Andy Schor serves as the 52nd Mayor of Lansing, Michigan.
Mayor Schor believes that Lansing’s Time is Now! He is focused on Lansing being its best self - a diverse, vibrant and welcoming community. Mayor Schor knows that a strong city must offer amenities and necessities needed to retain and sustain residents through all stages of life.
Under Mayor Schor’s leadership, Lansing has seen billions in new investments all across the city either completed or in progress. Inclusive growth and economic development throughout Lansing remains a priority for Mayor Schor. He was proud to open the first grocery store in Lansing’s downtown and has focused on new housing for residents of all incomes that continues to be developed all across the City. Support and resources continue to be prioritized for neighborhoods, as well as social services, including homeless prevention programs and sheltering services for those in need. He has increased access to recreational activities with new parks, improved play equipment, and recreation opportunities for all residents.
Prior to his election as mayor, Schor served in the Michigan House of Representatives and as an Ingham County Commissioner. Professionally, his work has been focused on good government policy issues, including several years at the Michigan Municipal League, working for the Michigan Insurance Commissioner, and as an aide in the Michigan Legislature.
Andy and his wife, Erin, are proud to call Lansing home. They have two children, both graduates of Lansing Everett High School. Mayor Schor graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and history.
Nominations Wanted for our Club’s “Rotary Hero” Our club’s board of directors is requesting nominations for a club member who will be recognized as our club’s “Rotary Hero.” The Rotary Hero will be selected by our club’s board at our March 18th meeting, and will be honored at the District Conference held in South Haven on May 3rd. A nominee should be a current Rotarian who truly exemplifies “Service Above Self” in everything that he or she thinks, says or does, or a long-time member who has given many years of service.
Your nomination should include:
Your nominee’s name and a two-word descriptor, such as “Servant Leader” or “Go Getter”
A paragraph (or more if you feel inspired) describing why they are our Club Hero
Past honorees from our club have been: Jack Draper, Jack Bates, Ken Beachler, Duane Vernon, Irv Nichols, Helen Mickens, Mark Hooper, Pat Hanes, Sue Mills, Kurt Guter and John Cauley.
The deadline for submission of nominations is March 17th. All submissions should be emailed to Cathy at cathy@lansingrotary.com. If you have any questions please direct them to President Rebecca Bahar-Cook.
Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will be meeting immediately after Rotary this Friday, March 14th in the President's Dining Room. See Bilky Joda-Miller on Friday.
This year the Rotary Club of Lansing Foundation has allocated $69,705 for its Local Grants program. Grants up to $10,000 for local nonprofits that impact underserved or disadvantaged populations; enhance cultural, recreational, or economic elements of the community. Funds may be used toward: capital campaigns, general operating expenses, special projects/events, and/or ongoing program support.
A total of $45,000.00 was approved by the Rotary Club of Lansing Foundation Board for International Grants from the committee. Each week we will highlight one of the non-profits receiving our checks.
Pathways Togohttps://pathwaystogo.org/
Pathways Togo launched its tutoring project in 2017 with the short-term goal of engaging students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and the long-term goal of empowering young women to graduate and address economic, environmental, and social issues in Togo. In the last several years, Pathways Togo decided to concentrate tutoring efforts in these subjects to scholars in the critical and difficult exam years that take place at the end of middle school, at the end of the second year of high school and at the end of high school. In addition to having passing grades throughout the school year, students must pass these exams in order to advance to high school, advance to the last year of high school and to graduate high school. Pathways Togo’s tutoring project uniquely addresses the challenges that Togolese students, especially girls, face in large classroom environments, where class sizes range from 80 to 150 students per teacher. In such settings, students have minimal chances to ask questions or receive one-on-one support. Girls, in particular, are less likely to seek help due to cultural expectations that encouragement to be deferential, which limits their academic engagement. Individualized tutoring, however, enables female scholars to overcome these barriers, leading to improved scores and a higher likelihood of passing the critical end-of-year exams necessary to advance. Before the project started, high failure rates in math and science led many students to repeat grade levels. However, the tutoring program has helped students achieve greater success, with Pathways Togo scholars consistently achieving higher passing rates than the national average meaning more middle school students passed the exam required to advance to high school, and the majority earned scores in math and science high enough to enter the more rigorous science track. This year, the project will provide six months of tutoring support to 39 Pathways Togo scholars preparing for official end-of-year exams, helping them pass, and advance to the next grade level.This funding also contributes to the sustainability of Pathways Togo’s scholarship program, as successful advancement reduces the total education cost per student, allowing Pathways Togo to assist more scholars overall. Pathways Togo received a check for $5,000.00 in January 2025.
President Rebecca brought the meeting to order with the tolling of the Rotary bell and all rose to recite the four-way test. Ben Bakken gave a heartfelt and moving reflection about his father who recently passed away; fighting through the tears of fond and loving memories, shared a stanza of his father’s favorite poem by Rudyard Kipling:
“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”
The club then sang “God Bless America” before returning to their seats for the remainder of today’s meeting. Next was the introduction of guests and visiting Rotarians, with numerous visitors with the club this week. Regarding the health of the club, in addition to the passing of Ben Bakken’s father, Chris Swope lost his mother-in-law and Ben Rathbun’s grandfather passed this week. Condolences to all.
Courtney Millbrook introduced today’s special music, the cast from Grand Ledge High School’s musical “Disney’s Descendants”. The group enthusiastically performed three songs from the production.
After club announcements, Craig Stiles announced February birthdays with the question “What would you say to your prior self if you had the chance?” Answers were along the lines of; make your decisions with the knowledge you have today, be patient, your time will come, and you got this girl.
President Rebecca brought Julie Pingston to the podium to introduce Meghan Ziehmer, the Director of the Lansing Sports Commission. The Lansing Sports Commission operates under Julie’s organization, Choose Lansing, with emphasis on promoting Lansing as a sports destination. Meghan started with Choose Lansing in 2009 as an intern and rose to the organization’s Director, when the Sports Commission was formed.
Meghan stated that her career supporting sporting activities in the Lansing region is also her passion. The concept of sports tourism is a relatively new concept, but the concept is growing through cities and regions setting up similar commissions throughout the United States. Sports tourism is defined as travel to a region to attend or participate in sporting events and activities. In 2023, sports tourism nationwide contributed over $50 billion in direct economic impact and $128 billion in total economic impact. Additionally, these events bring tax revenue into regions generating more than $20 billion annually. While the pandemic halted the growth of sports tourism, the growth has rebounded to pre-2020 numbers and continues to grow.
Sports tourism is not individuals attending regular season collegiate and professional events. Sports tourism is broader and includes events such as high school tournaments, youth club tournaments, non-traditional sports tournaments and championships, as well as traditional tournaments and championships (think March Madness and the Super Bowl).
Meghan mentioned bringing events such as college bowling championships, NCAA conference championships, national championships for horseshoes and disc golf (which Lansing does or has hosted), creates an economic benefit for local hotels, restaurants, retail stores and local businesses (you need to refill the gas tank for the trip home as an example), event venues, etc. etc.
Ideally, those visiting the Lansing region will return home and share their experiences in our region, promoting Lansing through word of mouth throughout the nation and have them looking forward to returning to Lansing in the future or even consider moving to our region permanently.
This is where the Lansing Sports Commission shines with services such as coordinating tournaments, promoting venues for events, providing visitors with a regional guide to hotels and restaurants, area and venue maps and even picking up tournament officials at the airport when they arrive. For local event venues and organizations hosting events the sports commission provides support in not only promotion but assisting in setting up event venues, assisting with event staffing and guidance in organizing the event through the commissions expertise and experiences.
The Lansing Sports Commission allows Lansing to participate in this growing industry through their efforts, that would be lacking if groups were to try to go it alone and learn by trial and error, which may hinder future endeavors of those organizations.
After numerous great questions, the meeting was brought to a close by President Rebecca, until we meet again next Friday.
Andy Schor serves as the 52nd Mayor of Lansing, Michigan.
Meghan mentioned bringing events such as college bowling championships, NCAA conference championships, national championships for horseshoes and disc golf (which Lansing does or has hosted), creates an economic benefit for local hotels, restaurants, retail stores and local businesses (you need to refill the gas tank for the trip home as an example), event venues, etc. etc.