July 10,2020 Your Source for Livonia Happenings

AlphaUSA partners with the Livonia Police Department to share $700 in restaurant gift cards for surprised hometown residents

What was the occasion? Happy Birthday Chuck Dardas
I t started with a phone call, proceeded to a meet up at the police station pictured on the left, where gift cards were exchanged, continued with police officers fanning out across Livonia and ending with Livonia residents being surprised when a Livonia police officer handed them one of the gift cards to be used at a Livonia restaurant.

What did all this mean? It meant that Thursday was the birthday for Chuck Dardas, President of AlphaUSA.

Veronica Cruz, in Human Resources at Alpha, made the rounds at Alpha collecting donations to purchase gift cards from restaurants like Archies, Las Palapas, Thomas', Jimmy Johns, to be given to Chief Curtis Caid to distribute to his patrol officers on each shift to share with folks around town.

Thursday morning Chief Caid and the typewriter interrupted a video Microsoft Teams Meeting at Alpha to share the results to a surprised Chuck Dardas. The best part is that he was surprised!

Dardas likes to say he doesn't need gifts he looks at friendship as his biggest gift. With that in mind Cruz opted to do something for his birthday that she knew he would appreciate. Caid said during the video conference that he personally and the department in general always appreciates the many ways that Dardas reaches out and helps.

When Dardas was introduced for induction to the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame Class of 2019 it was said that with "today's business environment becoming increasingly complex due to political and regulatory changes, there is a growing demand for company leadership who can successfully navigate a business environment while also accepting the responsibilities of giving back to the community by helping shape the future of the hometown where their employees live and work."

Chuck Dardas offers up a rare breed of corporate leadership who understands that future generations will be better off because of efforts provided today. Efforts not just on paper but with ideas actually implemented.

The induction continued by suggesting that watching "Chuck Dardas in action is to understand a mantra of "why talk. Go do." He offers up a template of community service that has brought to Livonia a food pantry inside Livonia schools now helping families across the district; giving students an opportunity to see real manufacturing while learning from experts in the industry from a real-life perspective, not just academic; encouraging people to expand their horizons and that life and learning is a continuous journey; reaching out into the community to host a book club at the Senior Center; establishing a Young Inventors Program to reinvigorate a passion for building things among young people.

"Chuck Dardas has taken his skill set and knowledge base to develop a proactive corporate narrative across the range of community organizations from education to art and culture, from our youth to our seniors. This Dardas template provides an understanding that by networking and infusing a multitude of networks with new ideas and enthusiasm a community can stay young by being young."

That's why the idea not to give Dardas a physical gift but rather to reach out and provide, in partnership with the police department, restaurant gift cards to hometown residents meant more to him on this birthday. So Happy Birthday Chuck. It shouldn't take a birthday for you to know how much Livonia appreciates the template of community involvement that you have created and continue to pass around every day of the year.
Covid-19 does not stop for leadership transitions.
Thank you Dr. Conway Jeffress for 19 years as Schoolcraft College President
Thank you Dr. Peggy Gaskill for your 10 years as Livonia Civic Chorus President
Schoolcraft College transitions to a new era of leadership
Dr. Glenn Cerny set to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Conway Jeffress

Dr. Conway Jeffress took a hometown college to a new level in the 19 years since he became Schoolcraft College's fourth president on July 1, 2001. Before becoming president, he served Schoolcraft for another 19 years as a vice president, including 13 as vice president for instruction and six as vice president for instruction and student services.

 He came to Schoolcraft in 1982 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was vice president of strategic planning at the Community College of Allegheny County.

During his tenure, enrollments in Schoolcraft College’s credit courses and programs have grown by 30 percent. Today the college serves more than 36,000 students each year in credit instruction, continuing education and professional development, and business/industry training. The college is also a hub for community and corporate events, the arts, and cultural activities.

When Jeffress was inducted into the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame Class of 201it was said that "his presidency had been characterized by enrollment growth, campus expansion, technology enhancements, sound fiscal management, learning with a global perspective, and advocacy for community colleges. One poignant example of the difference he has made for students, faculty, staff and the community can be found in the Health Professions Simulation Lab that opened in 2011 and is house in the state-of-the-art Biomedical Technology Center that opened in 2008."

You can now see the expansive view of Jeffress with the new soccer dome and the partnership with Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, IHA in building a new 124,000-square-foot health care facility on campus.

In addition, Dr. Jeffress has been a champion at the state level for the field of nursing, lending his support to the effort to allow community colleges to grant baccalaureate degrees in nursing to help fill the growing need for highly qualified and trained nurses in Michigan.

“Dr. Jeffress has been an incredibly dynamic and effective leader of Schoolcraft College,” said Brian D. Broderick, Chair of Schoolcraft College’s Board of Trustees. “His tenure has been defined by academic success and incredible growth, all focused on providing the highest level of success for our faculty, staff, and most important, our students. Dr. Jeffress created an incredible era at Schoolcraft College and set the stage for continued success. We are extraordinarily grateful for his leadership and service to Schoolcraft College and wish him the very best in his retirement.”

The image of Schoolcraft College has been set by Dr. Conway Jeffress. An image that will be set indelibly for years to come. Thank you Dr. Jeffress. You will be missed and greatly appreciated.

Livonia Community Chorus transitions to a new leadership paradigm with Kathleen Chichester set to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Peggy Gaskill
Livonia is known for the quality of K-12 education. Historically that has been a signature of our hometown. It is appropriate that Dr. Peggy Gaskill has taken K-12 education to another level and then took the Livonia Civic Chorus to another level.

Most of Livonia know her for her tenure for the past ten years as President of the Livonia Civic Chorus. She recognized that after ten years it was time to move on. As of July 1st she has handed the reins over to Kathleen Chichester, or as she puts it:

"Thank you to all for the honor of allowing me to be President of the Livonia Civic Chorus for 10 years. We have a strong Board and an incoming President, Kathleen Chichester, who are very committed to our future. We have an amazing Music Team with Jeff and Kim Swan, and many friends in the Livonia Community. And, all of us can step up to assist in any way we can. Remember, we have all CHOSEN to be part of LCC as volunteers and that commitment will allow us to meet our MISSION and VISION.

MISSION: To nurture the vocal talents of our members while providing choral performances.
VISION: Enriched musical experiences for our members and the cultural life of our community.
Here's to another 55 Years!!!

The Livonia Civic Chorus is one of the reasons Livonia is known for being the cultural cornerstone of southeast Michigan. But as this transition takes place let's take a minute to share with you the professional skillset and accomplishments of this dynamic lady.

Dr. Peggy Gaskill is known across the state as a leader in developing online learning opportunities. She was a Project Manager at the Michigan Virtual University for the development of online learning courses for teachers and students, been the Associate Dean of the Walden University College of Education, the largest graduate program for educators in the United States. Her primary focus was the Master of Science in Education Program.
 
Prior to joining Walden she was at Central Michigan University where she was a professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Professional Development and founder and director of a major W.K. Kellogg-funded initiative called "Michigan Schools in the Middle," a center for excellence in middle level teacher preparation and professional development. 
 
Her work with the national Middle School Association and the National Forum to accelerate middle grades reform resulted in her induction into their Hall of Fame in 2010. she was inducted into the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
 
Dr. Gaskill earned her Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She earned an M.A. in Counseling and Guidance, and a B.S. in Education from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, with a major in mathematics.
 
As she considered retirement from the education field, Peggy was interested in developing some hobbies. Her first choice was singing with the Livonia Civic Chorus which she has enjoyed. Peggy has been President of the Chorus since 2011. She expects to continue singing as that is one hobby she is not ready to give up.
 
As a pioneer in seeking education excellence, known throughout the state and across the country, Livonia is proud that she has been a Livonia resident since the mid 1960’s and that her hobby has included taking the Livonia Civic Chorus to new heights. Thank you Peggy.