Your 2024-2025 Directory is Here!

Discover all that the Lakes Area has to offer!

Follow the link below to view our new Community Resource & Buyer's Guide.

February Chamber Events

January 4: Health Care Network - All Seasons West Bloomfield

Thank you to Derek Jacques, Executive Director, and Heather Hischke, Director of Sales & Marketing, for hosting a wonderful first Healthcare Network Meeting of 2024 at All Seasons West Bloomfield! The event brought together familiar and new faces for great connections while members enjoyed a delightful breakfast spread.

January 5: 1st Friday Coffee Connect - Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union

We kickstarted the month with some networking and a chance to pocket extra cash—now that's a winning combination! A big shoutout to the Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union's Marketing Specialist Bryan Feldpausch and Marketing Assistant Connie Pino for orchestrating a stellar 1st Friday Coffee Connect of 2024. The breakfast spread was delectable, and the raffle baskets, featuring piggy banks filled with surprise bills, added an extra layer of excitement. One lucky winner took home $50!

January 9: Young Professionals Group - Financial Tips & Tricks

This month, YPG shared valuable tips and tricks to help prevent financial missteps. A special shout out to our presenters Cara Gardner from Northcoast Wealth Management and Steven Betel from Next Door Lending - Mortgage Family Man! And big thank you to our annual YPG sponsors: Ever Studios, LaFontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Walled Lake & LaFontaine Subaru!

January 16: MI Revolution Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

We had such an amazing time with Mario Flores and Lauri Rowley at the MI Revolution Training Center ribbon cutting. Thank you to all who were in attendance! The ceremony was a huge success, and we were thrilled to all that braved the freezing temperatures to welcome this new member to the community! A big thank you to Teresa Renaud from Senator Jim Runestad's office for providing a befitting tribute. It was a privilege to do a second ribbon-cutting for the Ninja Warrior area with Coach Marzena Bogdanowicz. All the while, the facility was a lively scene from pickleball to wrestling practice.

MI Revolution Training Center operates under the belief that kids learn through play. They offer an environment that encourages hard work and gratitude. Be sure to check them out!

January 18: 3rd Thursday Coffee Multi-Chamber Connect - MacFarland Painting

Thanks to all who braved the blizzard to attend our Multi-Chamber Coffee Connect at MacFarland Painting! We were delighted to join our extended chamber family from Livonia-Westland Chamber of Commerce, Northville Chamber of Commerce, and Community Chamber of Commerce of Plymouth for this monthly mixer. It was an excellent opportunity to expand business networks and enjoy a delicious breakfast spread. A very special thank you to President John MacFarland and Sheryl Agrusa for their hospitality and generous raffle giveaway.

January 24: Spotlight Lunch - Oakland Schools Technical Campus-SW

Even though it was a snow day for the district, Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southwest kept their doors open for our Spotlight Lunch and served up an inspired fine dining experience. The luncheon featured gourmet cuisine prepared by the students of the OSTC-SW culinary department. We extend our sincerest appreciation to Dean Chris Vraniak, Career Counselor Jacqueline Haller, Hospitality Instructor Patti Fox, Chiefs Steven Maclay and Diane Beaker, and the dedicated students for the gourmet cuisine!

Additional thanks to Senator Jim Runestad’s District Director Teresa Renaud and Oakland County Commissioner Dr. Ajay Raman. We were so honored that you could join!

January 26: Black & White Awards Ball

On January 26th, 2024, the Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted our highly anticipated 3rd Annual Black & White Awards Ball at the elegant venue, It's A Matter of Taste! It was an evening filled with elegance, camaraderie, and celebration as we honored outstanding individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to our communities.

Congratulations again to this year’s award recipients and thank you for your outstanding contribution to our communities!

AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR 

Kevin McIssac

DIVERSITY PACESETTER 

Professional Movers.com

WALLED LAKE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT

STUDENT OF THE YEAR

Hannah Hulliberger

GENISYS CREDIT UNION OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

A Courageous Voice

EXCELLENCE IN HEALTHCARE

Dr. Feras Aloka, M.D.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Brian Baert

UNITED RESTORATION

DISASTER SERVICES FIRST RESPONDER OF THE YEAR

Fire Chief John Holland

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Laura Bolyard

LAFONTAINE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP COMMUNITY HERO

Cara Gardner

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 

Michigan Schools & Government Credit Union

The event would not be possible without our amazing sponsors.



Your ongoing support and commitment to our communities are incredibly valued!

PLATINUM SPONSOR

LaFontaine Automotive Group

GOLD SPONSOR

United Restoration Disaster Services, LLC

SILVER SPONSORS

Genisys Credit Union

Walled Lake Consolidated School District

ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR

Doug Browne Agency - Farm Bureau

Media Hero

The UPS Store 7483 – Commerce

BAR SPONSORS

Professional Movers.com

Ripsaw Media

Waltonwood Twelve Oaks

Westlake Health Campus

PHOTO BOOTH SPONSORS

CarePatrol of Oakland County

Cranberry Park Milford

Keller Williams

Huron Valley State Bank

APPETIZER SPONSORS

Affinity Home Care Agency

The Lebowski Law Firm, P.C.

DESSERT SPONSORS

Facial Beauty Dental - Gordon P. Smith, DDS

Hampton Manor of Commerce

VALET SPONSORS

Elite Leaders, LLC

Michigan Schools & Government Credit Union

Words of Hope 4 Life

PARTY FAVOR SPONSORS

Elite Leaders, LLC

Northcoast Wealth Management 

Sue Starr Morse - Tyrone Carr & Associates

**Event photos provided by Media Hero

Law Office of Shannon DeWall, PLLC

Wendy Berryman - 734.999.0450

32231 Schoolcraft Road, Ste 202, Livonia

https://www.dewall-law.com/

Absotemp Climate Control Inc.

Matt Dickow - 248.960.3100

Valued Member Since 2017

Preferred Underwriters, Inc.

Kevin Hays - 248.496.5289

Valued Member Since 2021

Acromag

Kurt Lipsky - 248.624.1541

Valued Member Since 1976

Quality Affordable Health Insurance

David Pickering - 248.682.1598

Valued Member Since 1994

American House Milford

Dan Phillips - 248.676.2121

Valued Member Since 2018

Bluewater Technologies Group, Inc.

Scott Schoeneberger - 248.356.4399

Valued Member Since 2021

St. Matthew Lutheran Church

Gail Adams - 248.624.7676

Valued Member Since 2010

The Inspired Acting Company

Jeff Thomakos - 248.863.9953

Valued Member Since 2023

Brookdale Novi

Jenny Tairi - 248.669.5330

Valued Member Since 1996

The Lebowski Law Firm, P.C

Samuel Lebowski - 248.684.9200

Valued Member Since 2022

Charter Township of Commerce

Larry Gray - 248.624.0110

Valued Member Since 1998

The Neighborhoods of White Lake

Andrea Hengy - 248.618.4100

Valued Member Since 2017

Karen Faith, LLC

Karen Faith Gordon - 248.973.6030

Valued Member Since 2023

The State Bank

Paul Dowling - 734.765.1753

Valued Member Since 2022

LaFontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Walled Lake

Audrey Ryskamp - 248.717.2807

Valued Member Since 2021

The World of Travel

Sandie Slusher - 248.203.0022

Valued Member Since 2020

Law Office of Philip J. Weipert

Philip Weipert - 248.486.1100

Valued Member Since 2018

TruWell Physical Therapy

Brian Foster - 248.716.1819

Valued Member Since 2023

Michigan Schools & Government Credit Union

Marjorie Rieckhoff - 586.263.8800

Valued Member Since 2019

VandenBosch Capital Management

Troy VandenBosch - 248.716.9194

Valued Member Since 2022

Michigan Schools & Government Credit Union - Mortgage

Don Stevens - 586.263.8800

Valued Member Since 2023

Words of Hope 4 Life

Glen Schwartz - 844.844.5900

Valued Member Since 2022

Oakland County Youth Educational Services

Valerie Milton - 248.301.1877

Valued Member Since 2023

An Award in Excellence: Genisys Credit Union receives the Crystal Award from Raddon Financial Group

Auburn Hills, MI. - Jan. 17, 2024 - An honor that recognizes growth, financial stability, and efficiency, Genisys Credit Union received the Crystal Performance Award by Raddon Financial Group, a Fiserv Company. With more than 500 credit unions evaluated nationwide, this accolade names Genisys in the top two to three percent of all credit unions. This is the second time the credit union has been awarded this honor.

“It is a deep honor and privilege to be recognized by Raddon with the Crystal Award,” said Jackie Buchanan, President and CEO of Genisys Credit Union. “This accolade attests to the endless contributions of the Genisys team for upholding a sound financial and operational foundation. They continually strive to make Genisys one of the top financial institutions in the country, ensuring the success of the credit union and our members. I extend my thank you to the team for their dedication.”

Credit unions are evaluated through Raddon’s Performance Analytics Program each year. The program is an analysis of key performance metrics focused on service, member relationships, financial strength sales, and more.

The credit union’s commitment to innovation, community, and member experience has been vital in receiving the Crystal Award. It recognizes their achievements as not only a credit union but an industry leader of financial services. As the credit union celebrates its success, they remain focused on their mission to empower the financial lives of their members, drive financial strength and success, and continue to be a pillar of strength within the communities they call home.

About Genisys Credit Union:

Genisys Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution that has been committed to helping its members financially since 1936. Based out of Auburn Hills, MI, the credit union is the fourth largest in Michigan with over 271,000 members and 33 branch locations. With a highly competitive suite of products such as High Yield Genius Checking and Youth Savings Account as well as loans for small to mid-sized businesses, Genisys specializes in providing consumer and business financial solutions through its branches, a multi-channel contact center, and a variety of mobile and online banking services. Genisys has consistently received the highest 5-star Bauer Financial Rating for safety and soundness along with receiving recognition from S&P Global Market Intelligence as a nationwide Top 10 Performing Credit Union. They are also proud to be committed to their communities by annually volunteering over 4,400 hours and partnering on over 1,000 community events. Connect with Genisys on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok by following @genisyscu. For more information visit www.genisyscu.org

OCC Announces Winter/Spring Adult and Children’s Cooking Classes

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Jan. 29, 2024 -- Children and adults will get a chance to expand their cooking chops this winter and spring at any of the upcoming community culinary classes hosted by Oakland Community College’ s Continuing Education program. 

The classes range from healthy cooking options and classic culinary fare to classes on making pasta fresca and spring cookie creations for children who love to cook.

• Pasta Fresca for Children- 6-16 Years Old -Saturday, Feb. 3- Learn how to roll and shape different types of pasta varieties and make tasty marinara, alfredo and palomino sauces.
• Heart Healthy Cooking- Thursday, Feb. 8 - To celebrate American Heart Month, participants will learn ways to live a heart-healthy lifestyle.
• Cooking with Healthy Substitutions – Monday, Feb. 12-In this demonstration, participants will learn how to swap out ingredients to comply with dietary restrictions, how to use up what’s in the pantry, or what to do when they simply run out of an ingredient. 
• Preparing Winter Soups-Monday, Feb. 26-This class demonstrates how to make popular winter soups: butternut squash; roasted root vegetable chicken; and Italian wedding.
• Spring Cookie Creations for Children - 6-16 Years Old - Saturday, March 16- Learn decorating techniques in this hands-on class using royal icing on sugar cookies.
• Nutrition through the Human Life Cycle - Friday, March 22 -Participants will learn about the effects of dietary choices during pregnancy, infancy, toddler and teen years, adulthood and senior years. 
• Tea Party Classics, a Royal Treat - Tuesday, April 23 - This hands-on class demonstrates the traditions associated with constructing a traditional tea party, including creating assorted sandwiches, garnishes, mock Devonshire cream and lemon curd to go with scones, and creating finger desserts such as Madeleine, mini cupcakes, tarts and brownies.

For more information on OCC’s Continuing Education Culinary classes and to register, visit https://www.oaklandcc.edu/ce/culinary.

About OCC  

Oakland Community College offers nearly 100 degrees and certificates programs with the resources students need to be successful and advance our community. As a top transfer institution, OCC offers one of the state’s most affordable tuition rates and flexibility in scheduling with face-to-face and online options. The College is nationally recognized for its high-demand career training with expert faculty in their fields. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.  

Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southwest

Career Night / Open House

If you are a business or postsecondary partner, please consider attending this event to showcase your Business/industry/educational options!

At OSTC, it is our goal to assist students in leaving high school College and Career Ready. To do this, students must be aware of high school learning options as well as their aligned educational and industry requirements.

We host this event to:

• showcase the advantages of Career and Technical Education
• provide a venue to encourage networking toward postsecondary and career alignment
• assist our business partners and colleges in promoting a pathway for a seamless transition into future opportunities

Whether you would like to host a *booth or simply attend the event, your presence will enrich the evening.

*Booth Information-The main goal for the booths is to provide attendees an interactive opportunity to explore the next step in their education. Booth participants should be prepared to answer questions, share literature/information, and/or set up displays.

Please click the following link to complete your online registration to reserve your booth and dinner (a light dinner will be provided before the event to those hosting a booth): https://forms.gle/feVw9xSKf2cJkVZ6