Meet The Board
Robert (Bob) L. Perkins, Chairman of the Board:
Bob joined the Board in December 2013. He is currently developing a new business venture, Eurovix USA, importing enzymatic/microbial formulations from Italy to manage a number of environmental issues. Previously, he spent twenty-eight years in various positions with The Upjohn Company, International Animal Health Division. He also has created and managed an independent consulting practice, Aperks International, focusing on organizational development and leadership.
He has been an active volunteer and Board Member with the local chapter, American Red Cross, since 1997. He has held a number of volunteer positions within the chapter, including Board Chair, and focusing on fund development activities. He has a BS degree in Business Management, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Il and an MBA, in Marketing, from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. He completed an MBA Update Program at the University of Minnesota.
Bob and his wife, Ann, have resided in the Kalamazoo area since 1969, but with a break in 1977 moving to Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They returned to the Kalamazoo area in 1986 and now reside in Portage.
Bill McCarty, Treasurer:
Bill McCarty is a retired Finance & Commercial Law professor from Western Michigan University. He has been on the Friends Board since 2008 and is also a volunteer legislative advocate and state executive council member for AARP Michigan. As an attorney, he continues to provide estate planning services and is a member of the elder law section of the Michigan Bar Association. Occasionally he can be found on the Kalamazoo area golf courses and enjoys working with Senior Center volunteers and staff on projects like the annual Friends golf outing.
Bill is a strong supporter of both the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. Bill and 3 of his 5 children graduated from U of M. Bill served on the WMU Emeriti Council until 2012 and his wife Alma is a WMU grad. They have lived in Portage for over three decades. Their children and grandchildren, who live in various locations in the U.S., enjoy their visits to the McCarty’s Portage home.
Lynn McFarlen, Secretary:
Lynn joined the Friends board in 2023 after many years actively participating in board sponsored activities. She is excited to be a part of Friends because she wants to be a part of a community where active aging adults are given opportunities to engage with each other and continue the pursuit of lifelong learning.
Lynn is an outreach professional with Milestone Senior Services (MSS), whose role is to get information about MSS programs into the community. She is a seasoned public speaker and educator, and is working on digital marketing certifications at the writing of this bio. Other work experience includes high school art teaching for 20 years and working as an outreach professional for a local funeral home. As you can see, this is a wide spectrum of experiences Lynn uses daily to support and encourage the community to learn more about aging issues.
Lynn lives in Oshtemo with her husband, Ted, and two teenaged children, Libby and Joe. Joining the two-leggeds are the four-leggeds, a Sheltie, Milo, who thinks he’s a cat, and Henry, the most unruly Golden Retriever on the planet. When there’s spare time, you’ll find her outside in the garden, bird watching, or rock hunting.
Arun Tandon:
Arun is a registered pharmacist and the owner of Advanced Health Pharmacy in Portage, Michigan. After working and managing the Meijer pharmacy for 21 years, he opened his own pharmacy in 2010. This is where he truly has been practicing his trademark “compassionate care” in an old style neighborhood pharmacy. He has extensive knowledge of the intricate relationship between body, mind and the spirit. Paired with his simple yet powerful holistic approach towards health, makes him a great teacher. Arun is well regarded and recognized for his humility and love for humanity.
In addition, he serves as an adjunct faculty member of Ferris State University, College of Pharmacy. He is an excellent speaker on the topic of stress management, health and wellbeing.
Jeanne Case:
Jeanne joined the Friends board in 2020. Jeanne Case is a Financial Advisor at Raymond James in the downtown Kalamazoo branch. She specializes in working with Women, Longevity Planning and Investing with your values (including environmental and social). Her clientele consists of small business owners and single women recently widowed or divorced.
Jeanne joined Raymond James in 2019 as a second career. Her first career was in Healthcare including work with hospice and director of Three Rivers Health’s wound care clinic. Jeanne feels her healthcare background is an asset for helping her clients, especially retirees, with their longevity planning. “Every financial advisor wants to get their client to Paris or a new truck (at retirement); I am an expert in helping my clients navigate the next phase of retirement, including aging in place or choosing their next place to live and how their money, combined with their wishes, can be best used to fund their next or pass it along and/or leave a legacy.
She holds Series 7 and Series 66 Licenses and Life, Disability and Long Term Care Licenses. Jeanne has earned the designations Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ and Wealth Management Specialist SM from the College for Financial Planning. Jeanne and her husband are natives of Battle Creek and have lived in Kalamazoo for over 20 years. Their two children attended Portage Northern High School. Jeanne is an active member of the community and enjoys playing soccer, pickleball and hiking with her dog. She is also a member of Professionals Focused on Aging. Jeanne is on the Friends of the Portage Senior Center Board of Directors. Raymond James is not affiliated with other listed organizations.
Mickey Huang:
Mickey joined the Portage Zhang Senior Center in the summer of 2022, just a few months after moving to town. Impressed by the facility, staff, and programs – and eager to support the Center as a valuable resource for the community – he joined the Board in 2023. Prior to retiring and moving to the area, Mickey lived in Chicago where he was a marketing copywriter for Alexander + Roberts, a boutique touring company that offers luxury journeys throughout the world. Now he also volunteers with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU and continues to work part-time as a freelance copywriter.
Mickey and his husband Keith met at Kalamazoo College in 1982 and are delighted to have come full circle. They now live in Portage and still travel as they are able: Jordan, Patagonia, Vietnam, and New Zealand are all high on their bucket list. In his spare time, Mickey enjoys reading, working in the yard, spending time with family—and playing pickleball at the Portage Zhang Senior Center!
Linda Scannell:
Linda joined the Board at the end of 2022. She is a native Michigander, having grown up in Kentwood. She has her BA in Business and Management Development. She has lived in the Kalamazoo area for 27 years. Linda practiced real estate for eight years and is now happily retired!
Linda is an avid tennis fan and actually plays tennis on two competitive travel teams through the YMCA. She has been an active volunteer through the years, including the YMCA, Portage Zhang Senior Center, 12 Baskets, and Portage Public Schools, along with experience coordinating blood drives for the Greater Lansing Association of Realtors. Linda has also volunteered for the USTA Boys’ 16 and 18 National Championships for many years, most recently as the Chair of the Player Card committee.
Linda and her husband, retired as a professor and Chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at WMU, love to travel. In her spare time, she loves baking homemade goodies for the people she cares about, reading, golfing, going to the movies, gathering with friends, going to the beach, walking, and spending time with family, especially her two grandchildren who live in the Lansing area.
Gina Tuttle:
Gina Tuttle is a retired Vice President from Bosch Automotive Service Solutions and Sturgis Molded Products. For over 30 years of her career, she provided leadership to sales and services teams in the automotive and plastic injection molding industries. She has been on the Friends Board since early 2023.
Since retirement, she has established her own consulting business, ConsultMe2, where she provides strategic business consulting to both private and public business owners. Her desire to help those in need has reached across the community with her volunteer activity with Urban Alliance, Inc. She provides mentoring and support for marginalized individuals to help them embrace their full potential and build the confidence needed to pursue opportunities to live a safe, healthy, productive, and fulfilling life.
When not seen at the PZSC fitness center with her husband, she can be found with her parents, children, and grandchildren watching a baseball game, skiing, boating, at the beach, or simply enjoying family time.
Jaimie Hageman:
Jaimie is the Banking Center Manager for 1st Source Bank. She manages both branches in the Kalamazoo market. Jaimie is responsible for managing resources and staff in delivering outstanding customer service to all clients in the greater Kalamazoo area. Jaimie handles relationship management activities with new and/or existing clients, which include retail, business, and nonprofit clients. She has been with 1st Source Bank since 2013 and has gained a wealth of knowledge in all different types of banking needs working at a full-service bank, including deposit accounts, loans, and many e-services.
Jaimie Joined the board in June of 2023. Jaimie lives in Portage. Jaimie has been a resident of Portage for most of her life. Jaimie enjoys traveling and spending her free time with her family and friends.