It’s Your Community

February 5, 2023 ~ Vanessa interviews Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, who recently delivered his 10th annual State of the County address where he highlighted Community Partnerships, economic growth, and future projects. He discussed several key community metrics, including educational attainment, financial stability, infrastructure, roads, housing, country population, collaboration, and the c...

January 29, 2023 ~ Founding Partner of Tanner Friedman, Don Tanner offers talks about his more than 35 years of counsel and experience in strategic communications for virtually all industry sectors, including automotive, professional services, technology, nonprofits, health care, and real estate. A former major market print and broadcast journalist, Tanner’s background includes on-air, programming...

January 22, 2023 ~ Vanessa Interviewed Laura Bonnell with the Bonnell Foundation. Imagine losing three of your four children to cystic fibrosis. It happened to a family in Egypt. Nada Mohamed is the only living child in her family. Her brother Omar died before his first birthday of CF, because the genetic disease was not being tested for, or even recognized in Egypt. Laura is working diligently to...

January 15, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Chris Jankulovski, Founder and CEO of Remote Staff, a recruiting company specializing in remote working placements. Remarkably, he was able to build and grow this thriving business while battling cancer, failing kidneys and several brain operations. Throughout these challenges and more, Chris was able to find a way to transform his life from one of fear, stru...

January 8, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Michael Kelley, author of The Lost Theory and The Devil's Calling, fell in love with literature and creative writing while at the University of Pennsylvania. He put this passion to the side during a lengthy career on Wall Street, where he worked as a lawyer, built an international business, and founded his own investment management firm. After leaving the fina...

December 25, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Fr. Joseph Marquis about St. Nicholas, the real Santa Claus. Fr. Joseph Marquis is a Catholic priest (Byzantine Rite) serving as pastor of Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church, Livonia, MI. For ten years, he served as Director of Pastoral Care at Detroit's Holy Cross Hospital, until its closure in the fall of 2003. Prior to that, Fr. Joseph was a resident...

December 18, 2022 ~ University of Detroit Mercy Adjunct Clinical Professor of Dentistry Dr. Timothy Kosinski talks with Vanessa about how dental practices are just now starting to return to “normal” operations after the COVID-19 pandemic.

December 4, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Westland Mayor William R. Wild. Westland Mayor Bill Wild shared events in Westland and some news to share. After being the longest sitting Mayor in Westland, he is leaving the position for an executive as Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA). Mayor Wild shared his experience in government and as a small business owner an...

November 27, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Dr. Teresa Holtrop who is a native of Michigan. She completed medical school at Michigan State University, and her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of MI in Detroit. She is Board certified in pediatrics. They talked about how United Way for Southeastern Michigan continues to connect families in our region to reliable information and helpful resourc...

November 20, 2022 ~ Kevin L. Schewe, MD, FACRO, is a board-certified cancer specialist who has been in the private practice of radiation oncology for over 34 years. He is an entrepreneur, having founded Elite Therapeutics and Bad Love Cosmetics Company, LLC. A long-time history buff, Schewe is the author of the Bad Love Book Series, a young adult sci-fi adventure for ages 10-100 that spans much of...

November 13, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Gary Bubar from AAA Michigan. The interview included a conversation about the impaired Driving Summit, the Slow Down Move Over/Move Over for Me ahead of Crash Responders Safety Week in November, Young Drivers on the road and Deer Crash Safety. They also discussed a survey and news release that we sent out in September that showed many Michigan holiday travel...

October 30, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Kevin Szawala, a.k.a. Mr. Peace for October which is Bullying Prevention Month. Mr. Peace is a Nationally-Recognized Youth Motivational Speaker from Metro Detroit who specializes in bullying prevention, character education, student mental health, diversity and inclusion and suicide awareness. Known by many as Mr. Peace for the peace, nonviolence and social ju...

October 23, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone. She served her country for 36 years. She served as the Assistant Adjutant General of Veterans Affairs for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs of the State of Michigan advocating for Veterans from 2003-2011. General Fausone served as the Assistant for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs from 2001-2005 working direc...

October 16, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Megan Gregg, the senior events manager for the Detroit Zoological Society. A member of the team for more than 6 years, Megan is vital to the planning and success of all Detroit Zoo events. The interview included a discussion on Zoo Boo, Wild Lights, Wildlife Photographer of the Year art exhibition and Polar Bears. The focus was on the fall and winter season a...

September 25, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Jotham Stein, author of the award-winning book Negotiate Like a CEO: How to Get Ahead with Lessons Learned from Top Entrepreneurs and Executives, was interviewed by Ida Crawford on the Just Minding My Business podcast. During the interview Stein commented how the saddest, and most tragic, cases he faces are when family members, college buddies or childhood...

September 18, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Magee Humes, Executive Director of MARL (Michigan Animal Rescue League) in Pontiac. She would be able to speak to several areas including changing dynamics (post pandemic) related to pet adoptions, pet ownership, and overall animal welfare and care. We discussed state of pet adoptions/ownership/welfare today. There are many things to consider when consideri...

September 11, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Dan West, president of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce. They discussed the new diversity initiative. In a new effort to promote Livonia as an inclusive business community, the Livonia Chamber of Commerce will begin distributing “(We) Welcome Everybody” stickers for local businesses to display on their office and store doors.

August 21, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Laura Bonnell. Laura is a former news reporter at WJR and freelance writer for many local papers and magazines. Laura started her Foundation in 2010 and three years ago decided to work full time on The Bonnell Foundation: Living with cystic fibrosis. The Bonnell Foundation helps cystic fibrosis families with lung transplant grants, financial assistance and col...

August 14, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA-The Auto Club Group. A national survey - conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety - reveals many Americans admit to taking one or more potentially impairing medications before getting behind the wheel. AAA’s study focused on commonly used medications such as antihistamines, cough medicines, antidepressants, prescr...

Vanessa interview Dr. Barry Franklin. Next to food and clothing, achieving personal and professional success is at the very top of most people’s hierarchy of human needs. But life’s opportunities, career advancement and financial success don’t just happen – you create them. The recently-published book, “GPS for Success: Skills, Strategies and Secrets of Superachievers,” (Productivity Press, NY, NY...

July 31, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Gerry Brisson – Gleaners President and CEO and Ryan Hertz, CEO of Lighthouse. Gerry Brisson has served as President and CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan since 2014. A strong advocate for the community’s most vulnerable residents, he has dedicated more than 35 years of his professional life to improving food security. Brisson believes...

It's Your Community ~ July 23, 2022

July 17, 2022 ~ Vanessa interviewed Steve Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is the primary investigative agency of the Department of Homeland Security. He discusses what this new position entails along with his background in law enforcement. He discusses some of the high-profile cases HSI has been working on. He also talked about jobs ava...

July 10, 2022 ~ Mia Odeh talks to Vanessa about her memoir: "Mia's Odyssey: Taking Back My Soul," in which Mia tells her life story about being married at 16 to an older, violently abusive man. She was brought to Phoenix, Arizona from Palestine against her will, and was subjected to years of mental, physical, and sexual violence, and had to bear five children to this man. She tells the story of ho...

July 3, 2022 ~ Did you know that our brain is 31% more productive when you practice an attitude of gratitude? Talking about this, and much more with Michael Pfau, Founder and President of Crossways Life Coaching, LLC. Michael is an author, speaker, coach, mentor, and trainer. He holds a master’s degree in education and has more than 4,200 hours of coaching business and individual clients. Michael...