Crain's Detroit Business - 2011 Book of Lists - (Page 77)

December 27, 2010 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 77 Most Connected Beginning here are profiles of the first 25 of 52 most-connected people among civic, nonprofit, educational and cultural boards. The full list can be found at www.crainsdetroit .com/mostpowerful. Roger Penske as head of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan director, Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan trustee, Detroit Economic Club director, Detroit Medical Center director, Downtown Detroit Partnership chair, Metropolitan Affairs Coalition director, United Way for Southeastern Michigan director, Detroit Institute of Arts director, Detroit Youth Foundation director, U.S. Baltic Foundation director, Detroit Regional News Hub chair. or at the Detroit Institute of Art’s 125th birthday party last month in recognition of their nearly six decades of involvement and seven figures worth of contributions. Was a founding director of Detroit Renaissance Inc., the predecessor of Business Leaders for Michigan. Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan trustee, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan vice chair and trustee, Interlochen Center for the Arts trustee, New Detroit Inc. trustee, United Way for Southeastern Michigan director, Economic Alliance for Michigan director, Detroit Economic Club executive committee, Detroit Symphony Orchestra executive committee. director; Karmanos Cancer Institute director. 12. Chris Ilitch, 45 President and CEO Ilitch Holdings Inc., Detroit Has emerged as the next leader of his family’s diverse holdings — and also has become a more visible civic presence than his parents, Mike and Marian. He’s also credited with transforming the company’s management structure to befit its $2 billion in revenue. Civic involvement: Chairman, Ilitch Charities; director, Detroit Economic Club; past chairman, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors; member, Business Leaders For Michigan; vice chair, Detroit Regional Chamber. 9. Sandra Pierce, 52 President and CEO Charter One Bank, Michigan and Indiana Wins kudos from community leaders for moving into top leadership once she joins an organization and leads actively while there. She has chaired the Detroit Regional Chamber board and now chairs The Parade Co. Said one local leader: “She speaks out about issues no matter what their sensitivity and has no hesitation about being a change agent. In her mind, leadership is not about a name on a letterhead, but rather about making a difference.” Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan vice chair, Detroit Economic Club director, Henry Ford Health System trustee, New Detroit Inc. director, University of Detroit Mercy trustee, Wayne State University School of Business Administration board of visitors. 1. Jim Nicholson, 66 President and CEO PVS Chemicals Inc., Detroit A much-sought after board member, he’s considered a role model and a “go-to” person by many in the nonprofit community for his effective and disciplined leadership. A political and nonprofit donor, he has also been active in local and national Republican politics and once ran for the U.S. Senate. His company distributes chemicals for wastewater treatment and other uses. Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan director, Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan trustee, Detroit Economic Club director, Detroit Public Television vice chair, Detroit Symphony Orchestra chairman emeritus, McGregor Fund trustee, The Parade Co. trustee, Digital Detroit director, Michigan Colleges Foundation trustee, Republican Leadership Council director, Amerisure Cos. chair, PrivateBancorp Inc. director, Cooper Natural Resources director, American Chemistry Council director, Council of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago. 4. Florine Mark, 77 President and chair The WW Group, Farmington Hills One of metro Detroit’s most physically fit corporate leaders, Mark is noted for wide-ranging civic leadership and generous personal philanthropy. For example, an opportunity to fund a $2 million fitness center at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield complemented Mark’s life work of getting people to exercise and be healthy. Mark built The WW Group from scratch to become the largest franchise of Weight Watchers International and perhaps its best-known face. She’s also a motivational speaker and radio host. Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan director, Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan trustee, Detroit Economic Club executive committee, Detroit Regional Chamber vice chair, Inforum Center for Leadership director, Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit/United Jewish Fund director, Detroit Institute for Children director, Jewish Women’s Foundation trustee, Michigan Fitness Foundation board member. 7. Matt Cullen, 54 President and COO Rock Ventures LLC, Detroit Considered part of Detroit’s inner circle of leaders, having served on or chaired most of the organizations that work to improve Detroit’s downtown. When he was general manager of economic development and enterprise services for General Motors Corp., he was credited for inspiring GM’s purchase of the Renaissance Center and subsequent $500 million in improvements and was a driving force for riverfront improvements. He also served as CEO of M1 Rail, a consortium of businesspeople pushing to build a light-rail line on Woodward Avenue. Community involvement: University of Detroit Mercy trustee, HudsonWebber Foundation trustee, Downtown Detroit Partnership vice chair, Detroit Zoological Society director, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau director, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan trustee, College for Creative Studies trustee, The Parade Co. immediate past chair, Invest Detroit chair, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy chair, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit director. 12. Daniel Loepp, 53 CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Detroit A former Lansing insider, Loepp has led Michigan’s Blues since 2005 and through some heady challenges and changes ranging from battles with Attorney General Mike Cox over rate increases to the current rollout of health care reform. The Blues also are making a statement as one of the city of Detroit’s largest employers: 3,000 staffers will move into the RenCen next year, a move expected to save the organization $30 million. Civic involvement: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan director, Business Leaders for Michigan director, Detroit Economic Club director, Detroit Regional Chamber vice chair, Downtown Detroit Partnership director, The Parade Co. director. 10. Alfred Glancy III, 72 Chairman Unico Investment Co., Seattle Retired energy executive Glancy remains one of the heaviest hitters with leading local nonprofits and organizations that support regional economic growth. He was the CEO of Michigan Consolidated Gas Co., then MCN Energy Group. He retired when it was purchased by DTE Energy Co. Seattle-based Unico Investment Co. owns nine million square feet of properties in the western United States. Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan director, Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan vice chair, Detroit Symphony Orchestra chair emeritus, Hudson-Webber Foundation treasurer, Detroit Institute of Arts director emeritus. 2. Thomas Ogden, 61 President, Michigan market Comerica Bank, Detroit Named head of Comerica Bank’s Michigan market in 2007 after the bank’s headquarters exodus to Texas. Observers say he’s done a good job walking the tightrope of maintaining market share while cutting some loan customers loose, and he serves on some of the most prominent local civic boards. Civic involvement: Business Leaders for Michigan director, College for Creative Studies trustee, Detroit Economic Club director, Detroit Regional Chamber vice chair, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute director, United Way for Southeastern Michigan director, Downtown Detroit Partnership director, Michigan State University Center for International Business Education and Research advisory member. 14. Gary Torgow, 52 President Sterling Group, Detroit Evolved from a career in law to become one of Detroit’s leading real estate developers and community leaders. His company was part of the partnership that developed the commercial buildings of Campus Martius. Sterling Group also bought the Guardian Building in 2003, renovated it, and sold it to Wayne County in 2007. Is very active in Jewish charities and education. Civic involvement: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan director, Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan trustee, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau director, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit vice president, Downtown Detroit Partnership director. 5. Anthony Earley, 61 Executive Chairman DTE Corp., Detroit Stepping aside from the CEO post may allow Earley more time to work his influence. His for-profit boards include Ford Motor Co. and Masco Corp. Civic involvement: Nuclear Energy Institute, executive committee; director, Business Leaders for Michigan, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Cornerstone Schools; chair, Henry Ford Health System, Downtown Detroit Partnership; Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, trustee; Detroit Economic Club, executive committee; Hudson-Webber Foundation, trustee; advisory board, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame. 8. Deborah Dingell, 56 President D2 Strategies, Dearborn The former head of the General Motors Foundation hasn’t slowed down since taking a buyout in 2009. As an elected member of the Wayne State University board of governors, she’s credited with recruiting Alan Gilmour to be interim president. She’s also recruited top labor leaders to the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition board that she chairs. Civic involvement: Chair, Metropolitan Affairs Coalition; member, Democratic National Committee; Wayne State University board of governors; Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan trustee; Detroit Regional Chamber 10. John Rakolta Jr., 63 Chairman and CEO Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit Rakolta is noted for speaking his mind and seeing the big picture on the region’s challenges. He’s focused on groups engaged in change in the areas of job creation, education, race and health care. Civic involvement: New Detroit Inc. board member, Downtown Detroit Partnership director, Detroit Economic Club director, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan trustee, College for Creative Studies trustee, Business Leaders for Michigan board member, Henry Ford Foundation board member, Henry Ford Hospital Orthopedic Advisory Board member. 2. Cynthia Pasky, 50 President and CEO Strategic Staffing Solutions, Detroit Has taken a strategic approach to both the building of her IT-oriented staffing company and of her public involvement and profile. Her newest challenge: Succeeding 6. Alan E. Schwartz, 84 Founding Partner Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, Detroit Schwartz and his wife, Marianne, were guests of hon- 15. Kieth Cockrell, 49 Regional executive and president of the Michigan market Bank of America, Troy Has argued for initiatives to supSee Page 78 PEOPLE http://www.crainsdetroit.com/mostpowerful http://www.crainsdetroit.com/mostpowerful

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's Detroit Business - 2011 Book of Lists

Crain's Detroit Business - 2011 Book of Lists
The Big Picture
10 things to watch in 2011
10 things to remember about 2010
Private 200
Fastest-growing companies
Public school districts
Top-compensated CEOs
Top-compensated non-CEOs
Metro Detroit employers
Wayne County employers
City of Detroit employers
Livingston County employers
Washtenaw County employers
Macomb County employers
Oakland County employers
Publicly held companies
Hispanic-owned businesses
Native American-owned businesses
Asian-owned companies
Black-owned businesses
Woman-owned businesses
The Motor City
Airlines Serving Detroit Metro
Professional Sports Teams
Auto Suppliers
Auto Dealers
Aftermarket Suppliers
Divisions
Defense Contractors
New Economy/Health Care
Family-owned companies
IP law firms
Group health plans
Hospital companies
Physician organizations
Graduate business degrees
Engineering companies
Environmental companies
IT companies
Biotech companies
People/Awards
Salute to Entrepreneurs
CFO Awards
40 Under 40
Best Lawyers
20 in their 20s
Women to Watch
M&A Awards
Most Connected
Finance
Capital campaigns
Accounting firms
Banks and thrifts
Money managers
Business insurance agencies
SBA Lenders
Real Estate/Services
Office furniture dealers
Nonprofits
Meeting facilities
General contractors
Architects
Property managers
Residential brokers
Staffing companies
Logistics firms
Law firms
Classifieds
Index of Companies

Crain's Detroit Business - 2011 Book of Lists