Crain's Detroit publisher to speak at GVSU

Mary Kramer, publisher of Crain's Detroit Business and Grand Valley alumna, is the keynote speaker for the Peter F. Secchia Breakfast Lecture.

The event will take place March 29 at the L. William Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. and the lecture will be from 8-9 a.m. Register by March 22 at www.gvsu.edu/seidman.

Kramer, who is also a member of the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees, will give a speech entitled, "Hurray for Hush Puppies: Why West Michigan companies are adding women to their corporate boards." 

Kramer will discuss a recent scorecard for Michigan's largest publicly traded companies and offer ideas on ways Michigan can lead the nation in voluntarily adding more diversity to the corporate ranks.

"Some European companies have placed legal quotas on companies to ensure diversity on their boards of directors. Quotas aren't the right path," Kramer said. 

Kramer was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2013. Along with serving as publisher of Crain's Detroit Business, she is also the corporate vice president of its parent company, Crain Communications. She has a bachelor's degree in arts and media from Grand Valley and a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from Eastern Michigan University.