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| ==Political activities prior to 2006== | ==Political activities prior to 2006== | ||
| Dick DeVos is president of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, a Grand Rapids area foundation that has donated thousands of dollars to religious and free-market economic organizations since 1990. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.mediamouse.org/resources/right.php?foundId=5 | title = The Far Right in West Michigan: Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation | work = Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media | accessdate = 2006-10-12 }}</ref> In 1990, DeVos won election to the Michigan State Board of Education, and resigned two years later. In 1996, DeVos was appointed by Governor ] to the ] Board of Control |
Dick DeVos is president of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, a Grand Rapids area foundation that has donated thousands of dollars to religious and free-market economic organizations since 1990. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.mediamouse.org/resources/right.php?foundId=5 | title = The Far Right in West Michigan: Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation | work = Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media | accessdate = 2006-10-12 }}</ref> In 1990, DeVos won election to the Michigan State Board of Education, and resigned two years later. In 1996, DeVos was appointed by Governor ] to the ] Board of Control. | ||
| <!-- Commenting out until neutral sources can be found. Please note that Granholm's article does not employ any opposing political groups as sources: In the 2000 national election, Amway was the second largest contributor of soft money to the Republican party. Amway has helped Republican candidates in other ways as well. For example, that same year, the George W. Bush campaign used Amway's voicemail network to broadcast its message to tens of thousands of Amway/Quixtar distributors with a "personal voicemail message" from Bush. --> | <!-- Commenting out until neutral sources can be found. Please note that Granholm's article does not employ any opposing political groups as sources: In the 2000 national election, Amway was the second largest contributor of soft money to the Republican party. Amway has helped Republican candidates in other ways as well. For example, that same year, the George W. Bush campaign used Amway's voicemail network to broadcast its message to tens of thousands of Amway/Quixtar distributors with a "personal voicemail message" from Bush. --> | ||
Revision as of 19:04, 1 November 2006
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Dick DeVos (born Richard DeVos, Jr. October 21, 1955) is a businessman and conservative Republican politician from Michigan. The son of Amway founder Richard DeVos, he is currently the Republican candidate for governor of Michigan, challenging incumbent governor Jennifer Granholm.
Family and early life
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dick is a graduate of the Forest Hills public schools and received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Northwood University. He later attended the Harvard Business School and the Wharton School's Executive Study Programs.
His wife, Betsy DeVos, is the former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. Betsy and Dick have four children: Rick, Elissa, Andrea, and Ryan.
Business activities
DeVos began working with his father's Amway Corporation in 1974, holding positions in various divisions, including research and development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and finance. In 1984, he became one of Amway's vice presidents, with responsibility for the company's operations in 18 countries. Under his leadership, the company opened new markets and tripled international sales to exceed domestic sales for the first time in company history.
In 1989, DeVos left Amway to start a new business venture, The Windquest Group, a multi-company management group involved in the manufacture and marketing of storage and closet organizers. When the DeVos family acquired the NBA's Orlando Magic basketball franchise in 1991, DeVos became president and CEO of the team. He left both positions in January 1993 to rejoin Amway as its president, succeeding his father, Amway co-founder Rich DeVos.
In 2000, DeVos oversaw a corporate restructuring that created Alticor, the new parent company of predecessor Amway, as well as subsidiary companies Access Business Group and Quixtar. Under DeVos, Alticor expanded operations to more than 50 countries and territories on six continents.
DeVos retired as president of Alticor in August 2002. In that fiscal year, Alticor reported sales of $4.5 billion, primarily through its more than 3.5 million mostly part-time sales force and its complimentary e-commerce channel. After retiring from Alticor, DeVos returned to become president of The Windquest Group.
DeVos currently sits on the board of directors of the Education Freedom Fund which provides money for families to send children to private schools. He is the author of the 1998 book Rediscovering American Values.
Political activities prior to 2006
Dick DeVos is president of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, a Grand Rapids area foundation that has donated thousands of dollars to religious and free-market economic organizations since 1990. In 1990, DeVos won election to the Michigan State Board of Education, and resigned two years later. In 1996, DeVos was appointed by Governor John Engler to the Grand Valley State University Board of Control.
School Vouchers
DeVos and his wife became co-chairs of what is now the Education Freedom Fund in 1993. The Fund provides private scholarships to children of low-income families in Michigan with wishes to attend private schools. DeVos also sits on the board of a national organization, the Children's Scholarship Fund, which provides similar scholarships across the country. When the Children's Scholarhip Fund provided $7.5 million to the Education Freedom Fund, the DeVoses matched the grant, and their foundation covers all of the administrative costs of the organization. Pro-privatization groups such as the Children's Scholarship Fund use charitable scholarship programs as part of their campaign to build support for publicly funded vouchers, in part by favoring religious schools in how it awards its grants.
In 2000, DeVos was the co-chairman of the "Kids First! Yes!" campaign committee, which sponsored a ballot-initiative that would have amended the Michigan constitution to allow vouchers and tuition tax credits for private K-12 education. The initiative lost, with 69% of voters opposing the measure.
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation has also given money to groups like the American Education Reform Council, Choices for Children, and Children First America, in addition to funding Christian schools in the West Michigan area.
Funding for other organizations
The foundation has funded organizations such as Michigan Family Forum, an affiliate of the national group Focus on the Family; the Institute for Marriage Policy; the National Day of Prayer Task Force; the Council for National Policy (of which DeVos is a member); and the Michigan-based Foundation for Traditional Values, among others.
Free-market Economics
The foundation has also given money to organizations which promote free-market economics, such as the Grand Rapids-based Acton Institute; the Heritage Foundation; and the Hudson Insitute
Current Posts and Present Board Memberships
- President, The Windquest Group, 2002-present
- Chairman, Board of Directors, World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, 2002-present (Board Member since 2000)
- Governing Board, Orlando Magic, 1994-present
- Member, Board of Trustees, Thunderbird, The Gavin School of International Management, 2003-present
- Member, Board of Directors, Willow Creek Association, 1997-present
- Member, Michigan Business Roundtable, 1997-present (Co-Chairman, 1997; Chairman, 1998)
- Member, Board of Trustees, Blodgett/Butterworth Health Care Foundation; 1994-present (Board Member since 1990)
- Co-Chairman, Grand Action Committee, 1992-present (Chairman, Grand Vision Committee, 1991-1992)
- Member, Board of Directors, Education Freedom Fund, 2005-present (Chairman, 1994-2005)
References
- Cain, Charlie (2006-06-23). "Betsy DeVos Steps Out of Political Spotlight". Detroit News. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Hornbeck, Mark (2006-06-23). "Who is Dick DeVos?". Detroit News. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
- "The Far Right in West Michigan: Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation". Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media. Retrieved 2006-10-12.
- "A Profile of Dick DeVos" (PDF). People for the American Way Foundation. Retrieved 2006-09-30.
- "Education prominent in elections". Michigan Education Report. Mackinac Center for Public Policy. 2001-01-10. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
- "Dick and Betsy DeVos Funding the Far Right through Foundation Grants". Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media. 2006-10-05. Retrieved 2006-10-12.
- "The Far Right in West Michigan: Dick DeVos". Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media. Retrieved 2006-10-12.
- "DeVos Claims to be Public Education Advocate; Granholm Supports Militarization of the US-Mexico Border at Second Gubernatorial Debate". Media Mouse--Grand Rapids Independent Media. 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
External links
Official Websites
- DeVos for Governor campaign site
- MIGOP.org: Michigan Republican Party
- GOP.com: United States Republican Party