Diana R. Sieger is the president of the Grand Rapids Commmunity Foundation. For more information, visit Diana's President's pages or view her biography.

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President's Point of View: And while I'm away . . .

June 8, 2007

As a middle aged woman who still dreams of the time in 1969 when I wanted to attend Columbia University in New York City to study how to change the world… you have to know that Stanford is a magical place. Nirvana? No - but pretty darn close! (I didn’t attend Columbia by the way …sigh.)

We examined more indepth today about the imbalance of the social capital market and worked with our study groups to complete an industry analysis on one of our foundations. My study group was really tremendous! Our group is truly global. Our study group members are from Seattle, Jordan, Pittsburgh, Atlanta to Grand Rapids, Michigan - which as we all know in GR as “the center of the universe”.

However, what I am reflecting on this evening after a day with the best and brightest minds in the business world matched with remarkable - and I do mean remarkable leaders - in the foundation world is how much we need to open ourselves to learn in the greater Grand Rapids community. Between yesterday’s power exercise and today’s understanding of the imbalance of the social markets, I wish that many more foundation and other leaders from the GR regional area were exposed to the ideas and thoughts conveyed by the business leaders here at Stanford.

Our community would benefit from people taking the time to think instead of reacting and conforming to the status quo. Unfortunately that does not happen a great deal. Hopefully - my optimism will return tomorrow!