13th Annual Family Business Forum

Event Sponsors

Grand Valley State University

Join us for our 13th Annual Family Business Forum on November 7th. Our focus this year will be "Staying Relevant". We have Stacey Pearson from Otterbox joining us to talk about the business' journey and how they evolved to keep up with the times. 

To share their stories of adaptation, we will also have a panel of local family business members joining us. Stay tuned to hear the details on who will be on the panel!

Stacey Pearson - Paterson Strategic Operations (StratOpĀ®) Guide, Otter Products
Stacey Pearson is a skilled guide in transformational change through strategy implementation. With 20 years of leadership experience, she is instrumental in guiding organizations to tremendous growth in the midst of a disruptive climate. The workforce today is in need of results that extend beyond the bottom line.  A healthy and inspired culture leads to great impact, where people serve as the heart and soul of the organization. With this in mind, Stacey has a unique ability to help individuals and teams remain relevant while focused on their vision and purpose.  Aaron, Stacey's husband of 19 years, and their two daughters, call Colorado their home.  Whether sailing blue waters, hosting a neighborhood block party, or serving the local school district, they have a shared love for gathering people to cultivate relationships.

 
Featured Family Business Stories
 
Annie Link - SwissLane Dairy Farms
Annie is proud to carry on the family legacy as one of the three junior partners of SwissLane Farms. She carries out her love for people and community in her role as the farm?s Human Resource and Public Relations Director. One of Annie?s notable accomplishments is founding Dairy Discovery in 2006, a non-profit agri-tourism business, educating over 7,000 people each year about modern dairy farming. 
She has a passion for making an impact in the community which drives her to participate in many activities:  Flat River Outreach Ministries Board of Directors, Club Leader for Alto Livestock 4-H, and Youth Group Leader at Impact Church. 
She values traditions with one of her personal favorites being the 25K Riverbank Run each spring along with camping and fishing with her loving husband Jerry and their three amazing children.

Nelson Jacobson - JSJ Corporation
Nelson C. Jacobson is a third-generation leader of the privately held JSJ Corporation, serving as Chairman, CEO and President of the Michigan-based firm founded by his grandfather and two partners in 1919. He led JSJ?s expansion in Asia, the creation of its branded furniture business izzy+, and strengthened the process for JSJ-owned companies to be entrepreneurial and innovative. ?At JSJ, we are constantly reinventing ourselves, but staying true to our core culture and values,? says Jacobson, adding that he regards his responsibility as one of ?stewarding the legacy of the families? that have owned the company since its earliest days -- the Jacobsons, the Johnsons and the Sherwoods.
Jacobson joined the family business in 1986, after beginning his career at The Dow Chemical Company and McKinsey & Company.



Mike Dykstra - Zeeland Lumber and Supply Company
Mike Dykstra is President and CEO of Zeeland Lumber and Supply located in the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Mike has been with Zeeland for more than 20 years and has been influential in its growth, focused on providing lumber, building materials, truss and  wall panel components, and installation solutions, with 6 locations throughout Michigan and Northern Indiana.






 


 

Thank you to our table sponsors:

               

13th Annual Family Business Forum

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Date and Time

Thursday Nov 7, 2019
7:30 AM - 10:30 AM EST

Location

Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
1000 E Beltline Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Fees/Admission

Public Registration: $200
Member and Underwriter Registration: Free tickets in accordance with level. 

Table Sponsorship: $1,200
Table sponsorship is available for this event. A table sponsorship will grant your company one branded table at the event (8 seats), recognition on all marketing materials for the event, as well as your company's logo on and verbal recognition at the event itself. Register online as a table sponsor or contact Diana Schad (diana@fbagr.org).

*FBA Members and Underwriters, please enter your email to receive your benefits*
Refund policy: Registration and prepayment of events is required and guarantees a reservation. Cancellations must be received by Friday, 11/1/2019 to receive a full refund. 

Contact Information

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