The GRCC family extends condolences to Vicki Janowiak

Condolences to Vicki Janowiak, GRCC’s executive director for operational planning, on the loss of her mother.

Janice “Jan” Vollink, 84, of Holland passed away on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Mrs. Vollink was proud to have been a charter member of Haven Christian Reformed Church and a current member of First Reformed Church of Zeeland. She married Bob Vollink in 1959 and after being a stay-at-home mom for nearly 15 years, Jan re-entered the workforce. She enjoyed working at the Dutchess shop in Zeeland, and then spent 20-plus years as a successful travel agent, allowing her to travel the world with her husband and extended family.

Mrs. Vollink always said “work is what I do best,” and when the travel agency closed she worked for another 20 years at Michigan West Shore nursery and became part of a new work family there. A funeral honoring Mrs. Vollink is planned for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, at Yntema Funeral Home, 251 S. State St., Zeeland. Visitation is planned for 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., also at the funeral home. Memorial Contributions may be given to Zeeland Christian Schools.

GRCC Foundation board member Bev Drake remembered as a champion for those in need

Beverly A. Drake is being remembered as a champion for those in need and a mentor to community leaders across West Michigan.

Drake, a Grand Rapids Junior College alumna and a member of the GRCC Foundation board of directors for 27 years, passed away Saturday. She was 80.

“Bev was such a phenomenal person,” said Dr. Kathryn K. Mullins, GRCC’s vice president for College Advancement and executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “She devoted her life to helping others, caring deeply about helping people overcome obstacles to success, especially through education – and GRCC. So many people in our community respected her, and sought out her friendship and wisdom. She touched the lives of many and will be missed.”

Drake was the executive director of Area Community Services Employment and Training from 1985 to 2011. The organization creates opportunities for economic self-sufficiency for low-income, economically disadvantaged, elderly, disabled, unemployed and underemployed people and dislocated workers.

“My life’s work reflects helping those who were not ordinarily able to access opportunities, be that education, training or jobs,” she said in a 2015 interview. “I like to think that I was able to open doors for people and to help others because I had been helped.”

Prior to working with ACSTC, Drake served in various positions with the Grand Rapids government and Grand Rapids Area Employment and Training Council.

Drake was a graduate of Grand Rapids’ South High School, attended GRJC, and Michigan State and Grand Valley State universities.

She served on the GRCC Foundation board starting in 1994. Among her many honors is being named GRCC’s Distinguished Alumna in 1995.

“We will miss Bev tremendously,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “But her influence on this community will long be felt through the people she helped. She was all about helping others as seen through her work with the workforce investment board as well as her commitment to our GRCC Foundation. She created opportunities that changed lives, and inspired many others to do the same. That’s a legacy they will be with us for many years to come.”

My Story Started at GRCC: Walker Mayor Gary Carey says GRCC prepared him for careers in business, public service

Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful.

Gary Carey has two professions – and his GRCC experience has helped him with both.

An Introduction to Marketing class taught by Mark Mulder helped him find one career.

“Mark was a retired business executive and passionate teacher who challenged us to be inquisitive and understand the ‘why’ behind things,” Carey said. “My class experience was why I changed my career path and went into business for sales and marketing.”

After getting his associate degree, he earned a bachelor’s degree in integrative studies with a leadership emphasis from Grand Valley State University. His 30-year business career has taken him to positions at IKON Business Solutions, Canon Business Solutions and Paycor. Currently, he is the Michigan market leader for Gibson Insurance.

Public service is Carey’s other career: He has served on boards and committees in Walker since 1999. He was elected to represent the 2nd Ward on the City Commission in 2013 and became mayor in 2019.

GRCC has helped Carey with that calling as well.

“Just as our community has residents and businesses that come from diverse backgrounds and have different plans and goals in life, my time at GRCC was no different,” he said. “My experience in understanding that everyone has a story – and no one story is more important than another – has helped prepare me for a successful business career and serving in elected office.”

Carey appreciated how his GRCC instructors helped him “connect dots” from the course materials to the real world.

“This was done in smaller class sizes with instructors who are recognized in their field as subject matter experts,” he said. “Even today, I see some of those instructors out in our communities and it still surprises me they remember people and names, and still provide support for our lives outside the classroom.”

 Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply.

Winter 2022 employee exercise class schedule

After holiday break, we’re all going to want and need to move more! During the winter months, lift your spirits, increase your energy, and release stress with these employee exercise classes. 

Please register via this form ahead of time and calendar appointments will be sent and links will be included for the virtual options.

Mondays

RaiderStrong with Lannie

12:00-12:45pm

Room 212 FFH

Tuesdays

Fitness Fusion with Beth

12:00-12:45pm

214 FFH

Virtual option also available

Wednesdays

RaiderStrong with Lannie

12:00-12:45pm

Room 212 FFH

Thursdays

Strength Blast with Lannie

12:00-12:30pm

212 FFH

Virtual option also available

Fridays

Express Yoga with Heather

12:15-12:45pm

Room 212 FFH

*Please bring your own yoga mat*

Virtual option also available

Please direct any questions to angelasalinas@grcc.edu

Tech Tip: Protecting personally identifiable information

As we continue working remotely and in person, IT wants to remind our community about the importance of not storing documents with personally identifiable information (PII) inside your Department’s Google Team Drive.

If this information needs to be stored, it should be stored inside the S: Drive for security purposes. For more information view the Team Drive Guidelines folder inside your Google Team Drive or the below college policy. 

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Policy

For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Customer Support Portal or contact the IT Customer Support Desk at x4357.

If you have a suggestion or a Technology Tip you think can be useful, you can submit them by emailing techtips@grcc.edu 

GRCC In the News 12/20/2021

‘Bad’ shooting Hamtramck makes 12 3-pointers in win against Godwin Heights

12/18/21 MLive

GRAND RAPIDS – Hamtramck boys basketball coach Dennis Foster Jr. has a word or two for the way his team shot in Saturday afternoon’s 81-54 win over Godwin Heights.

… Saturday’s game was a homecoming for Foster, who played basketball at Grand Rapids Community College in the mid-1990s.

“It’s great coming home,” Foster said. “I played in Grand Rapids for two years at Grand Rapids Community College for David Selmon, so this is great.

Economic development official seeks a shovel-ready, talent-rich lakeshore

12/19/21 mibiz.com

As the president of Lakeshore Advantage Corp., the economic development organization for Allegan and Ottawa counties, Jennifer Owens is on the frontlines of newly ramped up efforts to land major projects in Michigan. Owens is part of statewide coalitions pushing for more tax incentive tools, which could help in landing new tenants at potential industrial sites on her lakeshore turf. Owens recently discussed these efforts that exploded after Ford’s announcement to invest $11.4 billion outside of Michigan, as well as making the case to lakeshore voters about the need for a local community college.

… (Owens quote) Access and affordability of higher education. In our region right now, we do not have an in-district community college. What we’re seeing is to get higher-paying jobs above the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold, you need education above the high school level, which we’re lacking. We’ve been working with Grand Rapids Community College and are looking at a millage in Holland, Zeeland and West Ottawa. We’ve taken a step back to educate the greater public that we don’t have an in-district community college.

‘A monumental thing’: Ferris State wins first DII national championship in dominating fashion

12/19/21 The Detroit News

Ferris State waited a long time for this moment.

… For (Tony) Annese, this actually is his third national title; he won two at Grand Rapids Community College before he was hired by Ferris State ahead of the 2012 season.

DII football champ Ferris State: This is for those who came back, those who came before us

12/19/21 The Detroit News

In the lead-up to Saturday’s Division II national championship game, the Ferris State football team sat down for a team meeting that lasted about an hour.

… Things have been trending this direction for several years for Ferris State, which in 2012 hired (Tony) Annese away from Grand Rapids Community College, where he won two national championships. Annese went 7-4 his first season and 8-3 his second. He hasn’t had fewer than 10 wins or missed the playoffs (2020’s cancellation notwithstanding) since 2013.

Home for the ‘HoliDAZE’

While many look forward to the holiday season as a time for rest, reconnection, and reflection, for some, the pressure to navigate interaction with family and friends can bring on a great deal of anxiety that can leave one dazed and confused. 

In partnership with United Campus Christian Fellowship, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) developed a shortlist of resources to lessen the stress.

Visit our resources at **Home for the HoliDAZE on our Social Justice and Equity Resources webpage

John Doane retirement party

Date:  Monday, Dec. 20

Time:  3 -5 PM

Location: 204/206 Tassell M-TEC

Important 2021 year-end payroll information

2021 W-2 Availability

• Electronic W-2’s will be made available to employees who have given consent by January 14, 2022.
• Paper W-2’s will be mailed to employees who have not given consent to receive them electronically on January 31, 2022. Paper W-2’s will not be available for pick up in Human Resources.

Verify Your Personal Information

• Verify and update your personal information through the Online Center by following the instructions found at http://www.grcc.edu/payrollandbenefits/forms/yearend. For assistance with personal information changes, please email Human Resources at hr@grcc.edu no later than January 7, 2022 to have the changes on your W-2.

Update your Tax Withholding Forms

• NEW 2022 tax forms will be available in January on the payroll web page at https://www.grcc.edu/humanresources/forms/payrollforms. New tax forms should be completed if:
  • You moved in or out of the cities of Grand Rapids or Walker.
  • Your filing status has changed.
  • You are currently claiming exempt, to not have any withholding for Federal or State taxes, you are required to complete a new 2022 W-4 no later than February 5, 2022.

1095-C Tax Form

• All benefited employees will have a tax form 1095-C mailed to them on January 31 from PlanSource. You do not need this form to file your tax return, but you should keep this form with your tax records. 

For Informational Purposes Only

• The 2022 Social Security tax rate is schedule to remain 6.2%, and the Medicare tax rate remains 1.45%.
• The 2022 social security wage base will increase to $147,000.00.
• The 2022 limitation for elective deferrals under a 403(b) or 457(b) will increase to $20,500.00 and the additional catch up provision for individuals age 50 and over remains unchanged at $6,500.00, for a total of $27,000.00