Pat Gillespie is the chief visionary, founder and president of Gillespie Group. Under Pat’s leadership, Gillespie Group has been at the forefront of development and property management, and is recognized as a driving force for progress in Lansing and throughout the state.
Known for his multifamily and mixed-use developments in the Greater Lansing area and surrounding markets, Pat is a respected leader. With his heartfelt mission to motivate and energize Mid-Michigan communities, Pat is recognized for his focus, enthusiasm and ability to bring his unique perspective to life.
A graduate of Michigan State University, Pat supports his alma mater through speaking engagements and attending sporting events. His expertise is put to good use, by engaging audiences at MSU’s School of Planning, Design and Construction, Land Policy Institute and Building Construction Management department when called upon. Pat enjoys sharing his insight with students and faculty.
As a passionate participant in Metro Lansing’s growth Pat holds board positions on the Lansing Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee, Lansing Economic Area Partnership Board of Directors and Steering Committee, Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau Team Lansing Foundation, MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities Advisory Council and Sparrow Foundation.
Celebrating over 20 years in the industry, Pat has advanced over thirty real estate developments. He is an advocate for urban renewal through activism and revitalization projects. His efforts are designed to affect positive change and make a lasting commitment to communities with each development.
The woman who gave us joy, laughter, love and life has passed. Janet Elaine Sullivan O’Leary, 85, died peacefully on October 6, 2018, surrounded by her devoted husband of 63 years and her loving children. She was born to John Kress Sullivan and our beloved Elsie Sullivan in South Orange, New Jersey on March 23, 1933, and lived most of her life in Lansing, Michigan where she met her husband David John O’Leary. They married in 1956 and raised seven children.
She strived to develop seven unique individuals and she did. They are John (Judy) O’Leary, Dan (Amee) O’Leary, David (Kathy) O’Leary, Mike O’Leary, Kathleen (Steve) Michael, Joan (Dave) Johnson, Chris (Kelley) O’Leary. And her 18 grandchildren and their children.
To know Janet is to know she was intent on not taking life too seriously. Every holiday was a game, every car ride was a race (against the other family car). She held a newborn as if it were an extension of her arm. She enjoyed any opportunity, appropriate or not, to play jokes. You never left her house without getting waves from the back door to the front, and every window in between. Our home was full of music, laughter and a lifetime of rhymes. For that we are eternally grateful.
Please join us in remembering this unique and incredible soul. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 10, 2018, at St. Mary Cathedral, 219 Seymour Street in Lansing. A visitation will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening at Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw, as well for one half hour before the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to REACH Art Studio, 1804 S. Washington Street, Lansing, Michigan, 48910.
The International Committee is now accepting international project grant applications and the deadline to submit a grant application is November 2nd, 2018. Areas of need that the international project grants impact include food, clean water, shelter, clothing, education, and health. Grant amounts range from $1000 - $5000 and will be distributed in January 2019. International project grant proposal outlines will be available at the registration table and also at the bottom of the Rotogram beneath DOWNLOAD FILES. Please reach out to Al Yambor at albert.yambor@pnc.com or any other member of the international committee with questions. Or....CLICK HERE
The Lansing Country Club greeted us with open arms on what could only be described as bleak and dreary day filled with rain. Enthusiasm for Rotary was not not dampened despite the weather as President Dennis Fliehman called to order a full house of Rotarians and guests. Brian Taylor gave a thoughful invocation followed by an acapella My Country tis of Thee led by Ken Beachler. The health of the club is most excellent per Diane Sanborn.
Don’t forget to get your international grant requests into the International Committee by November 2, 2018. We had a new member presentation by Marilyn Costigan. She’s a transfer from the Burton, Michigan Club, a 28 member club in which getting all the good works of Rotary done is an all hands on deck affair. Sounds like she has held every post Burton had to offer. Special Music today was introduced by Terry Terry. Pericles Gomes, is a Cellist from Brazil who indicates he wouldn’t be who he was without Rotary. His father was a Rotarian in Sao Paolo. Gomes has played for Kings and Queens around the world and shared his passion for the Cello with us. He did a couple of Bossa Nova numbers, Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim, aka Tom Jobim. The Girl from Ipanema is a classic and he played it with tremendous emotion and pride.
Our speaker of the day was Kirk Ray, the CEO of McLaren Greater Lansing. He’s a 27 year veteran of Provider Side Healthcare. His last post was in Warsaw, Indiana and he is now heading up McLaren’s new build on the SW corner of MSU’s campus. He arrived just in time to experience McLaren’s transition to electronic medical records and to consolidate 2 health care campuses into a new state of the art facility. Tele medicine and collaboration with MSU’s medical school are also on the horizon. The new hospital will be 10 stories with 240 beds and 42 ER examining rooms to accommodate the approximate 50,000 ER visits Mclaren has each year. There were a number of questions which were ably handled and President Dennis closed out the meeting in the usual fashion.
The woman who gave us joy, laughter, love and life has passed. Janet Elaine Sullivan O’Leary, 85, died peacefully on October 6, 2018, surrounded by her devoted husband of 63 years and her loving children. She was born to John Kress Sullivan and our beloved Elsie Sullivan in South Orange, New Jersey on March 23, 1933, and lived most of her life in Lansing, Michigan where she met her husband David John O’Leary. They married in 1956 and raised seven children.
nal project grant applications and the 
