Grand Rapids Art Museum Appoints New Board Members

Grand Rapids, MI, November 20, 2023 — The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) is pleased to announce the recent election of four new members to its board of trustees. The board appointments include Jeff Gurney, Alfield Reeves, and Jim Schipper to the museum board of trustees and Corinne Sprague to the foundation board of trustees. The trustees were nominated during a recent board of trustees meeting and confirmed at the Annual Meeting of the Membership on November 9.

About the Appointees
Jeff Gurney, Board of Trustees
Jeff Gurney is the chief information officer at Van Andel Institute, where he leads their information technology and cybersecurity. His previous experience includes leadership positions in information technology and security at Wolverine Worldwide, where he worked for 18 years.

Jeff serves as a board member for the Grand Rapids Ballet, Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids, Wellspring Preparatory High School, and the American Red Cross of West Michigan. Jeff is also on the advisory board of the University of the Michigan Alumni Club of Grand Rapids and serves as a coach for the Special Olympics. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Alfield Reeves, Board of Trustees
Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Alfield Reeves is a self-taught freelance editorial and portrait photographer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He specializes in creating work that encourages self-reflection and expression, promotes equitable action, and showcases the identity and culture of black and brown people. Alfield’s work has been featured in Vogue Greece, The New York Times, Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids Business Journal, ProPublica, and Insider. He has exhibited locally in Grand Rapids and throughout the state.

He has been selected for programs like Skillshare’s 2021 Tech Lab Residency, Shutterstock’s 2022 Create Fund Artist Investment Program, and Getty Images’ 2023 Creative Accelerator Program. In addition to serving on GRAM’s board as the Visionnaire Executive Committee representative, he serves on the Art Amplify Workgroup for local non-profit AmplifyGR.

Jim Schipper, Board of Trustees
Jim is a partner and shareholder at Rhoades McKee, specializing in probate, trust, real estate, and commercial litigation. During his time at Rhoades McKee, he has served on the executive, marketing, and diversity committees.

Jim is passionate about the arts, architecture, live theater, and music, which are the focus of his community engagement. Jim has served on several committees of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, most recently as co-chair of the Executive Search Committee for GRAM’s Director and CEO. Jim previously served as a board member for Circle Theatre, including a two-year term as board president. During that time, he worked with Aquinas College and the Catholic Secondary Schools to plan and build the Performing Arts Center on Aquinas’ campus. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree from Hope College.

Corinne Sprague, Foundation Board of Trustees
Corrine Sprague is an attorney and partner at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP specializing in corporate law. She dedicates much of her practice to working with family-owned businesses with respect to leadership and ownership succession planning, family business governance, acquisitions, and general corporate matters. Over the course of her career, Corinne has been named a Top Lawyer in Corporate Law by Grand Rapids Magazine, a Best Lawyer in Corporate Law by Best Lawyers in America®, an Up and Coming Lawyer by Michigan Lawyers Weekly, and a Michigan Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine.

Corinne serves as a board member for the Grand Rapids Symphony and as a board member and secretary for AYA Youth Collective. She has previously served as a board and committee member of various local community organizations, including Confluence, Grand Rapids Symphony, and the Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center. She is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, and Grand Rapids Bar Association, and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame.

2023 – 2024 GRAM Board of Trustees

Museum Board of Trustees

• Erin Gravelyn, President
• Lizbeth O’Shaughnessy, Vice President
• Jim Overbeck, Secretary/​Treasurer
• Scott Branc
• Pat Brewer
• Bruce Clipp
• Meg Goebel
• Jeffrey Gurney
• India Manns
• Jane Boyles Meilner
• Stephanie Naito
• Alfield Reeves
• Christopher Rosmarin
• Carol Sarosik
• James Schipper
• Alexander Thibodeau
• Mitchell Watt

Foundation Board of Trustees 

• Lauretta K. Murphy, President
• Jim Overbeck, Secretary/​Treasurer
• Thomas A. DeMeester
• Greg Hooks
• William Lowry
• Janet Nisbett
• Douglas Padnos
• Jeff Smith
• Corinne Sprague

Honorary Trustees

• Patricia Betz
• Margaret Bradshaw*
• Anita Carter
• Peter Cook*
• Marilyn Crawford
• Pamella DeVos
• Marilyn Q. Drake
• David G. Frey*
• Dirk Hoffius
• William Johnston*
• Mary Ann Keeler*
• Lucille King*
• Sylvia Krissoff*
• Mary Loupee
• Fred Meijer*
• Mary Nelson
• Peter Wege*
• Kate Pew Wolters

*Indicates deceased trustees

About the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Connecting people through art, creativity, and design. Established in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the art museum is internationally known for its distinguished design and LEED® Gold certified status. Founded in 1910 as the Grand Rapids Art Association, GRAM has grown to include more than 6,500 works of art, including American and European 19^th and 20^th-century painting and sculpture and more than 3,000 works on paper. Embracing the city’s legacy as a leading center of design and manufacturing, GRAM has a growing collection in the area of design and modern craft. 

For museum hours and admission fees, call 616.831.1000 or visit artmuseumgr.org. 

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