Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Brandy has roots and strong ties here in West Michigan that she could not help but return to. Upon graduation from Western Michigan University in 2008, Brandy decided to move out to Las Vegas, Nevada where she worked for 8 years in personal assistance and event managing—even working for the professional boxer, Floyd Mayweather.

Though her career in Nevada was successful and enjoyable, Brandy knew that she had to return back to her family and her life as a West Michigan native. “With my experience and all of the recent development in Grand Rapids, I thought that it was a great time to bring my skill set to this community,” she explained. Brandy attended ReThink West Michigan where she began networking, and spent the next number of months reaching out to companies and interviewing around Grand Rapids.

ReThink West Michigan was really motivating, and I quickly realized that I was not the only one thinking about relocating back to West Michigan,” Brandy said. “Hello West Michigan gave me confidence that I would find the right fit for me, because they were helping me get back into the community and find employment. It was nice to have someone else working on my behalf and assisting in that search.”

Brandy now works as a Convention Services Manager for Amway Hotel Corporation, where she is able to apply the knowledge that she gained from large-scale Las Vegas to the smaller market in Grand Rapids. She often attends various events and conferences around the area, and is trying to network as much as possible. “If people are thinking of relocating to West Michigan, I would advise them to utilize their network and increase their circle of influence,” Brandy explained.

Describing herself as a “big foodie,” especially coming from Las Vegas, Brandy loves the several different restaurants in the community friendly and walkable downtown Grand Rapids. Specifically, she enjoys Daddy Pete’s BBQ and Luna, both located in Grand Rapids. Having been away from West Michigan life for 8 years, Brandy is still exploring, and looks forward discovering more.