Category: Alumni

40 Under 40 Honoree Credits Faculty for Her K Success

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40 Under 40 Honoree Young-Jin Chang
Young-Jin Chang ’06, the managing director and global head of metals at CME Group, is a 2019 Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 honoree. Since 2016, she has been responsible for the strategic development, management and profitability of global products including precious and industrial metals.

A Chicago business executive and Kalamazoo College alumna has earned an honor that puts her in the company of previous recipients as notable as entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Young-Jin Chang ’06, the managing director and global head of metals at CME Group, is a 2019 Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 honoree. This year’s group includes social activists, Fortune 500 vice presidents, doctors, professors and professional coaches.

Chang, according to the Crain’s article noting her accomplishments, has “crisscrossed the world, with family travels as a youngster to places like China; graduate school studies in Paris; and work travel to Asia, Europe, South America and Africa.”

Such travels led Chang to her current job after she sat beside a CME Group executive on a flight to Germany, prompting an invitation to stop by the company’s London office. Soon after that, from 2011-2016, Chang was a director in metals research and product development at CME. Since 2016, she has been responsible for the strategic development, management and profitability of global products including precious and industrial metals.

Awards such as 40 Under 40 are notable as Crain’s defines its honorees as rule-breakers, innovators, trailblazers and risk-takers, making them people who shape their community.

At age 16, Chang told her parents she wanted to leave her home in Seoul, South Korea, move to the U.S., and stay with her aunt in Portland, Oregon. After moving, her research regarding liberal arts colleges led her to Kalamazoo College, where she majored in business and economics, and minored in Chinese.

“My English was still improving and I felt I would get lost at a big school,” she said of her choice to attend K. “I needed a little more time to adjust and pursue an education in my own way.”

The access she had to the faculty made all the difference in her success, she added. Despite first thinking she wanted to become a lawyer, Chang received guidance from faculty in navigating the liberal arts and finding a passion for business. After K, she earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

“Everyone knew who I was by name,” Chang said of her time at K, crediting faculty such as then-Economics and Business Chair Ahmed Hussen, Edward and Virginia Van Dalson Professor of Economics Patrik Hultberg, and Senior Instructor Chuck Stull. “I found it very helpful anytime I could ask a direct question, especially when I was still learning the language. I remember going to their offices on a regular basis.”

After arriving at K, Chang found out from relatives that she wasn’t the first member of her family to attend K. A great aunt, Park Gye-hee ’58, majored in philosophy and lived in Trowbridge Hall.

“My great aunt’s father was not typical of his day,” Chang said in a LuxEsto article in spring 2006. “At that time elementary school was considered higher education for women in Korea, and the majority of women did not even complete that level. Her father was very forward thinking, and he valued education. He insisted his daughters complete secondary school and then go abroad to earn college degrees. His oldest four daughters did just that.”

In reflecting on her own time at K, Chang advises that current students be proactive in finding a passion and take advantage of study abroad opportunities.

“Find a passion that triggers you,” Chang said. “If you’re not loving what you’re doing, find what you’re good at. Learn about different cultures, even if that means taking study abroad in a place you never thought of going. Explore and find what makes you happy.”

Students Should ‘Feel Empowered’ By Alumna’s Art

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Students Observe Julie Mehretu's Artwork with fari nzinga
Kalamazoo College students taking the first-year seminar titled “In Defense of Ourselves: African American Women Artists” have a chance to see artwork from Julie Mehretu ’92 alongside pieces from artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Elizabeth Catlett, Thornton Dial, Barkley Hendricks, Kori Newkirk, Norman Lewis and Howardena Pindell in the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts exhibit, Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem, on display through Dec. 8.

A first-year seminar this term is giving 14 Kalamazoo College students a chance to see critically acclaimed art created by a professional painter who once attended K herself.

Organized by the Studio Museum in Harlem and the American Federation of Arts, Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem, is an exhibit on display at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) through Dec. 8; it features two works by Julie Mehretu ’92 among 78 other artists of African descent. The exhibit began traveling in 2018 in celebration of the Studio Museum’s 50th anniversary. It opened in San Francisco at the Museum of the African Diaspora, and Kalamazoo is the exhibition’s only stop in the Midwest.

For the public, the exhibit creates dialogue regarding the artists, many of whom are inspired by current events, while expanding a viewer’s understanding of modern art and addressing themes that affect Kalamazoo and the nation such as poverty, identity, power, status and social justice.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Art fari nzinga takes students in her first-year seminar to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts to see an exhibit that includes work by alumna Julie Mehretu ’92.

For the K students taking the seminar titled “In Defense of Ourselves: African American Women Artists” specifically, it’s a chance to witness original work from an alumna whose art is usually seen in bigger cities, alongside pieces from artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Elizabeth Catlett, Thornton Dial, Barkley Hendricks, Kori Newkirk, Norman Lewis and Howardena Pindell — household names among art historians and curators, as well as Black artists.

The class may be offered again in future terms, although the fall course was designed specifically for Black Refractions, giving students a distinct chance to observe Mehretu’s work firsthand.

“Oh, they love her work,” said fari nzinga, who teaches the course, of how the students have reacted to seeing Mehretu’s creations. nzinga is a visiting assistant professor of art at K and post-doctoral curatorial fellow at the KIA.

“When I first saw one of Mehretu’s paintings, I was intimidated by its size and scale, as well as its complexity,” she said. “It’s abstract and I felt like I didn’t have the tools to engage with it and interpret it for myself. But actually, my students have not responded in the same way I did all those years ago. They see connections and stories and aren’t afraid to trust their own instincts. I love to see it.”

nzinga earned her master’s degree and doctorate in cultural anthropology from Duke University. She was based in New Orleans for nearly a decade and conducted dissertation research on Black-led arts organizations and community building after Hurricane Katrina. She also worked for two years at the New Orleans Museum of Art, where she facilitated institutional transformation around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. In April 2018, she independently produced and curated an exhibition, “The Rent Is Too Damn High,” in celebration of the New Orleans tri-centennial.

nzinga came to Kalamazoo when she got to know KIA Executive Director Belinda Tate and it was clear a joint position between K and KIA would be available. The hope is that students taking this course will see what Mehretu has accomplished and feel that they too can one day change the world.

“I feel like they are teaching me so much,” nzinga said. “Because the students are in their first semester of college, K hasn’t really crystallized for them yet, so I’m excited to see how they make meaning of the institution and make it their own as they grow and develop. I think seeing Mehretu’s work right up front at the beginning of their time here will be something that guides them, just an example of what they can do here if they want to and that’s powerful. I hope they feel empowered.”

Homecoming 2019 Begins Oct. 18

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Kalamazoo College will welcome back alumni, families and friends for a fun-filled weekend as we celebrate Homecoming 2019 on Oct. 18-20.

Homecoming 2018 lo 0464 for Homecoming 2019
Alumni and guests will participate in events such as the 5K Run/Walk during Homecoming 2019.

Events begin at dawn Friday when alumni are invited to begin taking self-guided tours of the Lillian Anderson Arboretum. The “Roots in the Earth” first-year seminar created the tour in 2018, sponsored by the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement, with stop information available at the arboretum’s website. Visitors can enjoy acres of marsh, meadow and forest, and visit the Batts Pavillion, named for H. Lewis Batts Jr. ’43 and Jean M. Batts ’43.  Parking at the arboretum is available throughout the day in its main lot, with overflow parking offered at the Oshtemo Township Park, 7275 W. Main St., just east of the property.

Other Homecoming 2019 highlights will include:

  • Peter Rothstein ’14, the 2019 Young Alumni Award recipient, delivering a lecture titled From K to Tea at 4 p.m. Friday in Room 103 at Dewing Hall. Rothstein will talk about how he created a successful business after attending K. Rothstein, a 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree , established Dona Chai with his sister, Amy. The company crafts tea concentrates and sodas brewed with spices from around the world.
  • The Alumni Association Awards at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Dalton Theatre, honoring the Distinguished Achievement, Distinguished Service, Young Alumni, Weimer K. Hicks and Athletic Hall of Fame awards recipients.
  • Guided campus tours and opportunities to visit newer facilities including the Fitness and Wellness Center, the Intercultural Center, the Hornet Golf Lab and revamped weight room at Anderson Athletic Center, and the Admission Center. Consult our full Homecoming schedule for specific times.
  • An improvisation show with K’s improv troupe, Monkapult. Free tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the door at Connable Recital Hall in Light Fine Arts at 10 p.m. Friday.
  • The Homecoming 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. Saturday. Check in will begin at 7:30 a.m. The event, offering an opportunity to see the campus and neighborhood, is open to all ages and fitness levels. The first 300 registrants will receive commemorative T-shirts designed by Tanush Samson ’19.
  • The K Song Project at 1 p.m. Saturday. Guests can enjoy a high-energy performance from the College Singers featuring songs submitted by reunion classes.
  • Athletics events throughout the weekend including team reunions, a volleyball match at 5 p.m. Friday against North Park at Anderson Athletic Center, a women’s soccer match against St. Mary’s at noon Saturday at the Athletic Fields Complex, a men’s soccer match against Alma at 4:30 p.m. at the Athletic Fields Complex, and the Homecoming football game against Albion at 2 p.m. at Angell Field.

You can still join the festivities and renew connections with your classmates. Visit our homecoming website for a full schedule, details and registration information. And watch the College website, Facebook page, and Twitter (@kcollege) and Instagram @kalamazoocollege accounts for photos and updates throughout the weekend.

Change Ringing Award Honors K Alumnus, Student

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One Kalamazoo College alumnus and one student have ensured K’s reputation as a home for change ringing will continue by earning a national award named after a former K professor.

Change Ringing Award Recipient Ian McKnight
Ian McKnight ’19 is one of two with Kalamazoo College ties to receive the first Jeff Smith Memorial Young Ringer Award.

Ian McKnight ’19 and Sam Ratliff ’21 are among ringers from towers in Kalamazoo; Kent, Connecticut; Shreveport, Louisiana; Northampton, Massachusetts; Marietta, Georgia; and Sewanee, Tennessee, to earn the first Jeff Smith Memorial Young Ringer Award from the North American Guild of Change Ringers. The award recognizes bell-ringing achievement and a commitment to local change ringing communities.

Change Ringing Award Recipient Sam Ratliff
Sam Ratliff is studying mathematics and computer science on study abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland, this fall and rings regularly with the band at St. Machar’s Church there.

The award is named after the late Jeff Smith, a longtime and beloved professor at Kalamazoo College. In addition to teaching mathematics, Smith taught hundreds of students to ring changes and inspired the College to install change ringing bells at Stetson Chapel on campus.

Change ringing developed in England and is traditionally heard after royal weddings as well as before and after most English church services. It requires a group of ringers working in tight coordination to ring the bells in changing permutations. Because each tower bell takes more than a second to complete its full 360-degree rotation, the bells can’t ring traditional music or melodies. That constraint led to an intricate system of generating unique permutations known as change ringing.

In addition to strengthening the abilities of the Kalamazoo band of change ringers, McKnight and Ratliff have both rung quarter peals. A quarter peal contains a series of at least 1,250 permutations rung in rapid succession according to rules that ensure no permutations are repeated. A quarter peal takes about 45 minutes of concentration and cooperation among the band of ringers, creating beautiful sounds.

McKnight graduated with a degree in political science in June after earning a senior leadership award. He once wrote about his experience with change ringing in K’s student blog. He now works for State Rep. Darrin Camilleri in Detroit.

“It’s a real honor to receive an award named for Jeff Smith, without whom I would probably never have discovered ringing,” McKnight said. “I first went to the tower after hearing the bells that he brought to Kalamazoo College and was hooked after just one practice. For four years since, ringing has been a great joy and a source for friends on both sides of the Atlantic. I know that will continue to be the case for many years to come.”

Ratliff is studying mathematics and computer science on study abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland, this fall and rings regularly with the band at St. Machar’s Church there.

“I heard that ringing was a cooperative musical, physical and mental exercise, all of which interested me, so I dropped into the tower the first week of my first year at K,” Ratliff said. “The algorithmic methods that we use to make music held my attention and I’ve been ringing ever since.”

The Kalamazoo College ringers welcome visitors and would be pleased to show anyone how the bells are rung. The ringers can be contacted at kzooringers@yahoo.com.

Display Your K Spirit on National College Colors Day

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Fridays are normally Spirit Days at Kalamazoo College, prompting the K community to wear orange and black, but the one coming Aug. 30 is special. It’s National College Colors Day and we are joining colleges and universities across the country in the annual Friday-before-Labor-Day celebration that fuels school pride.

National College Colors Day cMUMMA Homecoming 2017 5360
We are encouraging current students, admitted and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and the community to participate in National College Colors Day on Aug. 30.

We are encouraging current students, admitted and prospective students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and the community to participate by posting photos of themselves, friends, family and colleagues wearing K gear to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #ShowUsYourK and #CollegeColorsDay. Alumni may also submit their pictures through email at alumni@kzoo.edu for us to post. Be sure to tell us in your posts why you love K!

As a bonus, the College Marketing and Communication office will randomly select three participants to win a K sweatshirt, hat or mug from the Kalamazoo College Bookstore.

Read the contest rules below and start considering how you will participate in National College Colors Day. By the way, if you need more orange and black, visit the bookstore in person or online. Thanks for letting your K spirit shine!

Contest rules

No purchase is necessary to participate in Kalamazoo College’s National College Colors Day contest and a purchase doesn’t increase a participant’s chance of winning.

The contest will run from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. EDT Aug. 30. A College Marketing and Communication (CMAC) representative will choose the winner at random Sept. 3 from entrants who participate Aug. 30. Please avoid creating multiple accounts to submit additional entries. There will be one entry per participant regardless of the number of posts. The winners will be notified Sept. 3.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not sponsoring the contest and are not responsible to entrants or participants. By posting, you consent to have your name announced by the College on social media should you win a prize.

What to Bring to Campus: Alumna Offers Tips for First-Year Students

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Excitement is building across the country for first-year students who are anticipating their college experiences and planning what to bring to campus this fall. It’s a time Ximena Davis ’19 fondly remembers even though she attended college close to home after growing up in Kalamazoo.

What to Bring to Campus cMUMMA MATRICULATION 2017 7904
Student employees help first-year students with moving in to the residence halls. Read what one alumna offers for advice regarding what to bring to campus on move-in day.

“It was still a different place to stay and I was very excited,” Davis said. “I was ready to explore being an independent person. I also got to see a different side to the city than the one I saw while living at home.”

Davis’ experiences—beyond majoring in English, minoring in sociology and anthropology, and declaring concentrations in film and media studies and American studies—included regularly attending Art Hop, a fun evening of art exhibits and events in and around Kalamazoo; writing for K’s student blog and establishing the Kalamazoo College Filmmakers’ Society, one of more than 70 organizations available to students.

Residential Life has its suggestions regarding what to bring to campus this fall. However, it helps to get some perspective from someone like Davis who has lived in the residence halls while attending K. Based on her experiences, here are her suggestions after living in Hoben Hall, DeWaters Hall and a Living Learning House in her years at K.

Avoid overpacking

Even if you’re arriving from several states away, it’s better to leave yourself more space than to overpack.

“It’s good to have pictures of friends, but you don’t want to be overwhelmed in your space,” Davis said. “I brought trinkets and keepsakes to occupy my desk space my first year. But throughout that year, I found it was too much. I was constantly getting stuff I wanted to decorate with, and I ended up packing away what I originally brought. I found myself wishing I would’ve given myself more of a blank slate by leaving more at home.”

Davis said that includes the cold-weather clothes she brought too soon.

“After moving in, I was going through my clothes and realized I brought five different jackets for various levels of warmth, along with my winter jacket and snow boots,” Davis said. “I must have thought, ‘What if it snows in October?’ as it has in many years. But even if it does snow early, it probably won’t be enough to justify boots.”

There could be exceptions to this rule of thumb if students can’t return home between fall and winter terms or if students don’t have both fall and winter coats available to them, although additional space in a residence hall room is valuable.

Buy local

If it makes it easier to pack less, remember most items can be purchased in Kalamazoo stores and thrift shops after you take a visual assessment of your space. The shopping experience can also be beneficial.

“Because Kalamazoo College is located in a city, it’s not difficult to go to a store to find things you might need,” Davis said. “Even if you’re worried about not having a car on campus, there is public transportation, and carpooling is a good way to make friends. I think going with a roommate can be a bonding experience.”

Record your experiences

Bring to campus simple tools and decorations that will enable you to better remember your first year at K. Davis, for example, decorated with strings of lights that used clips for attaching photos, and she kept an assignment notebook that doubled as a journal.

“I first had a couple of pictures from prom or an amusement park, but it helped to keep adding to it,” said Davis, regarding her string of lights. “I brought it every year and added to it every year.”

Within the journal, “I kept all of my thoughts in one place,” Davis said. “It was nice to have during that time of change and then look back on those memories. I think it helped me grow into a more confident person and helped me be better organized.”

Talk to your roommate in advance

Before Davis moved to campus, she feared the worst regarding her roommate.

“I knew Residential Life tries to match like-minded students, but I was worried they would make a mistake somewhere along the line and they would give me a roommate I wouldn’t get along with as well as they’d hoped,” Davis said.

Talking with that roommate in advance through social media, though, helped alleviate that fear. Plus, just as importantly, it helped the two determine who would bring what to campus.

“Communication is very important,” Davis said. “It helps you feel better about this new experience, and it will prevent you from doubling up on big items such as microwaves that can take a lot of space.”

More information

Kalamazoo College’s new-student move-in day is scheduled for Sept. 10. If you have questions before, during or after that time, more information is available. Find Residential Life at its website or contact its offices at housing@kzoo.edu or 269.337.7210.

Renowned Professor, Mystery Writer to Serve as 2019 Commencement Speaker

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Kalamazoo College will welcome Kenneth G. Elzinga, Ph.D. ’63 as its 2019 Commencement speaker on Sunday, June 16.

2019 Commencement Speaker Kenneth Elzinga
Kenneth Elzinga, Kalamazoo College’s 2019 Commencement speaker, has taught economics to more than 47,000 students at the University of Virginia.

Elzinga, the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia, is a renowned teacher and a leading authority on antitrust policy, writing for numerous journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Law and Economics, and the Harvard Law Review. He has served as a special economic advisor to the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and has testified in numerous precedent-setting cases, including three U.S. Supreme Court cases.

At the University of Virginia, Elzinga has taught economics to more than 47,000 students. In 2017, an endowed chair was named in his honor, celebrating a career that’s been recognized through many awards, including the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award and the University of Virginia’s highest honor, the Thomas Jefferson Award. The Southern Economic Association’s annual teaching award is also named after Elzinga.

In addition to his distinguished teaching career, Elzinga is known for co-authoring murder mysteries under the pen name Marshall Jevons, featuring a sleuth who solves crimes using economic theory. The books Murder at the Margin, The Fatal Equilibrium, A Deadly Indifference, and The Mystery of the Invisible Hand were written with the late Trinity University professor William Breit, with whom he also co-edited The Antitrust Casebook: Milestones in Economic Regulation. The novels have been translated into seven languages and have appeared on the reading lists of many college courses.

Elzinga graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1963 and went on to earn his Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University in 1967, joining the University of Virginia faculty that year. He has also taught at MSU, Pepperdine, Cambridge and Trinity Universities. In 2000, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Kalamazoo College.

“Ken Elzinga represents the best of where a liberal arts education can lead you,” said Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez. “Born in a working-class neighborhood in Kalamazoo, he embraced his time at K and went on to achieve phenomenal success in economics, teaching and writing—blending his passions in creative ways that have inspired students for more than 50 years. We are honored to welcome him back to campus as our Commencement speaker.”

The 2019 Commencement at Kalamazoo College is scheduled for 1 p.m. June 16 on the College Quad.

Day of Gracious Giving Honors the Lasting Legacy of Mentorship

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Kalamazoo College alumni near and far will have an opportunity to honor their K mentors—and have their gifts matched dollar for dollar—on the Day of Gracious Giving.

Day of Gracious Giving Card Says Celebrate Your K Mentors
Kalamazoo College alumni near and far will have an opportunity to honor their K mentors and have their gifts matched dollar for dollar on the Day of Gracious Giving.

“We are encouraging all alumni to remember those who have played formative roles in their lives and consider making a gift in their honor,” said Laurel Palmer, director of the Kalamazoo College Fund. An anonymous group of donors will challenge more than 1,000 alumni, parents and friends to make a gift to K by offering a $230,000 matching pool.

“Alumni often tell us that the relationships they forged with faculty, coaches and other mentors are among the most cherished outcomes of their K experience,” said Palmer. “This is a great way for alumni to thank their mentors and foster the same opportunities for current and future students.”

As usual, the event will coincide with the Day of Gracious Living and the date will be a surprise. The announcement for #KGraciousGiving will be made via email and on the Kalamazoo College Facebook and Twitter pages.

In 2018, while students enjoyed a gracious class-free day, 1,013 alumni from the classes of 1947-2017 gave an astonishing $226,270. This year’s goal aims to surpass that record and raise $230,000 from 1,040 donors.

All contributions make it possible for Kalamazoo College to attract, retain and support talented students regardless of economic need. All donors—including alumni, parents and friends—can choose to support scholarships, faculty resources or the K experience. To explore the opportunities and make a gift, visit the Kalamazoo College Fund online.

Crain’s Names K Alumna Among Notable Women in Technology

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Crain’s Detroit Business is honoring a Kalamazoo College alumna in its 2018 list of 26 Notable Women in Technology.

Women in Technology Honoree Amy Courter Photo Provided
Kalamazoo College alumna Amy Courter ’83 is among 26 professionals who were named the 2018 Notable Women in Technology by Crain’s Detroit Business.

Amy Courter ’83 is principal of Azimuth Centers of Excellence, a leadership development and public speaking organization. Additionally, she serves as CEO of inerTRAIN providing an online portal for personal-fitness trainers to deliver custom workouts to clients, as well as inerTEAM for coaches and trainers to equip their athletic teams with workouts and drills. Courter’s career also includes 20 years of leadership at Valassis, formerly a $2.3 billion public marketing-services corporation.

Courter has served as the national commander and chief executive officer of the all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol, the Official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force that performs 90 percent of the Search and Rescue in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. She also serves or has served on several boards of for-profit and non-profit organizations including the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees, Dell EMC Federal Advisory Board, National Defense Industrial Association, Women in Defense, Michigan Business and Professional Women and Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee. She is a member of InfraGard and remains active in the cybersecurity community and the Civil Air Patrol. Courter enjoys career coaching K students.

Courter and the other women featured in Notable Women in Technology were selected based on their career accomplishments, their involvement in nonprofits and community organizations, and how they mentor others in their field or inspire girls and young women to consider STEM careers.

Read more about the honorees in technology and other industries at the Crain’s Detroit Business website. Honorees in other industries include K alumnae Cheryl Johnson ’83 and Jennifer Lepard ’86 who are Notable Women in Nonprofits.

Two Alumnae Named Notable Women in Nonprofits

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Cheryl Johnson Provided Photo for Notable Women in Nonprofits
Cheryl Johnson ’83, a Notable Women in Nonprofits honoree, is the Coalition on Temporary Shelter executive director and CEO.
Jennifer Lepard Notable Women in Nonprofits
Jennifer Lepard ’86, a Notable Women in Nonprofits honoree, is the president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater Michigan Chapter.

Crain’s Detroit Business is honoring two Kalamazoo College alumnae in its 2018 list of 59 Notable Women in Nonprofits.

Cheryl Johnson ’83 is the executive director and CEO of the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Detroit. Jennifer Lepard ’86 is the president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater Michigan Chapter in Southfield.

Johnson builds community partnerships to nurture the skills of those COTS serves and she advocates for social change. Lepard has led a staff of 60 people in six statewide offices since 2013, serving many of the 180,000 individuals in Michigan who live with Alzheimer’s disease. She also was responsible for leading the nonprofit’s merger with the national Alzheimer’s organization.

Johnson, Lepard and the 57 other women honored were nominated by their community and career peers for their work in building endowments, programming and relationships for the organizations they lead. Read more about the honorees in nonprofit organizations and other industries at the Crain’s Detroit Business website.