In celebration of Grand Valley State University's 50th Anniversary,
the much-admired, former Speaker of the Michigan House Paul Hillegonds
will bring his first-hand experience in government and business to his
talk on what the next 50 years holds for Michigan.
Hillegonds’ lecture is Wednesday, February 16, at 7 p.m. in
Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, 401 West Fulton, GVSU Pew Grand
Rapids Campus. A reception will be held at 5:45 p.m. and the lecture
will be followed by a question and answer session. Events are free and
open to the public.
Named by Governing Magazine in 1994 as
Public Official of the Year, Hillegonds is currently senior vice
president of corporate affairs at DTE Energy. Former president of
Detroit Renaissance, and member of Grand Valley's Board of Trustees
from 1997-2001, Hillegonds serves on the boards of The Cultural
Alliance for Southeast Michigan, Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation,
Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Future, Inc.,
Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, The Center for
Michigan and The Kresge Foundation. He also received an honorary
doctorate degree from Grand Valley in 1995.
Hillegonds is
the second of three speakers in Grand Valley's Distinguished Academic
Lecture series speculating on what the next 50 years may hold.
Hillegonds will discuss "The Next 50 Years in Michigan."
Previously in September, author, academician and businesswoman Jill
Ker Conway presented, "The Next 50 Years in the World." The
series will conclude with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns'
presentation "The Next 50 Years in the United States," on
April 21.
For more information on the series contact Jon Jellema in the
Provost Office at (616) 331-2400, or visit www.gvsu.edu/anniversary.
