West Michigan Weekend (A Public Affairs Program from iHeartradio)

On this week's episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Taylor Olson, the Director of Marketing for The Detroit Tigers . We hit the road for this special segment and recorded live on location from Comerica Park as the Tigers rolled out the red carpet for the media to discuss “What’s New” at Comerica Park for the 2024 Detroit Tigers season.  Taylor shared many exciting details about the upcoming Tigers se...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes  Ava “Attari,” Higher Education Partnerships Director with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The State of Michigan has launched a new incentive program to retain and attract more college students to live here in the Great Lakes State after graduation. The new program promotes semiconductor, electric vehicle, and mobility careers.  It’s...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Gary Schuler, the founder and president of GTF Technologies . Gary was recently featured on iHeartRadio's CEOs You Should Know Podcast Series. GTF Technologies was founded in 2014 and specializes in creating secondary applications for unused plant-based materials such as fruit and vegetable side streams and brewer's spent grain from larger juice foo...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower speaks with Chad Somerville, Outreach Manager with MI Student Aid with MiLEAP — Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.  For parents and students preparing for college, after a long delay and some mistakes on the newly released FAFSA form, the federal government has just released a new and revised FAFSA — Free Application for F...

On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Noelle Riley, Marketing and Communications Director with the National Writers Series, Traverse City, Michigan. The National Writers Series is a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging world-renowned authors in meaningful conversations in the Traverse City area. Since 2010, the National Writers Series has hosted more than 230 authors––includin...

On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Dr. Sandra Upton, Founder and Chief DEI Strategist with Upton Consulting Group (UCG), author of the new book, "Make It Last: A Roadmap and Practical Strategies for How to Do DEI," available on Amazon. Dr Upton and UCG work with DEI professionals and organizations around the globe. Before launching UCG, Dr. Upton was vice president of the Global Di...

On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Zack Berends, Festival and Events manager, LaughFest, and Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids proudly sponsors the 14th annual LaughFest on March 6-10. This year's event features headliners Tammy Pescatelli, Josh Johnson, Piff the Magic Dragon, and Demetri Martin. Comedian, actor, and author Tom Papa is set to headline the Gilda’s...

On this week's program, host, Phil Tower, welcomes Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young . Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young joined us for an in-depth conversation on the two-year anniversary of the Human Trafficking Task Force created in 2021 by the Kent County Sheriff's Office. Over the last several years, many non-profit organizations in Kent County developed programs to assist individuals who...

On this week's program host, Phil Tower, welcomes Eric Hultgren, Director of Brand Strategy and Social Media, M-Live. Eric joined Phil for the full program for a review of some of the biggest media stories of 2023, and many of them are still making news on a regular basis in 2024. Among the topics we discussed was the state of "X" after the sale and rebranding of Twitter by Elon Musk. Musk changed...

In this week's program, host Phil Tower dedicates the full program to a conversation on a topic on everyone's mind: the weather! Phil welcomed Storm Team 8 Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca, and Blake Harms, Storm Team 8 weekend evening meteorologist for a look back at the biggest weather stories of 2023 and look ahead at the last weeks of winter impacted by the El Niño effect for 2024. 2023 was fil...

On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Dawn Baker, show manager for the Michigan International Auto Show. The 26th Annual Michigan International Auto Show is at Devos Place February 1-4, 2024 (Thursday & Friday, 11am-9:00pm | Saturday 10am-9:00pm | Sunday 10am-5pm) Auto Show week begins with the Charity Spectacular on Wednesday, January 31. Through a long-standing partnership, more...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes the undisputed king of sports talk radio in West Michigan , Bill Simonson , for a candid conversation on his personal life, what caused his love for radio, and his long-running success as a sports talk personality. Simonson is known and respected across the state of Michigan as host of the "Huge Show." His program originates from iHeartradio's 96-1...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower speaks with Dr. Robert Sterner, Director of The Large Lakes Observatory and a Biology Professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Dr. Sterner is also president of The Northeastern Association of Marine and Great Lakes Laboratories. Despite its pristine and cold waters, Lake Superior….the largest freshwater lake in the world, is warming. In fact, as we l...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower is joined by Jocelyn Detloff, author of It Rained in the Desert: One Woman's Story of Spirit and Resilience. Jocelyn is the Major Gifts Director at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids. Jocelyn shares with host Phil Tower the story of how her life changed dramatically while on an adventure in southern Africa in the late 90s. The specific dat...

In this week's episode, host Phil Tower welcomes the hosts of Soundings: Rev. Mike Wernick, Rector, Pastor, and Priest-in-Charge, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Kentwood, Ascension Lutheran Church Kentwood(ELCA), Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Wyoming, MI.; Fr. Mark Przybysz, Retired Priest Diocese of Grand Rapids; Pastor Shannon Jammal-Hollemans, First Congregational-United Church of Christ, Lowell...

In this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Jill Schlesinger. Business Analyst for CBS News. Jill is an Emmy and Gracie Award-winning host who appears nationwide on CBS radio and television stations, covering the economy, markets, investing, and anything else with a dollar sign. We spoke with Jill about the anticipated end of high-interest rates. The Fed has had investors on a rickety and wil...

In this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place Inc. Randy recently presented his annual report in early December at the 2024 Economic Outlook event sponsored by The Right Place. A big part of the presentation was Randy's overview of the organization's important 10-year tech strategy, which has been a focus of Thelen's since taking over as presid...

In this week's program host, Phil Tower, welcomes Scott de Varona, MiABLE program director. With hundreds of thousands of Michiganders with disabilities eligible to open a MiABLE savings account, the Michigan Department of Treasury recently marked the 8th anniversary of the signing into law of the MiABLE Act to encourage them and their families to discover more about gaining greater financial free...

In this week's program host, Phil Tower welcomes Nick Buggia, chair of the Michigan Wildlife Council . The Michigan Wildlife Council is entrusted with educating the public about the importance of wildlife conservation and its role in preserving Michigan’s great outdoor heritage for future generations. Establishment of the Council...a governor-appointed, nine-member public body established by Michi...

On the full program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Diana Sieger, President of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Over her 36 years serving as president, Diana has grown the Community Foundation’s financial assets from $38 million to $387 million and its staff from three to more than 30 team members. It's important to note as well that The Grand Rapids Community Foundation is the oldest in...

In this week's program host Phil Tower welcomes Peter Meijer, a newly announced Republican candidate for the United States Senate. Peter Meijer joins a field of more than a dozen candidates vying for a seat that’s been held by Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow since 2001. Stabenow surprised many in January of this year by announcing her retirement, Setting the stage for what is shaping up to be a...

On the program this week, host Phil Tower welcomes Jennifer Headley-Nordman , president of First Steps Kent. According to a new analysis, 20,500 early childhood education slots are needed in Kent County to address our community’s childcare needs in Kent County. Jennifer “Split by more than the Grand River” The analysis by IFF , a nonprofit lender, shows that the shortage of affordable child care i...

On this week's program host Phil Tower welcomes Dawn Baker, Festival Manager for the 16th Annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival. The Grand RapidsThe International Wine, Beer & Food Festival is set for November 16-18 at DeVos Place. Dawn told us that the annual kick-off to the holiday season begins on Thursday, November 16 with a special VIP Preview Night. The $150 VI...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Skot Welch, founder of Global Bridgebuilders, an internationally respected diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm, and author of Unfractured: A Christ-Centered Action Plan for Cultural Change ...from Chosen Publishing...available through Baker Book House. Skot works with organizations ranging from churches to Fortune 500 companies, Skot le...

On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Michelle Grinnell, Senior Vice President, Marketing and communications, for the MEDC( Michigan Economic Development Corporation) . Michelle gave an overview of a new $20 million ad campaign with a specific goal of attracting talent to Michigan to fill jobs and grow Michigan's stagnant population. The new "You Can in Michigan" campaign will include T...