Inforum announces new Board of Directors:
Vivian Rogers Picard, General Motors Corporation, elected board chair

DETROIT -- Inforum, Michigan's premier organization for business women, has announced its 2009-10 board of directors. Inforum's mission is to strengthen the business environment by creating opportunities for women to lead and succeed.
    Inforum's 2009-10 officers, effective July 1, 2009, are: Chair: Vivian Rogers Pickard, director, Corporate Relations, General Motors Corporation; Chair Elect: Mary Zuckerman, chief of business operations, Detroit Medical Center; Vice Chair: Kathleen Thompson Quick, global advanced product marketing manager, Ford Motor Company; Secretary: Patti Griswold, senior vice president, regional manager, Comerica Bank; Treasurer: Mary A. Lehmann, senior vice president, strategic initiatives, and treasurer, ArvinMeritor, Inc; and Immediate Past Board Chair: Karla Hall, vice president, DTE Energy Foundation.
     The 2009-10 directors of Inforum's board are: Susan O. Anderson, consultant, IT Services; Julie L. Asciutto, vice president, sales, automotive and manufacturing, HTC Global Services, Inc.; Sue O. Conway, partner, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP; Margaret  Dimond, president and CEO, McLaren Medical Management, Inc.; Carol A. Friend, partner, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP;  Stacey A. Gray, senior trust officer, US Trust Bank of America; Susan Hawkins, vice president, planning & performance improvement, Henry Ford Health System; Katherine J. Huetter, business development consultant, Watson Wyatt Worldwide; Kimberly Kerr, regional vice president, sales & distribution, North Region, Sprint Nextel; Maria Leonhauser, president & co-owner, Franco Public Relations Group, Michael Lindley, senior vice president, director of marketing, Huntington Bank - West Michigan; Cheryl H. Lippert, partner, advisory services, KPMG LLP; Andrea J. Steinkamp, director, dispute advisory & forensic services practice, Stout Risius Ross, Inc.; Kim Stine, vice president of marketing & operations, Michigan Financial Companies/John Hancock; Colleen Theuerkauf, financial advisor, wealth management specialist, Raymond James & Associates; Jennifer Tyler, director, operations, Steelcase; Carol Walters, president, Walters & Associates, Inc.; and Tina Wheeler, audit partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP.
    Also serving on the board in an exofficio role and leading Inforum initiatives in other areas of the state are Inforum Mid-Michigan Regional Council Chair, Lorri Rishar Jandron, president & CEO, Edge Partnerships; West Michigan Regional Council Chair, Laurie J. Forte, COO, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
    Inforum is one of the largest and most prestigious business forums for women in the nation, with more than 1,800 members from a broad cross-section of Michigan's business community.  Inforum provides opportunities for business women to forge alliances, discuss vital civic and business issues and make connections that help accelerate careers.  The organization, which was founded as the Women's Economic Club in 1962 in Detroit, now has affiliates in Grand Rapids and Lansing.

Inforum Center for Leadership Announces 2009-10 Board of Directors; Shari Burgess, Lear Corporation, named board chair

DETROIT -- Inforum has announced the Inforum Center for Leadership 2009-10 Board of Directors. Inforum Center for Leadership is the 501(c) 3 non-profit education and research arm of Inforum, Michigan's premier organization for business women. Its mission is to help women lead and succeed by offering executive development and leadership programs for women. Inforum Center for Leadership also conducts research that monitors the numbers of women in leadership positions in Michigan companies.
    The Inforum Center for Leadership 2009-10 officers are: Chair: Shari Burgess, vice president and treasurer, Lear Corporation; Vice Chair: Sharon Rothwell, vice president, corporate affairs, Masco Corporation; Secretary: Susan Cischke, group vice president, sustainability, environmental and safety engineering, Ford Motor Company; Treasurer: Mary A. Lehmann, senior vice president, strategic initiatives and treasurer, ArvinMeritor Inc.; Immediate Past Chair, Kathy Oswald, senior vice president, chief human resource officer, Henry Ford Health System; and Executive Committee Member-At-Large: Nancy Rae, senior vice president, human resources, Chrysler LLC.
    The 2009-10 directors of Inforum Center for Leadership Board are: Eileen Ashley, senior vice president and South Michigan regional managing director, Comerica Bank; Cheri Alexander, executive director corporate learning, University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Executive Education; Terry Barclay, president and CEO, Inforum Center for Leadership; Michelle Goff, senior vice president and CFO, R. L. Polk; Elizabeth Lowery, vice president, environment and energy, General Motors Corporation; Florine Mark, president and chairman of the board, The WW Group Inc.; Dr. Patricia Maryland, president and CEO, St. John Health System; Terry Merritt, senior vice president, Walbridge Company; Sharon O'Niel; Linda Orlans, managing partner, Orlans and eTitle; Fran Parker, president, Parker Business Solutions; Vivian Rogers Pickard, director, corporate relations, General Motors Corporation; and Mary Stevens, senior vice president, product management, Herman Miller.
    Inforum is one of the largest and most prestigious business forums for women in the nation, with more than 1,800 members from a broad cross-section of Michigan's business community. Inforum provides opportunities for business women to forge alliances, discuss vital civic and business issues and make connections that help accelerate careers. The organization, which was founded as the Women's Economic Club in 1962 in Detroit, now has affiliates in Grand Rapids and Lansing. Inforum Center for Leadership is the 501(c)(3) non-profit education and research arm of Inforum.

Inforum announces West Michigan Regional Council; Laurie Forte, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, appointed Chair

GRAND RAPIDS - Inforum, Michigan's largest and most prestigious women's professional organization, has announced the officers and board of the 2009-10 Inforum West Michigan Regional Council.  Inforum has more than 550 members in its West Michigan region and nearly 1,800 members across the state. 
   Laurie Forte, COO, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, was appointed Chair effective July 1, 2009.  Previously she served as the Program Chair.
    Inforum's 2009-10 West Michigan Regional Council members are: Doreen Bolhuis, president and CEO, Gymco Sports; Doris Drain, vice president, Commercial Loans, United Bank; Melissa Collar, partner, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP; Linda Esparza; Lori Gibson, chief human resources officer, Spectrum Health Continuing Care; Maxine Gray, project coordinator, Williams Group; Jennifer Greenop, Partner, Ernst & Young; Patti Griswold, senior vice president, Comerica Bank; Michelle Hoexum, vice president Wealth Management, Comerica Bank; Sharon Inman, Strategic HR and Organizational Development; Mari Beth Jelks, human resources director, City of Grand Rapids; Judge Cynthia Knoll, Member, Michigan Tax Tribunal, State of Michigan; Susan Lane, senior director development and advancement, MSU College of Human Medicine; Deborah Phillips, chief administrative officer, Priority Health; Michelle Shangraw, senior vice president, Mercantile Bank; Mary Kay Shaver, partner, Varnum Riddering Schmidt & Howlett; Susan Sherman, partner, Miller Johnson; Denise Sherwood, vice president, Aon Inc.; Kelly Springer, partner, Plante & Moran PLLC; and Rita Woodruff, Co-CEO, Gill Industries.  Staff liaison: Judy Welch, vice president, Inforum West Michigan.
   Inforum is one of the largest and most prestigious business forums for women in the nation, with more than 1,800 members from a broad cross-section of Michigan's business community. The organization provides opportunities for business women to forge alliances, discuss vital civic and business issues and make connections that help accelerate careers. The organization, which was founded as the Women's Economic Club in 1962 in Detroit, now has affiliates in Grand Rapids and Lansing.