Plante Moran Names Sue Novak New Southfield Office Managing Partner

Long-time client and former Detroit PR guru employer Plante Moran, PLLC, one of the nation’s largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms, named Sue Novak, CPA, the office managing partner for the firm’s Southfield office. With more than 600 staff members, it is the firm’s largest office. 

It's wonderful to see great opportunities arise for strong leaders like Sue. As Southfield Office Managing Partner, she will oversee the day to day administrative activities of the office. She will also continue as assurance partner and leader of Plante Moran’s benefit plan audit practice.

Sue began her career with Plante Moran more than 25 years ago. In addition to leading the benefit plan audit practice, a practice that includes audits of more than 1200 benefit plans annually, she has other significant client service experience in audit and tax engagements and consultations for non-profit organizations and religious congregations. Congratulations, Sue!

Medical Network One Announces Corporate Name Change to MedNetOne Health Solutions to Reflect Rapidly Expanding Services of Traditional Physician Groups

Long-time client Medical Network One, a Rochester-based healthcare management organization with a 31-year history serving the infrastructure and clinical support needs of primary and specialty care private practice physicians, announced a corporate name change to MedNetOne Health Solutions effectively immediately. The announcement was made by MedNetOne Health Solutions CEO and healthcare innovator, Ewa Matuszewski.

Originally formed to provide third party payor contract negotiations, administrative support and utilization review services, MedNetOne Health Solutions (MNOHS) has evolved in recent years to a full service health solutions provider, bringing new clinical, technology and programming support services to its 1,000 plus members to ease movement into the patient centered medical home model and meet national health reform mandates.

“The MedNetOne Health Solutions name better reflects the broad array of services we offer independent physician practices and behavioral health professionals who are focused on successfully transitioning to fully integrated, population-based, patient-centric practices,” said Matuszewski. “Changes resulting from the PCMH movement and health reform, including new reimbursement models and structural alignments like ACOs and Organized Systems of Care, are coming at an unprecedented pace and require independent physicians and physician organizations to respond accordingly to remain viable.

“Despite aggressive actions by hospitals and health systems to purchase private primary care and specialty practices, there remains a core group of physicians who are strongly committed to remaining independent. That is MNOHS’ market and our services are built around them and behavioral health professionals who complement their services.”

Earlier this year, MedNetOne Health Solutions became the first physician-based organization in Michigan to actively pursue Ph.D. psychologists as members.

“National healthcare reform and new programs offered through the state of Michigan are emphasizing the incorporation of behavioral health services into primary care. We want behavioral health specialists to join us in our efforts to promote whole person care,” said Matuszewski.

Will You Meet the Next Mayor of Detroit at the MSU Broad Executive Forum?

  Plante Moran CRESA to serve as Premier Sponsor for 47^th annual Michigan State University Broad Executive Forum on October 23^rd

  SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – September 27, 2012 –Plante Moran CRESA, a fully integrated independent real estate transaction and consulting firm, announced it will be the premier sponsor of the 47^th annual Michigan State University Broad Executive Forum to be held on Tuesday, October 23^rd at Compuware Headquarters in Detroit. This is the third year Plante Moran CRESA is serving as a sponsor of the event, which attracts Southeast Michigan business leaders for education and networking. This year’s keynote speaker is Michael Duggan, CEO of the Detroit Medical Center.

The 2012 Broad Executive Forum is presented by the Michigan State University Broad College of Business and the MSU College of Engineering, with volunteer leadership from the Broad Executive Forum Board of Directors, which is comprised of alumni members from Southeast Michigan businesses, including Plante Moran CRESA. The theme of this year’s Forum is transformation and transition, with Mr. Duggan speaking about the Detroit Medical Center’s journey before, during and after its purchase by Vanguard Health System. Additionally, a panel of area business leaders will discuss transformation and transition as it relates to business leadership, managing change and finding new opportunities to maximize the assets of Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Panelists are:

·         Sandy Baruah, CEO, Detroit Regional Chamber

·         Jim Manley, Managing Director of the new Broad College Demmer Center for Business Transformation

·         Frank Venegas, Chairman and CEO, The Ideal Group

·         David Blaskiewicz (MSU alum), President, Invest Detroit and President and CEO, Downtown Detroit Partnership

·         Beth Chappell (MSU alum), President of the Detroit Economic Club, will serve as moderator.

Bill Lichwalla, CPA, President of Plante Moran CRESA and an MSU alum, is pleased to have the company again serve as premier sponsor.  

“Plante Moran CRESA is honored to support the Broad Executive Forum’s tradition of bringing business leaders and University supporters together to gain insights on the region’s timely economic issues,” said Lichwalla.

Details on 47^th Annual Broad Executive Forum with Keynote Speaker Michael Duggan

When: Tuesday, October 23, 2012; 3:30 p.m. check in; panel discussion at 4 p.m.; reception at 5:15 p.m.; program and keynote address at 6:45 p.m.

Where: Compuware Headquarters, 1 Campus Martius, Detroit 48226

Cost: $100 for individuals; $80 per person with purchase of five tickets or more; tickets include afternoon and evening program and reception with beer, wine and hearty hors d’oeuvres

Registration: online at events.org/2012DetroitForum

Questions: Connie Lawson, MSU Broad College of Business, 517.432.7442 or alumni@bus.msu.edu

About the Broad Executive Forum

The Broad Executive Forum has been held annually since 1965 and features the nation’s top executives and entrepreneurs. Previous keynote speakers include: Dan Gilbert, Quicken Loans and Companies; Steve Balmer, Microsoft; Robert Lutz, GM and Chrysler; Michael Dell, Dell Computers; John Chambers, Cisco Systems; Virginia Rometty, IBM; Owen Bieber, UAW; Peter Karmanos, Compuware; and Roger Penske, Penske Corporation.  Learn more at www.mybusiness.msu.edu.

About Plante Moran CRESA

Plante Moran CRESA is an independent commercial real estate transaction and consulting firm exclusively representing buyers and lessors in the delivery of fully integrated real estate services, including tenant representation, project management and strategic real estate consulting. Plante Moran CRESA’s multidisciplinary team provides unbiased advocacy to a distinguished list of clients seeking to uncover all of their options regarding project feasibility, asset positioning, capital markets, portfolio management, national site selection and incentives.  Plante Moran CRESA is affiliated with Plante Moran, PLLC, one of the nation’s largest public accounting and business advisory firms.  Additionally, Plante Moran CRESA is a member of the cresa national and global tenant representation network of corporate real estate service providers. To learn more about Plante Moran CRESA, visit http://www.pmcresa.com.

###

Harvard Business School Club of Michigan Business Leader of the Year Dinner

Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy Schlichting was honored on August 22nd at the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan's Business Leader of the Year dinner. What a wonderful evening! Nancy gave a terrific talk on leadership that was sincere, poignant and motivating.

Come to the Table: Harvard Business School Club of Michigan Dinner Event on August 22nd Honors Nancy Schlichting of Henry Ford Health System

There's a terrific dinner and networking event happening on Wednesday, August 22nd at the Atheneum in Detroit. The Harvard Business School Club of Michigan is honoring Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy Schlichting at its annual Business Leader of the Year event. Tickets are $125. Registration details can be found here.

Email Password Security Tips (Hint: change your password. Now.)

Raj Patel, a partner and tech security expert at Plante Moran, offers three quick tips for email security in a news release I recently wrote for the firm.

• Use tiered passwords. Don’t use the same password for all sites.  Just like you have different keys for different doors, you need to use different passwords for different sites. 
• Change your passwords frequently. When was the last time you changed your password for your online banking account or Facebook? It is recommended that users change passwords to sensitive accounts at least every 30 days. 
• Set strong passwords. Setting long passwords that contain letters, numbers and characters for numerous websites can be difficult to memorize. Use paraphrases like “MyBirthDate?June15,90.” It’s long, has all the letters, numbers and characters, and it’s easy to remember.

 You can check out the complete news release here.

The New Big 3 Isn’t What You Think

My, how things change. Being a Detroit PR guru, I’ve included the phrase “The Big Three” in a news release or two in my career. No more. I was just invited to a conference on today’s Big Three: Twitter, Pinterest and facebook.  

Want a presence on social media?  The assumption of this conference is that Facebook and Twitter are the compulsory sites for communicators who want to actively convey information about their products or services and connect with their audience.  Rounding out the “Big 3” is Pinterest, which continues to make great strides with registered “pinners” who post or “pin” things they find appealing, connecting people through shared tastes or interests.   I guess at this point I would have not ignored LinkedIn, as it shares a similar principle as the other social networks but the new “Big 3” zero in on consumer brands and LinkedIn’s focus is more on a business-to-business audience.  

Okay, so Chrysler, General Motors and Ford Motor Company are not only not the Big Three, the big three are not even cars – or manufactured products. Because the Internet is global, I think it’s still safe to refer to our former Big Three as the Domestic Big Three, but it does make me a bit nostalgic for the days when The Big Three stood for something I could touch, feel and purchase (or lease), as well as a place that either directly or indirectly employed the majority of my hometown. Oh well, here’s to high hopes for the New Big Three. (It certainly plays a big role in my employment!)

Harvard Business School Club of Michigan - Training Leaders to Help Make a Difference in Our Great State

Harvard Business School Club of Michigan Announces 2012 Recipients of its Annual Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management Scholarship

Executive Summer Education Program at Harvard will Provide Rigorous Training for Michigan’s Top Non-Profit Leaders

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications: 248.651.7536;barbara@eafocus.com

Bloomfield Hills, MICH ---June 25, 2012 --- The Harvard Business School Club of Michigan, comprised of Michigan-based members who are graduates of Harvard Business School, has named four Michigan non-profit leaders as the 2012 recipients of its 14^th annual Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management (SPNM) Scholarship. They are Gilda Jacobs, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Human Services; Ryan Hertz, Executive Director of the South Oakland Shelter; Jason Lee, Executive Director of Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP); and Rick Loewenstein, CEO of JARC.

The four scholarship recipients will attend Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management, an intensive six-day course presented each summer at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. This year’s session will be held July 15^th to 21^st.  SPNM scholarships are offered through a nomination/application process for candidates who exemplify dedication, commitment and pursuit of excellence within the non-profit sector. Harvard Business School Club of Michigan board chair, Richard Shapack, commends the recipients for this recognition.

“Members of the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan have a passion for helping those in our community and so do Gilda Jacobs, Rick Loewenstein, Ryan Hertz and Jason Lee, as well as the 31 previous local SPNM graduates.  Our Club is proud of these exceptional dedicated individuals and our opportunity to support their efforts with this important training.  The Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management program provides significant opportunities for these outstanding and committed non-profit community leaders to join with their national and international peers and further expand their skills and contributions for the benefit of the thousands of Michigan citizens they collectively serve,” says Shapack.  
Including this year’s class, 35 non-profit leaders from Michigan will have participated in SPNM. The first SPNM scholarship was awarded in 1999 to Cameron Hosner, then CEO of Vista Maria and currently CEO of Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation.  

“The coursework, with case studies assigned before the session began and each night of the course, was very challenging but led to a vibrant, ‘fast-tracked’ learning experience that had immediate practical application for the leadership of our charities.  During the course of the program, the Harvard Business School instructors were not only extraordinary educators and unparalleled experts in their fields, they also served as dynamic facilitators of “Socratic style” group learning as students bounced innovative ideas and case solutions off each other,” recalls Hosner. “Our class was comprised of non-profit directors from around the world, so the international input brought a richly diverse, new perspective to our mission-driven business discussions.”  

In addition to SPNM participation, scholarship recipients meet with Harvard Business School Club of Michigan members on a regular basis to collaborate, be a resource for each other and continue their exposure to various HBS concepts, such as performance measurement and the balanced scorecard. HBSMI members also liaison with SPNM alumni to apply private sector and non-profit management solutions to state agency issues. 2011 SPNM Scholarship recipients were Penny Bailer (City Year Detroit), Kyle Caldwell (Michigan Nonprofit Association), Michael Tyson (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work) and Kari Walker (The Guidance Center). For a complete list of all previous scholarship awardees, visit http://www.hbsmi.org/article.html?aid=109.   

Major funding for SPNM scholarships is provided through proceeds from the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan’s annual Business Leader of the Year dinner event. This year’s honoree is Nancy Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System. The event will be held on August 22^nd at the Atheneum in Detroit. Sponsorship and ticket inquiries should be directed to Maria Chasins, info@hbsmi.org.  

About the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan (HBSMI)

With a 70+ year history, the Harvard Business School Club of Michigan (HBSMI) is an official member of the Global HBS Club Network and supports the mission of Harvard University's Graduate School of Business Administration to train leaders who will make a difference in the world.  HBSMI offers diverse business and social activities including opportunities to network and collaborate with local and national business and civic leaders. Learn more at www.hbsmi.org.

  -end-

Vista Maria

I had the privilege of attending the annual recognition breakfast and public meeting for Vista Maria at the lovely Dearborn Inn last week. Led by CEO Angela Aufdemberge (left in photo), Vista Maria’s mission is “To heal victimized girls and women with best-practice treatment programs designed to meet their unique needs while restoring vulnerable children and families within Michigan.” Every visit to Vista Maria or a Vista Maria event is an inspiration. The love of the staff for their clients is palpable and the support for their efforts by volunteer leaders is impressive and long-lasting. 

Growing up on the west side of Detroit, I was familiar with the intimidating presence of Vista Maria on West Warren in Dearborn Heights, but it wasn’t until I walked inside the fortress that I could really “see” Vista Maria. For that introduction, I have client and friend Patricia Nemeth (right in photo) to thank. Pat, a founding partner of employment law firm Nemeth Burwell, is the Vice Chair of the Vista Maria board and has been volunteering her time with the organization for more than ten years.  Before Angela Aufdemberge, Pat introduced me to Vista Maria’s then CEO, Cameron Hosner, who is now applying his dynamic CEO talents to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation. What a privilege to interact with leaders like Cam, Pat and Angela. They remind us all in their own subtle way that we have a responsibility to contribute our time, talent and financial resources to Southeast Michigan’s non-profit community, which plays such a critical role in meeting our duty as a society. 

Do you have a non-profit organization that you support? If not, why not? If yes, thank you.

In Praise of Collegial Relationships

Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”  

I find this sentiment particularly applicable in today’s business environment.  More than ever, it’s almost impossible to achieve success without some sort of strategic alliance, informal partnership or strong network of colleagues and referral sources. 

I am fortunate to have that type of relationship with Jason Brown, Principal of PublicCity PR.  On the surface, one might consider us competitors; however, our business rapport is much more collegial than that.  I first met Jason around 2008 when he was a new solo PR entrepreneur and our respective clients asked us to collaborate on a project. Since then, the beauty of our association is not only the ability to share information and bounce ideas off one another, but also refer potential clients and media sources and opportunities.  Never underestimate the power of collaboration.

I recently witnessed firsthand the evolution of Jason’s company from a one-person operation to a growing PR phenom when celebrating the milestone of his new Southfield office digs. I’m always up for a celebration and isn’t that one of the best parts of collaboration…celebrating the triumphs?  

Congratulations and much continued business success, Jason!  

Meeting Michigan's Own David Tarver

One of the most rewarding experiences I have working in the field of public relations is the opportunity to meet and connect with a number of distinguished individuals who claim Michigan as their home. It never ceases to amaze me the wealth of knowledge I gain from my encounters as they eagerly share a passion for their disciplines. You can’t help but be inspired by their work. W. David Tarver is one of those professionals. David is a very successful businessman/entrepreneur and now, author. He recently wrote the book Proving Ground, which traces his story about how an ambitious African American from Flint and the University of Michigan left his job at Bell Telephone Laboratories, created a company in his basement with two African American colleagues and sold it less than 12 years later for $30 million. These days, David’s goal is to inspire others, but also to give some very practical advice on how to achieve dreams. Proving Ground not only reveals David’s compelling story, but teaches the myriad lessons he learned along the way. Do you find yourself in need of a bit of inspiration? Proving Ground will hit bookstores and online starting July 2 in paperback and e-book formats. Special hardcover editions are available now from his website. For more information on Proving Ground and David Tarver’s story, please visit www.provinggroundbook.com.