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KENT COUNTY www.kentcounty.org has an active Cultural Insight Council of 35 employees who develop activities and information for the county to undertake in an effort to combat racism and educate ourselves in the area of diversity and cultural awareness. Contact: Thomas Carnegie thomas.carnegie@kentcounty.org 632.7476.

KENT INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT www.kentisd.org The best way to find out what is happening in the Kent ISD is to check out the website and look at the diversity links. In 2001 the Kent ISD Superintendents adopted diversity/anti-racism as a county-wide initiative.  A document has been developed called the "Habits and Indicators of Highly Inclusive School Districts."  This work is being carried out through Champions of Diversity Teams. They are listed on the website.  The curriculum work is called the Cross-Cultural  Competencies.  The competencies are incorporated into the core curriculum.  The documents the Champions are using are on the webpage www.kentisd.org/teachers/diversity_and_antiracism_initiative/  
Contacts: Marcia Logie 365-2279 and Steve Robbins 616-915-8424 robbiste@earthlink.net 

KENTWOOD (CITY)  www.ci.kentwood.mi.us has specific goals to promote diversity through hiring and promotion.  Contact: Keith Van Beek Assistant to the Mayor City of Kentwood Office - (616) 554-0770 Fax - (616) 554-0818  vanbeekk@ci.kentwood.mi.us

KUYPER COLLEGE www.kuyper.edu  participates in the College Presidents’ Compact and has hosted Ethnic Ministry & Cross-Cultural Connection workshops. Contact Cisco Gonzalez at 988-3702 cgonzalez@kuyper.edu

Lutheran Social Services www.lssm.org advocates for fair and equal treatment for our refugee clients, many who are from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and all of them being minorities in this community. Contact: Chris Cavanaugh, Program Coordinator, LSSM Refugee Services
Phone: (616) 356-1934 Fax: (616) 356-5779 ccava@lssm.org

MARS HILL CHURCH www.marshill.org believes in joining God in the restoration of all things by completely giving ourselves to a revolution of love. Our desire is to bring hope and justice to our neighbors and the world. Contact: arichards@marshill.org

MEIJER INC. www.meijer.com has a "Diversity Inclusion Strategy" which includes "Inclusion Training" where outside resource people come in to train staff.  Senior level staff and directors have already participated.  The training is then going down to the other levels of management and staff.  Meijer is not directly calling it an "anti-racism" campaign but that is a natural by-product of the effort and an important part of the desired impact of the initiative.  Contact: David Beach   (616)791-5200

PINE REST www.pinerest.org utilizes grant money from the PR foundation to further assist our work on issues related to racism - diversity is 1 of 5 stated corporate values. The Advocates for a Diverse Community is a group represented from all levels in the organization that plans and holds events on a bi-monthly basis (e.g. MLK, Jr. service each January for the PR campus) 
Contact: andrew.george@pinerest.org

PROGRESSIVE AE www.progressiveae.com  has an incubator program for minority architects and an engineering scholarship at GVSU for a minority candidate. Contact:  Kathleen Ponitz ponitzk@progressiveae.com

SPARTAN STORES www.spartanstores.com has a Healing Racism "Alumni Group."  Members meet monthly and rotate leading the meeting. Due to recent turnover at the company there are not as many involved as in the past, but those who are wish to stay connected and desire updates on anti-racism activities and opportunities.
Contact: Ellen Barts (800)451-8500

SPECTRUM HEALTH www.spectrum-health.org Coordination of diversity strategies with other organizations and community leaders demonstrates a strong commitment to eliminate cultural health disparities and to utilize organizational influence and resources to drive supplier diversity initiatives. Contact: Joyce Henry, diversity officer joyce.henry@spectrum-health.org

STEELCASE www.steelcase.com Leaders are attending Institutes for Healing Racism. The Employee Value Proposition imbeds diversity into every aspect of business on a global basis. “A Call To Action” requires outside law firms to have a diversity plan in order to do business with Steelcase, the only company doing this in GR and, other than auto companies, the only one in Michigan. ” Brian Cloyd Vice President, Global Corporate Relations bcloyd@steelcase.com

UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY HOUSE www.umchousegr.com "Increasing the ability of children, youth, adults and families to succeed in a diverse community." Several staff attended Summits on Racism and Ruby Payne presentations on poverty and racism. The make-up of staff and clients includes Native American, Caucasian, African American, Bosnian and more. Contact: Anita Christopher, Director of Community Relations/Church Liaison achristopher@umchousegr.com

UNITED WAY HEART OF WEST MICHIGAN www.unitedwaycares.com A "people of color" goal in the strategic plan for employees, volunteer base and vendors. Project Blueprint will continue an 18 year tradition in Kent County with over 500 graduates.

Contacts: Robert G. Haight, President RHaight@unitedwaycares.com

Janine Johnson jjohnson@unitedwaycares.com

VARNUM, RIDDERING, SCHMIDT, AND HOWLETT, LLP www.varnumlaw.com

We have taken our commitment to build diversity and inclusion to ‘the next level’, stating 17 principles that reflect a comprehensive strategy, one of which is provision of scholarships for college and law school students of color. Contact: David A. Rhem darhem@varnumlaw.com 616-336-6629 (tel.)

WILLIAMS GROUP www.wgsite.com Provides an internship program specifically designed for college students of color who are interested in the field of strategic communications and/or philanthropy, and in-kind services to the Racial Justice Institute Summits on Racism, now Partners for a Racism-Free Community, the Grand Rapids Public Schools and Heartside Ministries. Contact: Sue Haas shaas@wgsite.com

WZZM TV 13 www.wzzm13.com WZZM has worked with the Summit on Racism Media Team to improve our news product when it came to issues of race and ethnicity. made a significant commitment to combating racism is the formation of a long-term community project called “Healing the Racial Divide,” a series of hour-long Prime Time specials about racial profiling by police, racism in the real estate industry, inter-racial marriage and trans-racial adoption.

THE YWCA WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN www.ywcawcmi.org is part of YWCA USA which has the elimination of racism on the national agenda. The local YWCA agency has long included anti-racism policies in all program areas and reviews them regularly. Contact Carla Blinkhorn, CEO, cblinkhorn@ywcawcmi.org or Suzanne Katerberg, Chair, Racial Justice/Diversity Council, skaterberg@ywcawcmi.org

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