Dr. J's Bio

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Postdoctoral Studies                         Education                                                         1995

University of North Texas                   Superintendent Studies
Denton, Texas

Doctorate of Education                    Major: Education                                                1994

Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois

Master of Business Administration            Major:  Economics, Marketing                 1974

University of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan

Bachelor of Science                                   Major:            Advertising/Marketing           1969

Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Personal Information:

I was born into a newspaper publishing family and raised in Northern Michigan (Atlanta, Michigan) .  I like most, went away to college in the 1960's not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Completed my Bachelors' in Advertising at Ferris State University.  Then married  to David F. Tibbetts, an attorney and we moved back to my home town of Atlanta, Michigan where he became the county prosecutor and later the county administrator.  Our  son, David Thomas Tibbetts was about two years old when we returned to Atlanta.  I secured employment as an Associate Editor of my families newspaper along with some adjunct teaching and also working as a program planner for the NEMichigan Consortium.   By this time I was working on my Masters in Business Administration from the University of Detroit and commuting back and forth when I was then offered a position at Alpena Community College teaching business and marketing where I worked ful-time for the next 13 years.  During this time we also had a daughter, Jennifer Nicole Tibbetts.  After 15 years of marriage we divorced in 1985, and I started seeking an opportunity to advance my career and my education by obtaining a doctorate. In 1987, my son was recruited by Beloit College in Wisconsin to play quarterback.  In 1988, I was offered a full time position as Director of the Business School for Rock Valley College, Rockford Illinois, which I accepted as it placed me close to my son and provided me with both a career advancement and also an opportunity to pursue my doctorate. At Rock Valley I not only had a tremendous learning opportunity in terms of my career but I was also able to work on the course work for my doctorate from Northern Illinois University.  I was then offered an opportunity to be Dean of Marketing and Business at Northeast Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin which I took for the career advancement, increase in revenues and opportunity to complete my doctoral dissertation.  From Wausau, I returned to Michigan to work for Besser Company in International Marketing and then took a deanship with the Dallas Community College District as Dean of Careers, Continuing Education and Contract Training for North Lake College.  Several years in the South and this Northern gal was aching to return home.  I returned to start a global consulting company for Besser Company and to marry the Alpena County Prosecutor, Dennis Grenkowicz ( he's somewhat younger than myself).  After several years, I wanted to return to academia ( thus the present employment as fulltime faculty at Kirtland Community College  and also start my own consulting company, Weberwoods Communications.  So here I am, having come full circle and I always told my students to 'get rid of their homing instincts'!

My two children, David and Jennifer are now young adults.  Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Michigan law school and recently started working in NYC as a patent and copyright attorney.  David, is still floating around the Pacific Ocean with a base in Guam and starting a doctoral fellowship at the University of Auckland in the Fall.

I have two dogs, Tygger is a golden retriever and Maggie, well she is a mix (Airdale face, german shepherd body and Beagle legs) ....she's really adorable.  And, of course, there is Rocky the lovely cat white with tan markings that looks more like a female cat rather than a male .

Additional Information follows:

MEMBERSHIPS, LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

                         ·     Member American Association of University Women (AAUW) both National and                                     Gaylord, MI chapter, 1996 to Present.

·         Member American Business Women’s Association (ABWA), Sunrise Chapter, Alpena, MI, 1997 to Present.

·         Member, International Mentoring Association (IMA), Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI., 1998 to Present.

·         Member of the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), Washington, D.C., 1996 – 1998.

·         Member, National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA), 1995-1997.

·         Member of the National Vocational Education Association, Washington, D.C., 1992-1994.

·         Michigan Real Estate Broker’s License, Atlanta Real Estate Exchange, Atlanta, MI., 1995.

·         Professional Ski Instructor, Level I Certified, Professional Ski Instructor’s Association, Midwest Division, 1994.

·         Member Thunder Bay Tennis Association, Alpena, MI  1999.

·         Member Thunder Bay Ladies Golf League, Hillman, MI 2000.

·         Private Pilot’s License, Beloit Airport, Beloit, WI.1992.

·         Michigan Real Estate Sales License, Huston Real Estate, Lewiston, MI., 1978.

·         Michigan Vocational Certificate, State of Michigan, Lansing, MI., 1971-1973.

·         Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, American Red Cross, Washington, D.C., 1965-1975. 

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

·         Elected to the Michigan Rural Development Council (MIRDC)

Lansing, MI., 1997 to present.  Re-elected in April, 2000.  Elected to Executive Committee 2002.

·         Elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE), Dallas, TX. 1992-1996.

·         Elected to the Board of Directors of Rockford South Rotary, Rockford, IL. 1989.

·         Appointed to the Women’s Advisory Council of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 1992.

·         Chair-elect of the Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC), Chicago, IL, 1992.

·         Elected Senior Vice President of the Northern Illinois World Trade Council, Rockford, IL  1991.

·         Appointed to the North Central Accreditation Review Team, Rockford Occupational Industrialization Center Academic Program. Rockford, IL.1992.

·         Elected as International Director of the Rockford South Rotary, Rockford, IL. 1989-1992.

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