful change that will allow us to build a transformative and sustainable future together. My passion, creativity and commitment to lifelong learning have better positioned me in my work as an organizer and my future as executive director.
After the establishment of the Michigan School for the Deaf, the building of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, and 44 years after Jacob Smith built his trading post at the Grand Traverse of the Flint River, the growing village of Flint became a city. After reaching a population of 2,000 in 1855, Flint was quickly becoming a center of commerce and industry in Michigan. Soon after being incorporated as a city, the first municipal elections were held on April 2, 1855 in the city’s three early wards. The next day, Grant Decker became the first Mayor of Flint.
In May of 2018, G.H.O.S.T. (Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team) was initiated by Genesee County Sheriff (when he was undersheriff) with authority granted by then-Sheriff Robert Pickell. The County Sheriff had been involved with a West Coast international organization that supports enforcement of human trafficking laws and the rescue of sex trafficking victims through the use of special forces. A year prior, he took a trip to Haiti where he worked with an intel-gathering group. Some women from Europe had been promised employment at a five-star resort in the Dominican Republic and instead, their passports were taken from them, they were put on a bus and shipped to Haiti where they were trafficked for sex 24 hours-a-day.
In November 2021, the Flint & Genesee Group announced the winners of the Art of Achievement Awards at a ceremony held at The Capitol Theatre in Downtown Flint attended by more than 450 people. Winners of these prestigious awards are selected from nominations gathered throughout the year. Last year, 16 awards were presented to businesses, hospitality professionals and community leaders for their significant contributions to the region’s success in 2021.
At six years of age, Martin Turner made the discovery of a lifetime. “My kindergarten teacher had given me a box of clay to play with because she saw my interest in sculpting different things,” he remembers. “Of course, I was a kid, so that clay didn’t last very long. I left the last piece outside one day and the next morning, it was gone. I was heartbroken and my parents told me that since I had wasted what I had, they weren’t going to get me any more.” Soon thereafter, Turner was watching a TV program with his family when they saw an advertisement for aluminum foil. “I remember the commercial saying that aluminum foil could be molded into different shapes,” he says. “I immediately got some from the kitchen and sure enough, it molded just fine. My first sculpture was an airplane.” From then on, Turner was using aluminum foil and his imagination to sculpt and create unique pieces of art for friends and family members and today, that discovery many years ago has led to a fulfilling profession of art and creativity. He runs a successful art studio in which he completes commissioned works in a variety of forms including drawing, painting and, of course, sculpting, as well as filling the role of art program coordinator for Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village (SBEV).
Karen Church, CEO of ELGA Credit Union, has been selected as Cityzen of the Year! She is the third person MCM has recognized as one who is an advocate for the community and goes above and beyond to make it a better place through volunteerism and service. And this is a very special year for Church, as she will retire in February 2022. Church sat down with MCM to talk about her love for her community, her years with the credit union, her service in the City of Flint and plans for the future. “I’m a little bit sad,” Church admits. “ELGA CU has been my life for 45 years.”
In early 1961, a Swiss immigrant known in Flint as “Mr. Ski” was making an impact. Henry Walder, a military veteran and former GM worker, was busy spreading the good word and his love of skiing in and around Greater Flint from his makeshift rope tow at the sledding hills on Swartz Creek Golf Course to the slopes of Mt. Holly. To further his mission, Walder founded Schussmeisters’ (meaning “downhill racer”) Ski Club, a social organization still blazing downhill trails throughout Michigan and the world.
Established in 1928, the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) is the second largest art museum in Michigan and the third largest museum art school in the nation. It boasts an impressive collection of nearly 9,000 items in a variety of genres from locations and artists spanning the globe. With a mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of art for all through collections, exhibitions and many educational programs, the FIA serves more than 160,000 people per year by making art, film and education easily accessible for anyone with the desire and appreciation of art in all its forms.
Founded over three decades ago, The Disability Network (TDN) has been providing a voice for the disabled community in Greater Flint and around the country. “TDN is a grassroots organization that advocates on behalf of the disabled,” says TDN CEO, Luke Zelley. The organization was started by Mike Zelley, Luke’s father, after he attended a meeting of the Genesee County Handicapped Alliance in 1992. Of the 60 people in the room, only two (including himself) identified as disabled. He thought that the disabled community should have more robust representation in the county and quickly started TDN to fulfill that goal. Since that time, TDN helps an average of 10,000 people each year through local programming and has helped over 100,000 throughout the nation via government policy changes for which they fought and advocated.
My affection for Atwood Stadium began in the late 1950s, when my grandparents and father took me to several Thanksgiving Day football games played there between Flint Central and Flint Northern.
Born and raised in Flint, Angela Hood-Beauregard, Executive Director of the Flint & Genesee Literacy Network (FGLN) is proud to be a product of Flint Community Schools. She has traveled the world but chose to work and live in Flint. In her position with FGLN, she is able to share her passion for the importance of reading and literacy. The leader of the FGLN since 2019, Hood-Beauregard is currently pursuing her PhD at Michigan State University. “I am a lifelong student and working with the network was the perfect opportunity to merge my passion for learning into making a difference,” she shares.
