Dick DeVos Impact on Michigan Life, Culture, Business Beyond Measure

In 1989, the Wisconsin legislature passed the nation’s first school voucher program. It targeted students of low economic status in the Milwaukee School System. The idea was to find a way for youths getting a substandard education in public schools to be able to enroll at superior-outcome private and/or parochial schools.

 

One person who embraced the concept of the school voucher program early was Betsy DeVos, the billionaire wife of fellow billionaire Dick DeVos. Betsy would go on to take the top job in American education. She was appointed to the Cabinet of President Donald Trump as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education.

 

Both Dick and Betsy DeVos have been working for more than 30 years to extend school voucher programs to every state. As of today, 24 states and the District of Columbia have some form of the voucher program.

 

While advocacy of private, charter and parochial schools is most associated with Betsy DeVos, it must be recognized that Dick and Betsy are a seamless team in all of their endeavors. That extends from politics to extensive philanthropic work. The DeVos’ have given away tens of millions of their personal fortunes over the years. Much of it has been focused on education, but many other causes have benefited as well.

 

Dick DeVos has been extremely influential in his home state of Michigan in developing major urban projects, especially for the city of Grand Rapids. Dick DeVos spearheaded such projects as the Van Andel Arena, the DeVos Performance Hall, the Grand Rapids City Market, DeVos Place Convention Center and major buildings for the University of Michigan Medical School.

 

Dick DeVos led the way in forming a group called Grand Action. This comprises top business leaders of Michigan along with the sundry movers and shakers of political power in the Wolverine State.

 

Dick DeVos is famous for being the son and heir of Richard DeVos, the co-founder of Amway. The $5 billion company transformed the way home care products were sold in America. Dick DeVos began working within the Amway corporate empire after completing his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Northwood University.

 

Granted no special favors, the keen mind and natural business acumen of Dick DeVos enabled him to rise through the ranks of Amway to become vice president of foreign sales. Under the leadership of DeVos, overseas sales went from 5% of the company total to comprise more than 50%. Dick DeVos was eventually promoted to the top spot at Amway.

 

Like his wife, the career of Dick DeVos has never strayed far from politics. He ran for governor on the Republican ticket in 2006, losing to incumbent governor Jennifer Granholm. Dick and Betsy DeVos are among the prolific philanthropists in Michigan history.