A tireless advocate for the architecture industry, Metz has served on the state and local chapters of the American Institute of Architects.

An overview of the manufacturing industry as told by some of its executives.

Having joined MCC in 2009, Nesbary has helped the institution grow its outreach to the business community, including offering training programs to suit the talent needs of employers.

What keeps you up at night? That’s one of several questions we asked more than 100 of the region’s executives and business owners. It’s our favorite question to ask CEOs and senior executives because it really cuts to the core of the weaknesses and threats they see looming on the horizon.

In 2011, Olivarez, an Aquinas College alum, became the school’s seventh president after having served in leadership roles at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and Grand Rapids Community College.

Over the past year, Kitchens has helped forge new alliances for regional economic development stretching from Battle Creek to Benton Harbor. The new larger regional area should help the group’s marketing be more effective in attracting business to the region, he says.

An overview of the energy industry as told by some of its executives.

VanderKamp and his business partners started brewing beer at New Holland Brewing in 1997 and later added spirits to its offerings. Today, the growing company distributes its products around the Midwest. It’s also planning an expansion in the new year.

In 2012, Wolverine World Wide completed one of the largest acquisitions ever in the footwear industry when it bought Collective Brands’ Performance + Lifestyle Group for $1.24 billion. The deal transforms Wolverine into the third-largest footwear company in the world behind giants Nike and Adidas.