The Secchias


Joan Peterson of Midland, Michigan, and Peter Finley Secchia of Demarest, New Jersey, were joined in matrimony in Midland, Michigan on June 20th, 1964. That was the beginning of this Midwestern family now based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Peter F. Secchia


Peter has always been active in multiple ventures, from business to politics. "The reason I work in a variety of ventures is because I love doing business," says Peter. "Business is a game. It's an exciting opportunity. I think the basic principles that I used to build my business are: one, always try to figure out how to do it better tomorrow than you did it yesterday; two, respect the time and value of others to never keep a person waiting; and three, you can't make a good deal with a bad guy."

Joan Secchia


Joan Secchia was born Joan Margaret Peterson in Saginaw, Michigan. She grew up and went to school in Midland, Michigan, where her father worked for The Dow Chemical Company. Throughout her life, Mrs. Secchia has become involved in various organizations. Among others, she is a Board Member of Opera Grand Rapids, the Children's Assessment Center, the Student Advancement Foundation, the Women's Resource Center, and has become a Trustee of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids.

Family Life


Stephanie (March, 1967) BA — University of Vermont, MBA — NYU

Sandy (October, 1969) BA — University of Notre Dame, MA — Stanford

Charles (December 1970) BA — John Cabot University of Rome, Italy

Mark (April, 1973) BA — Miami University of Ohio
MBA — CEIBS (Chinese-European International Business School), China

Community Involvement


Commitment to family and commitment to community have been two hallmarks of the Secchia family. Their ongoing significant support for community projects through the Secchia Family Foundation, UFP, SIBSCO, and personal gifts has given impetus to new ideas and continuing support for established programs that benefit the West Michigan community in many ways. They are truly a living example of leaving a community a better place than you found it.