Yesterday, nine women were inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame for their outstanding accomplishments, some of which have ties to MSU and the surrounding community.
All of the women inducted have had significant accomplishments, ranging from the first female president of Lansing Community College, or LCC, to the first woman to hold a high-ranking executive position at General Motors Co. Here are the stories of some of the women inducted into the hall of fame at the ceremony at the Kellogg Center Thursday:
Joan Jackson Johnson
MSU alumna Joan Jackson Johnson is the director of human relations and community services for the city of Lansing. She graduated with a doctorate from MSU in 1975, according to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners.
She has served on the board of directors for many organizations, including the Community Coalition for Youth, Capital Area Community Services and Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative Steering Committee, according to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners.
In her current job she has worked to make the city a more accepting and equal place, according to the city of Lansing.
Paula Cunningham
MSU alumna Paula Cunningham is the current president and first female CEO of Capitol National Bank, in Lansing. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in labor and industrial relations from MSU, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Before Capitol National Bank, Cunningham was the president of LCC from 2000 to 2006. She was the first female president in the school’s history, according to the Michigan Bulletin.
While Cunningham was at LCC, she pushed for an increase in development of the college, resulting in new facilities being built, one of which was named after her, according to the Michigan Bulletin.
On top of her other accomplishments, Cunningham is the first black woman to chair the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. She recently was elected to chair the board in 2013, according to the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Marina Whitman
Marina Whitman is a professor and economist from New York. She graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree and Colombia University with a doctorate.
She then became a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, but left to be the first female member of the Council for Economic Advisers.
Whitman said she resigned from her job with the advisers during the Watergate scandal and went back to teaching at the University of Pittsburgh.
Whitman then took a job as the vice president of economics at GM for 13 years. During her time at GM, Whitman said she pushed for a shift to world markets and was promoted to be the vice president and group executive for public affairs.
After resigning from GM, Whitman said she began teaching at the University of Michigan, where she works today.
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