WMSBF Honors Wendy Ogilvie with 2019 President’s Award
West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum has selected Wendy Ogilvie as its 2019 President’s Award winner, which will be presented at its Annual Meeting on June 17. The President’s Award recognizes a professional for their contributions to the organization’s growth and development.
“I’m honored to be recognized for my years of participation with West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum,” says Ogilvie. “I have enjoyed my time with the organization and all of the relationships that I have made, I’m so thankful for everyone who I have met. Seeing the transformation and growth of the forum over the years and what we were able to accomplish has been a great experience. Even though I am leaving the board I still hope to be actively involved.”
Wendy has served as the Director of Environmental Programs for Grand Valley Metro Council since 2013. Her current initiatives include facilitating NPDES Municipal Stormwater Permits in Kent and Ottawa County communities: implementing the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) strategic plan, and assisting the project team in restoring the rapids to the Grand River.
“If not for Wendy, the forum would not have the strong relationship with conservation groups and environmental causes it does today,” says WMSBF Executive Director Daniel Schoonmaker. “She has been a constant ally and impactful champion for the forum’s collaborative model. I am hopeful that her time working with us has helped support her incredible work with LGROW and GVMC. In the past six years she has made West Michigan a better place and WMSBF a stronger organization. She is a model environmental leader and we’re grateful to have her partnership and support.”
Ogilvie was elected to the WMSBF Board of Directors in 2013. She joined while at Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc. where she focused on water resource management projects. Wendy was interested in large scale sustainability issues, which led her to pursue and achieve a LEED for Neighborhood Development accreditation, and through that work became involved in West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
During the past six years on the board Wendy has provided educational expertise and contributed to the receipt of several grants and projects, including the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Initiative. She has enjoyed being a business representative on the board as well as representing the conservation and nonprofit sectors while working at Grand Valley Metro Council and leading the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds. In this role she was able to apply sustainable business practices to government municipalities and create public and private partnerships. Ogilvie was also one of the architects of the Triple Bottom Line Bash, the forum’s flagship annual event.
Ogilvie will retire from the board this year, but plans to remain involved in working groups and committees.
“I am glad to have seen how far the forum has come over the last seven years, hiring on an Executive Director, new staff and interns, increasing membership and membership diversity each year, and putting on so many successful events. I am grateful to have participated on the board and for the opportunity to have contributed to that growth.”