Trustees choose Bill Marsh Jr. to join board
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College's Board of Trustees on Monday selected longtime college supporter and former community auto dealer Bill Marsh Jr. to fill a vacancy until the November election.
Bill Marsh Jr.
(click for high-resolution photo) Marsh, of Traverse City, was one of six applicants to fill the seat vacated by Rachel Johnson in January. He will serve until the next regular community college election, set for November 5. At that time, voters will choose a candidate to serve the remainder of the term held by Johnson, which expires December 31, 2026.
Marsh has been an active NMC volunteer for many years. He joined the NMC Foundation Board in 2010 and served as its annual fund co-chair before joining the executive committee as an officer, serving as chair from 2016-2018. In 2020 he served on the steering committee for NMC Next, the college’s strategic plan. Also in 2020 he was named a recipient of the NMC Fellow award, the college’s highest honor.
Marsh and his brothers recently sold the Bill Marsh Auto Group, a multi-franchise dealership group with more than 300 employees. In his application, Marsh said the vacancy coinciding with the sale of the dealership was ideal timing.
“Eschewing the disengagement of traditional retirement, I am excited about the opportunity, after decades of community-minded participation as a business owner, to utilize this next phase of my life to serve in an even greater capacity with more time, energy and focus,” he said.
When named a Fellow, Marsh said he admires NMC’s wide reach and profound impact on northern Michigan, as well as the “strategic, entrepreneurial spirit” he sees among college faculty and staff.
“This college sees its role as beyond what a traditional community college does. (We’re) seeking to invest in the human capital of northern Michigan,” he said.
And those investments pay off every day, whether it’s a veteran coming to NMC to transition back to civilian life, a traditional college student saving money before transferring or a business like the Marsh Group tapping into professional development and training programs.
“You hear those stories of transformed lives through education and it really provides the fuel to be advocates,” said Marsh.
Release date: FEBRUARY 19, 2024
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
(231) 392-1800
cnoga@nmc.edu