Anyone who meets Dave Custer will probably eventually hear the story of faced with his father’s story closing, he was able to support the tuition at the then Grand Rapids Junior College.
“Grand Rapids Junior College had lower tuition and allowed me to stay at home and helped me get a start on a college degree,” he said in article from the Grand Rapids Community College. “And having that degree allowed for better opportunities of employment, which molded by career.”
Because of the difference that GRCC had made in the CEO and founder of Custer Inc., Custer and his wife, Karen, have dedicated their time and abilities to ensure current GRCC students get the same opportunities that he had.
This month, the couple is being recognized for their service to the the Greater Grand Rapids community as this year’s Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award presented by the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.
“We are pleased and excited to honor the Custers as the 2022 Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winners for their contributions to our community,” said Meijer, Inc. Executive Chairman Hank Meijer, who is the son of Fred Meijer. “Dave and Karen’s generous and gracious spirts embodies the true meaning of this award.”
The Custers have been involved in a number of organizations such as the WMU Foundation, Chairman of GRCC Foundation, Hope on the Hill Foundation, Clark Retirement Community Capital Campaign Chair and Board Trustee. Dave Custer is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, member and past chairman of the Grand Rapids Economic Club, member and past president of Cascade Hills Country Club and director at Irwin Seating.
“We are honored to receive an award that bears the name of Fred Meijer and believe that you should do all you can for others when you can and while you can,” Dave Custer said. “We are humbled by this recognition which is truly an honor to us.”
The Custers join City of Wyoming’s Marge Wilson, owner of Marge’s Donut Den, along with several others who have received the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award.
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids will honor the Custers at the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award Celebration May 10 at 6 p.m. at The Cultural Center, 2250 E. Paris Ave. SE. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Charities Foundation. Tickets are on sale at grrotary.org or by calling 616-429-5640.
Marge Wilson has been chosen to receive the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award, given by the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids. The award is presented in recognition of Frederik Meijer’s philanthropic acts of selfless service to our community, which left a lasting impact on the lives of others.
“We are pleased and excited to honor Marge Wilson as the 2020 Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winner for her contributions to our community. Her generous and gracious spirit embodies the true meaning of this award,” said Hank Meijer, Fred Meijer’s son and Executive Chairman of Meijer, Inc.
Marge is an entrepreneur, community advocate and mentor. She is well-known for her sensitive and compassionate nature. She established Marge’s Donuts in 1975 and as her business grew, she expanded the shop to accommodate private gatherings and space for local organizations and clubs to meet.
Marge Wilson at Marge’s Donut Den. (WKTV)
Marge attended Davenport College and subsequently went on to work at banks in California, Chicago and Grand Rapids for 20 years. She was the first woman chosen to be on the national board of the Retail Bakers Association and served for many years as the Michigan Regional Director. Throughout the years she has collected an impressive number of awards and recognitions for her community service and business expertise. These tokens of recognition span an entire wall in the back of the bakery along with a timeline for her involvement in the community she loves so dearly.
“I am honored to receive an award that bears the name of Fred Meijer. I firmly believe that you should do all you can for others when you can and while you can, not expecting anything in return. I receive many blessings for giving back and I am humbled by this recognition which is truly an honor to me,” said Marge.
Some of Marge’s notable achievements are the establishment of the Samuel Omogo Foundation, a project designed to foster the responsible development of clean water sources for villages in southeastern Nigeria. She received the Inaugural Marge Wilson Community Service Leadership Award from AMBUCS and Distinguished Service Award from the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce.
Previous Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winners include Jackie Taylor, PhD, Shelley Irwin, Rick DeVos, Luis Tomatis, MD and John & Nancy Kennedy.
“By honoring such amazing people in a public way, we hope to inspire others to consider how they can extend themselves in the service of others and the community at-large,” said Neil Marchand, president of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids will honor Marge at the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award Dinner on Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. at the Cultural Center at St. Nicholas. The community is invited to attend. Tickets are on sale at grrotary.org or by calling 616-429-5640.
“I’m a Michigan State graduate, so when I took this job I knew there would be a lot of wearing of blue and gold,” said Strategic Relations Manager Chelsea Dubey as she walked through the halls of the Metro Health – University of Michigan Health Professional Building.
Blue and gold are not only the colors of Dubey’s place of employment but of the civic organization that she is very passionate about and recently was named president of — the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.
“I guess you can say I am a Rotary junkie,” said Dubey, who is the youngest female to take the helm of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, which has been a part of the city for 105 years.
Yes, we said Rotary Club
“I think people have an image of what Rotary is,” Dubey said. “They think of a group of older, white men and it is very diverse, with members ranging from ages 21 to 92.”
And the professions represented are quite varied as well from small business owners to executives of large corporations with many being like Dubey, mid-level leaders representing their particular company or organization, she said.
“There are people early in their careers, those who have advanced, and those who are retiring or entering a different phase of their career,” Dubey said, adding that one of the reasons she has enjoyed being a part of Rotary is because of the diversity of professions, ages and career levels.
Chelsea Dubey is the Strategic Relations Manager for Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
Original from Michigan’s thumb area, Dubey and her husband were living and working in Memphis, Tenn., but always knew they wanted to return to Michigan, she said.
“We had heard a lot of great things about West Michigan and basically looked exclusive here to make it our home,” she said.
Six years ago, the couple moved back, settling into the Ada area. While she knew of Rotary due to her father-in-law’s involvement, it was not until Dubey started working for WGVU that she became a member.
“Basically my predecessor Phil Catlett (who is the current president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan) had been a Rotarian,” Dubey said. “My boss said, ‘You have to be a Rotarian.’”
It made sense to Dubey since her job at WGVU was about philanthropy and making connections within the community. So Dubey joined the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids and quickly discovered how much she loved being a part of it.
“Rotary gives me so much joy,” Dubey said. “No matter what my mood is, those Thursday meetings just really make my day.”
Like many civic organizations, the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids has seen a decrease in membership over the years. At its peek in the 1990s, according to Dubey, the club had around 400 members. Today that number is around 220. Dubey said there are a number of reasons for the decline, one being that there are just so many more opportunities for professionals.
“There are organizations more tailored to your profession,” She said. “For example, if you are in fundraising, there is a fundraising professionals group along with the other possible civic organizations like Rotary,” Dubey said. The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids has partnered with many young professional groups to make those members aware that once they age out that Rotary is an option, she said.
People of action, not accolades
Another reason for the decline, is that Rotary Clubs and Rotarians do not “toot their own horn” so to speak.
“People are not really aware of what Rotary has done because we tend to want to do something but are not interested in being acknowledged for what we have done,” Dubey said, adding that Rotarians have been involved in much of the development of Grand Rapids, from its parks to its buildings and many area businesses, with the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids having included such members as Fred Meijer and Gerald R. Ford.
Following the lead of Rotary International, the Grand Rapids club has focused on the eradication of polio and clean water supplies with Rotarians traveling to countries to help install club-purchased water filtration systems.
Dubey said the group is also at the beginning of doing an iconic project for the city of Grand Rapids. What it will be, Dubey said she is not certain yet, but it will be a pretty significant investment into the city.
For now, Dubey is looking at her one-year term, focused on strengthening a couple of the clubs’ committees and inspiring members to volunteer locally and contribute to both the local and Rotary International foundations.
“I believe the reason why the Rotary has been around so long and that people have been able to be in it for 40 years or so is because it ebbs and follows according to your career,” Dubey said. “You can be as involved as you want or you can step back and just come to the luncheons. It’s what you want to do.
“Rotary has done a lot for me. I have grown as a leader from running a board meeting to presenting to about 100 people a week. It is the best professional development I could every have had.”
To learn more about Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, visit grrotary.org.
