Junior Achievement Finishes Another Great Year!!!

Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes has been enjoying phenomenal growth for the past 8 years.  The organization is well-served by the tremendous leadership of Bill Coderre, President and recent JA Worldwide Hook Award winner and a committed Board of Directors comprised of corporate and organizational leaders in the West Michigan region.

JA of the Michigan Great Lakes has been able to more than double the number of students served in West Michigan each year since 1999.  In addition, the budget in each of those years expanded revenue to support that program growth.  The 2006-2007 program year was no exception.

Nearly 59,000 students benefited from JA programs 2006-2007, which represents the most students ever reached by JA of the Michigan Great Lakes in one program year.  One of the highlights of the year included expansion of the Reverse Job Shadow program which was innovated by JA of the Michigan Great Lakes staff.  This locally grown program is proving to be a very successful solution for schools who are watching their budgets and student time very carefully. 

Despite a struggling Michigan economy, major work was accomplished by the Board of Directors and staff reaching a high water mark in funds raised.  Some highlights of the fundraising year include the most financially successful Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame.  This event is quickly becoming THE business gala of the region.  There was increased participation and revenue in the Junior Achievement Free Enterprise Golf Invitational, which is Michigan’s premier golf event.  The first JA Champions Event was held, bringing in additional funds due to the support of board members bringing new guests and a generous in-kind gift by Noto’s Old World Italian Dining.

JA of the Michigan Great Lakes excellence continues to be recognized by JA Worldwide in several areas.  This chapter was chosen to be a pilot site for the newly developed program entitled JA Careers with a Purpose.  Board members and staff were involved in piloting this new program.  Additionally, JA of the Michigan Great Lakes senior staff is routinely tapped to provide input at the Worldwide level.  The Senior Director of Education served on the JA Careers with a Purpose Task Force, the Vice President of Development was asked to serve on the JA Development Advisory Group and the President was elected to serve on the JA Member Nation Counsel.

Additionally, JA of the Michigan Great Lakes is one of nine JA areas to be chosen as a Beta Site for the new Business Transformation Initiative.  Tom Inscho, project leader for this JA Worldwide initiative, said “JA of the Michigan Great Lakes was the first Beta Site to really push us to fully implement the new information management system.”  This system will benefit JA chapters around the world for decades to com.

The JA Board of Directors has provided generous support and this year the Board’s personal financial gifts significantly surpassing previous years.  The Board also responded in earnest to requests for support for events from their own companies.

In summary the 2006-2007 program year for Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes was another in a long string of successful years of positive impact on the lives of children.