On May 17, 2022, Finlandia University hosted Okko-Pekka Salmimies, Consul General of Finland in Los Angeles, and two Finnish business delegations for an opening reception at FinnU’s Finnish American Heritage Center during the delegation’s visit to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Click through the album below to check out a few of our favorite moments and make sure to read the full article here!
Okko-Pekka Salmimies, Consul General of Finland in Los Angeles, arrives at Finlandia University.
Led by Okko-Pekka Salmimies, Consul General of Finland in Los Angeles, two Finnish business delegations visited the Copper Country on Tuesday to advance economic and trade relations and explore partnership opportunities. Finlandia University, the only remaining institution of higher education in the U.S. founded by Finns outside of Finland, hosted the groups for an opening reception at the University’s Finnish American Heritage Center.
“There is a [...]
Finlandia University has elected Tim Pinnow, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Colorado Mesa University (CMU), as its 17th president following a unanimous vote by the University’s Board of Trustees. He will assume his presidency on July 1, 2022.
The Board’s selection of Finlandia’s President-elect follows a five-month nationwide search led by the University’s Presidential Search Committee, with professional support from the national executive search firm, Academic Search. The committee, chaired by board member Dr. Michael Nakkula, worked extensively with [...]
Over the past several weeks, the Presidential Search Committee has worked closely with the national executive search firm, Academic Search. Together, the pair have reached significant milestones in the search for Finlandia’s next president with the creation of the prospectus and the official launching of the search.
The Presidential Search Committee, comprised of several members of the Finlandia Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and alumni, will task members with independently reviewing and ranking all applications before their scheduled [...]
In December, Finlandia welcomed students, faculty and staff along with alumni, friends and family to a series of events in commemoration of the institution’s 125th anniversary. In honor of its Finnish and Lutheran heritage, Finlandia celebrated Finnish Independence Day for the 104th time at the Finnish American Heritage Center following a Sunday worship service at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock.
The anniversary celebrations didn’t stop on Sunday. In the week following, the Finlandia University Gallery held the 31st Annual Contemporary [...]
HANCOCK — For more than 20 years, David Maki served as the “right-hand man” at the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC). Now, he’ll have both hands on the steering wheel, as he takes over leadership of Finlandia University’s most well-established expression of its Finnish roots.
Maki, 45, officially assumed the role of Director of the FAHC in late December. He had been serving as interim director of the Center since the spring 2021 retirement of Jim Kurtti, who was the director [...]
In 1916, a Finnish immigrant to North America, Frank Aaltonen, visited Sugar Island, Michigan, and was highly impressed by the opportunities the island presented. The island was the traditional home of the Anishinaabeg, but by the early 20th century, its population was a mixture of several ethnicities. Aaltonen envisioned the island as a Finnish colony of farmers. A recruiting campaign ensued, and by the 1930s several hundred Finns had moved on the island. Join Finnish and American scholars in exploring [...]
The Finlandia University Board of Trustees has made significant advancements in the search for Finlandia’s next president, announcing the establishment of the Presidential Search Committee and selection of a national executive search firm. The search follows the October announcement of current Finlandia President Philip Johnson, who is to step down after the 2021-22 academic year.
The establishment of the Presidential Search Committee follows approval by the Finlandia University Board of Trustees after an extensive review and deliberation, consisting of members [...]
Nathan Perreault, an Assistant Professor of Management with Finlandia’s International School of Business (ISB), was recently elected to the Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw (CLK) Foundation Board of Directors. The foundation is a local non-profit organization created to support students of the CLK school system by funding programs aimed at providing an extra edge in today’s competitive world.
“I am honored to be able to serve the CLK community,” Perreault said. “Being elected to the CLK Foundation Board allows me to volunteer in an [...]
On the shores of Lake Superior in 1991, Patricia Van Pelt opened the Museum Shop at The Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. Patricia’s shop would eventually outgrow the building space. She would relocate the shop to her home in Eagle Harbor and rename it North Wind Books.
Locals and visitors alike sought out her bookshop known for the exquisite collections of local history, local authors and nature titles. Customers would return summer after summer and still, to this day, they reminisce about [...]
