The Hope College Economics and Business Department invites the West Michigan business community for a free dinner and evening of networking and strategic partnership conversations on Thursday, March 5 at the Haworth Hotel in downtown Holland.
The event starts at 5:30 p.m., and registration is required by February 27 by clicking here or via email to deb@hope.edu.
Following dinner, a few of the region’s business and community leaders will lead a discussion about opportunities for area employers and Hope College to foster critical alliances through academic collaboration. The conversations, partnerships and feedback from this event will be critical as Hope and the West Michigan business community explore what opportunities exist to develop, attract and retain top talent across the region.
Leading the discussion following dinner will be: Dave Van Andel (‘83), chairman and CEO of the Van Andel Institute; J.C. Huizenga (‘73), founder and chairman of Huizenga Group and National Heritage Academies; and Randy Thelen, president and CEO of The Right Place.
The evening is hosted by the Hope College Means Business campaign cabinet. Hope College recently broke ground on a new, 74,000 sq. foot academic business facility in downtown Holland that will become home to its 500+ majors and minors beginning in the fall of 2028. It’s designed to house the 95-year-old business program that annually engages over 500 professionals and 200 firms as part of applied projects, networking opportunities, workshops and more.
“Establishing a hub for business leadership and innovation in downtown Holland will bring many exciting benefits for West Michigan and the many employers that engage here,” said Dr. Stacy Jackson, economics and business department chair. “But even more so, we’re eager to focus on genuine partnerships by sharing how we actively engage our students with employers, and listen to how we can truly help and support these firms.”
The new building will host Hope’s largest academic department, which has seen a 60 percent increase in students across the past 15 years and serves more than 30 percent of Hope’s student population. The department — one of the largest of its kinds among Christian liberal arts colleges — offers majors and concentrations in accounting, business, economics, finance, marketing and human resources. In addition, it offers several co-curricular programs to help students build competitive depth in areas such as finance, marketing, leadership development, entrepreneurship and more.
To date, the campaign has been led by a 31-member cabinet under co-chairs Carol Van Andel (’81), P.J. Huizenga (’98), Paul Boersma (’82) and Carolyn Wilson.
To learn more about becoming involved in the Hope College Means Business campaign and/or partnering with the economics and business department, visit: https://hope.edu/give/economics-business/