A People-First Mentality
Midge, Vicki, and Gary Verplank
On Tuesday, June 4, the Grand Valley community gathered to honor the Verplank family as they received the Enrichment Award in recognition of their community philanthropy and commitment to the university.
“When I think about the Verplank's giving, I think about it as being as wide as it is deep,” explained Holly Johnson, family friend and president of the Frey Foundation. “They have been so intentional…to not just support the areas where they do business, but also the communities where their employees hail from.”
Generations of Change
Kyle Verplank, who accepted the award along with his brother, Tony, said that their “family and community involvement have gone hand in hand for generations.” That generational impact was on display as the brothers talked about their parents – Gary and Vicki – as well as their uncle, Midge.
Brothers Gary and Midge founded Shape Corp. in 1974, and while they had tremendous professional acumen that grew the company into a multi-business enterprise with locations across the globe, they are most fondly remembered for all the ways they invested in their community. Reflecting on growing up under the influence of his family’s philanthropy, Tony said, “We just thought that that was how things were done and that's how people behaved.” Kyle agreed, noting that “one of the adages we operated under as children was that business exists for the betterment of the community…those words really drove a lot of actions from my dad and Midge and how they operated the businesses, where they expanded, [and] how they chose to integrate with the community.”
People First
Midge, Gary, and Vicki all believed in prioritizing others. “Their ability to connect with people was probably their greatest gift,” Tony said, “The way they approached the businesses was always a people-first mentality. It was really an extension of their values and who they were and how they wanted to be treated.”
Early on, the Verplanks saw the collaboration of private business and public education as a bedrock of a strong community. A major motivation behind their persistent partnership with Grand Valley was the drive to build and support a strong talent pool in West Michigan. They specifically championed the ongoing growth of Grand Valley’s engineering program. As current co-executive chairmen of Shape Corp., Tony and Kyle wanted to carry on their family’s legacy. Their corporate support helped create GVSU’s Shape Corp. Innovation Design Center. This facility includes rapid prototyping labs, digital design studios, a fabrication lab, and dedicated space for younger learners in kindergarten through 12th grade who are participating in programs like FIRST Robotics.
Community-wide Impact
Midge, Gary, and Vicki were also passionate about Michigan’s lakeshores and were committed to protecting our natural resources through their work with and support of the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute. “I think their love for the water drew them to it,” Kyle said. “But when you think about it at a community-wide level, water is this area's biggest asset. I think they were really passionate about protecting that for future generations.”
An Enduring Legacy
Tony and Kyle feel passionately about carrying on their family’s legacy of giving. They credit their parents’ and uncle’s compassion, altruism, and empathy for inspiring their own philanthropy. “When you step back and think about it, it’s not really about us,” Kyle said. “It’s about the employees, the communities, the stakeholders, and our family. On behalf of them we accept the award… but really, we are honored to celebrate the legacy of our parents and Midge and all they did for Grand Valley.”
