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Our Heritage Day dinner is part of the Genesee County Celebrates America 250 Passbook Program
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2026 Annual Heritage DinnerFriday, June 12th
Annual Member Meeting 5:00-5:30pm (Doors open at 4:30 for members planning to attend meeting) 5:30pm - 9:00pm Main Event DetailsGenesys Conference & Banquet Center
805 Health Park Blvd., Grand Blanc Twp, MI 48439 Beef and Chicken Buffet with Dessert $50 per person Alcoholic beverages available for purchase. RSVP by June 4th, 2026 |
Schedule of Events
- Annual Member Meeting 5:00-5:30pm
(Doors open at 4:30 for members planning to attend meeting. Meeting starts at 5:00pm sharp. Newly elected Directors will be announced.)
- 5:30 pm: Doors open to the public (tickets must be purchased in advance, no sales at door); cocktails available (cash bar)
- 6:00 - 6:45 pm: Buffet-style Dinner
- 6:45 - 9:00 pm: Guest Speakers and History Maker Awards
This year we honor these Six history makers
Jim Ananich
Public Servant and Community Advocate Jim Ananich is a prominent Michigan public servant, educational leader, and healthcare executive who has dedicated his career to the revitalization of Flint and Genesee County. Born and raised in Flint, Ananich developed a strong foundation in civic engagement early in life. He graduated from Flint Central High School before earning a bachelor's degree in political economics from Michigan State University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Michigan-Flint. Before entering state politics, Ananich worked directly within his community as a civics and social studies teacher for Carman-Ainsworth and Flint Community Schools. He also served as an education coordinator for the nonprofit Priority Children, helping local youth secure workforce training and employment opportunities. His formal political career began on the Flint City Council, where he served from 2005 to 2009, including one year as council president. Ananich transitioned to state government upon his election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2010. In 2013, he won a special election to the Michigan State Senate, representing the 27th District. His peers quickly recognized his leadership capabilities, electing him Senate Minority Leader in 2015—a leadership position he held until 2023. He made state history as the first person to be chosen to lead a Senate caucus multiple times in Michigan's term-limit era. Throughout his legislative tenure, Ananich was a vital voice during the Flint Water Crisis, consistently championing long-term infrastructure funding, healthcare resources, and economic support for his hometown. His legislative achievements include establishing Flint as a "Promise Zone" to guarantee tuition-free higher education for local students, implementing workforce development initiatives, and passing laws targeting scrap metal theft. Following his departure from the legislature, Ananich has continued his advocacy work. He serves as the President and CEO of the Greater Flint Health Coalition and acts as a university lecturer. In April 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Ananich as the Chair of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, continuing his lifelong commitment to state public service. He resides in Flint with his wife, Andrea, and their son. 
Geena Gall Levoe
Olympic Athlete and Michigan Track Legend
Geena Gall Levoe is an elite American middle-distance runner and Olympian whose remarkable career solidified her status as one of the greatest track and field athletes in Michigan history. Born in Flint and raised in Grand Blanc, Michigan, Levoe was naturally athletic from a young age. At Grand Blanc High School, she initially excelled as a standout point guard on the varsity basketball team before a freshman knee injury shifted her primary focus toward track. Under the guidance of her coaches, she transitioned from sprinting to the 800-meter event, ultimately capturing back-to-back state championships and setting a long-standing state record. Levoe took her talents to the University of Michigan, where she assembled a legendary collegiate career from 2005 to 2009. Running for the Wolverines, she earned national acclaim as a 10-time NCAA All-American and a dominant force in the Big Ten Conference, capturing 10 individual and relay Big Ten titles. Her crowning collegiate achievements came in 2008 and 2009, when she secured back-to-back NCAA Outdoor Championship titles in her signature event, the 800-meter run. She was also a vital member of Michigan's famed "Fab Four" relay team, which shattered two collegiate records at the Penn Relays. Following her collegiate success, Levoe transitioned into a highly competitive professional career on the international circuit. In 2012, she realized her lifelong dream by placing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a personal best time of 1:59.24. This performance punched her ticket to the 2012 London Olympic Games, where she proudly represented Team USA and advanced to the Olympic semifinals in the 800-meter event. In recognition of her athletic excellence, Levoe was inducted into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame as one of its youngest-ever members. Following her retirement from elite track racing after the 2016 Olympic Trials, she shifted her passion toward trail running. She currently works for Nike and resides in Oregon with her family. |
ken morrow
Olympic Champion and NHL Dynasty Icon
The 1980 Soviet Union hockey team wasn’t just the best hockey team of all time; they were arguably the best athletic team ever assembled. They had just dismantled the NHL All Stars in the third game of a best of three series in a stunning 6-0 blowout victory. The unfair rules of Olympic competition at the time allowed Communist countries like the USSR to use professional players (pretending them to be amateurs) while the USA could only use college players for the most part. The odds for the USA in the 1980 winter Olympics hockey against the Soviets were horrible at best. No one could withstand the Soviet juggernaut, least of all a collection of college kids. But that 1980 team didn’t get the memo. And neither did their star defenseman, Ken Morrow. The Herb Books-led squad went on to defeat the vaunted Soviets 3-2, and Morrow was on the ice during those final frantic minutes of that iconic win, including Al Michaels's famous question that framed a generation of hockey in America, “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?” Two days later Team USA defeated Finland to capture the Gold medal in Lake Placid, a feat not matched again for 46 years when the USA triumphed with the Gold in 2026. Morrow's Flintstone roots are strong, Ken's dad, Don, was a Flint Central Indian, and a great athlete and baseball player there. Strong family ties shaped Morrow’s youth, and so did playing sports in Flint. Born and raised on Kellar Avenue on the city’s West Side, he played his hockey in backyards and on Flint city rinks like Memorial Park, Lincoln Park, and Whaley Park on the East Side, evolving to the Greater Flint Hockey Association at the IMA. Morrow says, “I am a product of my Flint childhood - a working-class mindset and a solid work ethic that set a foundation for me at a young age.” His family later moved to Davison where he a graduated from Davison High School, though he never played hockey in Davison or for the school. That’s because Morrow was so good he was focused on travel hockey and competing against the best metro Detroit could throw at him. That experience led him to college hockey at Bowling Green where he was the school’s first hockey All American, and the 1979 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Player of the Year. That success led him to Coach Herb Brooks and the 1980 US Olympic Hockey squad, the Miracle on Ice Team. Immediately following his Olympic triumph, Morrow signed with the New York Islanders, who had drafted him in 1976. In doing so, he made history by becoming the first hockey player to win an Olympic Gold medal and an NHL Stanley Cup championship in the exact same season. He became an indispensable defensive anchor for the Islanders' historic 1980s dynasty, helping the franchise capture four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983. Ken was known for his reliability and clutch playoff goals. Morrow was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995. He has spent over three decades working in executive and coaching roles, serving as the Islanders' Director of Pro Scouting since 1993. 
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala
Physician Leader and Community Advocate Dr. Mukkamala is the current president of the American Medical Association. A Flintstone through and through he is also a highly respected otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat surgeon) and national healthcare leader who has spent decades dedicated to organized medicine and the revitalization of his hometown of Flint, Michigan. Born and raised in Flint and a graduate of Flint's Luke. M. Powers Catholic High School, Dr. Mukkamala committed himself to medicine early on. He attended the University of Michigan, graduating from its accelerated Inteflex medical program in 1995. He then completed five years of residency training in otolaryngology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago before returning to Flint to establish his private practice. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Mukkamala has become a cornerstone of the Flint medical community, performing surgeries at all three local hospitals. Beyond his clinical practice, he is deeply invested in public health advocacy. Following the Flint water crisis, he spearheaded critical community initiatives aimed at mitigating lead exposure in children. His local civic efforts also include running blood pressure screenings at community farmers' markets to focus on the early detection and prevention of chronic illnesses. Dr. Mukkamala’s visionary leadership extended onto the national stage through his extensive involvement with the American Medical Association (AMA). After serving on its Board of Trustees, he was elected president of the organization, stepping into the role as the AMA's 180th president. Throughout his tenure, he has championed major healthcare transformations, including reforming the Medicare reimbursement system, reducing administrative burdens like prior authorization to combat physician burnout, and pushing for technological interoperability across healthcare networks. His leadership has been further informed by his personal experiences. Following a brain tumor diagnosis, he became a vocal advocate for medical research, genomic testing, and biomedical innovation. Dr. Mukkamala shares his passion for Flint and automotive history with his extensive classic car collection. He is in private practice space with his wife, Nita, an OB-GYN. Together, they live in Flint (in the former home of legendary General Motors CEO Harlow Curtice) and have twin sons, Nikhil and Deven. |
Sue Novara-Reber
World Champion and Cycling Trailblazer
Sue Novara-Reber stands as one of the most dominant track cyclists in American history and an iconic figure in Michigan sports. Born and raised in Flint, she possessed an explosive competitive drive matched by a powerful 5-foot-9 athletic frame. Before finding her calling on the velodrome, she proved her versatile athleticism on ice, capturing both state and Midwest outdoor speed skating championships during her youth. As a cycling prodigy representing Flint Northwestern High School, Novara-Reber rocketed onto the international stage. In 1975, at just 19 years old, she made history as the youngest woman ever to win the World Sprint Championship. Far from a singular triumph, she repeated the spectacular feat in 1980, ultimately securing seven total medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships over her illustrious career. Domestically, she dominated the sport, capturing the U.S. National Sprint Championship in 1972, 1974, and 1975, and once held the American record in the 200-meter track event. By the early 1980s, Novara-Reber set her sights on the Olympic Games. However, because the upcoming 1984 Los Angeles Games only offered a women’s road race and excluded her signature track sprint event, she entirely overhauled her racing style. Despite the grueling transition from short track sprints to long-distance road racing, she achieved remarkable success, winning the 1982 Senior Women's Road National Championship, multiple stages of the French Tour, and the 1984 Central Park Grand Prix. Though she narrowly missed qualifying for the 1984 Olympic squad, her impact on the sport endured long after her retirement. From 1986 to 1988, she passed on her elite expertise by serving as the coach of the USA Women's National Team. In recognition of her historic achievements, Novara-Reber was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1991 and is a celebrated member of the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame. 
Pam Stockton Brady
Hall of Fame Badminton Legend
Pam Bristol Brady (née Stockton) stands as one of the most prolific and dominant athletes ever produced by the city of Flint. During her competitive prime, her exceptional court anticipation and crisp shot-making ability transformed the "Vehicle City" into the undisputed badminton capital of the United States. Her unparalleled career is anchored by an astonishing 20 adult U.S. National Championships captured between 1972 and 1985, consisting of four singles titles, eleven women's doubles titles, and five mixed doubles titles. A true prodigy out of Flint Southwestern High School, Brady captured 24 national junior championships before transitioning to adult dominance. Her international resume is equally spectacular. At just 18 years old, she won both the South African open singles and women's doubles titles during a 1971 U.S. team tour. In 1977, she swept both the women's doubles and mixed doubles titles at the inaugural Pan American Badminton Championships. Brady also proudly represented Team USA on the world stage in three consecutive Uber Cup global team campaigns between 1971 and 1981. Her domestic record was so ironclad that she only failed to win a National Championship once between 1965 and 1983—a lone exception in 1975 for the birth of her daughter. Proving that badminton was a family affair, she teamed up with her husband, Danny Brady, to win back-to-back U.S. national mixed doubles titles in 1981 and 1982. Beyond her personal accolades, Brady left an indelible mark on grassroots sports. Alongside her mother and coach, Lynn Stockton, she spent the 1970s running clinics and organizing leagues through the Flint Badminton Club, training thousands of local youth. In recognition of her global and local impact, Brady was inducted into the U.S. Badminton Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1983, securing her permanent legacy as American badminton royalty. |
