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Do you know who the number one employer is in Oakland County? Most of you may have guessed Chrysler or General Motors, but I bet you might be surprised when I tell you the correct answer is Beaumont Hospital. With more than 14,000 full-time equivalent employees, Beaumont Hospital has not only invested in Oakland County, but in Rochester Hills.
Beaumont continues to become part of our culture, within city hall and Rochester Hills. In fact, on Wednesday I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at the brand new, state-of-the-art Health & Wellness facility, Sola Life & Fitness Center. Located on South Blvd between John R. and Dequindre Roads, Sola integrates the amenities and expertise of a world-class health club, the medical resources of Beaumont Hospitals and the holistic concepts of body, mind and spirit.
As you continue to read below, you will see that Beaumont has already started to offer programming to our employees at the DPS Garage. I am pleased to welcome Beaumont Hospital Sola Life & Fitness to our community.
On that note, I am also pleased to welcome the latest edition to our city hall family, Pam Valentik. As the new Manager of Economic Development, Pam has already hit the ground running. She has spent her first week in several meetings with prospective companies who will soon (hopefully) call Rochester Hills home. If you have not had the opportunity to meet Pam, please stop by and visit her, or introduce yourself as you see her around. Find out more about Pam as you read below.
Next Council Meeting: Monday, June 6, 2011
I am so pleased to be joining the Rochester Hills team as the new Manager of Economic Development. I recently left the City of Troy where I was the Economic Development Specialist for the past four years. Coming from another local community, I know the challenges and opportunities that we all face in servicing our business and residential customers. Watching from the south, I have seen Rochester Hills flourish in its business attraction and retention efforts, and I am grateful to be able to join you in delivering such outstanding customer service.
My professional background spans 16 years working for various levels of government including working for the U.S. Small Business Administration, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center and the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development. I have spent a great deal of my time working with businesses (from the start up florist to the Fortune 500 company), in their development and growth plans.
I hold a B.S. in Business Administration – Marketing from Grand Valley State University (great football team) and I am a certified business analyst through Columbia University. In 1998 and 2000, I was recognized as the Michigan Small Business Counselor of the Year through the Michigan SBTDC. I currently reside in Clinton Township with my two girls Emma (8) and Mary (6) - the girls are working on me to add a puppy to the mix. I look forward to getting to know all of you and working closely in our efforts to attract investment, create jobs and spur economic development.
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DPS GARAGE LAUNCHES THE DPStretch PROGRAM TO PROMOTE FITNESS AND INJURY PREVENTION
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Starting Wednesday, May 11, DPS Garage workers, and any other City employees who wish to join in, are invited to participate in a two-month pilot stretching program offered by Beaumont and SOLA Life and Fitness Center Exercise Specialists.
DPStretch will be offered at the Garage on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 6:30-6:55 AM in the Lunch Room. Come as you are – no special equipment or attire required! Exercises will be simple, performed in a standing or sitting position, and can be performed in regular work clothes. Auburn Road participants can count these exercise minutes on Route 66.
We’re hoping participants will feel less soreness in their backs, shoulders, knees, and hips, and more flexibility in their joints by the end of the two month period. Once the SOLA-led pilot ends, employees who want to see the stretch program continue at DPS (and possibly at other City locations as well) may wish to volunteer as exercise leaders. Beaumont coaches and SOLA trainers will remain available to support and advise as needed.
Feedback and/or suggestions concerning the DPStretch pilot program are much appreciated, and easy to provide. Forms and a suggestion box for sharing your thoughts and experiences will be available at the DPS Garage front desk starting Friday, 5/13.
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WELLNESS ROADS TRAVEL UPDATE
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If you elected to follow Rochester Road and participate in continuous individualized health coaching, you should be making great progress on your wellness goals at this point!
Beaumont is now asking for feedback on coaching session value and effectiveness from the 80 participants in this Wellness Road. Evaluation forms have been e-mailed to each individual participant, and are available on the Healthy Hills Intranet Page and on the Beaumont Personal Health Manager Web MD site. Send your completed program evaluation in to bbhs@beaumonthospitals.com today!
Beaumont is now asking for feedback on coaching session value and effectiveness from the 80 participants in this Wellness Road. Evaluation forms have been e-mailed to each individual participant, and are available on the Healthy Hills Intranet Page and on the Beaumont Personal Health Manager Web MD site. Send your completed program evaluation in to bbhs@beaumonthospitals.com today!
If your wellness journey includes Auburn Road, you are travelling down Route 66 with 83 colleagues, exercising your way from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA! Hopefully you have sent Beaumont your MET Score as your registration, and you’re reporting in with weekly exercise minutes by Monday afternoons each week. If these requirements don’t sound familiar, contact Beaumont at bbhs@beaumonthospitals.com to get caught up and stay on track!
If you are among the 35 employees who elected Hamlin Road as your preferred road to wellness, you should have received a link to view the Orientation session online, submitted your SMART Goals registration form and e-mailed us your completed April activity. The activity for May was e-mailed to all individual participants for completion by May 31. Please don’t hesitate to contact Beaumont at bbhs@beaumonthospitals.com if you need any assistance with these or other wellness road activities!
The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm will be holding their traditional Spring on the Farm on Saturday, May 21 from 10-4 p.m. Admission is $ 7 per person, ages 2 and up, and $ 5 for Museum members. Activities include The Barnyard Express Farm show at 11, 1, and 2 p.m., Tiny Paws Rescue League and their baby rabbits, programs at the 1848 Stoney Creek Schoolhouse, bee keeping demonstrations, kite making, tours of the Museum buildings, activities in Stoney Creek Stream including fishing and netting, activities in the Children’s garden and plants to take home. In addition, demonstrators of knitting, chair making, woodworking, rug hooking, bobbin lace, and quilting will be on hand to share these traditional crafts with all guests. A huge pioneer playground will be set up by the Friends of Dinosaur Hill, and hayrides will be available.
PROJECT UPDATE: CROOKS & M-59 INTERCHANGE
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Construction in Rochester Hills, as well as the Region, is in full swing and many time-honored Michigan mascots (orange barrels) are out. One project that will result in a safer and smoother commute is the Crooks & M-59 interchange. Below is a snapshot of the project details, so you can better understand what is being done.
Start: March 2011 End: November 2011
What we are doing:
- A $10 million investment to reconstruct the M-59/Crooks Road interchange and one mile of Crooks Road.
- Widening Crooks Road to five lanes between Austin Avenue and Star Batt Drive/Avon Industrial Drive.
- Replacing the existing two-lane Crooks Road overpass above M-59 with a four-lane structure.
- Reconstructing the four existing ramps at the interchange.
- Constructing two new loop ramps from northbound Crooks Road to westbound M-59, and southbound Crooks Road to eastbound M-59 to eliminate left turns.
- Constructing pedestrian sidewalks on each side of Crooks Road from Austin Avenue to Hamlin Road.
- Safety upgrades including guardrail, new signs, pavement markings, and turn lane improvements.
In the next edition of the Mayor’s Minute, I will share the details of the Walton Boulevard project! In the meantime, if you have any questions about this or any other construction projects, please feel free to contact me.
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