Michigan Sustainable Business Forum members and were prominently represented in the Crain’s Grand Rapids Business 2025 list of Notable Leaders in Sustainability that was published this week. Current board chair Katie Chapman, vice chair Kari Bliss, treasurer Allmon Forrester and Executive Director Daniel Schoonmaker headline a list that also includes two Hall of Fame honorees and representatives from four prominent member organizations.

• Katie Chapman is the Senior Sustainability Engineer at Haworth, and Board Chair at MiSBF. Katie’s leadership in circular design at Haworth has led to significant reductions in waste, emissions, and raw material use, inspiring new product innovation and supporting some of the furniture industry’s most ambitious climate action targets. 
• Kari Bliss, Principal Sustainability at PADNOS and Vice Chair of MiSBF’s board of directors, uses her expertise in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy to help businesses transform waste into valuable material. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Kari pilots PADNOS’ vision to align environmental stewardship with business growth and actively participates in the ReMA Sustainability Network, as well as the Ottawa & Kent County Material Management Planning Committees.
• Allmon Forrester is the VP of Planning and Sustainability at the John Ball Zoo. Allmon’s work at the Zoo has led to significant sustainability and conservation achievements including reductions in water usage and the development of composting and recycling programs which divert 80% of the facility’s waste from landfill.  
• Gayle DeBruyn is a Professor of Design Studies and Sustainability Officer at Kendall College of Art and Design, as well as Prize Coordinator for the Wege Prize, an annual competition for circular economy solutions. Gayle inspires her students to create collaboratively and consider strategies in circular economy and whole systems design thinking. A former president at MiSBF, Gayle was inducted into the West Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame in 2016. 
• Keith Winn is President Emeritus of Catalyst Partners, a West Michigan based business specialized in building and product performance optimization and certification. A founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Keith has been engaged in sustainable design and life cycle methodologies, including his critical leadership in the development of the LEED standards, MTS Smart Product Standards, and the NIST BEE’s LCA Project. Keith was inducted into the West Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame in 2019. 
• Daniel Schoonmaker is Executive Director of MiSBF. 

Other honorees include Andrew Queenan, Director of Sustainability Performance at Pure Architects and Matthew VanSweden, the Sustainability Lead for Progressive Companies, a former board member and past Future Hall of Fame honoree, as well as Ryan Musch, Senior Vice President at Fishbeck, and Kelsey Groesbeck, Director of Building Science at TowerPinkster.

Read the feature here.