The Gerald R. Ford airport was in a deep decline in the 1990s. It was not until someone stepped in to help the airport that it finally received the attention that it needed. New renovations totaling $45 million will now make it possible for people to enjoy new restaurants, faster security check, and a business center.
Grand Rapids has had it tough in the past. However, now it is one of the fastest growing cities, and some would say that progress is directly related to the DeVos family.
The DeVos’ are a pillar in the Grand Rapids business social scene. It was Dick DeVos who got many of them together in the early 1990s to form the Grand Action and start making some real progress for the city. His work created a lot of new projects, such as the DeVos Place Convention Center and Grand Rapids City Market. DeVos has also been very influential with education, including the construction and completion of the Michigan State University’s medical school.
Dick DeVos’ passions for aviation go beyond what he does in other education circles. He championed for an aviation charter school to help teach students about becoming a pilot, and he continues to work with aviation leaders to support the Gerald R. Ford airport.
This new appointment comes after Betsy DeVos has taken the US education system by storm, overhauling public education policy and putting charter schools in front as the way to shape the future of American education. It has not always been well-received, but Dick DeVos is still joining the political arena.
He will look to help with airline policies, regulation changes, budgets, and financial planning that will lead the way for aviation businesses. Southwest CEO attended the ceremony for DeVos’ appointment to the FAA and stated that his addition was a great choice, allowing for new growth for aviation in America.
In addition to his aviation and political work, Dick DeVos has worked with his wife to denote over $138 million to leadership programs, scholarships, education reform, healthcare services, community programs, and the arts. In fact, the pair most recently gave away $12.5 million to help build the new children’s hospital in Grand Rapids. The hospital opened in 2006 and has been named as one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation.
As DeVos heads to Washington, he will be meeting up with other aviation business leaders and politicos. The council meets once every quarter to make important decisions and advise on what it thinks would be best for the aviation industry as a well. Dick DeVos won’t need too much help in this arena as he is an avid polite and savvy businessman who has put his best work into the aviation economy of his hometown in Grand Rapids.
Visit http://dickdevos.com to learn more.