Upcoming Events

This event is free for veterans and active military personnel. Use promo code "2025MilitaryDinner" when registering.

Join us for a special evening of reflection, inspiration, and connection as we honor the dedication and resilience of our nation’s veterans. This year’s Veteran’s Day Dinner will feature a distinguished three-speaker panel:

• Lorrena Black, founder of She Serves, sharing her mission to empower women veterans through support and advocacy.
• Bob Taylor, author of From Service to Success, offering insights on the journey from military service to thriving civilian life.
• A representative from Wounded Warrior Project, highlighting the organization’s impact in helping veterans heal, adapt, and succeed beyond service.

Together, our panelists will explore themes of mission-focused leadership, resilience, and the transition from service to civilian success. This meaningful evening will honor veterans, foster community dialogue, and inspire all of us to lead with courage and purpose.

About the Speakers

Bob Taylor

Bob Taylor attained a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan State University in 1986, then joined the Air Force in 1987. He married the love of his life, Sara, on the Fourth of July during navigator training. He finished that training program as a Distinguished Graduate. Shortly after, Bob was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base in New York. He then deployed to Diego Garcia, where he flew eleven combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and received the Air Force’s Air Medal. Shortly thereafter, Bob served as a KC-135 navigator and finally as an Air Force Academy Liaison Officer in the US Air Force Reserves.

Bob has dealt with the impact of his service for over 30 years, has worked within the VA health system for the last 10 years, and finally embarked on researching and writing his book, From Service to Success: New Mission, New Purpose, and a New Journey to a Great Life. Bob has firsthand experience with the gaps in veteran care.

Since his transition from military service, Bob has concentrated on the medical device industry, where he has started five new companies and sold two. Today, Bob is the CEO, founder, and sole owner of Alliant Healthcare Products, Alliant Biotech, and Medisurge – the Alliant Healthcare Group is located in Grand Rapids, MI. Since 2002, his verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business has sold over $1 billion in healthcare products to the VA and military hospitals all over the world.

Bob and Sara now reside in Kewadin on Torch Lake in northern Michigan.

Lorrena Black

Retired U.S. Army Veteran | Speaker | Facilitator | Leadership Coach

Lorrena Black is a dynamic speaker, facilitator, and leadership coach whoempowers veterans and professionals to ditch self-doubt, embrace resilience,and lead with confidence—all while keeping it refreshingly real. A retired U.S.Army Major with 25 years of service, she’s no stranger to high-pressureenvironments, tough leadership decisions, and finding the humor in chaos(which comes in handy as a mom of four teenagers). As the Founder and CEO of She Served LLC, Lorrena helps veterans and professionals navigate challenges, silence their inner critic, and step into theirpower. Her engaging keynotes and interactive workshops tackle imposter syndrome, resilience, emotional intelligence, and leadership development, leaving audiences with actionable insights and a renewed sense of confidence. Lorrena’s experience spans multiple leadership roles, including Vice President of Leadership Development for a nonprofit. She holds a Master’s in Management and Leadership, is a Co-Active Trained Coach, a certified Emotional & Social Competency Inventory Practitioner, and an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator. With military discipline, real-world wisdom, and a dose of humor, Lorrena delivers keynotes that inspire, educate, and entertain.