Local leader to be honored for commitment to trust and ethics

People

May 13

President and CEO of Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes Bill Coderre will be recognized by the Better Business Bureau in Western Michigan (BBB®) with the 2024 BBB Trust Award. The award honors a business or nonprofit leader whose honesty, integrity, transparency and impact make western Michigan a better place to live and do business.

Coderre will be honored at the annual BBB Trust Award Celebration on June 18, at LMCU Ballpark in the Pepsi Club Stadium. BBB will also recognize three scholarship recipients from the High School class of 2024 and local business, Bazen Electric, celebrating 50 years of BBB Accreditation.

Coderre says trust is engrained in everything we do, from operating a nonprofit, to spending time with family.

“It takes a long time to build trust and a short amount of time to lose trust, so it's something that we're cognizant of each and every day,” said Coderre. “Everything we do within our organization is built on trust, transparency, and always over delivering, opening yourself up so others can see what you’re working on.”

Coderre has been the President and CEO of Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes for nearly 25 years. He first became involved with the organization as a high school student, where he fell in love with the mission and vision. He has been with Junior Achievement for more than 40 years of his career.

Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization focused on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Coderre is passionate about making sure Junior Achievement’s programs are accessible to as many students as possible. Outside of Junior Achievement, Coderre volunteers for a number of educational programs and initiatives in the community.

"Bill Coderre’s passion for education is not only apparent in his work with Junior Achievement, but in all of the other committees and activities he volunteers for to help give students every opportunity to grow and succeed in our community,” said Lisa Frohnapfel, President and CEO, Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan. “His work to instill trust and ethics into every educational opportunity sets a standard for other community leaders.”

The BBB Trust Award is sponsored by Amway, Ayers Basement Systems, BHS Insurance, Centennial Securities, LMCU, Meijer, and Mercantile Bank of Michigan. For more information, visit https://www.bbb.org/local/0372/bbb_wmi_awards/trust-award.