ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., and ChoiceOne Bank (NASDAQ: COFS) (“ChoiceOne”) announce the retirements of Heather Brolick, EVP Human Resources Officer; Lee Braford, SVP Chief Credit Officer; Shelly Childers, SVP Chief Information Officer; Steven Devolder, SVP Senior Trust Officer and Robert Michel, SVP Operations Officer.
“It is with sincere appreciation that we announce the retirements of Heather, Lee, Shelly, Steven and Bob,” said ChoiceOne CEO Kelly Potes. “Each of these senior leaders have been an integral part of the success of ChoiceOne. We will miss their outstanding leadership and invaluable contributions within ChoiceOne and our communities. We wish them a long and healthy retirement with their families.”
Heather D. Brolick, Executive Vice President, Human Resources Officer
Brolick retires after holding numerous leadership positions spanning her 43 years in banking. She helped organize de novo Community Shores Bank in 1998, where she held various positions including President & CEO and Director until the bank’s merger with ChoiceOne Bank in 2020. At the close of the merger, Brolick took on the position of Senior Vice President Human Resources as part of ChoiceOne’s Senior Management Team. She was an Award Honoree in the 2021 Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Women in Banking.
Brolick served as Chairperson of the Michigan Bankers Association’s Human Resource Committee. She is a member of Harbor Hospice’s Compassionate Givers, a member of Trinity Health’s Women for Health, and a member of Muskegon Rotary. She has served as past Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Harbor Hospice and the Harbor Hospice Foundation; past Chairperson of the Board of the Employers Association of West Michigan; past Chairperson of The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg; past board member of Mercy Health’s Physician Partners Board, and as a member of the Banker’s Advisory Board of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.
Lee A. Braford, Senior Vice President, Chief Credit Officer
Braford retires having served ChoiceOne for 40 years. He returned to ChoiceOne Bank as a Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer in 2001. He previously served over 17 years in various other lending capacities with ChoiceOne. Since then, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Credit Officer where he oversaw the vast credit portfolio of ChoiceOne Bank. Braford received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Davenport University and also graduated from the American Bankers Association (ABA) Graduate Commercial Lending School. Braford served in various community organizations over his tenure including past chairman of the Sparta Community Foundation and the Ravenna Baptist Church.
Shelly M. Childers, Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer
Childers retires having served ChoiceOne for 40 years. She began her career with the Bank in 1985 as a Teller and quickly advanced to Loan Documentation Clerk in 1986, Data Processing Manager in 1989, Data Processing Officer in 1994. Childers was promoted to Vice President and Director of Information Technology in 2008, Chief Information Officer in 2016 and to her recent position as Senior Vice President since 2010. Childers attended the University of Iowa, Iowa City, for pre-physical therapy, then transferred to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance. Childers has held prominent positions in multiple community organizations throughout her tenure, including serving as President of the Jaycees and as a founding board member and President for Lapeer County Habitat for Humanity.
Steven M. Devolder, Senior Vice President, Senior Trust Officer
DeVolder retires after holding his position as Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer with ChoiceOne since 2019. DeVolder began his career in 2018 as a Vice President and Trust Officer and managed the Wealth Management Department of Lakestone Bank & Trust until the bank’s merger with ChoiceOne in 2020. Prior to his employment with Lakestone Bank & Trust, DeVolder was employed by a national bank as a Vice President, Trust Officer for 15 years in Southeast Michigan.
Robert G. (Bob) Michel, Senior Vice President, Operations Officer
Michel joined ChoiceOne in 2016 as Vice President, Operations and retires with 37 years of banking experience with various banks from multi-state regional banks to community banks. He was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2023. Serving ChoiceOne for nine years, Michel oversaw and directed multiple teams within the overall Operations Department including Deposit Operations, Loss Prevention/Fraud, Treasury Services, Facilities, and Couriers. Michel has a Bachelor of Science Administration in Managerial Economics and Finance from the University of Michigan, Dearborn.
About ChoiceOne
ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Sparta, Michigan, with assets over $4 billion, and the parent corporation of ChoiceOne Bank. Member FDIC. ChoiceOne Bank operates 56 offices in West, Central and Southeast Michigan. ChoiceOne Bank offers insurance and investment products through its subsidiary, ChoiceOne Insurance Agencies, Inc. ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “COFS.” For more information, please visit Investor Relations at ChoiceOne’s website choiceone.bank.