Kevin Stotts, executive director of Leadership Grand Rapids, oversees a variety of programs designed to introduce and engage people in civic life around Michigan's second largest city. He talks about the rise of a new generation of local leaders, what would accelerate downtown's revival, how he defines 'young people' and how they can get involved.
What's the state of leadership in Grand Rapids today?
Obviously there are recognizable names who have set the bar pretty high for community leadership around here. But now there's a real and growing desire to see younger leaders move up. The older generation is recognizing that really needs to happen more quickly. In general, that presents a lot of opportunity for young people to work along side established community leaders, learn from them, and infuse a new sense of perspective and optimism and energy into the city's transformation.
Who do you mean when you say young people?
Early 20's to early 30's. I just hired a program coordinator who's 24. She's very different than I am and that's great for our operation.
How old are you?
36. And we have two kids, so my wife and I don’t stay up late on weekends much anymore.
But you're not that old. As a Gen X-er, what do you think Grand Rapids needs to take its renaissance to the next level?
A really eclectic arts and entertainment scene with a variety of different shops, galleries, restaurants, and stores that draws people downtown because they can do everything in one spot. We don’t have that yet. Right now it feels like we've got a number of sort of homogenous activities. The city has to be a destination for everyone.
Some of that is underway as the Avenue for the Arts, Wealthy Street, and East Hills start to takeoff. What else would make GR a top tier mid-sized city?
We need to develop and attract a more diverse workforce. We actually have a diverse workforce; it's in our K-12 education system today. But we must make sure all kids are prepared after high school and that this is a community where people from a variety of diverse backgrounds feel comfortable living and working.
Some sort of green transportation system – a streetcar, light rail, whatever – would also set us apart as a destination community where people choose to live because of the quality of life and economic opportunities. That would help fill in some of the redevelopment gaps and make this place feel more like a metropolitan city than it is already.
There are only so many big time cities like New York or San Francisco. What's a realistic expectation for Grand Rapids' potential?
We're never going to compete with the likes of Chicago. But we have a low cost of living, a great natural environment, and this is a fabulous place for families. That last point is not a need for everyone, and I appreciate that, but you can't be everything to everybody. So why not focus on your strengths. We're a great place to raise a family and that can draw a lot of talented people to the area after working in the larger innovation centers.
You direct Leadership Grand Rapids (LGR), an intense 9-month program designed to strengthen the leadership skills of business execs, grassroots activists, and government officials. What do you hope participants take away from the program?
Our ultimate goal is develop a sense of community trusteeship. Participants may have been generally involved in the community before the program. But we hope that, after exposure to LGR, they have a different and deeper sense of awareness about how they and their organizations fit into the fabric of our community.
The program has been around for 22 years now. It's almost like there's an influential fraternity of graduates roaming around town now.
Another goal is to provide social and professional networking and a common experience that binds everybody together so that, no matter what year they went through the program, they can tap into each other as a community resource.
Are there some particular alumni that come to mind when you recount the success of LGR?
I hate to name any five or ten people because there are hundreds of others that have leveraged the experience in a unique and different way to benefit our community.
Can you name some names to give a flavor for who gets involved and what they do?
Faye Richardson at Steelcase, she's leveraging that LGR experience in all that she is doing around healing racism in the community. Brad Thomas at Progressive AE has really gotten involved in trying to measure community sustainability. Lisa Rose Starner founded Mixed Greens, the children's vegetable project, and now directs Blandford Nature Center. It’s a diverse group.
If I'm an aspiring leader, what issues are ripe for fresh leadership in GR today?
The whole issue of sustainability is a big one. The big question today is 'how do we simultaneously grow the economy, steward our environment, and be more responsible with our human capital?' The faster we orient ourselves and our community to these principles the better off we'll be.
Download GR, your newest program which launches later this month, targets the next generation of workers. What's it all about?
The goal of Download is really to connect young professionals to the community and their peers socially and professionally. Many of the participants were recruited to GR and have a limited idea of what the place is all about. They get orientated to the company. Now we want to familiarize them with the community. Ultimately, they should feel so wedded and invested in the community that they don’t want to leave.
Sounds like a more formal entry point to the community than simply meeting people at the bar.
That can work too. But it tends to be very brief networking. Download provides a succinct orientation to the community. It also connects people to a very diverse and new network of other young leaders. In some respects, the networking component is the greatest asset of our programs because we bring together people that typically would never meet in another setting. It's a wonderful opportunity for individuals and it strengthens our community.
Andy Guy, the managing editor at Rapid Growth Media, is a journalist who lives in Grand Rapids. He's also a project director at the Michigan Land Use Institute and authors a blog titled Great Lakes Guy.
Photos:
Kevin Stotts in conversation with Rapid Growth
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved