Dave Lorenz
Dave serves as Vice President of Travel Michigan, where he is responsible for leading the state’s tourism branding, advertising and public relations efforts; overseeing the award-winning Pure Michigan tourism campaign and coordinating overall statewide tourism initiatives. Mr. Lorenz is on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association, the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) Alumni Group, Michigan Cares for Tourism, Circle Michigan, Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, MotorCities National Heritage Area, West Michigan Tourism, Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the @Grand Rapids Hotel Advisory Board. Prior to Travel Michigan, Mr. Lorenz was the Manager of Partnerships and Promotions, for Meijer, Inc. He also has 14 years’ experience in radio broadcasting in roles varying from announcer and news reporter to numerous management positions.
Jimmy Lee Hill
Chef Hill was born in Muskegon Heights, Michigan. He attended Ferris State University where he received his Culinary Education in Food Service Management/Hotel Motel Restaurant. After working for several restaurants, Chef Hill joined the State of Michigan, Department of Corrections in 1985 as a Food Service Supervisor and then transferred to Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan in 1989 where he took over The Food Service Hospitality Management Program and has been there for the last 30 years. Chef Hill has won several awards which include the Great Michigan Potato Recipe Contest and American Culinary Federation Lansing, MI Chapter Chef of the Year.
Laura Kurella
Laura Kurella is an award-winning journalist, food columnist, World Food Championship semi-finalist, and former Colon resident.
Her work is syndicated through numerous news and media outlets including Gannet, Gatehouse, Hoosier Media, and The Food Channel, and can be found locally in Shoreline Magazine, and on Tuesday’s Flavor page in the Sturgis Journal, where her food column has appeared for the past twenty years!
A recipient of Hoosier State Press Association awards, Michigan Press awards, and numerous other food, photo and recipe-related awards, Laura is also a member of the Association of Food Journalists, and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She's authored two cookbooks, one children’s book, and appears live, on TV, in classrooms, and on radio all in a combined effort to help promote “Food that makes you feel good!”
Her work is syndicated through numerous news and media outlets including Gannet, Gatehouse, Hoosier Media, and The Food Channel, and can be found locally in Shoreline Magazine, and on Tuesday’s Flavor page in the Sturgis Journal, where her food column has appeared for the past twenty years!
A recipient of Hoosier State Press Association awards, Michigan Press awards, and numerous other food, photo and recipe-related awards, Laura is also a member of the Association of Food Journalists, and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She's authored two cookbooks, one children’s book, and appears live, on TV, in classrooms, and on radio all in a combined effort to help promote “Food that makes you feel good!”
Marcel Zondag
Dr. Marcel M. Zondag is an associate professor of marketing and the director of the Food Industry Research and Education Center at Western Michigan University. Zondag is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Marketing and Service Research at the University of Rostock, Germany. Zondag earned a J.D. from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee.
Zondag teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in food marketing, global business management and supply chain management. He is a regular presenter at academic and industry conferences and consults with different organizations on enhanced customer experience management, sales management and in-store execution issues, the so-called “last 50 yards of the food and consumer package goods supply chain.”
Zondag teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in food marketing, global business management and supply chain management. He is a regular presenter at academic and industry conferences and consults with different organizations on enhanced customer experience management, sales management and in-store execution issues, the so-called “last 50 yards of the food and consumer package goods supply chain.”
Kristen Bienert
Kristin Bienert is the Editorial Content Manager of Meredith Corporation’s Travel Marketing Content Studio, the custom media arm of Midwest Living magazine, which reaches 4.1 million readers. Kristin works primarily on state travel guides, including Pure Michigan, plus other client projects such as inspiration pieces, native print and digital programs, TV segments and social content packages, as well as concept-to-completion project management. Kristin has been with Meredith Corporation since 2005 and lives in Detroit.
Jim Edelman
Jim Edelman’s sales and marketing life goes back to 1982. Jim’s attention to detail, idea generation and sales chops help complete the circle for Under the Radar Michigan. UTR fulfills a lifelong mission to combine the best of his sales skills with the creative guy that’s always been lurking in the shadows. His love of storytelling and searching for offbeat, little known stories really makes his day.