George W. Bush

George W. Bush served as 43rd President of the United States of America from 2001 to 2009. As Commander in Chief, President Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity, and security at home and abroad. He entered office with a robust domestic agenda. His first initiative as President was the No Child Left Behind Act, a bipartisan measure that raised standards in schools, insisted on accountability in return for federal dollars, and led to measurable gains in achievement – especially among minority students. Faced with a recession when he took office, President Bush cut taxes for every federal income taxpayer, which helped lead to an unprecedented 52 straight months of job creation. New free trade agreements enacted by the Bush Administration opened up American goods and services to new markets of more than 130 million consumers. Additionally, President Bush worked with Congress to modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit and introduced market forces to the healthcare system by establishing Health Savings Accounts. The Bush Administration also focused on a variety of environmental issues, including efforts to reduce emissions and create the world’s largest marine protected area.

Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, President Bush responded with a comprehensive strategy to protect the American people and wage a global war on terror. His administration built global coalitions to remove violent regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq that threatened America, liberating more than 50 million people from tyranny. Recognizing that liberty and hope are the best alternative to the extremist ideology of the terrorists, he provided unprecedented American support for young democracies and dissidents in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere. President Bush also launched global HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives that have saved millions of lives, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

President Bush grew up in Midland, Texas, as the eldest son of Barbara and George H.W. Bush – later the 41st President of the United States. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. President Bush also served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. Following business school, he returned to Midland and met Laura Welch. They were married in 1977. After working in the energy business in West Texas for several years, President Bush moved to Dallas and joined a group of partners that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise. In 1995, he was sworn in as the 46th Governor of Texas.

After the Presidency, President and Mrs. Bush founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, a nonpartisan organization advancing the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion. The Bush Center comprises the George W. Bush Presidential Library, which is operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, as well as the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, a nonpartisan public policy and leadership development center that engages communities across the United States and around the world by developing leaders, advancing policy, and taking action to solve today’s most pressing challenges.

President Bush is the author of four bestselling books: Decision Points (2010), 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014), Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors (2017), and Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants (2021).

He and Laura are the parents of twin daughters: Barbara, married to Craig Coyne, and Jenna, married to Henry Hager. The Bushes also are the proud grandparents of Margaret Laura “Mila”, Poppy Louise, Henry Harold “Hal” Hager, and Cora Georgia and Edward Finn Coyne. The Bush family also includes one cat, Bob, as well as Freddy the dog.

The DeVos Family

United by shared values of faith, family, stewardship, and discovery, the second generation of the DeVos Family—Dick and Betsy, Dan and Pamella, Cheri, and Doug and Maria—continues to build on the legacy of generosity, service, and civic engagement established by their parents, Rich and Helen DeVos.

Together, second generation DeVos family members lead transformative enterprises and ignite community investments across West Michigan. Their leadership spans managing the family’s professional office, RDV; guiding Amway, a global leader in direct selling, with their partners the Van Andel family; and driving growth through OA Private Capital. Through RDV, their individual offices and businesses, and family foundations, second generation DeVos family members support organizations and leaders who believe in the power and potential of people. Their impact spans education, arts and culture, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, health care, civic initiatives, and community development.

The DeVos family invests in programs and individuals that reduce barriers to opportunity and create platforms for people to achieve their full potential. Initiatives such as the DeVos Family Foundation, the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (DVULI), and SpringGR reflect their long-term commitment to strengthening communities and catalyzing economic vitality.

Since 1970, the family has devoted more than $2 billion to philanthropic grants, championing public-private partnerships, fostering community engagement, and investing in the places where neighbors live, work, and serve—especially Grand Rapids.