• What is Detroit Renaissance’s high level regional agenda?
• What types of collaborations have been formed statewide?
• How should mayoral candidates prioritize Detroit’s issues?
• What initiatives are gaining traction? Which are running into roadblocks?

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Sandra Pierce
President & CEO
Charter One Bank

Ms. Pierce is the President & CEO of Charter One Bank in Michigan and Indiana. Charter One Bank, N.A. is a $46 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $161 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens’ corporate parent is RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).

Ms. Pierce began her successful and diverse banking career in 1978 when she joined NBD Bancorp as a teller while attending Wayne State University. Upon graduation, she held a number of significant roles in commercial banking, retail banking, marketing and private client services at NBD and its successor organizations First Chicago NBD, Bank One and JP Morgan Chase.

In 2002, Ms. Pierce became regional executive of the Retail Midwest Region at Bank One. In this role, Ms. Pierce managed 350 bank branches that served over one million households and provided a full suite of consumer services including: mortgages, small business loans, consumer loans and investments.

In January 2005, Ms. Pierce brought her leadership experience, local market insight and customer service expertise to Charter One Bank as President and CEO in Michigan. In December 2005, Ms. Pierce was also named President & CEO, Charter One Bank, Indiana. As president & CEO, Ms. Pierce is responsible for all local business, community and charitable giving decisions. In addition, she serves on the company’s Executive Policy Committee. Under her leadership, Ms. Pierce launched several signature Charter One initiatives including Champions in Action®, Job Creation Loan Program and Housing Bank. For the second consecutive year, Charter One was named the No. 1 SBA lender in Michigan.

James Nicholson
President & CEO
PVS Chemicals, Inc.

James B. Nicholson is President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Shareholder of PVS Chemicals, Inc., an international manufacturer and marketer of water-treatment and other chemical products. Since its founding in 1945, PVS has maintained its world headquarters in Detroit, and it now employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Before joining PVS in 1972, Mr. Nicholson held positions at The First National Bank of Chicago offices in London, England and Dublin, Ireland.

Mr. Nicholson has been a member of the Board of Directors of Amerisure Companies since 1982 and is now its Chairman. Mr. Nicholson also currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Detroit Public Television (Channel 56), and sits on the Boards of the Handleman Company, Standard Federal Bank (ABN-AMRO), Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Regional Chamber (Past Chairman) and the Michigan Chapter of the Nature Conservancy (Past Chairman).

Active innumerous civic organizations, Mr. Nicholson was appointed by Gov. John Engler in 2000 to serve on the Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority. In 2002, Gov. Engler appointed Mr. Nicholson to the Wayne County Airport Authority, where he functions as Vice Chair. He also now serves on The Council of the Graduate School of Business at The University of Chicago and is affiliated with the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit and United Way Community Services.

Mr. Nicholson earned his BA in Economics from Stanford University in 1964 and his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1967. In 1968, he received a Master of Science Degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. A Michigan native, he and his wife, Ann, reside in Grosse Pointe Farms and have four adult sons.

Audio File: 

R2R May 2009.mp3