Dick DeVos is a name I have been aware of for many years, but taking a look at his life in an article from the New Netherland Institute gave me a fresh look at just how much success the Michigan based businessperson has found. DeVos has always been willing to look outside the comfort zone of his the AmWay Group his father founded and continues to spend a long period of time working to make his Windquest company as successful as possible.
I was initially unaware of the success DeVos initially found as the leader of the foreign arm of the AmWay group when he was finally promoted to the role of vice president at AmWay in 1984. Responsible for an under performing arm of the AmWay Group I was impressed by the turnaround Dick DeVos oversaw in 18 global markets, which later allowed his father the confidence to appoint him the President of AmWay; Dick Devos impressed me with the many chances he took over the course of his career, including his years spent guiding the NBA’s Orlando Magic to their highest levels of success.
Dick DeVos has not only been an impressive businessperson but also one of the top philanthropists in the nation, which is where I first became aware of the work he completes with the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation. I first became aware of Dick DeVos as a campaigner for education reform in the Grand Rapdis, Michigan region, a campaign he continued across the U.S. with the opening of many charter schools.
Alongside the work Dick DeVos has completed for education I was also impressed by the way the former Libertarian political candidate has worked to make sure the arts remain an important part of life in all areas of the U.S. Reading the Wikipedia page of Dick DeVos shows he is an avid supporter of the arts in their major form at the Kennedy Center of the Arts and at local level in Grand Rapids, Michigan.