Professional Highlights from the 517 Region – November 2023
Maner Costerisan Named Among Best Places to Work
Lansing-based Maner Costerisan has been recognized as one of southeast Michigan’s best places to work.
Best Companies Group, in partnership with Crain’s Detroit Business, created the Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan list to recognize the top 100 companies throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Ingham, Livingston, Lapeer, Genesee, St. Clair, Monroe, Lenawee and Jackson counties.
“Being recognized as one of the best places to work demonstrates our ongoing commitment to establishing a positive work environment that celebrates our team members and values their contributions,” said Trey Williams, president of the certified public accounting firm.
Maner Costerisan ranked No. 23 on the list based on a two-part survey process. The first part evaluates each nominated company’s policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics, contributing to 25% of the overall score. The second component is an employee survey to measure employee experience and assess worker satisfaction, which accounts for 75% of the total evaluation. The sum of their scores determined the top companies and final rankings.
In addition to this accolade, Maner Costerisan has been recognized as one of the top and fastest-growing U.S.-based accounting firms by Inside Public Accounting. The Lansing-based public accounting and business advisory firm was also named an IPA Best of the Best Firm for 2023.
Peckham Named Gold-Level Leader in Employing Veterans
Peckham Inc. has been certified as a gold-level veteran-friendly employer and designated as an official Michigan Veteran Connector company by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. The agency recognizes organizations based on their commitment to recruiting, hiring, training and retaining veteran talent.
“To be certified as a gold-level veteran-friendly employer and a Michigan Veteran Connector truly highlights Peckham’s commitment to serving past and present service members,” said employment analyst Joe Saur. “We are lucky to have Peckham among the ranks of our … program. The work they do to support veterans in every step of the employment process speaks volumes, and I look forward to our continued partnership with Peckham and other employers to make Michigan the top state for veterans to find great job opportunities.”
Employers must meet certain requirements to be recognized as gold-level veteran-friendly employers. There must be a 75% retention rate among employed veterans over a 12-month period as well as multiple veteran-specific programs or hiring initiatives.
LCC Medical Assistant Faculty receives ACCT Award
The Association of Community College Trustees has named Lansing Community College’s Diane Roose as the recipient of the 2023 Central Region William H. Meardy Faculty Member Award.
With just two years of service at LCC, Roose is already garnering national attention as the medical assistant program’s lead faculty member. Her regional-level award marks her as a finalist for the national honor, which will be presented in October in Las Vegas.
For Roose, teaching is about more than the facts and figures of the curriculum. She enjoys helping students explore their chosen field, learn to listen to their patients and develop a curiosity for continuous learning that will guide them long after they finish at LCC.
“Excellence in teaching, to me, means that students get a sense of commitment to their career and that they have integrity,” Roose said. “It’s my job to show them the way and help instill a commitment to education where learning never ends.”
MSUFCU Unveils Art at East Lansing Branch
Reflecting the culturally active and unique qualities of the local community, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union unveiled an exterior art installation at its new branch, 311 Abbot Road in East Lansing.
The artwork designed by Shinique Smith features stylized swoop MSU letters and was presented in conjunction with the city of East Lansing’s public arts program. It was unveiled in a ceremony Sept. 29 that included representatives from Michigan State University, the city of East Lansing, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, and the MSU Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.
A resident of Los Angeles, Smith has received numerous awards and prizes for her work, including from the Tiffany Foundation and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her work has been exhibited and collected by institutions such as the Baltimore Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Deutsche Guggenheim and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She has created several landmark public works for the Chicago Transit Authority, Wabash Arts Corridor and the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, among others.
Launch Michigan Announces Keesler as New President, CEO
Launch Michigan, a bipartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to reimagining Michigan’s public education system through policy and advocacy, announced the hiring of Venessa Keesler as its president and CEO.
Prior to leading Launch Michigan, Keesler was a senior project director and subject matter expert for AEM Corp.
“Launch Michigan is focused on creating positive changes that will benefit Michigan’s students, teachers, economy and workforce,” said Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan and Launch Michigan board chair. “Venessa’s leadership will undoubtedly enhance our collective efforts to provide a world-class education for every student in Michigan.”
