Honorees

The Shining Light Regional Cooperation Awards are fittingly dedicated to, and named in honor of, the widely respected Neal Shine who promoted his love for Detroit and his vision for stronger ties among all metro communities during his 45-year career with the Detroit Free Press. Mr. Shine passed away in
April of 2007.

The fifth annual Shining Light Regional Cooperation Awards ceremony recognizes four regional heroes:

Brian Balasia
As the 2011 Dave Bing Future Leader Award winner, Brian Balasia believes there is a transition taking place within the business community that is pushing younger, creative people to the forefront.
He has devoted his career to helping businesses and communities achieve better outcomes through implementing process improvement methodology. As founder and president of both Digerati and the MORE Program, Balasia has developed initiatives that encourage collaboration among major organizations including national foundations and government bodies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce. His efforts have produced technologies and resources to increase Michigan’s intellectual capital and give its entrepreneurs, innovators, and business owners the tools they need to succeed. Brian Balasia was selected one of Crain’s Detroit Business 20 in their 20s in 2008; in 2010, he was named a Marshall Memorial Fellow as one of the emerging leaders in the United States. He is a special advisor to the New Economy Initiative and has served on the Board of Governors at the University of Michigan, the U.S. Department of Labor’s WIRED Board for Southeast Michigan, and the Detroit Regional Chamber Board. Balasia received a BSE in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Susan Goodell
For her spirit and passion in addressing economic challenges and improving the lives of vulnerable people, Susan Goodell was chosen to receive one of the Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” awards for 2011. Under Susan’s leadership as President and CEO of Forgotten Harvest for more than 10 years, the organization is now the state’s largest and the nation’s second largest mobile food rescue organization – helping to feed people who face dire need. Under her guidance, Forgotten Harvest has grown from distributing 800,000 pounds of surplus annually to rescuing nearly 23 million pounds of nutritious surplus, fresh and prepared food, and distributing this healthy food to about 165 partner emergency food distribution agencies in Southeast Michigan in 2011. Recognizing the region’s escalating need for emergency food, Goodell replaced a proven business plan with a substantially more aggressive plan, resulting in 100 percent growth (10 million pounds of food) over the past two years. Typical of an unsung hero, Susan effectively deflects credit for these accomplishments, choosing instead to highlight the significant contributions of the many individuals, corporations, foundations, public policy officials, nonprofits, volunteers, and staff that have come together under her leadership to collectively fight hunger in our region.

Louis Green
For exemplifying the courage needed to improve regional cooperation and understanding, Louis Green, President and CEO of the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council, will receive the second Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” award in 2011. He has been a positive visible force encouraging corporations in the state and minority business leaders to work as cohesive units, reminding them that while they are separate entities, they share the similar goals of profitability, diversification, economic stability, and a strong Michigan. Green often works quietly behind the scenes, facilitating dialogue to seek real change from an economic perspective. He has invited economic policymakers to see the “real Michigan” story and understand the concerns Michigan-based businesses face in today’s economy. He has brought together corporations and minority-owned businesses to form new partnerships and seek out ways to diversify our economy from a predominantly automotive focus to other manufacturing sectors such as medical devices and alternative energy. His skills are nationally recognized. He was appointed by the White House as an advisor on minority and small business issues and has met with President Obama to highlight the plight of minority and small business owners in Michigan.

Paul Hillegonds
Described by former Michigan Governor John Engler as a man of “absolute integrity,” Paul Hillegonds will be honored with the fifth annual Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership. Throughout his long and varied career - as a legislator in Lansing and president of a prominent civic organization, to his current role as senior vice president of corporate affairs at DTE Energy – Hillegonds has demonstrated that he is a regional thinker, a skilled win-win negotiator able to reach across political aisles, and a mentor to many following in his civic leadership footsteps. Hillegonds served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1979-1996, and held numerous leadership positions – Republican Leader, Co-Speaker of the House, and Speaker of the House. From 1997-2005, he was President of Detroit Renaissance, a nonprofit civic group of Southeast Michigan business leaders focusing on economic development and public policy issues. In his current position at DTE Energy, Hillegonds oversees governmental relations efforts at the local, state, and federal levels as well as the company’s philanthropy, regulatory affairs and environmental management and resources organizations. He serves on the boards of many professional and community affiliations and has received numerous honors and awards throughout his career.

View the Detroit Free Press article on all of this year's winners

View the Detroit Free Press Shining Light awards videos

More information on this year’s honorees is featured here:
Brian Balasia
Susan Goodell
Louis Green
Paul Hillegonds

For information on the past honorees, please click here.