Spotlights
William Van Lente '69
Employer
VLA Consulting LLC/Principal Consultant/Owner
1. Tell us about your journey since graduation.
It has been quite the diverse and interesting journey. I began a
career in human resource management with a local Muskegon
manufacturing firm that was a Fortune 500 division, continued in
manufacturing, then entered higher education/R & D, financial
services, healthcare, and eventually finished my full time employment
as the Chief Executive Officer of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the
Duck Valley Indian Reservation. In addition to management positions, I
have served as an organization development consultant and adjunct
faculty member. Now semi-retired, I am available for consulting work
with a focus on organizational and leadership development and change.
2. Share a favorite Grand Valley memory.
My favorite course was Social Psychology under Dr. James Lundy
given it bridged my interest in psychology with organizational
development. My most fun course was Field Techniques in Anthropology
which was an actual physical anthropology excavation of a Woodland
Indian village site in Western Michigan under Dr. Flanders.
3. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Pursue a career in work for which you are passionate.
4. List three words you would use to describe your Grand
Valley experience.
Stimulating, meaningful, and student-focuses.
5. What difference would you like to make in the world?
Full utilization and integration of all we have learned in the
behavioral sciences, especially in governance, healthcare, and education.
February 2025
Interest Area(s)
Psychology, Sociology
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