Leadership Montcalm

02/15/2026

❤️ Leadership Montcalm — Session 6: Economic & Talent Development ❤️

Friday was truly one for the books. Session Coordinator Andrea Belding had the honor of leading this month’s Leadership Montcalm experience, and we leaned all the way into the Valentine theme — because what better way to talk about economic development than through the lens of what we LOVE about Montcalm County?
A huge thank you to our incredible lineup of speakers who made the day so diverse, insightful, and dynamically engaging:

✨ Rob Putnam — Montcalm County Road Commission
✨ Brandon Trierweiler — HomeWorks
✨ Zach Seigel — West Michigan Works
✨ Drew Nielsen — Montcalm Community College
✨ Tim Mroz — The Right Place
✨ Amanda Scott — Office of Rural Prosperity
✨ Dayna Neff — Montcalm Economic Alliance
✨ Sue DeVries — MEDC
✨ Chelsea Baker — Greenville Chamber of Commerce
✨ Amy Homich — Commercial Bank
✨ Marie Elliot — Michigan SBDC
✨ Andrea Belding — Flat River Associates
A special thanks to Paul Sischo - West Michigan Works
Amanda Lee- Montcalm Area Reading Council & Dayna Neff for being our judges panel for Shark Tank

Your time, expertise, and willingness to pour into this cohort does not go unnoticed. We are grateful.
And to this year’s Leadership Montcalm cohort — your thoughtful questions, engagement, and willingness to dig deeper made the conversations even richer.
💌 One of the favorite moments of the day was our “Write What You Love About Montcalm County” heart activity. The themes were clear:
The people.
The support.
The opportunity.
The pride in community.
(And yes… the food got some love too 😉)
🦈 The day wrapped with our wildly successful Leadership Montcalm Shark Tank challenge — where teams were given a hypothetical $100,000 and just 45 minutes to create something impactful for Montcalm County. Nonprofit. Business. Event. Big idea. Nothing was off the table.
Let’s just say… the competition was CUTTHROAT in the best possible way. The creativity in that room was incredible.
🏆 Congratulations to our winning team for earning bragging rights AND gift cards to Morning Glow Café — who also kicked off the morning with caffeine, warmth, and positivity. Thank you, TanaBeth and team, for starting the day so well.
Days like this remind us just how much there is to love about Montcalm County and the leaders who are stepping up to shape its future.

12/13/2025

Education Day is always fun. We didn't take any pictures at Montcalm Community College. Thank you MCC for sponsoring the session and MAISD for hosting us in the morning.

08/20/2025

🌟 Leadership Montcalm – Spots Still Available!
Ready to grow your leadership skills and make an impact in our community? Enrollment for the upcoming Leadership Montcalm program is still open—but spots are filling fast! 📅 ​
(Enrollment ends 08/31/2025)
This years program kicks off ​September 10th at Applewood with a meet n' greet, so now’s the time to secure your place​!

👉 Learn more and apply here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/montcalm-county/leadership_in_montcalm
📩 Questions? Contact​ Michelle Nielsen - [email protected]

07/20/2025

I know it is still summer, but back to school merchandise is in stores, so that also means Leadership Montcalm begins again. We are 52 days away from Leadership Montcalm XXVI Kickoff. Please help us recruit. Visit our webpage at https://www.canr.msu.edu/montcalm-county/leadership_in_montcalm for more information, the application, and brochures. Please pass on the information and share this post.

06/18/2025

The Leadership Montcalm XXVI application is now available. Email Michelle at [email protected] if you are interested in receiving it. We also have a participant and sponsor brochure available. The webpage will be updated soon. The Executive Committee is looking forward to meeting some new people and helping you network as you learn about Montcalm County, yourself, and others in the group.

06/09/2025

Here are some pictures from our 25th Anniversary party on May 9th.

06/09/2025

I am updating the information for Leadership Montcalm XXVI. Please email me information to reach possible participants for our next series. We begin again in September and go through May.

05/04/2025

Join us Friday for a open house style celebration.

Join us on May 9th on the patio at The Winter Inn from 4:00 to 6:00. We will have cake, iced tea, and lemonade. Other drinks and food can be purchased inside. This will be at the end of presentation day for Series XXV participants.

Catch up with friends and other Leadership Montcalm alumni.

04/15/2025

Congratulations Sue.

Celebrating Sue Kearney today as she is honored with the Inspire Award for her work in advocating for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

03/11/2025

Join us on May 9th on the patio at The Winter Inn from 4:00 to 6:00. We will have cake, iced tea, and lemonade. Other drinks and food can be purchased inside. This will be at the end of presentation day for Series XXV participants.

Catch up with friends and other Leadership Montcalm alumni.

09/14/2024

We had a great time today on the county tour. This year we explore some old spots and added some new locations. We started we Korson's Tree Farms, Veterans Park in Stanton, Anderson & Girls Orchards, the MSU Potato Research Facility, lunch at Whitefish Lake Golf Course, Wolverine Worldwide, Sietsma Farm Feeds, Montcalm Township Fire Department, and Main Farms.

09/12/2024

Give a warm welcome to the Leadership Montcalm XXV group!