St. Joseph Township resident Jim Roberts was named Hispanic Business Person of the Year by the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at its annual gala in Grand Rapids last week.
Roberts is the owner of business consulting firm Jim Roberts Enterprises and Jim Roberts Investment Advisors in St. Joseph. He also co-owns commercial real estate business Lake Company. He tells us the WMHCC gala is a gathering of around 600 members to celebrate the economic advancement of Hispanic-owned businesses and culture.
“It’s a very good organization, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” said Roberts, who also served on the WMHCC Board for eight years. Jim also serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Minority Business Development Council, West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, Citizen Advisor for the Berrien County Pension and Trust Investment Advisory Committee, and Audit Committee for the Child and Family Services of Southwest Michigan. He was also appointed in 2008 to the Council for Labor and Economic Growth by the Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Roberts said he’d like to use his award to inspire young people of color to think beyond the worlds of sports and entertainment for their career aspirations.
“I really try to provide a role model for young students of color,” said Roberts, adding his ancestry includes Hispanic, Native American, Causasian, African and Asian. “I think [this award] shows kids that there’s lots of different pathways you can follow to create a career in life. That, to me, is important.”
The WHMCC is one of two Hispanic Chambers in Michigan. It was formed in Grand Rapids in 2017, and has expanded to support Hispanic-owned businesses from Muskegon and Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo and Berrien County. To learn more, visit westmihcc.org.
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