At its annual meeting and networking luncheon on June 20 in Lansing, the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) recognized Rep. Mike Shirkey, chair of the House Committee on Michigan Competitiveness, as its Legislator of the Year.
SBAM also presented the Richard B. Sanford Lifetime of Advocacy Award to Paul Hense. Hense is a past chair of both SBAM and SBAM’s national affiliate the National Small Business Association.
Bob Fish, CEO of BIGGBY COFFEE, East Lansing, was introduced as SBAM’s 2013-2014 board chair. Also introduced were 1st Vice Chair Bonnie Alfonso, Alfie Logo Gear for Work & Play, Traverse City; 2nd Vice Chair Jerry Grubb, Wee Discover Child Daycare & Learning Center, Waterford; Secretary Kathie Fuce-Hobohm, Space Inc., Midland; Treasurer Paul Santoro, Anesthesia Staffing Consultants, Franklin; and Immediate Past Chair David Rhoa, Lake Michigan Mailers, Kalamazoo.
New board members for 2013-2014 are Milan Gandhi, Med-Share, Southfield; Park Kersman, Lorin Industries, Muskegon; Chad Paalman, NuWave Technology Partners; Lansing; and Lorri Rishar, Edge Partnerships, Lansing.
The program also featured a panel discussion of three entrepreneurs talking about “Risk, Reward and the Reinvention of Michigan.” The panel was moderated by Josh Linkner, CEO and Managing Partner of Detroit Venture Partners. Josh was the Founder and former CEO of ePrize. The panel participants were Greg Schwartz of UpTo, Melanie Bergeron of Two Men And A Truck and Pam Turkin of Just Baked.