Norman Christopher
Norman Christopher is a seasoned executive in various management capacities including President, CEO, and COO responsibilities. He has helped improve business performance at Dow Chemical, Olin Corporation, Lubrizol Corporation and Haviland Enterprises in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Currently, he is the Executive Director for the Office of Sustainability Practices at Grand Valley State University.
Mr. Christopher has a BA from the University of North Carolina and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He also completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard University.
Mr. Christopher is also active in the Grand Rapids community. He is past chairman of the Family Owned Business Council, a 2000 graduate of the Leadership Grand Rapids Class, and assisted in the formation of the Community Sustainability Partnership in Grand Rapids. He also serves on several boards and advisory groups including the: City of Grand Rapids Sustainability Advisory Team, Seeds of Promise, Michigan Chemistry Council, the Grand Rapids Community Sustainability Partnership, NSF Joint Committee on Sustainable Business and Industrial Furniture, Valley City Sign, and the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee of the United States Department of Commerce. Mr. Christopher was also appointed to serve on Governor Granholm’s Michigan Climate Action Council.
Mr. Christopher has also contributed articles and papers to various journals, periodicals and books including Sustaining Michigan: Metropolitan Policies and Strategies, Michigan State University Press. He is also the author of the book Sustainability Demystified! – A Practical Guide for Business Leaders and Managers. He’s also an adjunct faculty member in the Seidman College of Business at GVSU.
