Front-paged at MichiganLiberal.
The website "What You Don't Know About Dick" cites a '93 Chicago Tribune story announcing Dick's resignation from the State Board of Education.
Dick DeVos, recently named to succeed his father as president of Amway Corp., has announced his resignation from the State Board of Education. The Grand Rapids Republican told the board Wednesday that he was "unwilling to try to do two jobs halfway well."
Daddy DeVos had a heart attack, Dick was named to take over Amway. Dick decided his priorities were with the company and not his public service.
Well, OK. We will give him a pass. This time. At least he did the honorable thing by stepping down when he realized it was too much to do, right? I mean, these guys meet, what, once a month? Dick just didn't have the time.
Alright. Go then.
Except, he then turned around and did it again.
DeVos was named to the eight member Grand Valley State University Board of Control by John Engler in 1995. GVSU members meet at least five times a year, with additional meetings when needed.
Dick proceeded to put his own interests in front of his service to the board. From a GR press article dated Sept. 29, 2000 (not on the web)-
DeVos, who was appointed to the board in 1995, has the poorest attendance of any of the current board members.
In fact, DeVos has not attended a board meeting since June 1999, just before Kids First! Yes! -- a pro-voucher organization he co-chairs -- was launched.
He has missed 13 of 24 meetings, dating to his first meeting in February 1996.
At the most-recent meeting, Sept. 11, when President Arend Lubbers announced his retirement, DeVos voted by phone through a conference call. He was at Bethel Pentecostal Church, 834 Lake Drive SE, promoting vouchers the day before.
Source Citation: "Dick DeVos lags in attending GVSU board meetings; The Amway president has missed 13 of 24 meetings since 1996, and has not been at a meeting in more than a year.(City & Region)." The Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, MI) (Sept 29, 2000)
You could say that Dick "phoned it in" when it came to his presence on the board.
GVSU begged Dick to stay when Dick wanted to quit to push his voucher proposal and tend to business at Amway.
Lubbers issued an unsolicited statement after learning The Press was reviewing board attendance. In the release, Lubbers said DeVos approached him about leaving the board because of scheduling conflicts.
But Dick had other things to do. In fact, he was a member of over 20 boards at the time.
DeVos has been kept busy the past 18 months with vouchers and his company. He was not at a GVSU board meeting April 26, the day before The Press reported Amway was preparing to announce its second wave of job cuts in two weeks. DeVos was not at the June 9 meeting either, three weeks after Amway announced it was cutting 900 jobs in West Michigan.
According to the Web site for Restoring the Dream, an organization he leads, DeVos is a member of nearly 20 boards in addition to GVSU's.
(same source as above)
Dick's a busy guy. Something had to give.
This prompted a scathing editorial from the GR Press, a publication usually loath to criticize the big sugar daddies of the GR area. Titled "Show up or move on", dated Oct. 4 2000-(also not on the web)
Coming to work is a minimal job requirement, as a seasoned businessman such as Dick DeVos would know. Yet the Amway president has missed more than half the Grand Valley State University Board of Control meetings held since his appointment to the board in 1996. The school deserves more than absentee governance, even from a very busy man.
No doubt, Mr. DeVos has pressing commitments. His business has gone through a major transition in the last year, facing challenges as it lays off employees.
As the point man for school vouchers in Michigan, Mr. DeVos has been crossing the state at a frenetic pace. That's fine. But he is still one of eight GVSU board members and is expected to be present for votes and discussion, especially as the board goes through its own major transition in seeking a successor to retiring President Arend D. Lubbers.
-snip-
He should again reassess his commitments and decide whether or not he can be an active participant in the GVSU board. Mr. DeVos would not stand for such a shoddy attendance record in his private business. He should hold himself to the same standard in his public responsibilities.
Source Citation: "Show up or move on.(Editorial)(Editorial)." The Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, MI) (Oct 4, 2000)
Which leads us to the question of Dick's interest in public service now.
Will Dick put his own priorities in front of the priorities of the state? Will he be leaving Windquest? (which, depending on what story you are reading, is a "closet organizer manufacturing company" or a "holdings management company", take your pick) Or will Windquest take his attention away as Amway once did?
Will Dick "phone in" his performance as Governor when his many other interests, or perhaps, national ambitions, divide his attention?
Can we trust a man who has proven that he puts public service on the back burner when business calls?
I think not. Michigan needs someone who has their full attention on the best interests of all the people, not just the select few that appeal to a Governor's personal ambitions.
That someone is Jennifer Granholm. The choice is obvious.