Truscott Rossman’s director of West Michigan Business Strategies, Amanda Rogalski, will soon be moving with her family to Chicago. As Amanda looked back on her time in Grand Rapids and at Truscott Rossman, she provided this farewell note to our friends and clients.
Thanks for everything, Amanda. We the Truscott Rossman team wishes you all the best in Chi-Town.
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AR Loves GR
I never thought I would leave Grand Rapids. For 13 years I’ve lived, worked, played and loved this city. Now, in a current of mixed emotion, I’m heading around the lake with my husband, who has a great job opportunity in Chicago.
A year into my career here in Grand Rapids, I was introduced to the Grand Rapids Young Professionals (GRYP) and got hooked on this community and the people here. With GRYP I started volunteering on the events committee and eventually led the organization, first as President and then as Chair of the Advisory Board. During that time I also helped found the Grand Valley Young Alumni Council.
Last year I made a career move to statewide public relations firm Truscott Rossman, which better aligned my professional experience with my passion for community engagement. It was exciting to help West Michigan businesses grow and work for a firm with offices in Lansing and Detroit, in addition to Grand Rapids. As a result of this statewide scope, my horizons were expanded well beyond West Michigan. For the first time I heard people around the state talk about being “Grand Rapids nice.” Slightly offended at first, I grew to appreciate the term and realize now that it’s a reflection of how genuine our culture is in West Michigan.
The clients I worked with through Truscott Rossman affirmed this realization. Thank you to Mike Jandernoa and Brandon Eisentrager at Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Mentoring; Rick Kuiper and Suzette Garvey at Neurocore; Rebekah Fennel at First Steps; Ben Wickstrom, Taggart Town and Stephanie Erhardt at Erhardt Construction; Meg Derrer at Aquinas College; George Bosnjak at Michigan Health Connect; Rick Baker, Andy Johnston, Janet Wylie and Latricia Trice at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce; Dan Wiersma at the Regional Air Alliance of West Michigan; Jeff Royce and Felip Ballesteros at GR Current; and to the entire Failure:Lab team led by Jordan O’Neil.
Now, as I prepare to start a new chapter in a new city, I reflect on Grand Rapids values that I will keep with me:
1. Be available. I’ve been consistently surprised at the accessibility of this community’s leadership. I think of Rick Baker, Mark Murray, Diana Sieger and too many others to name who make themselves available for others and are such great teachers.
I’ve also been recently introduced into the world of media in Grand Rapids and Bill Herbst, Garret Ellison, Julie Hoogland, Amy Fox and Jeff Hill have all been willing to spend time with me and answer my questions. It’s been refreshing and helpful.
2. Be a connector for and to others. I’ve met some wonderful connectors in GR who very thoughtfully and intentionally connected me to amazing new people. I was introduced to Gary Mescher through MSU Club of West Michigan and also GR Rotary. Gary took the time to get to know me and then introduced me to Chelsea Dubey, an immediate friend and Mike McCarthy, another great connector.
3. Serve with sincerity. I think of Shelley Irwin who serves Women and Girls Lead, ATHENA, Girls Choral Academy, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber and Family Promise to name a few. When you see Shelley and her always smiling face, you know that she is serving with her heart.
All of these values may describe “Grand Rapids nice” but it’s not just about being nice, it’s about building a community that people enjoy and want to be a part of. It’s a large part of what our region’s success is built upon, and it’s going to continue to fuel our growth long into the future.
Thanks for everything GR. See you on the streets of Chicago, I’ll be the one smiling and saying “hi” to everyone because I’m taking “Grand Rapids nice” with me.
— Amanda Rogalski
