Page One

In February, I will have been with Greenleaf Trust and its predecessor Greenleaf Asset Management for 24 years. I have been writing a monthly article for the newsletter for 19 of those 24 years. It is both an honor and privilege to now take over page one responsibilities. While the focus of my articles may be different than the previous owner of page one, our Chairman William D. Johnston, my hope is that you find them informative and enjoyable to read. My idea since I became President of Greenleaf Trust in 2013 is to write articles about what is happening at our company. I believe we have something unique at Greenleaf Trust and I want to share that with the reader.

One of the things that makes us unique is our talented team. They are deeply committed to the work they do for our clients and deserve meaningful recognition for their achievements. At the end of the year, we announced the following 29 promotions. These were teammates from throughout the organization that successfully executed customized purposeful growth plans with their coaches. Promotions are always based on merit and impact at Greenleaf Trust, not time in role. Needless to say, I am extremely proud to recognize these teammates and share their new titles with you.

I am also proud to recognize this year’s winner of the President’s Award. Each year since 2014, I present the President’s Award to the teammate that has made the greatest impact to the organization during the year. I am the only vote and the recipient receives a handcrafted glass blown trophy created by another teammate (Oliver Krings) as well as an additional monetary bonus. This year that award was given to Kelly Jorgensen, senior family office coordinator. Kelly consistently drives impact that is tangibly felt by teammates and frequently commented upon. She is respectfully known as the “go to” in our Grand Rapids office. This year she trained and mentored several new teammates, created new process improvements, onboarded new clients, processed thousands of non-traditional asset transactions, and also found time to pursue her Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation. Congratulations, Kelly!

In closing, I hope your holiday season is filled with merriment and joy. Take time to enjoy all the season has to offer.