People in the news: Jan. 16, 2023

People in the news: Jan. 16, 2023

NONPROFIT

  • The Grand Rapids Community Media Center has named Phil Tower as station manager and Shane German as music and programming director at the nonprofit organization’s WYCE-FM. Tower comes to WYCE with decades of experience in broadcasting in West Michigan, including as director of news and programming at WOOD-AM and marketing and promotion director for WLAV-FM. Tower will oversee daily operations at WYCE as well as supervise staff and manage the budget. German has served with the GRCMC since 2016, including in multiple roles at WYCE, and has a long career in the music industry. His new role involves overseeing the diversification of WYCE’s music and programming lineup and work to expand listenership. WYCE is a core department of the GRCMC, which also oversees public access television station GRTV, community news site The Rapidian, and the Wealthy Theatre.

MANUFACTURING

  • Aspen Surgical Products Inc. has named Steve Blazejewski as CEO as part of an executive succession plan. A veteran executive with nearly 30 years of experience in the medical device industry, Blazejewski succeeds Jason Krieser, who is retiring as CEO and will retain a seat on the board of directors at Caledonia-based Aspen Surgical. Blazejewski has served for a year as an independent director on the Aspen Surgical board and previously was CEO for Katena Products, a New Jersey-based maker of ophthalmic products that was acquired in December 2021 by Corza Medical in Chicago. Blazejewski also has held global president roles at Cardinal Health Inc., Medtronic plc, and Covidien. Aspen Surgical is a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity, which originally invested in the company in 2019 and made a follow-on investment in 2022 to support organic growth and M&A. 

MARKETING

  • Grand Rapids-based digital marketing and branding agency The Image Shoppe Ltd. has named Elyse Flynn as the firm’s creative director. Flynn takes over the role from Karen Tracey, who will oversee daily operations as chief operations officer and managing partner at the majority female-owned agency. Flynn, who joined the firm in March 2021 as art director and will now manage a team of three graphic designers, has more than a decade of experience in branding, product development, print and event design. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University and Calvin University.

CRAFT BEVERAGE

  •  John Mallett, who has served for 21 years at Bell’s Brewery Inc. and most recently as vice president of brewing and quality, will step down from his position late next month to pursue time with his family and other interests. The move comes after a year of helping to lead the brewery’s integration with New Belgium Brewing Co. While at Bell’s, Mallett oversaw the quality and safety of products amid rapid growth, including with the build-out and expansion at the company’s Comstock production plant. Bell’s Executive Vice President Carrie Yunker called Mallett a “brilliant brewer and a visionary” operator. “John’s contributions to Bell’s, and to the entire craft beer community, are truly impossible to measure or even say out loud.” 

CONSTRUCTION

  • Ada-based general contractor Erhardt Construction Co. has promoted former market strategy director Arlen-Dean Gaddy to vice president of business development. Gaddy brings nearly 30 years of experience in business development, including roles at Varnum Consulting and telecommunications giant AT&T. Gaddy joined Erhardt in 2019, and helped lead the company’s expansion into the Muskegon market. He also played a key role in creating the company’s Inclusion Advisory Team to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the field.

Banking

  • Highpoint Community Bank has named Chelsey Foster as senior vice president of business development. An Alma College graduate, Foster brings nearly a decade of experience in banking, previously serving as community president for Commercial Bank, which is headquartered in Ithaca. Prior to that, Foster served four years as the city manager of Ithaca in Gratiot County. Founded in 1886, Highpoint Community Bank is a full-service community bank with offices in Hastings, Middleville, Nashville, Caledonia, Wayland, Marshall and a loan production office in Kalamazoo.
  • Union Bank, which recently relocated its headquarters from Lake Odessa to Grand Rapids Township to tap more of the city’s market share, has named Janet Torres as executive vice president and chief operations officer. Torres joined Union Bank in September 2021 after nearly two decades of experience in the financial sector, including roles at Fifth Third Bank and Macatawa Bank. In her new role, she will lead departmental activities related to retail and virtual banking, deposit operations, human resources, risk and internal audits, and I.T. Union Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Union Financial Corp. and operates full-service offices in Ada, Dimondale, Grand Rapids, Hastings, Lake Odessa, Mulliken and Westphalia. 

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to say that Commercial Bank is headquartered in Ithaca.