GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 30, 2021 —The Board of Directors for The SOURCE has appointed Alison Freas as the organization’s new Executive Director. Alison joins The SOURCE after a successful career at Herman Miller, where she held a variety of human resources roles focused on workforce development and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Most recently, Alison was responsible for career development, leading a team focused on supporting Herman Miller manufacturing team members in their pursuit of career advancement. She also served as the education lead of the Herman Miller Cares corporate giving program, led the Herman Miller Academy, was a member of the organization’s Gender, Racial Equity and Disability Equity teams and participated on the project team that developed the proposal that ultimately led to Herman Miller joining The SOURCE as an employer partner.
The SOURCE said Alison’s passion for “education, community, and workforce development make her an excellent fit” for her new role leading the organization.
Alison is a first-generation college graduate. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary business education from Central Michigan University and holds a master’s degree in career and technical education from Western Michigan University. She was a member of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Grand Rapids class of 2016 and a member of the Regional Impact Leadership Team focused on post-secondary education access and attainment. She serves on the board for Latin Americans United for Progress and was the chair of its annual youth leadership conference in 2018 and 2019.
“I am excited to join a great team at The SOURCE, who have had such a significant impact on West Michigan,” Alison said. “I believe in The SOURCE’s mission and look forward to working with our partner companies to serve employees. The SOURCE will be a critical partner in the recovery and rebuilding of our local workforce as we exit COVID.”
The SOURCE was founded nearly 20 years ago by a consortium of southwest Grand Rapids employers who came together to better support their employees.
To learn more about The SOURCE, visit https://www.grsource.org/.
About The SOURCE
The SOURCE creates equitable access to opportunities for career growth and improved well-being by stabilizing households, strengthening employment retention, and advocating for changes in community policies to eliminate inequities and systemic barriers to employment. Since its founding in 2003, The SOURCE has grown to serve clients across West Michigan and today partners with many of the region’s most influential employers, philanthropic organizations, and community-based organizations to improve economic well-being for everyone, including many of the most historically underserved populations in West Michigan.