GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WHTC) – Grand Valley State University and Consumers Energy celebrated the opening of the new John G Russel Leadership Center in Downtown Grand Rapids on Friday.
The new three-story, 31,000-square-foot leadership center sits on Grand Valley’s Robert C. Pew Campus, immediately south of the L. William Seidman Center. It will be used as a training hub for professional development for up to 300 Consumers Energy employees at a time. The $11 million center was built by Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction.
The building is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. It features a glass exterior with energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting, as well as natural light, reclaimed wood and fixtures to reduce water use.
The training center is named after former Consumer’s Energy and CEO John Russel, who now chairs the boards of the energy provider and parent company CMS energy. Russel also serves on the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees.
Consumer’s Energy also has state-of-the-art training facilities in West Olive, Marshall, and Potterville.
