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LANSING - When you talk to Tom Ruis of Independent Bank you quickly realize that he is passionate about the future of the Lansing area. Ruis, is a true "community banker" in every aspect and credits his father, also a banker, with setting the example. "My father, Richard Ruis, is my inspiration to get involved in the community. I saw him do the same thing when he was a banker." Richard Ruis worked first at America Bank; later it became National City and now is PNC. "I saw him get involved in the community, serve on the board of the chamber of commerce and make a difference."
It wasn't his initial plan coming out of MSU in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in finance, but Ruis got a job in the credit department at a bank in East Lansing. "I really liked it, working with numbers and lending," he said. Ruis later worked at Fifth Third Bank and then joined Independent Bank in 2006.
Ruis, an AVP for commercial loans at Independent Bank, recently appointed president and chair of the networking night committee for Grand River Connection (GRC). The Grand River Connection is not affiliated with the bank. The committee is part of the Grand River Connection that plans and hosts events and activities for Gen X and Y in the capital area. Ruis has a one-year term which began on June 29.
Primarily, GRC is a group of young professionals in the Lansing area formed about five years ago to fill a networking niche for those in their '20s and '30s. According to Ruis...