News from Highfields - December 16, 2015

An Update for Friends of Highfields · December 16, 2015

Hearing Impaired Students Overcome Breakthrough's Obstacles

Teacher April Garbarino interprets Breakthrough instructions for the Hearing Impaired students from Lakeview High School.

Since 1985 Highfields' Breakthrough program has provided experiential team building services to businesses, organizations and schools. Breakthrough takes place at Highfields' Onondaga Campus. There are over 300 fun activities offered such as rope courses and trust walks, which are designed to enhance team-building skills and communication.

Over the past 30 years, more than 40,000 people have participated in Breakthrough! This 30th anniversary year is the most successful year to date with a record breaking number of participants.

In September, a group of excited students from Lakeview High School visited Breakthrough for the very first time. Their teacher Shannon Verhelle, however, was not a stranger to the program.

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Board Member Helps Build Strong Communities

Jim Hunsanger has always been deeply involved in the Lansing community. He attended graduate school at Michigan State University where he completed the Executive MBA Program. He began working in Lansing at the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union in 2011.

Jim first heard about Highfields as an organization that did a lot of work in the greater Lansing area and was intrigued to learn more.

He met with Highfields' CEO and President, Brian Philson, who was looking for new board members at the time. Jim was impressed by Brian's enthusiasm for Highfields.

"After meeting with Brian and hearing the passion for what he was doing, and his vision for Highfields, it really touched me. I wanted to be a part of it," he said.

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In This Issue:

30th Anniversary

Board Profile

#GivingTuesday Update

#GivingTuesday Update

This year on #GivingTuesday, Highfields wanted to brighten the holidays for teenagers in our counseling programs.

Our goal was to provide our teens with $10 restaurant gift cards to have for the holidays!

Thanks to the generous support of donors, we are able to provide gift cards for 63 teenagers!

Thanks for helping us spread extra holiday cheer this year!

Find Highfields on Social Media

Highfields, Inc.| www.highfields.org

Onondaga Campus

5123 Old Plank Road

Onondaga, MI, 49264

(517) 628-2287

Lansing Office

4305 S. Cedar Street

Lansing, MI, 48910

(517) 887-2762

Jackson Office

1206 Clinton Road

Jackson, MI, 49202

(517) 783-4250

Howell Office

204 S. Highlander Way, Suite 3

Howell, MI, 48843

(517) 262-0874

Hillsdale Office

51 S. Howell Street

Hillsdale, MI, 49242

(517) 212-8168

Board of Directors

Officers

Sara Bennett, Chairperson

Two Men and a Truck

Mark Emmert, Chairperson-Elect

The Dart Bank

James B. Hunsanger, Treasurer

MSU Federal Credit Union

Wallace Markham, Secretary

Retired

JP Morgan Chase Bank

Directors

Peg Asmus Dart Foundation	Kristin Bartley Two Men and a Truck	Bill Bockwitz Retired Spring Arbor University	Anethia Brewer 54A District Court
Bill Clark Clark Construction Company	Patrick Dean Dean Transportation	Michael Foster Plante Moran, PLLC	Susan Fulton Retired Department of Health and Human Services
Jeff Hertrich Accident Fund Holdings, Inc.	Mike Hull MSU Spartan Linen Services	Eric Jamison Michigan's Attorney General's Office	Karen Johns Retired Department of Health and Human Services
Mark Kellogg Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap, P.C.	Chivon Kloepfer WLNS TV 6	Jeff D. Klug Klug Law Firm	Helen "Lizzie" Mills Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes, PLC
Nick Oertel Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, P.C.	Doug Peters Christman Constructors, Inc.	Tom Reder Bergmann Associates	Katie Rexrode Jackson National Life
Tanda Reynolds Retired Department of Health and Human Services	Marlon Roberts Office of General Counsel	Reshma Sambare Miller Canfield	Tom Shewchuck City of Ann Arbor

Senior Managers

Brian Philson, CEO/President	Timothy Monroe, Vice President	Jill Clark, Director, Community Services - South Team
Derek Hitchcock, Director, Residential Services	Beverley McGill, Director, Fund Development	Edward St. John, Director, Finance