Parking permits feature artwork by alumnus

For the first time, parking permits for the campus community feature artwork by an alumnus.

Brandon Stickel, a 2010 graduate, took a photograph of the Allendale Campus entrance arch that caught the eye of Lisa Garringer, parking systems coordinator for Public Safety.

Garringer said she noticed Stickel’s photo when it was the featured banner photo on Grand Valley’s website. “I was looking to do something different with the parking permits and I saw this and thought it would work nicely,” she said.

The evening photo with streaks of traffic lights is the same for student and faculty/staff permits, but the background color changes to indicate the appropriate parking lots.

Stickel, who works as an application engineer for Steelcase, said he was surprised to receive a call from Garringer asking permission to use his photo.

“I took that picture in 2009 and was excited when it would rotate to the banner photo,” he said. “And now this is equally exciting.”

Stickel earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and said photography has always been a hobby.

The new artwork is not the only parking change this year. An online parking reservations system will allow faculty and staff members to obtain parking permits for special guests prior to their visits.

To request up to nine guest permits for one event, visit www.gvsu.edu/parking and click on “Faculty/Staff Request,” and enter each guest’s name and email address and a permit will be sent to them.

“One of the biggest challenges we have had in the past is making accommodations for guests,” Garringer said. “Using this system, it’s fast, easy and sustainable.”

Another new parking website feature is “Parking 411,” which highlights common answers to parking questions from each segment of the campus community.