Beyond the Banker

Judy Meyaard is the Team Leader for our Commercial Team’s Dealer Services group, and with the passing of the CARES Act in 2020 and the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), she is one of the go-to resource for our commercial teams' participation in the PPP. 

Judy was born and raised in South Haven, Michigan.  Shortly after high school graduation she got her first taste of banking when she started working at First Michigan Bank (FMB) while getting her degree in business at Davenport College.  She and her husband were setup on a blind date by one of Judy’s FMB co-workers, his Aunt, and have been married now for 23 years. She came to work at Macatawa Bank in 1998, shortly after the bank was established.  

Judy said, “I've made many wonderful memories and friendships at Macatawa Bank – I'm grateful for all the opportunities I've had to learn and grow here over the years.” She added, “I want to give a shout out to our bank leadership for choosing to be a participant in the SBA Paycheck Protection Program, and for making it a priority to assist our small business customers and our surrounding communities during the pandemic.”  

Some fun facts about Judy: She is an only child, her husband is an only child and they have an only child. The Meyaards enjoy having a small, cozy family. Their son is a music major at the University of Michigan where he studies bass trombone performance.  Judy is now a fan of all things Michigan – Go Blue!  Judy rings hand bells in a church choir, and she and her husband enjoy traveling to watch their son's band and drum corps' performances.  Judy loves cooking and eating out, and when they travel you can always find them at the best local BBQ joint (St. Louis is a favorite!).  

 

Meet Ba

Ba Orao is a Senior System Administrator in our IT department. He has been sharing his talents with Macatawa Bank since 2010, when he started as a part-timer on the Technology Help Desk while he completed his degree in Information Security. His contributions to the security and productivity of the bank are vast. Ba can typically be found at his desk quietly working. Many of our employees may not even know who he is, but most of the bank's technical infrastructure would not be what it is today without him. He has provided input and led many projects that our team members use on a daily basis. Out of necessity, Ba became a system expert on one of our new system integrations, to the point that the vendor now refers their customers to him for advice on how they should integrate their system. 

Ba has lived in West Michigan since elementary school. He and his wife have been married for 7 years, and have a 4 year old boy, and a set of 2 year old fraternal (boy/girl) twins. 

 “You might be surprised to know that I really enjoy cooking and baking,” said Ba. “Prior to having kids, my wife and I used to bake elaborate birthday cakes for friend and family birthdays. When our kids get a little older we hope to pick that back up for their birthdays.”

Dan Brown was honored at a ceremony on November 21, 2019 by the Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce, as the recipient of the Community Impact Award for his commitment to excellence in the community.

Dan was nominated by a customer of Macatawa Bank who contacted the Chamber.   The customer's  son was 24 years old when Dan helped him open his first checking account.  Opening a checking account seems fairly mundane, and most of us do this before reaching adulthood. But this event was a milestone for this man's mentally challenged son, and Dan did more than open the account.  Dan took on a mentor role and eventually this young man was able to get a job and obtain more independence for himself.   The customer stated, "Not only did Dan go above and beyond to help my son, he changed the dynamic of our family for the positive." 

When the Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Janessa Smit discussed Dan's nomination with others in the community, she heard additional stories about Dan sharing his financial expertise to help others, so the decision to direct the award to Dan was an easy one.

"As a community bank, we talk all the time about how important life events are to our customers," said Jill Walcott, Macatawa Bank's Chief Retail Officer.  "We are in a unique position sometimes to really make a difference for our customers" Walcott continued. "When we can take ownership of those moments, we have the opportunity to alleviate anxiety from our customers' finances, and their lives, by providing sound advice and guidance."

Congratulations Dan Brown for receiving this award. Macatawa Bank thanks you for living out our values and principles every day. You really are making an impact.