Overview


Joan Secchia has served on the board of Opera Grand Rapids, the Junior League, the Dorothy Swift Hospital Guild, the County Red Cross, Provost of the Student Advancement Foundation, President of the East Grand Rapids Parent Teacher Association, Children's Assessment Center, Women's Resource Center, and Aquinas College. When in Rome, she served on the board of the USO, the Fulbright Commission, and was active with the Boys and Girls Town orphanage of Rome.

Ambassador Peter Secchia has been Chairman of the Grand Rapids Economic Club, President of Youth Commonwealth, served on the board of Baxter Center (inner-city social agency), and led many community activities to raise funds for inner city schools and youth through the Gus Maker tournaments in downtown Grand Rapids. He also chaired the re-dedication of the George Welsh Auditorium, and chaired the original dedication of the Van Andel Arena. He was the Operations Chairman for the Gerald R. Ford Museum dedication ('81), Chairman of the Secchia Millennium Commission for the City of Grand Rapids ('00), Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the amenities to be added to the Kent County Millennium Park ('03 – '06), he chaired "Secchia Commission I" (a statewide '94 commission appointed by Governor Engler to create a user-friendly government), and chaired "Secchia Commission II" (a governor appointed review ('99) of state public employees pensions). He was also on the board of John Cabot University for 10 years and served on their Executive Committee, as well as chairing both the "Development" and the "Budget & Finance" committees. He helped found the charter high school of "Hospitality Sciences" in Grand Rapids. He founded the Grand Rapids Sports Commission ('06) and chaired the opening of the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre ('06).

He is on the Executive Committee of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation of Grand Rapids, he is an advisor to the President George H.W. Bush Foundation at Texas A&M University, he is an advisor to the James Baker Institute at Rice University, created the Secchia Public Affairs Center at John Cabot University in Rome, and the Secchias donated the funds to construct Secchia Hall at Grand Valley State University. Along with Kirk Gibson, he was a co-chair of the fund drive (1998 – 99) to build the 'Clara Bell Smith Academic Center' at MSU and was chairman of the drive (2000) to build the Berkowitz Center for MSU's NCAA Championship basketball program.

His awards and honorary doctorates are numerous, and are listed in his vitae. Civic and charitable financial contributions are not listed.