Junior Achievement Announces Area Leaders Being Inducted into the West Michigan Business Hall of Fame

Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 2026 – Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, Inc. (JAMGL) announces that William "Brad" Kessel, CEO, Independent Bank Corporation and John D. Loeks, Chairman, Studio C, Celebration Cinema and ShowSpan will be inducted as laureates in the West Michigan Business Hall of Fame. Awardees will be honored at the dinner and ceremony on October 19, 2026, at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Additional awards include Tasha Blackmon, honored with an Edward J. Frey Distinguished Achievement Award, Jodi Havera, honored with the JA USA Bronze Leadership Award and David Rose, honored with the David Hensch Volunteer of the Year award.

The Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame honors prominent business leaders who possess a record of outstanding business achievements in West Michigan, have earned the respect of the local community and who serve as a role-model, particularly to local youth.

“Each year, the Business Hall of Fame gives us the privilege of celebrating leaders who have fundamentally shaped our region, and Brad and John are truly deserving of this recognition,” said Bill Coderre, President and CEO, JAMGL. “Their dedication to our vision for the community and outstanding achievements serve as an inspiration to the next generation. We are excited to welcome them into this incredible group of West Michigan business laureates.”

William “Brad” Kessel is the President and CEO of Independent Bank Corporation. Kessel joined Independent Bank in 1994, advancing into executive leadership in 2004 before being named President in 2011 and Chief Executive Officer in 2013. Under his leadership, Independent Bank expanded its regional footprint across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, growing total assets from $2 billion to over $6 billion while increasing market capitalization from $18 million to over $800 million. His tenure has been marked by major strategic milestones, including corporate headquarters relocations to downtown Grand Rapids and multiple successful mergers.

Prior to joining Independent Bank, Kessel specialized in financial services at a public accounting firm as a Certified Public Accountant. A prominent voice in regional business and banking, he has served as Chairman of the Michigan Bankers Association and on the Community Depository Institution Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. His extensive community involvement includes leadership roles as former Board Chairman for Junior Achievement of Michigan Great Lakes, Board Member for The Right Place, Co-Chair of Housing Kent, and Council Member for the GVSU Seidman School of Business Advisory Council.

Kessel earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Miami University (of Ohio), a Master of Business Administration from Grand Valley State University and is a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He resides in Grand Rapids with his wife, Gayl, and has three adult children and three grandchildren.

            John D. Loeks is the Chairman of Studio C, Celebration Cinema and ShowSpan. Loeks began his career as a sole legal practitioner in Grand Rapids before taking over as President of Jack Loeks Theatres in 1990. In 1997, he launched the Celebration Cinema brand, growing the company into Michigan’s largest family-owned independent theater operator with ten multiplexes across west and central Michigan. Under his leadership, the business expanded into large-format digital experiences, dining, and urban development with the flagship Studio Park project in downtown Grand Rapids.

Loeks also spearheaded the growth of ShowSpan into Michigan’s largest producer of consumer events, expanding its reach to 15 major shows across multiple states. Beyond his business endeavors, Loeks founded Schools for Sierra Leone in 2006, which educates hundreds of students annually in war-torn regions. He has served on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Michigan Great Lakes and held leadership roles with the AuSable Institute, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and Variety Club Tent 27.

Loeks earned his Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College, studied at the University of Munich, and received his law degree from Wayne State University. He resides in Grand Rapids with his wife, Mary, and has three adult children and five grandchildren.

The induction ceremony will take place at the 2026 Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame, a black tie (optional) dinner on October 19 at Frederik Meijer Gardens, with both receptions starting at 6:15 PM. The Daniel & Pamella DeVos Foundation, Independent Bank, and SpartanNash are the presenting sponsors. For more information and to sponsor tables or purchase tickets, please contact Jay Ediger at 616-575-9080, ext. 2227.

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Pictured: William “Brad” Kessel and John D. Loeks

About Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, Inc.

Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes (JAMGL) is the nation’s 23rd largest JA chapter and an area office of JA USA, the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The organization offers programs to help prepare young people in Mid, West, Southwest and North Michigan, as well as the Upper Peninsula, for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, create jobs which make their communities more robust, and apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and are empowered to own their economic success.