A Year in Review – Community Impact
Outlook 2020
2019 was a great year on a lot of fronts. Willis & Machnik, our daily focus is always to serve our clients’ needs for their specific wealth management issues. We were also very pleased to once again make some significant contributions within our community.
Willis & Machnik has consistently strived to give generously of our time, talents and treasure. We have been very fortunate to find both organizations and efforts that we enjoy supporting. Here are some of the highlights from 2019:
Jackson School of the Arts
Our own Mike England is the chairman of the board of directors for the JSA. They are making huge progress on their new location in downtown Jackson, and Mike has been an integral part of those efforts. We are pleased to support this great organization and all of Mike’s hard work!
Ella Sharp Museum
I am now in my second and final year as President of the Ella Sharp Museum Board of Trustees. We have been a major sponsor and have helped the Ella with fund development efforts over the past several years. It’s a gem of our community and we encourage you to visit if you haven’t in a while.
Lost Railway Museum
Mike chairs the fund development committee and Dan is the Vice Chair of the Board of directors.In addition to our roles we have been financial supporters of the refurbishment efforts taking place within the museum on the exhibits and are excited to introduce some new attractions coming up over the next year or so!
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce
We continue to support the major business representation group in our community. We sponsor the Small Businessperson of the Year award and are involved in many of the Chamber’s programs.
Jackson Symphony Orchestra
Pat Willis and Angela Machnik continue to serve on the Symphony Guild and Mike helps out with fund development. We were pleased to contribute this year through the Symphony Ball, a wonderful event, which highlights this great organization.
Bright Walls
This year Willis & Machnik partnered with the Phil & Pat Willis Foundation to sponsor one of the Bright Walls murals seen in downtown Jackson. Beth James participated as a Jackson Young Professional. This amazing week-long festival resulted in not only some beautiful downtown art, but also has put Jackson on the map as a national destination for tourism. Best Midwest Cities to visit in 2020 - Chicago Tribune
Uncle Phil’s Barbeque
This year Willis & Machnik took over as the.major sponsor of the annual luncheon known as Uncle Phil’s BBQ. Started by Phil Willis over 15 years ago, Uncle Phil’s has grown into quite an event. Three different organizations typically are the beneficiaries of funds raised and 2019 marked the largest fundraiser to date. The 2020 date will be June 18, 2020.
In addition to these specific organizations and events, we were also involved, volunteered or contributed to: Lumen Christi Catholic Schools, Queens, Paragon Academy, JCCA, JAMA, and Spring Arbor University.
2019 was an awesome year! In addition to the exemplary service we provided our clients, we found a lot of time to give to the community. I’m proud of our team and the work we do to make Jackson a better place for all!
