TULIP TIME ANNOUNCES 2007 MEIJER MUZIEKPARADE GRAND MARSHALS
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
Tamra Bouman
Tulip Time Director
616.395.8245
tamra@tuliptime.com
TULIP TIME ANNOUNCES 2007 MEIJER MUZIEKPARADE GRAND MARSHALS
HOLLAND, MI – Tuesday, May 8, 2007. – Every year the Tulip Time Festival (www.tuliptime.com) honors a select group of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Western Michigan community. These individuals are named Grand Marshal’s for the 3-themed parades held during the week of the Tulip Time Festival. Both Suzanne Geha and Larry Nienhaus will be honored as parade Grand Marshals on Saturday, May 12, 2007 at the Meijer Muziekparade.
Suzanne Geha joined WOOD TV8 in May 1981, and anchors 24 Hour News 8 weeknights at 6:00pm and 11:00 p.m. She previously worked at the station directly out of college from 1974-1978 as an assignment editor, news writer, reporter, producer and anchor. In 1976, she became the first woman to anchor the evening news in West Michigan. During her career, Geha received several honors for her work. Most notably, the Silver Circle Award for more than 25-years of service in broadcasting given by the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Suzanne helped to found AWRT, American Women in Radio and Television, in West Michigan and AERHO, the broadcasting fraternity chapter at Western Michigan University. She serves on the Board of the Coffee Dunkers of Grand Rapids, served as vice-president of the former Press Club of Grand Rapids, served on the Western Michigan University Alumni Board of Trustees, and as treasurer of the board of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church. Additionally, Suzanne lends her name and time to many worthwhile charities in West Michigan, including the Dunkers Club, Salvation Army, Kidney Foundation, Liz's House, Athena, Junior Achievement, Hope Network and Meijer Gardens.
Larry Nienhaus joined WOOD TV8 in February 1991 as a weekend anchor. He is currently a weekday anchor for the 6:00pm and 11:00pm newscasts. Nienhaus has been a radio and television news director, a business reporter, a feature reporter, and he's held a number of news anchoring positions. In 1981, Nienhaus became news director of WKFR and WKNR Radio in Kalamazoo. It didn't take long for him to make the jump from radio to television. Within a year, Nienhaus was hired as an anchor/reporter by the ABC affiliate in the market, WUHQ. He grew with that station for the next eight years with a noteworthy career interruption in 1985, spending about 24-months discerning a vocation to Priesthood in the Catholic Church. Nienhaus returned to WUHQ in 1987 as manager of a news specials/documentary unit. Over the years, Nienhaus has been the recipient of several awards and recognitions. He received United Press and Associated Press honors for various stories, a Michigan School Bell award for outstanding contributions in education reporting, and a coveted Michigan Emmy nomination for a series of documentary reports.
For more general information contact Tulip Time Festival, 171 Lincoln Avenue, Holland, MI 49423, 616.396.4221 or 800.822.2770, tulip@tuliptime.com, www.tuliptime.com, Tulip Time Festival 2007 Dates: May 5-12, Tulip Time Festival 2008 Dates: May 3-10.