Wolverine achieved an important milestone last week in our continuing development of renewable energy. After a lengthy negotiation, Wolverine and Clenera, a proven developer of solar and storage projects, reached an agreement to proceed with a large-scale solar project. Clenera will construct the 150 MW Gemstone Solar Array on 1,000 acres near Cassopolis, Michigan, and Wolverine will purchase all energy and [...]
I enjoyed watching my daughter graduate from the University of Michigan two weeks ago. Thousands of graduates on the stadium floor of the Big House makes quite a spectacle! I know several of you have high school graduations approaching in a few weeks, and you will watch your family members prepare to head off to [...]
Your Culture Survey responses last summer said that you really like many things about Wolverine’s culture – especially our mission for our members and our willingness to help each other. You also highlighted three things you wanted Wolverine to improve upon. You asked for better communication, improved processes to make your day-to-day job more efficient, [...]
“Do something, even if it’s wrong!” My grandpa would yell this to me from time to time when I was on his farm. There I was, a city kid visiting his farm, trying to help him with weekend projects. I remember Grandpa’s odd instructions like, “Fetch me the grub hoe. It’s in the small shed, [...]
Christmas season tops my list of favorite holidays. I love the lights, the music, the food, family gatherings and memories of Christmases past. Most of all, I love that Christmas means giving. Back in the 70’s, my sister and I would brave cold and snow to walk to downtown Cadillac from our house up near [...]
For the past decade, the Wolverine Board and senior team set aside a special day to reflect on significant accomplishments of the past year and dig into strategic questions that might shape our future. How does Wolverine continue to bring value to its members? What will Wolverine focus on next year? Where are the opportunities [...]
Nearly twenty years ago, when email was a relatively new thing, I received a curious email from our FERC attorney. The Subject line read, “I Love You.” I thought, “This is odd,” and then I proceeded to open the email. Suddenly, my computer began sending emails to everyone in my contact list telling them, “I [...]
Wolverine employees set new Fitness Challenge records this summer, logging more than 8,300 miles of hiking, running, kayaking and more. The Fitness Challenge motivated me to get back in the groove, so I committed to racing a short triathlon in Ludington. My youngest son trained with me over the summer, and then recorded his first ever triathlon. I have now [...]
Last week proved to be a tough week for goodbyes. Ron Rowe retired and Billy Crowe passed away. I also had to say goodbye to our family dog, Lily. Billy Crowe, thirty-year power plant Operator, Maintenance Operator and Chief Operator lost his two-year fight with cancer this week. Billy liked you to think he was just [...]
My grandmother emigrated from Holland at the age of 16. I often wonder at her courage and try to imagine how isolated she must have felt -- no phone, no email, no Instagram, just an occasional letter. She and her husband raised four daughters during the Great Depression, and she dealt with World War II [...]