A Roundup of the Mayor's Roundtable

The annual City of Holland Mayor's Roundtable event featured nine area employers participating in focus groups with 70 local high school student leaders. Held at the Holland Civic Center, students were asked, "What are you looking for in a future employer and career?" and employers shared about locally available in-demand careers.
Lakeshore Advantage and the West Coast Chamber assisted the City of Holland in coordinating the event. Reflecting on the evening, one student commented, “I kind of knew what each of these companies did or the products they made. What I didn’t know was how each of them is involved in the community and their green, sustainability efforts. That was really cool.”
Read our event recap blog HERE.
For more photos from the event, check out our Facebook page HERE. 
Purchase from or Be a Local Supplier
On Tuesday, March 19 at the Kalamazoo Radisson, come and share your local agricultural purchasing needs or represent your products at the Pure Michigan Agriculture Summit. Attend and meet suppliers or purchasers to gain great local business connections at this free event. 
Learn More and Register

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office

Ottawa County has created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office to focus on ensuring ours is a community where all feel included and welcome.
“Diverse people bring diverse ideas and viewpoints to the table which promote positive change and innovation, more opportunities for all people and better access to talent that will drive future success.”- Reyna Masko, chair of the Ottawa County Cultural Intelligence Committee
More info HERE.

US China Trade Expert Presenting at Haworth

On March 5, 2019, the World Affairs Council will hold its meeting in our region. The Great Decisions and Global Discussions in 2019 will be hosted by Haworth at their corporate headquarters in Holland. Amy Celico, from the Albright-Stonebridge Group (ASG), will present about the bilateral agreement relationship between the U.S. and China for the 21st century. If you would like more information about attending this event, please contact Esther Fifelski, who leads the City of Holland’s International Relations Committee. Email Esther to RSVP 
TEDx Macatawa, Tuesday, March 19th, 12:30pm-5:00pm @ Holland Civic Center
Learn More & Register Here

Sparking Innovation at the Holland Museum

Our community’s deep-rooted history of invention has resulted in Holland being home to one of only three Smithsonian-licensed Spark!Labs in Michigan. Kids of all ages build and invent solutions to problems using STEAM methods at various stations, and these challenges change on a monthly basis. Spark!Lab at the Holland Museum is an open space equipped with a projector and whiteboards and can be rented out for corporate ideation sessions and events. Read More
Michigan State University and the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) of Grand Valley State University recently formalized a partnership to collaborate on water-related issues and research. Two water experts will discuss current challenges related to the quality of Michigan’s fresh water and provide an overview of research projects aimed at addressing those issues @MSU Bioeconomy Institute on 3/20/19. 
Learn more

Other News and Events

Small Businesses in need of interns in STEM fields: Learn how you can obtain matching grants to fund these positions at your company through the Small Company Internship Award HERE.
Do you know a stellar young professional that deserves recognition? Nominate them for the HYP 2019 Leadership Awards.
Lakeshore Advantage welcomed two new board members and a new Director of SURGE. Find out who joined our team
The 20th West Michigan Automotive Suppliers Symposium is a premier automotive suppliers event focused this year on future planning. Register Here
Hudsonville celebrates the completion of the Hudson Center. Read More
The 2019 Allegan Expo is an opportunity to be discovered by your community and grow your business, and it's coming up next month on March 16. Register Here
MSHDA is one of the partnering sponsors for Welcome to the Land of OZ: A Comprehensive Overview of Opportunity Zones in Michigan, hosted by the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM). Visit Website for more info
Elzinga and Volkers announces their 2019 projects list. Read More
Otsego Public Schools is hosting their 2nd Career Expo. Email Linda if you would like to attend as an employer. 

More than 500 attendees are expected at the Midwest Growth Capital Symposium, a place where founders and investors converge. The event is coming up on May 14 in Ann Arbor. Register Here
Thank you to Allendale Township for becoming a new investor.
 Lakeshore Advantage Investor who increased their investment:
West Michigan Works!
Lakeshore Advantage investor support positively impacts the region's
economic growth.
This news and events update was sent to you as a service of Lakeshore Advantage. We send communications on a regular basis to keep you up-to-date on information that may be helpful to you as a West Michigan primary employer. Please direct questions, comments and future submissions to Kelsey Sivertson at kelsey.sivertson@lakeshoreadvantage.com. 
616.772.5226
www.lakeshoreadvantage.com
West Michigan's Business Advantage
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