(HOWELL, MI) Alan Drimmer, PhD, president of Cleary University, is proud to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Trustees.
They are Joseph Hamway, Robert Richards, and Taylor Webster.
Joseph Hamway is Vice President and Principal of the Industrial Division of Signature Associates in Southfield, a full-service commercial real estate firm managing industrial, high tech, office, retail, medical, land, investment sales, corporate services, project management and property management. Signature Associates has been named Best and Brightest Companies to Work and Top Workplaces.
Hamway has been affiliated with Signature Associates for 32 years in the commercial real estate branch. His hands-on approach has helped him sell and lease more than $1 billion in commercial real estate. He specializes in eastside industrial and complex multi-market transactions throughout all of Metro Detroit and around the country. He is considered a leading producer in the industry, and has been awarded a “World Class Club” designation 30 times and Signature Associates’ top overall sales broker for multiple years. Hamway was inducted into the Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame in 2016.
He is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he played varsity hockey.
Robert Richards is a 1993 graduate of Cleary University. His career, encompassing seven uniquely different industries and five continents, includes successfully designing and implementing innovative manufacturing and quality improvement strategies in the US, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Chile.
He first worked at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground deploying multiple process control systems for GM’s Assembly Division headquartered in Detroit. During that time, he created a comprehensive problem prevention process that improved product quality and customer satisfaction that was declining rapidly. As a result of his efforts, GM achieved more than $500 million in savings in five years. In addition, he implemented the first automated assembly plant roll test inspection and real-time quality feedback system in the automotive industry, which remains a global automotive standard 35 years later.
Richards went on to work for Herman Miller, an office furniture maker, where he was responsible for a $250 million business unit with rapid sales growth outpacing manufacturing capacity. He implemented Lean Manufacturing, which led to improved production capacity of 417 percent and decreased customer lead time of 71 percent.
In 2018, Scotland-based Weir Minerals was struggling as a result of an inefficient regionally focused divisional organizational structure. As newly appointed Vice President of Central Operations, Richards created an effective business strategy that streamlined the global manufacturing and distribution footprint. He also led the successful turnaround of an underperforming $210 million manufacturing operation for Weir in Shanghai, China.
In addition to his degree from Cleary University, Richards received Executive Development education from Harvard University.
Taylor Webster, CPA, has more than 10 years of experience in public and large corporate accounting settings. He serves as the Global Senior Tax Manager and acting Head of Tax for Neogen Corporation, a publicly-traded food and animal safety manufacturer based in Lansing. He helped lead Neogan through a multibillion dollar acquisition of 3M Company’s food safety division, utilizing technical accounting as well as tax and project management skills.
Prior to his work at Neogen, Webster spent five years in the automotive industry with Varroc Lighting and Hella Corporate Center USA. He began his career at Plante & Moran PLLC in the tax division at the company’s Southfield headquarters.
He completed his bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting at Michigan State University.
About Cleary University
Founded in 1883, Cleary University is a four-year, world-class accredited university, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees from a unique Business Arts curriculum, driven by a faculty of thought leaders with deep, practical experience in their industries. Providing on-campus and online education models, Cleary provides a robust athletic program and a rich residence life with nearly 200 students living on the quiet, rolling 50-acre campus. Cleary graduates tend to land jobs faster than their peers and with higher earning salaries at the start of their careers.
Cleary University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a proud member of the HLC Standard Pathway, and an approved institution by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. A nonprofit university, Cleary’s campus is located at 3750 Cleary Drive, Howell, MI 48843, (800) 686-1883 with an education center within the Durfee Innovation Society at 2470 Collingwood St., Detroit, MI 48206.
Cleary University:
- Ranked #5 in the nation for best online business degree (University HQ)
- Ranked #3 in Michigan for best average starting salary two years post-graduation (US Department of Education)
- Ranked #5 in the entire country for its student debt ratio to starting salaries (Wall Street Journal)
- Named “Best for Vets College in 2022” by Military Times
- Earned Gold Level Veteran-Friendly status two years in a row from The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) for continued excellence in serving military-connected students in Michigan
To learn more about Cleary University, visit its website: https://cleary.edu.
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