About Us

Interchange is a group of communication professionals who are interested in discussing communication issues with other professional communicators. Meeting participation and membership is open to anyone who wishes to engage in stimulating discussion related to the communication industry and how it shapes our lives.

Greetings from the President

I'm very excited about our coming year of Interchange gatherings! Our speakers will be covering topics that are both current and pertinent to the jobs we do every day. I'm happy to say that list of ideas for our calendar of programs would interest me even if I wasn't already involved in Interchange - hopefully you will feel the same way.

It is our goal to offer timely, intriguing and helpful programs that address various issues in the world of communications.

Put Interchange on your calendar.

It’s the second Wednesday of the month (Sept. 2011 through April 2012) for lunch at the University Club, 10th floor of the Fifth Third Building downtown. If you really want to maximize your value, prepay for the year and membership and you will save the cost of two meetings. (Don’t worry, if you can’t make a meeting you can send a substitute.) Registration: 11:30; lunch and program: noon.

Our board members are eager to increase our membership and program attendance in the coming year. I encourage you to invite a friend or colleague to an upcoming program.

If you have creative ideas or suggestions for Interchange, please feel free to email me (michelle@the-wordsmiths.com) or any other member of the Interchange board.

Looking forward to seeing you in September!

Michelle Bennett
President 2010/12
Interchange of West Michigan

Board of Directors

President

Michelle Bennett, The Wordsmiths

Vice President/Secretary

Geri Kelley, MSU College of Human Medicine

Communications Director

John Elmore, communications professional

Social Media Coordinator

Laurel Pruski, Communications Consultant

Treasurer

Tamara Bergstrom, Varnum Law

Program Director

Holly Higginson, Herman Miller, Inc.

Membership Director

Carol-Ann Cramer, Consumers Energy

Past Presidents

2009-2010 Juanita Vorel

2008-2009 Mary Dykstra

2007-2008 Shelley Irwin
2006-2007 Greg Melvin/Shelley Irwin
2005-2006 Juliette Cowall
2004-2005 Craig Clark
2003-2004 Sherrie Barber-Willson
2002-2003 Jason Manshum
2001-2002 Kate Washburn
2000-2001 Erika Wilgenburg
1999-2000 Tim Penning
1998-1999 Kate Dernocouer
1997-1998 Dale Shannon
1996-1997 Rita Citron
1995-1996 Heidi Schmidt
1994-1995 Jim Davis
1993-1994 Jim Davis

Founders

Jim Davis, formerly of The Grand Rapids Press

Tim Penning, Grand Valley State University

Ann Annis, Calvin College (retired)

Interchange

The Association of West Michigan Communication Professionals