Grand Rapids Community College: Carlos Sanchez Wants to Be the First Latino to Be Elected Member of the Board of Trustees
On November 6, general elections will be held to elect two Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) board members. Carlos Sanchez wants to fill one of the vacancies.
There is a large number of Latino students in Grand Rapids Community College and there is no one on the board that can actually talk about the experience of being Latino in the College,” said Carlos Sanchez when being asked about his motivations for applying for the position of board member.
Representation matters; that is why it is important to choose a Latino for the first time in the college’s history to fill the position of trustee. “Right now, there are very few Latinos in Grand Rapids that can represent the community,” he added.
“However, it’s not about choosing a Latino to represent the community as a GRCC Board Member, but to choose the right candidate with the right experience and qualifications,” he continued. For instance, throughout his career, Carlos has developed several programs to help young Latino professionals to acquire the necessary skills to excel in the workplace and is passionate about educating all members of the community.
Currently, Carlos Sanchez is the Director of the Latino Business and Economic Development Center (LBEDC) at Ferris State University. His work at the center focuses on developing Latino leaders and entrepreneurs.
At LBEDC, Carlos implemented The Latino Talent Initiative, a program made to equip young Latino professionals with the skills, resources, and confidence needed to become leaders at work and in their own communities. Additionally, the center also focuses its efforts to promote community entrepreneurship with the goal of preparing individuals to build economic opportunity for all.
Prior to joining LBEDC, Carlos exceled at his role of executive director of the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Grand Rapids, where he actively contributed to the development of the Latino community while interacting with and mentoring Latino entrepreneurs, business owners and students.
“I feel that I have a lot to contribute to the board because I have held various positions where I served my community. During all this time, I have been working to improve the quality of life of Latinos in this city,” said Carlos.
Mr. Sanchez has over ten years of valuable experience in the areas of diversity and inclusion as well as Latino entrepreneurship. His extensive community involvement includes serving on several boards and committees such as the Board Chair of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and interim executive director of the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.
Other boards and committees on which he has served include Dyer Ives, the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, Center for Community Leadership, Davenport University Alumni Board and Community Board Member of Chemical Bank, to name a few.
“I bring extensive board experience having served on very visible nonprofit and for-profit boards as well as a state commission,” Carlos added while referring to his involvement with the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Gov. Rick Snyder, during which he helped to develop a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of the state’s Hispanic and Latino residents.
He’s a graduate from Leadership Grand Rapids, Leadership Advantage and Project Blueprint. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Davenport University in Grand Rapids and a Bachelor of Business Administration and Hotel Management at Universidad Iberoamericana, a prestigious university in Mexico City, Mexico.
Carlos also holds an MBA level certification in design and Innovation management from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. He is pursuing his MBA at Ferris State University.
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