Carole Valade

Recovery. The regional economy is showing fundamental recovery, with a capital R. Read More

The Arena South Visioning Plan has been adopted by the Downtown Development Authority and now will be presented to the Grand Rapids Planning Commission. Read More

In the midst of the Great Flood of 2013, Kent County leaders were notified of the success of the annual trek to New York City for meetings with ratings agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. Both agencies rated Kent County with Triple-A credit ratings, the highest possible. Read More

Residents and business owners throughout the Grand Valley region likely may have reflected recently on Michigan’s nickname “water wonderland,” but the beauty of a land surrounded by the world’s largest bodies of fresh water is given depth of meaning by the people who live here. Read More

Gov. Rick Snyder in January’s State of the State called again for insurance regulation reform action. Read More

As the recession ended, developers began promising a renewed emphasis in downtown Grand Rapids. Read More

Last week New York’s most colorful politician suggested that true grassroots democracy will be achieved only after both the Republican and Democratic parties cease to exist. Read More

Gov. Rick Snyder is taking a leadership role on mental health that must be mirrored on the federal level. Read More

Many area economic development professionals this past week gave a good deal of their time to be present for Gov. Rick Snyder’s “economic summit” in Detroit, several days of which were spent parsing whether the estimated 100,000 job openings in Michigan are the result of a “mismatch” predicated on a “skills gap” between job seekers and job qualifications, or whether the economic data showing a vast majority of corporate America is sitting on “unprecedented levels of cash” and is unwilling to hire. Read More

Both the U.S. House and Senate are expected in the coming weeks to present versions of possible legislation crafting the Immigration Innovation Act of 2013, with a great deal of bipartisan support. Read More