Muskegon Community College Magazine Denny Baxter '74: Living the Dream Pg. 4 Start, Stay, Succeed: a Family Affair Pg. 6
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
R S REFLECTIONS Muskegon Community College Magazine For Alumni, Retirees & Friends of MCC Winter 2018 Start, Stay, Succeed: A Family Affair Pg. 6 MCC’s Respiratory Therapy Program Pg. 10 Denny Baxter ’74: Living the Dream Pg. 4 REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE is published by the Foundation for Muskegon Community College Contents MUSKEGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE | REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE | Winter 2018 CONTACT US [email protected] Foundation for Letter from the President Muskegon Community College 221 S. Quarterline Road Muskegon MI 49442 (231) 777-0559 FEATURES muskegoncc.edu Keeping pace with the dynamic changes a fully equipped and staffed Mercy Health happening here at Muskegon Community Primary Care Clinic will address the medical BOARD OF TRUSTEES College requires periodic updates. One of my needs of the underserved eastern quadrant Donald Crandall, M.D. distinct honors as president is to share our of Muskegon County. Chair 4 Denny Baxter ‘74: many accomplishments. In September, we welcomed a new sculpture Diana Osborn Since the last Reflections, the College piece on campus that honors the late Dr. Living the Dream Vice-Chair celebrated the grand opening of the Doris Rucks, who was a prominent figure in Nancy Frye Lakeshore Fab Lab and the Rooks|Sarnacola the community. She served as an esteemed Secretary Entrepreneur Institute. Joining us in early faculty member at MCC and Grand Valley State University. MCC alumnus Ari Norris 6 Start, Stay, Succeed: Sean Mullally June at the downtown locale were students, Treasurer residents, business leaders, elected officials sculpted the piece located near the and philanthropists. (see page 16). Stevenson Center Entrance. (see page 15 A Family Affair Kathy Moore and back cover) Trustee Our Sturrus Technology Center hosted Governor Rick Snyder and other State In October, the return of the dueling pianos Ann Oakes leaders for the signing of the Marshall show highlighted the 2018 Founder’s Day Trustee 10 MCC’s Respiratory Therapy Plan for Talent, an initiative intended to Celebration. More than $18,000 was raised Roy Portenga fundamentally restructure Michigan’s to benefit the Jayhawk Pantry which helps Program Trustee education and talent development system. feed our students who might otherwise go LEADERSHIP (see page 9). without a daily meal. (see page 12 and 13). We are constantly seeking to improve the 12 2018 Founder’s Day Dr. Dale K. Nesbary On main campus, much is happening as President well. Our world record-setting Automotive educational experience for our students and Technology program moved into its new our contributions as a community partner. I Dr. John Selmon home – a renovated and expanded wholeheartedly invite you to stop by campus Provost and Executive Vice President 16 Lakeshore Fab Lab Plant Building located to the north of the to see our changes firsthand and to fully Kelley Conrad Stevenson Center for Higher Education. participate in all that MCC has to offer. Vice President for Academic Affairs Moreover, the grand opening of the $14 Kristine Anderson million, MCC Health and Wellness Center Executive Director of Human Resources on Nov. 27 will transform our campus. (see Trynette Lottie-Harps page 19). Beginning in January, our students Dean of Community Outreach and staff will begin to reap the benefits of Marty McDermott the well-designed, 52,000 square foot facility. Dean of College Services and Athletic Director A collaborative effort of the College, Mercy Foundation Board of Directors Health, and Grand Valley State University, Eduardo Bedoya the Center will house multiple MCC Diana Osborn Mary Anne Gorman Director of Institutional Research and Grants programs, including Health and Physical Dale K. Nesbary, Ph.D. Wayne Barrett Goeff Hansen Michael Alstrom Education, Medical Assistant, and our new President Chief Information Officer Simulated Mannequin laboratories. Notably, Muskegon Community College Sean Mullally Richard Kraft Ellucian Janie Brooks-Davis Frank Marczak Amy Swope Arn Boezaart Toby Moleski Director of the Foundation for MCC Gary Britton Nick Strait Jon “J.B.” Meeuwenberg Institutional Technology and Research Tom Dake Edgar Watson Be in the know, at home or on the go! Tina Dee Susan Zemke Director of Strategic Initiatives News and opportunities President’s Blog News and updates from for MCC alumni Dale Nesbary, Ph.D. all MCC athletic teams facebook.com/mccalumni presidentblog.muskegoncc.edu twitter.com/jayhawkathletic 2 Winter 2018 Reflections Magazine 3 World Series. The Whitecaps, being a Tigers bought them with an expectation of a show. “It was great exposure for me because I vision and making sure we operate within affiliate, has provided close relationships with They deserve to get that show.” his childhood heroes. saw a lot of different businesses and how that vision. But outside of that we’ve been they worked. And sometimes, some things really fortunate. I think our hidden talent Minor league baseball stadium owners who “Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Denny McLain are fairly obvious about what the real core outside of being stupid enough to take the own multiple parks caught wind of Baxter’s - these guys you loved growing up - now principle is for success for them. Sometimes project on was that we hired some really promotions and contacted him to do shows. they’re associates, your family,” he says. “I they are not. There’s something underneath good folks. Those folks are what’s responsible Respected as a successful baseball got an email from (Boston Red Sox General that, if you don’t do that right, it doesn’t for all of this. It’s almost embarrassing to get franchise owner, he now coupled that with Manager) Dave Dombrowski today. How did matter what this is, you’re not going to an award because they’re the ones that did his behind-the-scenes knowledge of concert a kid from the Heights get connected and get there.” the work. They’re the ones that carried this promotion. Teams are increasingly calling talking to all these different people? I don’t thing out.” him these days. know how it happened. It was like one action “People look at the Whitecaps and think after another and here I am. It certainly that it’s baseball. It’s not baseball. That’s one “I talked to every single team in baseball, wasn’t planned.” of the things I learned right away. There’s every single one,” he says. “I am more a business here and it’s a customer service connected in baseball today because of Baxter attended Muskegon Heights Public activity. If you focused on just baseball and music. I am the concert guy for ballparks.” Schools until his junior year, when he how to get the perfect pitching mound, or In 2018, Baxter will promote about 40 transferred to Muskegon Catholic Central. He what not, you’re never going to get it done. concerts across ballparks from California to always loved numbers, calculating batting You had to understand the business elements New England, featuring artists such as Jason averages and the like, but was never a great of this and that’s what it took to bring Aldean, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Alice Cooper, Jake student to that point. He found himself in the baseball to West Michigan. It was a business Owen, Chris Jansen, Rascal Flatts, T.I. and Lil Founder and president of Blue Cap Entertainment, Denny Baxter counselor’s office being chastised for wasting approach, not a baseball approach.” (lower right) and some of his staff pose with members of the rock his educational opportunity. So Baxter John. He fondly recalls his very first Fifth Third band Kansas. grabbed an accounting pamphlet off the rack While at El Jon, Baxter watched with interest Ballpark concert with Top 40 artists FloRida and quickly announced that he could indeed at a failed attempt in the early 1980s to bring and Sean Kingston. He was reluctantly be an accountant and began his career path pro baseball to Grand Rapids. His knowledge pressured into bringing a third act and chose that day. of the community, its entrepreneurs, and his an unknown kid whose only performances Denny Baxter ’74: business experience told him the project were on YouTube. After graduating from Catholic in 1972, Baxter should have worked. On a lark, he got the “It was Justin Bieber,” says Baxter. “His first attended Muskegon Community College. The names of baseball league presidents out Living the Dream real stage show was here in the ballpark. He By Peter D. Koryzno experience, he says, changed his life. of The Sporting News and phoned one. The was terrible. He was 14 years old. But the MCC Communications Manager president was willing to fly to Grand Rapids “I truly valued my time there,” explains Baxter, place went nuts. Everybody was here for him. the next day. Baxter put the brakes on, but n a late August evening at Fifth Third “The baseball is really cool and really neat,” who resides in Norton Shores. “It was really a I had no idea who he was.” Ballpark, MCC alumnus Denny Baxter he continues. “The kids at this level are just foundation piece in terms of what I became. knew he was onto something. The thrill for Baxter, whether it be a ballgame ’74 gazes down from the conference getting started and they love the attention, I was not necessarily the ideal student. The Baxter conducted a marketing study and O or a concert, remains the same. room windows and surveys the colorful so they are very approachable. There’s a college kind of straightened out my path. It produced some casual designs, but a plan for landscape which, 25 years earlier, he and connection that happens there. But our pitch was certainly an inexpensive way to get that a City of Wyoming ballpark was voted down.