THE ORGANIZATION
To know the organization, Michael Relph requires one to understand intent driven by DNA and meaning of the name. One’s DNA is about understanding one’s legacy and biography as discussed in website.
While in Florida on Vacation, there was a booth in an Orlando that claimed they could find the meaning of even the most obscure name. Knowing Relph being a name given a Knighted ancestor of the French crown because that ancestor was the captain of a large French Ship, in the French Fleet that won the war and saved the King who was on-board. The King’s alloted name for that ancestor was R-E-L-E-P-H-E. Years later, when Napoleon showed up on the scene, the family moved to England separating the families – one group to South London, the Ambassador to Spain, and the other to Leeds.
My Grandfather, Walter, was the last of the males from Leeds. The name Relephe was changed in the move to England to Relph, a German spelling, obviously confusing Napoleon and his band. The King moved his new Knight to the entrance to the Palace Versailles.
This booth in the Orlando Manufacturer’s Mall Revealed;
Michael
The Great Dragon Slayer
Edward
The Wealthy Protector
Relph
The Powerwolf
The nature of my character is working to get the homework done, to come alongside the person or organization to identify and solve challenges, to help provide a very sharp edge to the sword the organization needs to prosper, and to help defeat the enemy or competition and break down barriers that are in the way.
At the end of the day fulfilling expectations set by a role or scope of work requires one to be prepared for such work. Many times when one sets out to do what has never done before focusing on the end result, rather the process of building valid points on a graph and building the solution as if one is building a formula for a curve on a graph that will be used for current and future endeavors. This has proven to be valid and correct 100% of the time for the past over 50 years.
The following are the featured organizations that Mr. Relph owns or, is a partner of, or sits on board, or as an ambassador or, a technical advisor or long time participant and leader of;
CSES International Inc.
Founded by Mr. Relph in 1992, CSES International Inc. has been a Professional consulting business. He has operated to run most of his business out of to include companies like IBM, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mercedes, National Rubber and Tire, Gabbert’s Concrete Products, and many more. Please use the offerings selections on this site to engage CSES International.
WALKING ON WATER!
Some people talk about walking on water, others actually walk on water. Many times in my career the end result of a project was far beyond imagination. Walking on water was a frequent occurrence but challenging to keep living up to.
I am pictured here at an agricultural dam on Sibuyan Island in the Philippines. The Island is 67 Miles around with a 6,000 foot mountain in the middle that 600 years ago was an active volcano. With 2,000,000 coconut trees, mango groves, avocado groves, many rice fields – including the famed tiered rice fields one can tour the mountain a life-time and never see all of it. I call it my version of Gilligan’s Island.
Pictured left is an epic Island Park that is about a 90 minute boat ride from Sibuyan Island. There we buried a large Tuna in the sand to cook it, the kids caught an octopus and I got BURNED like a red lobster that day even though I was covered the entire time!!
Hero’s in the Hood &
The League of Entrepreneurial Hero’s
Hero’s in the Hood is an organization founded by Mr. Relph, partnered with Bruce Jones – the original “Hero in the Hood” that establishes and helps youth in the hood of Detroit. He teaches them how to own and operate their own businesses and through mentorship and training, he teaches them to be responsible citizens in their area bringing neighbor back in neighborhood. www.herosinthehood.com
The League also founded by Mr. Relph is a network of Business Owners who are the mentors and co-Founders of the businesses the youth look to own.
CYBOC
I have partnered with founder Phillip Brown and several other partners to provide products and services to keep IT assets safe from “the bad guys.” With that said, if you worry that your assets are safe, you should contact CYBOC and have your infrastructure and applications evaluated for how well everything is secured.
Advanced Combustion Technologies
TEAM-UP Academy
Partnered as a Board Member and COO, with founder, John Bones, TEAM UP looks to put candidates through a 30-day boot camp to be placed into a high value entry level industrial job. Their claim to fame is for candidates to have a life-long mentor working with them and their Life-Line of Success.
Through continual improvement as a person in the community and at work, they can break the cycle of generational dependence on government and others, who are living a life of drugs, alcohol, and violence.
Click on their URL to view the video about the TEAMUP Academy:
Woodside Bible Church - Troy
A member since Jan-’76 has participated in the Adult Choir, while attending 100’s of Calls to Worship (over 8,000) and over 3,000 rehearsals the entire time. He Sang 1st Tenor in a Southern Gospel Quartet named ‘Men of the Heights’ for 13 years. He was a certified bus driver for camps, events, and for the Seniors at Bethany Villa for each service for over 6 years. He even taught 4-5 year old children in a rhythm band, was a leader in High School and College Career (High school and college career counselling), played softball on the high school team and the men’s team, and bowled in the bowling league for several years. Participated in Visitation for 6 years – visiting 1st time visitors or those who had been shut in. He served on several boards and made efforts to help understand the challenges of extensive periods of growth, over the years.
360 Willie Horton Community Partners, Inc.
Executive Director over Community Partnerships based out of Lakeland, Florida, I work with the little children, their families, senior citizens, and disabled vets to give them the opportunity to either participate in sports and/or attend professional sports events, coaching and clinics, enabling them to see a better life through an opportunity they may not have had otherwise. In addition I get to work very closely with Mr. Horton and his family as a technical advisor being exposed to hundreds of the best professional athletes in North America.
Friends of Detroit City Airport
As a Technical Advisor working with the board FDOCA, we managed to restore the Davis School of Aeronautics teaching and the FAA Mechanics program to the High School Students. There are many activities over the year, and they also work to celebrate the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII – with statues outside and a large Mural in the building with all the names of all the airmen in the system.
Southeast Michigan Chamber of Commerce
A very Proud Member and Ambassador of the Southeastern Michigan Chamber of Commerce, led by John Johnson, a PREMIER LEADER in Macomb County for over 30 years just recently led the charge for MCREST to purchase and inhabit its first permanent home for up to 60 woman and children in desperate need of assistance. Raising 1.6M the facility was opened April 6, 2022. It was a pleasure to see Macomb Leaders once again proclaim they are here for all residents and not their own agenda even giving God the Glory for the opportunity!!
Thank you John and staff for your great works for the community and us business owners!!
Inkster Chamber of Commerce
As Ambassador of the Inkster Chamber of Commerce, I am proud to announce that it now has a permanent office to work out of – at 26717 Michigan Avenue where I occupy one of the desks.
Come and visit me! I can fill you in on all the things happening for new and existing businesses in the City of Inkster. One can check out the many events on the website!
CORPORATE AFFILIATES AND ASSOCIATIONS
Partnerships
– Jones Collsion
– Hero’s in the Hood
– CYBOC
– Fast and Secure Towing & Recovery
– Massey Expert Energy
Associations
– 360 Willie Horton Community Partnerships
– Tri-Country Chamber of Commerce
– Inkster Chamber of Commerce
– Woodside Bible
– Horton Family Resources
– Friends of the Detroit City Airport
– Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association
– Tam Up Academy
– Drive One – Roseville
– Inkster Trade School
– Stand Strength Team
Representations
– JMZ Construction
– Gabbert’s Concrete Products
– Heathyworks USA
– Smartchoice Medical Credit Card
– Rx Self Insured Discourt Program
– First Responders
– Frant Money Express
– Active Software and Hardware
– Vista Prints
– CANDO Defense
– Vendesta
Affiliations
– Lawrence Technoogical University
– Dream Centers – Pontiac
– Small Business Association of Michigan
– Madison Community Schools
– Fraser Community Shcools
– Police Athletic League
Legacy
Spirit of Detroit
Michael Relph is an award-winning writer, mathematician, technologist, education developer, architect, publisher, professional vocalist and musician, and in professional sports with nearly 50 years of experience finds himself as an Executive’s Executive, the Commanding General’s Confidant, Program/Project Manager (major), International Entrepreneur and Inventor, Corporate Diplomat, Consultant and Mentor, a developer of community and business with a strong Christian faith that is lived with purpose and passion helping bring the best out in others working in some 70 different Industries in 27 Countries.
The City of Detroit is my birthplace and is a place of legacy for my family since just after WWI where my father’s parents moved from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and they settled on Cardoni where it intersects the northbound I-75 service drive. My grandfather worked as a machinist for the Detroit Street Railroad and retired in 1954, about a year after my his wife, my grandmother passed away from the mumps.
My mother’s family moved from Chicago to Detroit in 1938 where Edwin Seeger partnered with Jam Handy in the movie production business located at the first Movie Studio built in Detroit on East Grand Blvd and Beaubien, now a historical landmark.
Calgary, Alberta Canada
My father’s parents Walter and Jesse Relph both came from significant upbringings and they themselves became legends in their own right. Part of my Grandfather Walter’s story is captured in the newspaper article written in Leeds, England in 1954. My grandmother’s father William Duffel who upon his sixth child a girl being allergic to coal dust in London, England sold his businesses in 1905 and headed to Canada to homestead on the Railroad. Stopped in Toronto, but the flu epidemic of 1906 kept them on the train and they got let off just north of Calgary in a little known place called Perbeck minutes from Buffalo Jump.
Just so happens my Grandparents were trick riders in 1912 – the very first Calgary Stampede. Both sides of the family represent some 400 years of musical talent in Piano (Relph’s), Violin (Duffels) and Voice. Being taught voice at the age of 3 from Sir Walter (his sister Lena’s title for her hero) how to match a tone, to sing harmony at 4, read music at 5, and at 7 taught my 2nd grade teacher Ms. Altman how to teach music to the class was the start of my “teaching teachers” legacy. Incidentally, William Duffel in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was recognized as “The Legend of the Rocky Mountain Violinists.”
The Alberta homestead ranch was officially located in Perbeck, Alberta, Canada in Kneehill County minutes from Buffalo Jump. Referring to the photo the railroad travels directly through the middle of the homestead that will take you to Calgary connecting to High River, the movie set location for Heartland connecting the two cultures together..
Walter served in WWI with the Scottish Canadians out of Vancouver as a Medic who lost his brother Roland in the war. Shortly after WWI Walter and Jesse moved to Detroit and eventually built a home on Cardoni that at the time went through the heart of Chyrsler Center in Highland Park about a mile away. I remember my grandparents each time I drive northbound on I-75 service drive (south of Nevada) as the property was taken by the Service Drive.
While in Detroit my grandfather worked as a machinist for the Detroit Street Railroad and retired in 1954, about a year after my his wife, my grandmother, passed away from the mumps. Walter later moved in with us and became my boyhood hero. Ask me about our time together watching Popeye The Sailorman every morning. A fun fact in my grandfather’s career was that he was on the team that built the Railroad for the Detroit Zoo commissioned in 1931. Making the railroad fun for me led to my interest in Model Railroading for a hobby.
The root of our family culture set in The Rocky Mountain / Calgary Cattle and Horse Ranch culture that is captured in the longest running TV Series Heartland. My grandmother Jesse was well known in the neighborhood for caring for sick and hurt animals, a skill she learned on the ranch. It’s not surprising that the show and my grandmother were/are so popular because they were/are about loving people and God’s creations where they are in need of a healing heart and hand.
CALGARY STAMPEDE HQ
In the summer of 1966 leading up to the yearly Calgary Stampede we traveled from Detroit, up over the Mackinaw Bridge, across highway 2 instead of the expressway except where there was construction in North Dakota for a 150 miles or so. The trip was riddled with great stories and experiences all along the way. In my book The 5 R’s it will account for all those stories, so stay tuned to its release.
One of those experiences was visiting the Indian Chief at the time at the Sarcee Indian Reservation where they had a steam locomotive train that went around the reservation and then gave rides to the general public. My father leveraging his father’s blood-brother-ship with the Chief convinced the locomotive engineer to allow me to sit in the engineer’s seat while he shoveled the coal into the firebox and I watched him operate the locomotive as a 7 year old who loved everything about steam locomotives. It was there we learned about my grandfather’s legacy working with the Chief (see the news article above).
Both my grandparents were at the first Calgary Stampede in 1912 and were trick riders. It has been said that my grandmother who was only 4’11” tall jumped into the saddle from the backside of the horse. I wonder if the horse was a miniature. In any case I am not sure I would have ever thought of such a feat.
The first time we visited the Stampede as a family I remember my father was so excited about showing us all about the Stampede. His favorite thing was to watch the well-trained Brahma Bulls being walked around in a circle in a perfect rhythm nose to tail. He told us stories about how mean and dangerous they were untrained and to be very careful around them at all times, trained or not trained.
My sister who lives north of the DFW airport in Texas retired from working in the Pharmaceutical Industry inventing flu vaccines for 14 years to managing horse ranches and teach horseback riding to young girls who were beginners. In 2021, she turned me onto the longest running TV Series in Canadian History Heartland. I have included a photo of Amy the main character and in the slide view below some of the set of the program. My sister mentioned that the horse training and handling is authentic and it exactly was. It was over 100 years ago and what my grandmother loved so much and what my grandfather helped with, even helping Huggerite’s and Mennonite communities as neighbors not to mention Buffalo Jump and the Indian Neighbors.
As a result, I binge watched the show and related to so much about the show it was like a very young version of my grandparents. Both musical families, and yes my grandmother has “special extraordinary powers”. I learned from a complete stranger in the grocery line in 1995, over 42 years after her death. I highly recommend watching the show and following Amber Marshall (Amy on the show) on Instagram as she shares with the world her world on her own ranch, and help support her efforts working with the wild horses and those that cannot fend for themselves, a fantastic testament to the culture she has embraced from being on the show for over 15 years…
Great Job Amber (Cohorts and Crew)!! You embody all that is lovely in Alberta, not to mention making those of us that claim the Alberta Ranch Scene as their own proud to show off the country side and its goodness to the world.
I hope by 2023 if the Prime Minister can get off his Dictatorial stance on COVID-19, to work with the Agriculture Division to bring indoor AG technologies that will allow Alberta farms and cities to grow fruits and vegetables with a daily harvest 365 days a year eliminating traditional trucking to transport “unripe” food product. I look to create a system that provides point of use AG products in the city or country using solar, geo-thermos, and hydrogen power in solar glass enclosures.
JAM HANDY CORPORATION STUDIO’s
My mother’s family Edwin Seeger moved from Chicago to Detroit (6 Mile – Woodward) in 1938 where my grandfather partnered with Jam Handy at the infamous Jam Handy Corporation located on Beaubien and East Grand Blvd. That first movie production studio they built was the first in Michigan and is now a Historic Landmark in the City. Part of that organization became General Motor’s infamous Photographic Center. Handy Corporation has its archives available on-line, 1,000’s of them many my Grand Father had a part in. A fun fact is that they produced the Children’s Christmas Cartoon, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Out of High School my father worked for Jam Handy and it was at a Summer Picnic that my parents met, so it is safe to say if Mr. Handy did not have a summer picnic I would not be alive today!!
From there my father went to work for Reardon Parshall Financial Printing located at 1 st and Larned only a couple blocks from the Detroit River. This was well before Cobo Hall was built and rail was everywhere for the Detroit Street Railway to include the Wabash Train Station to the west towards the Ambassador Bridge, the Bob-lo Boat at the foot of Woodward, and the Grand Trunk Railroad Train Station where the tracks rode up through the John R – Woodward Corridor, thru Royal Oak, Birmingham, Pontiac, Holly, Flint, and Saginaw, and off to the east along Gratiot and Groesbeck to Port Huron, the same line Thomas Edison work on as a young lad. My father spent a lot of time for lunch in the summer sitting on the river’s edge watching the large freighters pass by taking photos and learning about the details of the ships, their owners, where and what cargo they would pick up and deliver and soon understood their schedules and what he could expect to see on any given day. A fun fact, when Cobo Hall was being built along with the original John Lodge Freeway when they were digging the foundation for Cobo Hall along Larned they dug up the original dock pilings built in 1735 in 1959.
The Colony
In the mid-70’s my grandfather Edwin had an argument with his partners about purchasing expensive computer systems to keep up on Technology in the Movie Production Business and they forced him out handing him a check for his troubles sending him in a great depression soon to find himself at the bar frequently and his personality turned into a Dr. Jeckle – Mr Hyde, only a few years after building a home at the end of Park Lane in The Colony near Algonac on the North Channel across from the Sassy Marina. With three boats in the back yard my siblings and I learned how to navigate the big waters of Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the North South and Middle Channels, and surrounding bays and cuts connecting them all.
So many great memories on the water and the neighborhood in the Colony learning how to swim 2 miles in the lake, water skiing for hours, and boating safely never getting into an accident or running out of fuel. Not bad for me 14 and the eldest driving a 21’ Chris Craft 8,500lb boat everywhere. Water safety, learning how to swim, how to navigate in big water, and all going to be in my book the 5 R’s with several fun stories and tragic events that makes one respect the water at all times.
City of Madison Heights
Not long after that famed Jam Handy Company Picnic my parents married in Utica in 1955 and soon moved to a new small orange brick home on 11 ½ Mile, three Blocks west of John R in Madison Heights, Michigan in 1956, where all but my youngest brother graduated Madison High School aka an elder sister and two younger brothers.
My father worked with Reardon Parshall Financial Printing downtown Detroit; he worked part-time with the City of Madison Heights as a Probation Officer. I worked part-time with the City from Sept – May with the Parks and Recreation from ‘74-‘81 Running and Teaching bowling for the Youth Bowling Program. And then for two summers ’77 and ’78 I worked for the Summer Day Camp as Director, Counselor, and Bus Driver.
Growing up at that time ’59-’81 in Madison Heights was a great experience where all the neighbors knew each other, most families had 3-6 children, there were only a few retired families, no one lived alone, there were very few rental homes, most moms worked at home raising those 3 to 6 kids, most all families were active in the PTA at school with about a 95% participation rate, and most 80%+ attended church on a weekly basis.
Organized sports was big with so many who could play even to include band and choir at school. A Fun Fact, George the Animal Steel in Big Time Wrestling was the Athletic Director and Gym Teacher. From his coaching we had several that became professional NFL Football Players, and while in school a World Cup Wrestler his Senior my freshman year.
In ‘76-‘77 as the Student Assistant to the Math Department and Student Assistant for the Superintendent of Schools I led the effort to bring Calculus to the High School Math Program and wrote the curriculum for 4 math classes that supplemented the requirement for Algebra II for Business Accounting, Electronics, Science, and Home Economics thus filling up those classes and later over filling the Algebra II classes. Later I worked my last two years as a Substitute Teacher in the High School knowing almost 50% of the school body having worked in the office and library for the six years prior attending there myself as a student.
In the end I became a sports professional, a paid professional artist, a vocalist (soloist, 3 choirs, barber shop quartet, southern gospel quartet, and a trio), a mathematician and scientist, an award winning writer, education developer, teacher, coach, mentor, and college graduate all while living in Madison Heights during that time.
In June of ’81 I moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, later Melbourne and Palm Bay to go work on the Space Shuttle after College Graduation.
From Florida I moved to Huntsville, Alabama for 6 months chasing after a project at the new Detroit Hamtramck Plant. From Huntsville to Troy, Michigan temporarily and off to Rochester Hills after building a new home thru the summer of ’91, and then to Royal Oak across from Beaumont Hospital.
From Royal Oak I returned to Madison Heights in November of ’96 on 11 ½ mile east of John R on the Lamphere side just down the street from the Madison High Football field. Stayed there to October 2002 where we moved to Clinton Township near where my mom was living at Charter Oaks off Metro Parkway and the Railroad Tracks (Groesbeck).
City of Troy
My legacy in Troy started in 1965 when we changed churches from John R Baptist in Detroit (7 Mile) to 1st Baptist of John R in Troy just south of Big Beaver (16 Mile Road) in Troy. The City of Troy at the time was still quite rural whereas at 14 Mile and John R where Oakland Mall is today was the site of a wheat farm.
Over the years the City changed to a well to do City with two malls to include the Up-Scale Somerset Collection that has a mall section on either side of Metro Parkway connected by an enclosed walkway over Metro Parkway – the place where the above photo was taken.
Prior to Kmart acquiring Sears and Roebuck their sprawling headquarters was immediately west of Somerset Mall, now left vacant for almost 20 years. The City of Troy is where my father’s parents had a Victory Garden during WWII to grow fruits and vegetables. In Early days they had a hot springs pool to swim in with a 12’ diving board where I discovered high diving was not for me.
WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH
In January of ’76 I moved from 1st Baptist to Troy Baptist located just north of Big Beaver on Rochester Road which in early 2005 moved north just over 3 miles and renamed the church Woodside Bible Church – Troy Campus, where I have been part of the Choir and worship arts even to this day.
During this time from 2005 leadership from the Church, and the City of Troy to include the Mayor, Councilmen and women, the Chief of Police, Troy School District Leadership, School Principals and Teachers, even to include State and US Representatives, CIA, FBI, Coast Guard, Boarder Agents, and a corporate IRS Agent all who were or are members of the church and people I have seen every week, some I even see several times a week. Seeing leaders, champions, and very significant individuals are in effect. I see an extended family with whom I have had the opportunity to draw experience, knowledge and character most only dream to have. With that I truly feel blessed.
Other than being “The Iron Man” in Choir I was a leader in my High School and College Youth Group, Taught 4 and 5 year music theory, was in the Bowling League, Played in the High School and Men’s Softball Teams, sang 1st Tenor in a southern gospel quartet for 13 years, produced six southern gospel concerts at the Warren Campus, served as in the Visitation Program from ’76-’81 to help grow the church, and was a camp counselor Camp Shalom for 4 years for 5 th grader boys, and led music for 2 years. Many of the missionaries who have worked around the world I grew up with in High School and College, and several I have worked with as a technologist gave me the capability to meet long time friends in 43 countries around the world and be escorted in those countries as their guest. Today Woodside has 15 campuses across metro Detroit with Troy as their headquarters.
Legacy
Spirit of detroit
Michael Relph an award-winning writer, mathematician, technologist, education developer, architect, publisher, professional vocalist and musician, and in professional sports with nearly 50 years of experience finds himself as an Executive’s Executive, The Commanding General’s Confidant, Program/Project Manager (major), International Entrepreneur and Inventor, Corporate Diplomat, Consultant and Mentor, a developer of community and business with a strong Christian faith that is lived with purpose and passion helping bring the best out in others working in some 70 different Industries in 27 Countries.
The City of Detroit is my birthplace and is a place of legacy for my family since just after WWI where my father’s parents moved from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and they settled on Cardoni where it intersects the northbound I-75 service drive. My grandfather worked as a machinist for the Detroit Street Railroad and retired in 1954, about a year after my his wife my grandmother passed away from the mumps.
Calgary, Alberta Canada
My father’s parents Walter and Jesse Relph both came from significant upbringings and they themselves became legends in their own right. Part of my Grandfather Walter’s story is captured in the newspaper article written in Leeds, England in 1954. My grandmother’s father William Duffel who upon his sixth child a girl being allergic to coal dust in London, England sold his businesses in 1905 and headed homestead on the Railroad in Canada. Stopped in Toronto, but the flu epidemic of 1906 kept them on the train and they got let off in Calgary. Just so happens my Grandparents were trick riders in 1912 – the very first Calgary Stampede. Both sides of the family represent some 400 years of musical talent in Piano (Relph’s) Violin (Duffel’s) and Voice. Being taught voice at the age of 3 from Sir Walter (his Sister Lena’s title for her hero) how to match a tone, to sing harmony at 4, read music at 5, and at 7 taught my 2nd grade teacher Ms. Altman how to teach music to the class was the start of my “teaching teachers” legacy began. Incidentally William Duffel in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was recognized as “The Legend of the Rocky Mountain Violinists.” The Rocky Mountain / Calgary Cattle and Horse Ranch culture is well captured in the longest running TV Series Heartland. My grandmother Jesse was well known in the neighborhood caring for sick and hurt animals a skill she learned on the ranch. It’s not surprising that the show and my grandmother were/are so popular because they are about loving people and God’s creations where they are at.
CALGARY STAMPEDE HQ
In the summer of 1966 leading up to the yearly Calgary Stampede we traveled from Detroit, up over the Mackinaw Bridge, across highway 2 instead of the expressway except where there was construction in North Dakota for a 150 miles or so. The trip was riddled with great stories and experiences all along the way. In my book The 5 R’s it will account for all those stories, so stay tuned to its release.
One of those experiences was visiting the Indian Chief at the time at the Sarcee Indian Reservation where they had a steam locomotive train that went around the reservation and the gave rides to the general public. My father leveraging his father’s blood-brother-ship with the Chief convinced the locomotive engineer to sit in his seat while he shovel the coal into the firebox and watch him operate the locomotive as a 7 year old who loved everything about steam locomotives. It was there we learned about my grandfather’s legacy working with the Chief (see the news article above).
Both my grandparents were at the first Calgary Stampede in 1912 and where TRICK RIDERS. It has been said that my grandmother who was only 4’11” tall jumped into the saddle from the backside of the horse. I wonder if the horse was a miniature. In any case I am not sure I would have ever thought of such a feat.
The first time we visited the Stampede as a family I remember my father was so excited about showing us all about the Stampede. His favorite thing was to watch the well-trained Brahma Bulls being walked around in a circle in a perfect rhythm nose to tail. He told us stories about how mean and dangerous they were untrained and to be very careful around them at all times trained or not trained.
I hope by 2023 if the Prime Minister can get off his Dictatorial stance on COVID-19, to work with the Agriculture Division to bring indoor ag technologies that will allow Alberta farms and cities to grow fruits and vegetables with a daily harvest 365 days a year eliminating traditional trucking to transport “unripe” food product. I look to create a system that provides POINT OF USE ag products in the city or country using solar, geo thermo, and hydrogen power in solar glass enclosures.
My sister who lives north of the DFW airport in Texas retired from working in the Pharmaceutical Industry inventing flu vaccines for 14 years decided to manage horse ranches and teach horseback riding to young girls who were beginners. In 2021 she turned me onto the longest running TV Series in Canadian History Heartland. I have included a photo of Amy the main character and in the slide view below some of the set of the program. My sister mentioned that the horse training and handling is authentic and EXACTLY was it was over 100 years ago and what my grandmother loved so much and what my grandfather helped with, even to the area Huggerite’s and Mennonite communities as neighbors not to mention Buffalo Jump and the Indian Neighbors.
As a result, I binge watched the show and related to so much about the show it was like a very young version of my grandparents. Both were musicians and yes my grandmother has “special extraordinary powers” I learned about from a complete stranger in the grocery line in 1995, over 42 years after her death. I highly recommend watching the show and following Amber Marshall (Amy on the show) on Instagram as she shares with the world her world on her own ranch, and help support her efforts working with the wild horses and those that cannot fend for themselves, a fantastic testament to the culture she has embraced from being on the show for over 15 years… Great Job Amber!! You embody all that is lovely in Alberta, and we all of us that represent Alberta thank you for that.
JAM HANDY CORPORATION STUDIO’s
From there my father went to work for Reardon Parshall Financial Printing located at 1 st and Larned only a couple blocks from the Detroit River. This was well before Cobo Hall was built and rail was everywhere for the Detroit Street Railway to include the Wabash Train Station to the west towards the Ambassador Bridge, the Bob-lo Boat at the foot of Wooward, and the Grand Trunk Railroad Train Station where the tracks rode up through the John R – Woodward Corridor, thru Royal Oak, Birmingham, Pontiac, Holly, Flint, and Saginaw, and off to the east along Gratiot and Groesbeck to Port Huron, the same line Thomas Edison work on as a young lad. My father spent a lot of time for lunch in the summer sitting on the river’s edge watching the large freighters pass by taking photos and learning about the details of the ships, their owners, where and what cargo they would pick up and deliver and soon understood their schedules and what he could expect to see on any given day. A fun fact, when Cobo Hall was being built along with the original John Lodge Freeway when they were digging the foundation for Cobo Hall along Larned they dug up the original dock pilings built in 1735 in 1959.
RenCen GM Headquarters
Along with other sites like the Belle Isle Gardens, the waterfront, and vast parks is one of the few jewels of the city sheltered from those who don’t appreciate sharing nice things with others.
Belle Island Garden
City of Madison Heights
Returned to Madison Heights in November of ’96 on 11 ½ mile east of John R on the Lamphere side just down the street from the Madison High Football field. Stayed there to October 2002 where we moved to Clinton Township near where my mom was living at Charter Oaks off Metro Parkway and the Railroad Tracks (Groesbeck).
City of Troy
In 1965 we changed churches to 1 st Baptist of John R in Troy just south of Big Beaver (16 Mile Road) in Troy. Michigan, at the time at 14 Mile and John R where Oakland Mall is today it was the site of wheat farm and over the years the City changed from more of a rural area to a well to do City with two malls to include the Upper Scale Somerset Collection that has a mall section on either side of Metro Parkway connected by an enclosed walkway over Metro Parkway – the place where the above photo was taken. Prior to Kmart acquiring Sears and Roebuck their sprawling headquarters was immediately west of Somerset Mall now left vacant for almost 20 years. The City of Troy is where my father’s parents had a Victory Garden during WWII to grow fruits and vegetables. Early days they had a hot springs pool to swim in with a 12’ diving board where I discovered high diving was not for me.
WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH
In January of ’76 I moved from 1 st Baptist to Troy Baptist located just north of Big Beaver on Rochester Road which in early 2005 moved north just over 3 miles and renamed the church Woodside Bible Church – Troy Campus where I have been part of the Choir and worship arts even to this day. During this time from 2005 leadership from the Church, and the City of Troy to include the Mayor, Councilmen and women, the Chief of Police, Troy School District Leadership, School Principals and Teachers, even to include State and US Representatives, CIA, FBI, Coast Guard, Board Agents, and a corporate IRS Agent all who were or are members of the church and people I have seen every week, some several times a week. Other than the Choir was a leader in my High School and College Youth Group, Taught 4 and 5 year music theory, was in the Bowling League, Played in the High School and Mens Softball Teams, sang 1 st Tenor in a southern gospel quartet for 13 years, produced six southern gospel concerts at the Warren Campus, served as in the Visitation Program from ’76-’81 to help grow the church, and was a camp counselor Camp Shalom for 4 years for 5 th grader boys, and led music for 2 years. Many of the missionaries who have worked around the world I grew up with in High School and College, and several I have worked with as a technologist gave me the capability to meet long time friends in 43 countries around the world and be escorted in those countries as their guest. Today Woodside has 15 campuses across metro Detroit with Troy as their headquarters.
City of Sterling Heights
City of Rochester and Rochester Hills
New York City – Times Square – Flash Mob – Singing from the Toes
Fraser High School
City of Allen High School Football – Texas
The ranch officially located in Perbeck, Alberta, Canada in Kneehill County is but minutes from Buffalo Jump. Referring to the photo the railroad travels directly through the middle of the homestead that will take you to Calgary connecting to High River, the movie set location for Heartland.
Shortly after WWI Walter and Jesse moved to Detroit and eventually built a home on Cardoni that at the time went through the heart of Chyrsler Center in Highland Park. I remember my grandparents each time I drive northbound on I-75 service drive (south of Nevada) as the property was taken by the Service Drive.
While in Detroit my grandfather worked as a machinist for the Detroit Street Railroad and retired in 1954, about a year after my his wife my grandmother passed away from the mumps. Walter later moved in with us and became my boyhood hero. Ask me about our time together watching Popeye The Sailorman every morning… A fun fact in my Grandfather’s career was that he was on the team that built the Railroad for the Detroit Zoo commissioned in 1931. Making the railroad fun for me led to my interest in Model Railroading for a hobby.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN USA
Biography
DNA
Michael Relph is an award-winning writer, mathematician, technologist, education developer, architect, publisher, professional vocalist and musician, and in professional sports with nearly 50 years of experience finds himself as an Executive’s Executive, The Commanding General’s Confidant, Program/Project Manager (major), International Entrepreneur and Inventor, Corporate Diplomat, Consultant and Mentor, a developer of community and business with a strong Christian faith that is lived with purpose and passion helping bring the best out in others working in some 70 different Industries in 27 Countries.
Groomed by his Grandfather, Knight of the English Throne, also Blood Brother to the American Indian Nations he was shown how to live life well as a leader who at the same time was a servant. Seeing the potential in others and helping to bring that out whether as a group or individuals, the lowest common denominator is the person, the individual. With that said, working with any organization is a success as long as the individuals of that organization are willing to work together. That fact has been very true for me and I look to try to carry that forward in addressing you directly for the opportunity at hand and the many that surround it.
I was groomed into becoming that open minded ‘all things possible personality’ that is very persistent, looks to add value to people and efforts, is very process oriented, willing to patiently work with 4 – 92 year olds, those that are not so smart, or genius level intellectuals like myself. Yes, rocket scientist, nuclear scientist, top surgeons, I have worked well with. CEO’s of large corporations, or the janitor pushing the broom in a dark dirty dingy plant somewhere. Sometimes during very adversarial conditions where $100’s of millions are at stake or where 1000’s of lives are on the line. Superintendents of Schools, Corporate Directors looking to save their organization, owners of businesses needing to sell or make radical changes to survive, through my effort of coming alongside of them have been successful, many times far beyond my expectation.
As an inventive Technologist with many inventions you use today, I have a mental, an intuitive process to tackle even the most complex challenge. So whether your requirement requires special experience using certain application tools, or requires a certain license, many of those technological innovations I have had a part in over the years, so coming up to speed is never an issue, rather sometimes an opportunity for the application of process using that tool for improvement through fresh eyes for which I have many stories on. A license many times is a formal approach to an application. All those things can be easily learned or refined as many times I already have years of experience in those disciplines.
Professional Roles
Technologist – Strategist – Engineer – Analyst – Info Security Specialist – Project Manager IT Operations – Application Development – Infrastructure – Architect – Quality SME Disaster / Recovery Specialist – Military Army Logistics Specialist – Technical Writer
Prior To College Graduation
Mr. Relph has enjoyed the legacy of being trained by “professionals” starting at the age of 3 began his teaching career at the age of 7, proved advanced math, business, and publishing skills at the age of 8, and starting his first business at 12 mentored by the owner’s son of the Royal Oak Daily Tribune. Having a professional grade in bowling at the age of 15, was given leadership of what became the largest youth program of its kind in the US. By the time Mr. Relph was 17 found himself with over 900 students in a given week, tutored over 15,000 students in all academics, to include MBA students in Mathematics starting at the age of 15, mentored and tutored remedial students transforming them to straight A students 100% of the time, and by 17 represented 250,000 students nationwide as a board member of the American Jr. Bowling Congress.
Education
It is not a surprise as a registered mathematics genius at the age of 17 in the State of Michigan he chose Lawrence Technological University (after attending OCC in Mathematics at night in High School) boasting professors who are professionals in their field of instruction. Before graduating CUM LAUDE with a BS in Applied Mathematics he worked for TACOM in Integrated Logistics Support trained by Commanding General Decker having met on his 3rd day whereas the General showed up at Mr. Relph’s desk on his 4th day of work! Over 40 years later it was found that Mr. Relph’s boyhood mentor, the founder of the OSS with President Hoover, had unknown influence.
The Journey – From the Cradle to Present
In 1956 my parents moved to a new small orange brick home on 11 ½ Mile, three Blocks west of John R in Madison Heights, Michigan, where all but my youngest brother graduated from Madison High School aka an elder sister and two younger brothers. Full time my father worked at Reardon Parshall Financial Printing located at 1st & Larned downtown Detroit in a 4-story industrial building built in 1883. When they built the first phase of Cobo Hall it was built right across the street. My father took 100’s of photos of that construction. When the 2nd phase was to start it took that building and the company moved to 3rd & Fort Street. Part-time my father worked with the City of Madison Heights as a Probation Officer. We both worked for the City of Madison Heights – part-time only. I worked with Parks and Recreation from Sept – May from ‘74-‘81 as an ad Director for the Youth Bowling Program. I worked full time in the summers of ’77 and ’78 for the Summer Day Camp as the Director and Bus Driver. What a great job… to the beach every day!!
Growing up at that time ’59-’81 was a great experience where all the neighbors knew each other, most families had 3-6 children, there were only a few retired families, no one lived alone, there were very few rental homes, most moms worked at home raising those 3 to 6 kids, most all families were active in the PTA at school with about a 95% participation rate, and most 80%+ attended church on a weekly basis. Love, Respect, Integrity, Modesty, Kindness, Caring for those who could not care for themselves etc. was the norm. Dads made sure of it, especially mine.
Organized sports was big with so many who could play even to include band and choir at school. A Fun Fact, George the Animal Steel in Big Time Wrestling (Jim Meyers) was the Athletic Director and Gym Teacher – later my Champion for Youth Bowling. From his coaching we had several that became professional NFL Football Players, and a World Cup Wrestler – Rudy Gonzalez in my freshman year. In ‘76-‘77 as the Student Assistant to the Math Department and Student Assistant for the Superintendent of Schools I led the effort to bring Calculus to the High School Math Program and wrote the curriculum for 4 math classes that supplemented the requirement for Algebra II for Business Accounting, Electronics, Science, and Home Economics thus filling up those classes and later over filling the Algebra II classes. Later I worked my last two years in College as a Substitute Teacher in the High School.
In the end while attending Madison High School I became a sports professional, a paid professional artist, a vocalist (soloist, 3 choirs, barber shop quartet, southern gospel quartet, and a trio), a mathematician, scientist, an award winning writer, education developer, teacher, coach, mentor, and later a college graduate in Mathematics all while living in Madison Heights.
After graduating college I moved to Florida, and 15 years later eventually returned to Madison Heights in November of ’96 on 11 ½ mile east of John R on the Lamphere side just down the street from the Madison High Football field. Stayed there until October 2002 where we moved to Clinton Township near where my mom was living in Charter Oaks off Metro Parkway and the Railroad Tracks (Groesbeck).
RenCen GM Headquarters
Having witnessed the construction of the Ren Cen which was built in the mid-‘70’s took the site of old Grand Trunk Railway Station opening in the spring of ’77 in time for my family to treat me to my High School Graduation Dinner on top of the Middle Tower 71 stories high in rotating restaurant that rotated around about once an hour to view the Metro Detroit and Windsor Skyline. A fun fact is that after being open for 30 days the restaurant elevator (an express elevator to the top floor) had to be slowed down because people were getting sick after eating dinner descending in almost in free flight downward could not take the G-Force the ride had to offer!! It gave a whole new meaning to Tossing Your Cookies!!
Later General Motors spent $72M to purchase the Ren-Cen for its Headquarters. 25 Years old already GM spent some 200+M in renovations creating the Wintergarden facing the Detroit River, the new River Front Walk, and the Glass Ring connecting the Towers in 1999. I worked for the Finance Department migrating desktop operating systems during that time of construction. The improvements were fun to watch and amazing to use once it was complete. In the end General Motors made the Ren Cen a spectacular showcase. The saddest day I ever spent there was a day where a very thick fog was all over the region to include Metro Detroit and Most of lower Ontario, Canada. If you were over 25 floors high in a tower you were above the fog in the sunshine like you are in a plane flying high above the clouds, sort of like having an office in Mount Olympus!! Sadly, over 130 Cars and Trucks collided on Queens 401 east of Windsor creating a fire where many died and were burned alive in their cars.
City of Troy
In 1965 my family changed churches to 1st Baptist of John R in Troy (home of Bethany Schools) just south of Big Beaver (16 Mile Road) in Troy. In 1965 Troy, Michigan, at 14 Mile and John R (where Oakland Mall is today) was the site of a wheat farm. Over the years Troy changed from more of a rural area to a well to do City with two malls to include the Upper Scale Somerset Collection that has a mall section on either side of Metro Parkway connected by an enclosed walkway over Metro Parkway – the place where the above photo was taken. Prior to Kmart acquiring Sears and Roebuck their sprawling headquarters was immediately west of Somerset Mall, now left vacant for almost 20 years. The City of Troy is where my father’s parents had a Victory Garden during WWII to grow fruits and vegetables. In the 60’s and early 70’s at 18 Mile and Rochester Road the City of Troy had a hot springs pool to swim in with a 12’ diving board where I discovered high diving was not for me.
WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH
Lawrence Technological University
In my Senior Year in High School I was attracted to LIT (Lawrence Institute of Technology) as an Architectural School. Fellow student at Madison High, Greg Hawk took me to an Architectural Student Open House and I was overwhelmed by the display so much so I decided right Then and there to pursue Mathematics and Technology. From there I met with the Dean of the Math Department and submitted my application as a Transfer Student from Oakland Community College as a Math Student Graduating as a High School Student. Starting LIT having already taken Calc I, my head start took some of the pressure off a grueling schedule of Mathematics, Technology, Chemistry, and Physics with a few electives that were no “passes.” Along the way I continued to work Teaching Bowling at the Bowling Alley, and later at TACOM as a Computer Aid in the ARMY Integrated Logistics Support Office also as Commanding General Oscar Deming’s “special” assistant.
LIT for me was all about having access to the Dean always, in small classes, and professors who were professionals in the subject they taught. For instance, my Professor for the Organic Chem Lab was the former President of Bendix. He was 83 and sharper than a tack with over 31 Chemical Patents to his name. In between waiting for the lab “to bake” we had an opportunity to learn a lot about the Chemical Business and how it is run.
The school was very serious about no cheating, and no mischief seeing a student physically apprehended and expelled immediately upon being caught for cheating in a Math class. Later saw two students deported back to the Middle East for defacing the Science Center with words of great hatred written in Arabic during the hostage crisis in Iran. Ross Perot of EDS later came to the rescue and delivered them.
In the end the HR Placement department at LIT was epic. They were the ones that got my opportunity at TACOM and many interviews and offers around the country. I had offers even before the interview. The interviewers had a great deal of respect, they forwarded me because board members for the college were also board members of these companies. Alas my Uncle Ron who was leading IBM’s Federal Systems Division for the Space Shuttle development gave me an opportunity to interview at Cape Canaveral where I had a two-day amazing TOP SECRET interview and tour of all the SECRET places at Cape Canaveral. Sitting in the Firing Room at the helm where one FIRES off the Rockets was quite an experience. Oddly, I wasn’t there to “really” interview for IBM, I was there to interview for Scientific Systems Services, and had an offer before the interview and accepted that Saturday afternoon with the interviewer in Cutoff Shorts, a Tank Top, and Flip Flops. At the Beach Office a perk at lunch was having the opportunity to SURF the waves. A cool perk I never made good on
Upon graduating from Lawrence Tech in June of ’81 I moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, later Melbourne and Palm Bay to go work on the Space Shuttle, and Nuclear & Fossil Power Plant Control Systems.
My first few months in Florida starting with Scientific Systems Services I commuted to Melbourne from Cocoa Beach staying with my Uncle Ron who got me the job in the first place. Several times I was awakened by Delta Rockets being launched at 4am shaking the house and windows as if a very strong storm was passing by. I had a chance to experience the great beaches and waterways sailing on a catamaran, canoes, windsurfing, and learning to respect the heat and high humidity having tried to cut the lawn for the first time in a climate I never experienced before coming from Detroit. Lost 15 lbs of water weight that afternoon.
Moved to Melbourne and later to Palm Bay purchasing a new built home and inside of a year had our first daughter Katie. This was back in the day when mortgages were 12% where one felt fortunate to get an assumable mortgage at 10 3/8ths. In a neighborhood that was only 33% complete we had our share of wildlife, like large turtles, very large water moccasin snakes, pigmy rattlesnakes, deer, very large dragonflies, fox, and other creatures that were part of nature’s cycle of life.
After having my first daughter Katie we focused our sights back on our hometown in Michigan and found a job with AVCO Electronics in Huntsville, Alabama who claimed they had a job in Detroit working on General Motors Electrical Test System at the new Detroit-Hamtramck Plant. The day I accepted the offer I put the house up for sale and gave the realtor an incentive to make a quick sale of the house, and on the first day we had 5 offers, the 5th our asking price. We were able to close on the sale the last day and had a check in hand on the road to Alabama that afternoon with a moving van already on the road!
Arriving in Huntsville we found a brand new apartment complex 2 miles from the office, but it was not going to be ready for a week. Sad thing happened in that before we moved into that apartment I was informed that the project in Detroit was lost. As a result I was put on a project to develop an Airport Control System for the King Klieg Airport in Saudi Arabia. I didn’t have to go overseas, merely to architect my part of the system, and write the code. A couple of months into it the management decided it wanted to send the project to Boston, Massachusetts and change the programming language from PL/I to Forth. What a mess. I did not want to go to Boston so I redirected my attention to Detroit and what was going on with GM, and found an opportunity to work on the Quality Inspection System working as a contractor in GM’s Plant Floor Systems area at the GM Tech Center at what is now the Cadillac Building.
In the meantime, I had a chance to learn about the Red Stone Arsenal where the Rocket Engineer’s extracted from Hitler’s Rocket Scientists lived, worked, and played. Huntsville and Cape Canaveral worked very close together as Huntsville was the development arm for the rockets to be launched at Cape Canaveral where I came from prior to coming to Huntsville.
City of Rochester and Rochester Hills
In the spring of ’84 moved from Alabama to what was then Avon Township which later incorporated into Rochester Hills threatened by the spread of Rochester. This was a time of great expansion in the area as Chrysler was building its empire as the new Headquarters and Tech Center in Auburn Hills about an 18 Million Square Foot Facility. Additionally, it was a time of great expansion with EDS as they began building around the city when they were purchased by GM in Jan 1985 for which I was a part of having hired into EDS Dec 15, 1984. Working as a GM Contractor developing the Quality Inspection System for the new GM Det-Hamt Plant, I had a chance to visit the predecessor plant and system, The Lake Orion Plant immediately north of the new Chrysler HQ.
On the home front I contracted my own addition on my new home in Rochester Hills. There I learned how to work with the building department, and inspectors. Having participated in the work to include trenching, roofing, drywall for high ceilings, woodstove and chimney, siding, foundation concrete, concrete block, cement patio, door and window installation, basement renovation, building a full bathroom, heating a home from a wood burning stove, built a large playhouse and fence, and created a lawn from hard clay using hydroseed there were many new skills and tools that I acquired
At GM’s new plant I learned what is involved in a plant startup from a concrete floor and all the dynamics of new teams of staff in several areas of expertise and the leadership at their various areas as the Quality Inspection System touched every part of the Assembly process at the plant having to interface with all the reporting functions of all the plant floor systems.
Philippines – Manila & Sibuyan Island
In the process of researching imports for computer parts I met my wife who was born and raised on Sibuyan Island in the Romblon Province of the Philippines. Nothing like taking a flight from Detroit to Japan to Manila for the first time on my own meeting her for the first time being transported by her cousins to a hotel for the night. The next day I did some shopping in Manila, and the next day on a 5 hour bus ride to the Port of Batangas to board a “recycled” ship from Japan that was also very large ferry at 8pm that had two stops on the way with an arrival at noon the next day… to Sibuyan Island, an Agricultural Island known as “The Island of Hospitality.” Have you ever had the experience of “Just getting off the boat” in a strange place in a strange land. I now sort of know what Gilligan felt like on the show Gilligan’s Island, or the characters in the show Swiss Family Robinson.
Having been there several times my experience and memories are incredible where the stories just are very difficult to believe. The family has a resort on the only Sandy Beach on the Island where one could stand and watch General MacArthur defeat the Japanese about 10 miles out to sea while sipping Coconut Milk from a Fresh Coconut picked from the trees overhead.
Clinton Township & Fraser High School
Mother’s Day 2002, while on our way to my Mom’s place in Charter Oaks, just west of the railroad track on Metro Parkway (16 Mile Road) we saw a sign, houses for sale. On our way back home we stopped by and were excited about what we saw, and the next day we signed a contract to purchase the house already under construction. Jennine, our youngest, started Kindergarten at Disney Elementary, and in a couple of weeks I invited myself for a meeting with the Superintendent of Schools where we discussed the program – Energy Efficiency for Local Schools and Governments. In that meeting I had the Superintendent enter that free program that set a chain reaction of good fortune for the District Fraser Community Schools, the City of Fraser, and Clinton Township.
At the end of the day the district pre-paid a 30 year bond to upgrade high energy consumptive devices (boilers, lights etc), give tablets to students 3rd grade and up, create computer rooms in the classroom and other upgrades $15M would buy ahead of its time from the cost savings in energy. As a result Tim Shireman from the Michigan Energy Office called me and said the district qualified for a $6K grant to add curriculum to teach energy and energy efficiency. The staff agreed we would take a high school classroom of all remedial students, rename it “The Conservation Club” and have them teach arts and crafts to 3rd Graders about Energy and Energy Efficiency. Amazing things happened. By the end of the year the Remedial Students were all pulling A’s in ALL their classes, They won 3 Recognition Awards from the Governor, and the community reduced its carbon footprint significantly just by turning off lights, and exchanging lights to LEDs. When Gary Haxer gave his version of his story of the Vast Improvement of the Remedial Students he broke down in tears sobbing about this group of kids deciding as a class that they were for the first time in their lives going to work hard to gain the respect of the 3rd Graders, and they did. Not only that, they won awards from the Governor and became a group of kids that were hard to beat academically. My comment to the School Board was “as a Mathematician – Go Figure!!”
Working with the Superintendent Rick Repicky on this project was short of amazing as company’s who wanted to demo their green technologies brought some $150M in free upgrades to the District. From that they were able to concentrate on furthering their efforts in Music, Art, and Sports. For a small district they are the best performing school district in Macomb County today.
City of Allen High School &
Texas High School Football
At the very end of 2013 we moved to Allen, Texas first staying with my wife’s brother and then purchasing a home less than a mile away within sight of the large International Park where the city puts on Fireworks for the 4th of July and over 250,000 people show. Allen, Texas at one time bragged about having the finest High School Football Stadium in Texas with a State Champion Title for more than 15 years running. Originally looking to spend $53M spent $60M only to find the concourse concrete breaking up as it was poured wrong. It was repaired and the Game Continued on the homefield.
With the infrastructure new or being made new, it took me 6 months to find any potholes for my car to get jolted by, a very common occurrence in Metro Detroit. The Neighborhood Walmart Store had very kind (and very attractive) cashiers, something just not at all common in Metro Detroit. The list of commonly high end amenities and venues were all over the place made common by their newness and quality construction.
I did notice that because so many had dual substantial incomes people did not take the time to cook at home, so there was no real “slow” day at a restaurant unless the weather kept people home. Like Metro Detroit you definitely needed a car to get around as the distance and traffic in the whole DFW area was always a challenge. Having moved to the area because we had family and friends it made it much easier to learn where to go to get things done, and sources of folks to associate yourself with. Friends from back in Michigan who lived in Rockledge introduced us to First Baptist Dallas, a place I loved to be the very first step inside the sanctuary I had.
First Baptist Dallas
Having sang in my Church Choir since I was 14 years old the Choir at 1st Dallas won me over. Being able to sing in a choir of 150-250 voices who were very skilled at what they did was a dream come true. Me having over 4 ½ years of private vocal lessons being able to amass a 93db volume with about a 4 octave range finally made it so I would not stand out in the music. There I had a chance to make many “professional” friends who were very highly skilled and successful in many industries and professions. Finally a flock of Eagles as I saw it.
The best experience I had was taking my youngest daughter Jennine to perform in New York City with the Choir and Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Tabernacle, performed a flash mob in Time Square, visited the one week old 911 Memorial, did the Bus Tour of Lights, and a Dinner Cruise on the Hudson River riding around the Statue of Liberty and under the famed Brooklyn Bridge. The day we left for NYC was to be my daughter’s high school graduation ceremony (in 106 degree temps), but instead she came with her “old man” to New York City for the experience of a Lifetime, even better than a High School Graduation Ceremony. I was there for exactly three years and loved every moment of it. You can view the choir archives on the Church Website for 2014, 15 and 16 and as the camera pans the choir you will find me singing… singing from the toes I might add.
City of Sterling Heights
Returned back to Michigan the very end of 2016 and moved to Sterling Heights. My wife (an RN) had preceded me as she moved in with my mother who was having health problems. My mom later moved to Texas with my sister so she could care for her when she passed at the age of 86 on Jan 15, 2021. Back in Michigan I restored my business relationships with organizations like the Macomb Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Detroit City Airport, Willie Horton’s 360 Community Partners Inc., Woodside Bible Church and new associations with the Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce, the Inkster Chamber of Commerce, Gabbert’s Concrete Products of Inkster, and a number of other organizations.
I am proud to recognize Sterling Heights as the safest city in Michigan, and Macomb County as the best run County in all of the United States because leaders are all working together for the good of its people. It is not about party lines, it’s about quality of life for all residents. John Johnson, the leader of the Macomb Chamber, is arguably the strongest force in all chamber of commerce organizations in the entire country because he works hard for all stakeholders in the chambers he represents. Though I do not look to retire I do look to maintain a residence in Sterling Heights for as long as I can physically and mentally.
The 5 R’s
The 5 R’s refers to my book titled ‘Reading, Writing, Arithmetic Sports, and the Arts – Creating Tomorrow’s Masterminds Today’ which lays out the Re-Engineering of education for K-12.
With the recent Pandemic education from home, relying on Technology to bridge the gap has deepened the great divide for the haves and have nots. Even for the have’s quality of education has greatly decreased for over 95% of the “haves” making the average graduating student unmotivated to enter adulthood as a productive citizen in so many ways even to include obtaining a drivers license.
As a Technological Professional using ZOOM to teach without physical proximity to others leaves out the science and realization that Electromagnetism has to offer in the give and take of energy in the room. Come to find out all the studies Tesla brought forward were all true. So many thought he was crazy, now we suffer forced to be isolated. The Herd approach would have been 1000% better in the end.
Not to throw the baby out with the bath water I look to re-engineer education to start at the age of 3 where using art and music makes it fun and easy for the student to learn. On a Trimester schedule with major holiday breaks used as vacations to include one “geographical vacation” per year students would not lose the momentum of learning with a long summer break every year. The geographical vacation eliminates URBANISM from the average urban student who never venture 4 or 5 miles from their home in their lifetime exposing them to the world, its cultures, and opportunities.
The re-engineering takes place as today’s traditional teacher is replaced with a life-mentor and coaches who are professionals in what they coach. Academics like Mathematics, the Sciences, Language Arts, History, all remain the same over time. As such can be captured by expert instructors on video. Using an academic coach if a student gets stuck they refer to them, otherwise they just keep playing the video back over again until they get it. Khan Academy is a prime example of very dynamic instructors captured on video. I know if I had that took I would of finished the 12th grade material before I was 15 years old in a Trimester program starting at the age of 3.
My contention is that advanced training in Music and Art actually creates the capacity of Intelligence. Applied appropriately can raise the average IQ to 135-140 where the average IQ is 100 and a genius is about 160. In fact a 25 year US Federal Study with about 250,000 students learned that Piano – reading the music and playing or taking an advanced Art program grew the connector between each side of the brain up to 45-50% greater than average, and so their math and problem solving skills rose 45-50% higher. Performed with intentionality, and making it fun for the student, amazing things could happen overall.
Adding Sports, especially balance and eye hand coordination sports and exercises will increase those numbers up to 60% and raise quality and length of life without the typical diseases prevalent today to include Diabetes, Cancer, High Blood Pressure, Heart Issues, etc.
Using professionals in Sports, Art, Music, Technology, and Life Sciences will easily allow a student to obtain the equivalent of a Bachelor’s Degree, a professional grade in art, sports, and music, not to mention in a life science all by the time a student reaches the age of 18 with a Trimester approach.
Students shall be intentionally worked with, to match their personality with interests as a professional or in a trade that, well groomed, will allow them to live at a standard of living they are happy with knowing – they can always continue to learn and experience new interests as they arise in different phases in their life.
At the end of the day each student will learn how to learn at grade 16 or above. They will also have experienced many places, cultures, and opportunities and understand gifts they have that turned into talents they are passionate about can yield an opportunity to live their passion and make a living at the same time, the whole motivation of this book.
Economically it raises the bar by over 100% in the community across the board. In the Urban Community it rises the bar by over 500%, and in the inner city over 1000%. More people would be involved in the education process and would put people to work who are over 80 years old grafting their valuable function of lending their experience and knowledge onto the children. This approach would eliminate poverty as we know it today for decades to come. This approach would also solve the short fall for programs like social security, and health care in general. The challenge will be getting around controlling forces that want the opposite to be true.
Education Realized
From my perspective an ‘Education Realized’ is the culmination of the years of your education that takes a gift you have wrapped with your passion around that gift developed into a talent that will afford a living you will be content with as you start out in life as an early adult.
If you recall your history in the early Colonial Days of America, a son would take on the family business. There they would learn from the family experts leveraging that experience and knowledge to learn a higher degree of expertise helping to keep competitive in their market for the next generation.
Mentoring, training and coaching is what is grossly missing in education today. How do we change that direction? Make it intentional. The tricky thing is that since there are only finite dollars in public education changing that approach will require moving the traditional teacher out of that role into a mentoring role and having the student ratio up to 150 to one instead of the 20 – 40 to one.
Personally, because I had several professional mentors, trainers, and coaches it made it easy for me to sort out the details giving me the ability to start my first business at the age of 12 having started teaching at the age of 7 and consulting at the age of 8.
As a Consultive Strategist who uses Interpolative Reasoning (learning how to learn) there is little I cannot help in solving difficult challenges in over 70 industries. At that point one has realized the education they have obtained.
The Entrepreneur
Before starting my first business at the age of 12 I learned how to become a leader, a teacher, and consultant to other leaders and CEO’s of large corporations. Being mentored and encouraged by my grandfather and father – both very strong, competent, and influential personalities – grafted enough confidence and poise within me to easily enable one little 8 year old to present to the CEO of Detroit Edison, to engage the Chief of Police, even, witness the Judge to ask my father “what do you want to do with this man?” Standing in front of DTE’s CEO and his desk laid down my copy of the proof of his Annual Report for 1966, he walked around the desk, put his “readers” on, took out a blue and red pencil, and asked if he could write some notes on it as I talked through my issues with the report. Thinking about it now, I thought nothing of it. I just treated the exercise as if he was my dad. I remember I had no fear, no apprehension, and I knew I had his respect when he admitted he knew much less than I did about those areas of the report and that he had to get back with me, almost if I was the boss. My reward was being able to try his chair on for size as he and my father went into the board room to go over the rest of the details of the proof. Can’t remember how many times I spun that chair around per minute… but I had a great time! I have to admit the CEO had integrity because he called me after school, a couple weeks later and celebrated with me in that I was right, and that he thanked me and stated he felt as prepared as ever to discuss the report with the Security Exchange Commission. I thought nothing about the conversation and went on my way.
As a 12 year old I learned all the basics one needs to run a business with the advantage of having my parents, the owner’s son of the Royal Oak Daily Tribune as my manager, and being exposed to all the aspects of a highly complex business putting out a different complex product every day, 6 days a week.
As an entrepreneur in a business of one, you are forced to know the entire business to include operations, sales, administration, customer service, banking, the works. One may enter the world of entrepreneurism several different ways;
- If you have no money and/or resources
- Write a business plan and proforma and use it to garnish a loan or attract investors to establish your startup business.
- Become a partner in an existing business by;
- Bringing new business to the table and negotiate a share in the business
- Lending your expertise thus creating an expanded or new market for the partnership.
- If you have money and/or resources
- Purchase an existing business or franchise
- Establish your new business yourself. Hopefully you use a business plan and proforma to help guide you through the process.
For the beginner, if you can purchase a franchise that already has operations manual already put together, you can concentrate on running the business right away. Otherwise, if you have no playbook to run by then it would make sense to create one even before you open up your new business, and blend your competitive advantages in your business plan and proforma.
One of my primary functions as a consultant who is a business strategist buying and selling businesses is as significant as assisting those that want to start a business from a white paper.
To cap my career in the startup space I look to create a franchise out of my new organization Hero’s in the Hood, helping those in the Hood startup businesses they can walk to from home, begin to know how to earn a living, to run a business, to be responsible and respectful to themselves and others.
The Technologist
Until the age of the Personal Computer, the Internet of Things (IOT), the smart phone, and advance control systems, the world of technology grew through programs like the space programs, banking, and advanced manufacturing. Network protocols were custom, interfaces included paper tape, teletypes, punch cards, and terminals. Programming was cryptic and very complex and so were the programming languages.
That is the world I started my career from – taking on a degree in Applied Mathematics – where the application was Computer Science or a subset of Technology. Remember a complex machine is also included as Technological advances as advanced technologies were required to design and manufacture those machines.
The Consultant
Little did I know at the age of 7 in consulting my 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Altman after convincing her that I could make singing in the class fun and at the same time learn how to sing better if she let me help her teach the class. Coupled with the fact that she worked with the class first thing everyday with breathing exercises, the class got pretty good. Us 3rd graders got so much better that we led the Christmas Performance, not the 6th graders. It was that same year consulting with the CEO of Detroit Edison planted the seed of working with leaders as a Consultant uniquely qualified to add value in many dimensions, some times the dimension of the obscure and unknown.
Over the years working with Governmental & Military Leaders, Corporate Leaders, Sports Legends, and Professional Musicians and Artisans, its more about walking in their shoes trying to understand their perspective, and learning their of the top challenges, and even bucket list desires when fulfilled intent, trust, and honest direct discussion can occur and those challenges can be met.
The Coach & Counselor
A Great Coach is usually someone who is passionate about coaching what they have accomplished themselves whether it is a sport, art, music, academics, business, even in the laboratory. Another term for Coaching is “applied learning” and if performed alongside a strategic vision of the one being coached results most times are very significant to amazing. When a coach receives specialized training on training techniques and tools that enables one being coached to reach a professional ranking from a beginner helps to eliminate many pitfalls on the journey for the one being coached.
In many cases the coach becomes a counselor when the one being coached hits a snag or a peek in performance. To the extent that the coach is skilled as a counselor determines whether the one being coached is able to navigate these snags as come up. Successfully navigated strengthens the coach-student relationship towards greater accomplishments. If the coach does not possess the counselor quality a student maybe forced to change coaches or quit altogether.
After my Jr. year in High School, I was trained as a Camp Counselor and later participated in workshops learning risk and crises management. Being exposed to crises being with my father at the Probation Office I had the opportunity to observe how to affectively navigate the landmines that people either stepped on or managed to get around if in fact they followed instructions. When the counselor can see a step or two ahead and be that calm rock of stability for the one being counseled, they can work together to administer healing and new wholesome habits.
At the age of 15 I was hired by the Director of Youth Bowling Program at Fairlane’s Bowl in Madison Heights to assist Coaching the kids in the after school and Saturday Afternoon programs. Soon after being hired took a course to become Certified as a Bowling Instructor through the American Jr. Bowling Congress which later I became a board member of representing some 250,000 students nation-wide and locally sponsoring a yearly tournament and banquet with many 1,000’s participating nationwide. We also participated in the Youth Competition with the Pro Bowlers Tour on a yearly basis as it came thru the area.
Having worked with Detroit Tiger Legend, Willie Horton, at Tiger Town in Lakeland, Florida during Spring Training I had a chance to see his coaching style which has helped to make several Hall of Fame Athletes, not just in physical capability but in attitude, poise, and mannerism. The “real athletes” who understand what it is to be coached by a legend see their whole lives change in a very short period of time.
In the summer of 2019, a Detroit Tiger coach called a young black hopeful a very inflammatory name and was immediately fired with promised restitution provided for this young black player. By December that year it was found that the promise the club made was not kept. Come the 2nd week of January there was a planned armed riot to take place in Lakeland, Florida at Tiger Town, and I got a call from then alarmed Willie Horton who was asked to address the Tiger Management and help solve the issue before Martin Luther King’s holiday when the riot was set to occur. Willie called me to help write the letter that went to management. Needless to say I was complaining to God for putting me between life and death for many. At the end of the day after spending 14 hours writing a very carefully written 2-page letter with only 10 hours to spare created an immediate response (in 10 minutes) and immediate resolution. Relieved I still complained to God and told Him I didn’t think he was funny and to at least give me more notice next time. Sometimes “being prepared” for the extreme places you in very dangerous spots so be careful for what you ask for… you may find yourself in a spot you must perform or else.
The Educator
EDUCATION BACKGROUND AND CAPABILITIES
As an Executive, Director, Counselor, Teacher, Mentor, and Coach with over 40 years of direct hands-on experience with a Professional Ranking completely understand how to work with students that are challenged and have the resources to get help either directly or through those I have worked with over the past almost 50 years (Since 1974) to include;
- Lawrence Technological University started as the Henry Ford Trade School in Highland Park. Board members are CEO’s of large Automotive Suppliers.
- Worked with former Senator Alan Sanborn, son of Judge Sanborn – founder of Macomb Community College.
- Worked with New Haven Trade Academy and their Superintendent of Schools introduced me to ALL Superintendents of Schools in Macomb County
- Worked as Youth Director of Fairlane’s Bowl in Madison Heights worked with 27 Athletic Directors and Superintendents in Oakland and Macomb Counties
- Worked at TACOM in the Integrated Logistics Support Office and as Special Assistant to Commanding General
- Worked with City of Madison Heights as Director and Bus Driver for Youth Day Camp and Bowling Program in Parks & Recreation
- Worked and Coordinated Special Events and Activities working Troy and Madison Heights Chief of Police.
- Chief Fund Raiser – Fairlane’s Bowl, Madison Heights Public Schools, National Honor Society, Friends of the Detroit City Airport, 360 Willie Horton Community Partnerships, others…
- Board Member of the Friends of the Detroit City Airport – Davis School of Aeronautics- High School FAA Mechanics and Pilot School – DPS – Commander of Selfridge Airforce Base
- Ambassador to the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce – John Johnson – Center Point of Focus for Macomb County Leadership
- Executive Director of Community Partnerships for the 360 Willie Horton Community Partnerships, Inc. HQ’s in Tigertown, Lakeland, Florida
- Ambassador for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, Colorado
- Ambassador for the Inkster Chamber of Commerce, Inkster, Michigan
- GSA Ambassador for Indian Chief Geronimo and Associated Indian Nations
- (Inherited Blood brother ship from Grandfather and Chief Johnny 3 Fingers – Sarcee Tribe – Calgary, Alberta)
- Michigan Legislative Committee Advisor for Education, and Manufacturing.
- Michigan Minority Business Development Association Advisor for Manufacturing and Government Contracts
- Small Business Municipal and County Governmental Liaison
- Special Assistant to Federal District Judge Damen Keith 6th District Clerk
- International Consultants for Education, Manufacturing, Youth Sports, Transportation, Agriculture, Trade, Technology, Energy
- (Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Germany, England)
- Technological Architect and Developer for;
- General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Mercedes Benz, National Steel (now US Steel), EDS, IBM, Consumers Power and over 300 others.
EDUCATION INSTITUTION ESTABLISHMENT CAPABILITIES – ACADEMICS – SPORTS – ART – MUSIC – THE TRADES
- ADMINISTRATION
- NEW PROGRAM OFFERING DEVELOPMENT
- PLAYBOOK/OPERATIONS/QUALITY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
- FUND RAISING & SPONSOR RELATIONS
- EVENT PLANNING & OPERATIONS
- GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC RELATIONS
- COMMUNICATIONS
- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
- TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS
- STUDENT RECRUITING, COUNSELING, TEACHING, MENTORING, COACHING
- TRANSPORATION – Bus Driver
- ACADEMIC SPECIALIST – MATH, SCIENCE, ENGLISH, TECHNOLOGY
- ADVANCED TRAINER – VOCAL MUSIC – PERFORMANCE – CONCERT PRODUCTIONS – ART MURALS
- TRADES – TEACHING CAPABLE IN; WOODSHOP, and CONCRETE (flat work, step installation)
Lawrence Technological University, General Motors Ren Cen, Ford Motor Company Glass House, Chrysler
Headquarters, Madison High School, Friends of the Detroit City Airport – Tuskegee Airmen, Newspaper Article – Bowling Instructor, Willie Horton & Family, Willie Horton Statue, Comerica Park, Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Tabernacle, Woodside Bible Church Auditorium, 1st Baptist Dallas Auditorium, 1954 News Article – writeup only
The Musician
Music has been a major part of my family culture for over 400 years as it was an integral part of practicing one’s faith in Worship. Piano, Violin, and Voice were the major musical influences in my father’s parents legacy, and more of a General blend of influences in my mother’s family, primarily my mother’s father’s family.
For over 400 years all those in the Relph family learned to play the piano. My father’s father was no different. Even though he we not the greatest, he made it fun. So fun I have heard stories by those who 20 years ago were in their 90’s tell me about how much they “loved” his antics playing in Sunday School. He was left-handed and when he learned how to play they tied his left hand behind his back so he would not lead with his left hand. How frustrating would that be?. Left Handing Piano Players usually establish amazing rolling bass styles of music that make the mundane sound alive and engaging again like the first time you heard a song.
Also for over 400 years my father’s mother’s family, the Duffel family uniquely had all the men learn the Violin as very young lads. My great grandfather William who moved from London, England in 1905 – 1906 to Calgary, Alberta, Canada was a great Violinist. With 3 sons in tow all 3 became accomplished very young and accompanied their father on road trips all across Western Canada from Edmonton to Vancouver. In the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic opening ceremony he was recognized as The Legend of the Rocky Mountain Violinist and as this violinist played dressed in a cowboy suit with a string on the end of the bow the commentator talked about the story. I remember seeing the this on TV, but did not realize they were talking about him until the family historian showed us photos and a writeup on the whole thing. Yes, the Duffel family has an official full-time family historian showing a family tree of over 11,000 family members most of whom she had seen and collected photos and stories about mostly in Western Canada and the US.
From the Seeger family, my mother’s father’s family most all family members were encouraged to take up an instrument in school and played in the band or orchestra. At the family Christmas gathering everyone brought their instruments and everyone would take a turn playing a Christmas song or two. For the younger ones, sometimes it was difficult to get through. However, by the time high school rolled around they were pretty good to listen to and parents were very proud to see the improvement over the years. One cousin took up the guitar known as “the chic magnet…” got pretty good at it and decided to make a career of it. When he graduated high school told his dad, “Dad I have two weeks of savings and a one way plane ticket to Europe for me and my girlfriend so we will tour Europe for a time. When I am done I will call and come back home,” Nine months later he called his Dad and came back home. Through this trip he learned he could make a go of it and became an excellent Jazz composer, arranger, performer, concert manager and has a very strong following in Europe while teaching as a tenured professor of Jazz at New Orleans University the home of Jazz World-Wide.
My story as a musician starts at the age of 3 when I stood next to my grandfather’s keyboard, a little air driven organ as he got me to match a tone. At 4 he got me to understand a harmony, a simple third. At 5 to begin to learn how to read the music so at 7 I had the confidence to essentially teach my 2nd grade teacher how to teach the class. At 8 for the Christmas Program at School I sang my first solo in front of over 700 in our little gym with no microphone, and by 5th grade was clearly carrying the entire class when they threatened to put tape on the windows. In 6th grade I remember learning the Battle Hymn of the Republic and we got to sing at the High School for an all-school district concert as part of joint choir and experienced the real power of being a part of an immense sound, something I would not fully realize until the day I learn to fully extend my voice in a voice lesson session 20 years later.
Jr High Choir was a great transition as my voice changed in the summer leading to 8th grade from being the highest voice in the choir to a Tenor voice struggling to sing a C. My voice transitioned by more than an octave and now as a tenor had to learn a whole new part. For the 8th grade Spring Concert the Choir teacher announced that try-outs for a solo would start and he was taking names. A couple of days went by and he stopped me and asked me if I was going to try out. I said he knew my voice and that he didn’t need to hear it in an audition and that I would be the one he chose at the end of the day. Of course he was not happy with my “attitude” and on the very last day we got into a heated discussion about it in front of the whole class. My classmates even got involved cheering me on, but he insisted on me auditioning for the part. After 15 minutes of back and forth, I told him I would sing 2 notes in front of the class right there and then. We argued another 10 minutes and I agreed to sing 6 notes in the other room where the auditions took place. Needless to say I got the part. Several of my classmates gave me a real hard time because they actually worked hard at learning the part trying their very best to get the part and I never practiced the part or even looked at it before the audition. After the concert I admitted it was good to get the other students to work at it, but that I didn’t believe he worked in good faith deceiving them into a possibility of them getting the part.
In high school I did not join the choir as I understood the teacher at that time showed up late for class, drunker than a skunk. At the same time, my father asked if when I was 14 to sing in the church choir with him and I jumped at the chance. I loved singing in this adult choir of about 60-70 voices as I could sing out and not sing over the entire choir. One day, I sat next to the “professional bass singer” in the group and I experienced something very new. We sat on a long cushioned bench, a pew is what they called it. We were singing a number that had a very low running bass part and all of the sudden the seat was buzzing almost like an electric shock and when we finished that phrase, I reacted by asking him, “did you feel that?”, he said, “feel what?” I said, “that shock?” and he laughed pretty loud and explained… I was amazed and looked forward to sitting next to him to experience “the buzz.” He eventually became a good friend and neighbor, as soon after he was married, he moved into my 2nd grade teachers house, down the street and around the corner.
Towards the end of my Jr. Year in High School I found out the music teacher started getting some help and was attending AA so I signed up for choir 1st hour. Poor guy. Three of us Tenor’s colluded together to take turns every day and pick a song where one of us sang a quarter flat real loud. For him it was like fingernails being dragged across a chalk board. He would always complain the Tenors were off! We would always claim he was hearing something and to get his hearing checked and that we were perfect. To prove it we offer to sing it for him. No piano required! Oddly the teacher knowing I was attending College at night for Calculus recruited me to tutor several of his friends trying to get their MBA but could not pass Algebra II. All 6 of them managed to pass!!
After graduating high school I was asked to help teach 4 and 5 year olds music rhythm as the teacher created a Wednesday Night activity at Church. Pat a music teacher at an upscale Montessori school nearby invited me to their Christmas Program rehearsal to help out. I was absolutely amazed at several 3rd graders who I felt were better than I was firmly planted the idea that young children could be trained to be professional voices and have a lot of fun doing it. Lord knows we had a riot or I should say “I” had a riot with the 4 and 5 year olds.
About 14 years after high school graduation I was working at Ford Motor Company developing the engine control system for their 7.3 Litre Powerstroke Diesel Engine overlooking the test track in Dearborn and I thought I would call Pat and ask her to teach me Piano. She had this beautiful white 9’ grand piano in their front room and I imagined playing my heart out on it, but that idea was shattered when she said “NO!! I’m NOT going to teach you Piano!!” I said, “but Pat…”, she interrupted me and said “You have a voice, I want you to call my friend Mary and have her help make your voice so much better than it is today!!” In the end I Mary worked with me once a week for over 4 years and helped me establish a repertoire, until she felt she had imparted all her capability onto me. Rehearsing 30-40 hours a week over a 4+ year period of time did the magic Pat envisioned.
From this I have coined my own new musical term, “Singing from the Toes.”
The Artist
My first glimpse of art and how well I wasn’t was in 1st Grade. I sat in the front seat next to Diana Hogan. Almost embarrassed at my colored Easter Bunny, I nearly threw it in the trash as Diana’s looked amazing. I looked and saw that I colored in the lines and put a black border where I thought it should go, but all the same it was very poor. Several years later in high school Diana’s family moved across the street from us and her mom became part of “the neighborhood mom’s group” and she was over many times sharing stories of how proud she was of Diana and her art. Diana eventually became a professional artist having moved to Hawaii to practice her craft.
It wasn’t until 7th grade, when as part of the shop program, everyone took drafting on the board where we learned how to use different hardnesses of pencils, a T-Square, Triangles, and a Compass. Turns out I really liked mechanical and architectural drawing on the board and ended up taking it for 6 years total over performing to the point I was producing perfect work at a rate of over 4 times my peers who were only producing 75-80% work.
In the process I was able to learn how to use French Curves and some free hand work and over time being able to hand sketch architectural related projects has come in handy to help develop projects. Learning how to carefully print has helped in hand calculated mathematics, and note taking in general.
Having grown up around graphic arts with my grandfather who produced movie pictures for General Motors through Jam Handy Corporation, and my father published Annual Reports, Prospectuses, and magazines seeing how the publications all went together came together for me with computer applications like PowerPoint and others.
The Sportsman
Having grown up around athletes, my dad’s father a Champion Boxer, my mother’s father an Olympic Speed Skater, and my father was an all-sports talent played Triple-A Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Roller Skating, and a was a Sprinter, my mother’s mom was a swimmer, and my mother’s brother a Water Skier.
Needless to say us kids were exposed to so much we quickly stuck with baseball, bowling, biking, swimming, and water skiing. Yes, we had fun with Basketball and Floor Hockey but never pursued it as we concentrated on non-contact sports to avoid concussions, something that was a big deal having been a boxer in High School at Cass Tech in Detroit.
Having a paper route at 12 I always have some change in my pocket found out we could bowl a game at the little Wayside Bowl at the corner of Ten Mile and John R, so I would put my bowling ball on the handle bars of my bicycle and rode the 1 ½ miles and for 10 cents a game would fill up a sheet of 25 games in about 3 hours when I was 13 and 14 gave me the momentum to excel enough as a 15 year old to have the top average of the league beating out the 18 year olds.
Recognized by the youth director of the bowling program was asked to help with the after school and Saturday Afternoon youth leagues. Soon after starting all of us teens helping were put thru a coach certification program making our organization with the most certified bowling coaches in one place in the country. As a result I was given the youth program after the director quit all of a sudden and inside of year made it the largest youth program of its kind in the history of the sport of Bowling. A year into it I was called by the President of the American Jr. Bowling Congress asking if I could join their board. At 17 became the youngest board member with the largest program. The next eldest board member was 53 at the time, so again I felt like a child prodigy once again.
In 1996 I had a chance to attend a business meeting, a BBQ sponsored by Willie Horton of the Detroit Tigers. There were 300+ folks at the house and we sat down on the coach in the front room for 3 hours and stood up and felt like we had known each other for a lifetime. It was not a couple weeks later when I had him visit me at General Motors in Pontiac and introduced him around for him to understand how to market to General Motors for the machine tool company ORT Tool and Die he represented out of Erie, Michigan. From that over the years we have worked very closely together for so many different things. It has been quite a journey to work with him and his very large family attending family functions and events of all sorts to include the weddings, funerals, BBQ’s, and family reunions.
Working with Willie’s non-profit 360 Willie Horton Community Partnerships, Inc. it has been a pleasure to work with so many professionals and legends to include owners of professional clubs, organizations, governmental leaders, business leaders, and area church leaders assembling an amazing set of community partnerships in Lakeland, Florida.
The Volunteer
Being a volunteer to help others or a cause is something you tend to learn from others as you learn the value of giving or giving back. Hopefully you are modeling volunteerism for your family, friends, and associates without asking for anything in return. If anything, you are fulfilled in that if you do it on an on-going basis that you are doing your part to impart goodness in the world.
Growing up in a conservative evangelical Christian home my father modeled just that especially when it was about helping the frail widows at Church that needed a hand to get home after services on Sunday Morning. To open doors for others, and to practice kindness always, especially when a small child was lost in the Store or Parking Lot, or wherever, being that person of absolute security and safety (especially since he had TWO Badges as a Probation Officer and a Reserve Police Officer).
Most of my volunteering has been centered around ministry at church whether it was calling on the sick and visiting them, driving the Seniors to church services and back home (18 at a time), singing in the choir, helping many different efforts in the community, even to mentor and counsel others who were struggling.
Sometimes you even get caught doing good and you see something from it like the Commanding General who sent us all medals from our work with providing Professional Baseball Coaching Clinics for the kids at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia.
The following article in the Woodside News highlights several things I was and several I still am to include working with a mother daughter violin duet team I talked into performing with no more than 2 months of experience for the little 7 year old. It was one of those amazing things… she played like a pro and made it look so easy. I have to admit tears were rolling off my face capturing those moments seeing another generation of musicianship be solidified in their family legacy… a real big deal to me.
In the end when teaching young people I require them to learn and practice Volunteerism to pass my class. It is Volunteerism is what solidifies the learning experience as you practice what you learn in a non-threatening environment. The goal is to have fun with it and see the value your efforts realize.
Try it. You’ll grow to learn that it is an important ingredient to a life well lived.
CSES INTERNATIONAL, Inc.
Not sure why I started the company to start with… as several months went by before did anything… until I was asked if I could automate a Women’s and Children’s fashion wear retail store. Located at Ballenger Highway and Flushing Road on the west side of Flint, I said “sure I know about barcodes, scanners and such,” so I got to work. At the time I was also working with my friend Nicholas Blake (whose Grandfather invented the Hydromatic Transmission for General Motors) helping with a small computer store in Clawson asked about Point of Sale Systems, and found one at the very back of the Computer Shopper Magazine from a company named MicroBiz out of New York. I ordered the demo, saw it worked easily on an IBM PC even without a manual, and the rest was history.
MicroBiz had trainings for vendors like myself, and offered to sell the source code and development tools and to train you how to customize their application for customers. Being a software developer I was drawn to the opportunity and sold it to Bob Perani of Perani’s Hockey Shops and automated his stores and Warehouse in Flint, Metro Detroit, and Cleveland. Bob was a goalie of the Flint Generals and invented the modern Goalie Protective Gear to include the Helmets used by the Pro’s even today. Working out of his Flint Store on Dort Highway I spent many over night development sessions locked in the store (not a great neighborhood) and leaving in time to get to Dearborn at Ford I would stop at Bob’s home I would put the store key under the mat of his car in the driveway.
Over time Bob introduced me to hockey greats like Yzerman, Gretzky, and a bus load of others as one day many came to the store while I was there to test the BRAND NEW Graphite Hockey Stick. They were wowed by it but knew it wouldn’t fly as the puck was being launched to speeds far beyond where they were then. Some bragged about hitting the puck over 150mph.
At about the same time I was introduced to Larry Burtrum of Furs By Clyde Burtrum in June of 1992. Clyde the founder – 1936, was in the process of handing the store to Larry caught me without Larry standing next to me infactically declaring “we don’t need no computer here” was caught by Larry who pulled his father away saying “don’t mind a VERY OLD MAN, he is scared of them all.” Incidentally it was only blocks away from the Woman’s and Children’s Fashions Shop!! In the end I worked customizing and expanding his systems throughout his whole store even to his home working closely with him from Jul 1992 – Jan 2013.
When one customizes a Point of Sale System you not only learn about the business and its secrets you get to know the vendors, the customers, their buying habits, the employees and what they do (or don’t do) and in a family business over time are considered an extended family member. My two eldest daughters learned how to sew furs, learned about the type of furs, what is EXPENSIVE and what is not. What looks good on them and what doesn’t.
This paid off for my eldest daughter Katie. For her 16th Birthday I took her to the store and told her she could have ANY coat in the store. The top saleswoman of the store almost fainted as she caught herself from falling to the floor leaning on Katie. She said, “ok let’s go shopping!!” Katie selected a ¾ Length Mink with a Hood with a reversable Leather Lining (aka a reversable coat). The sales sticker said $7,895.
Katie was very hesitant about this whole “game” thinking my dad is pulling my leg. Larry and I then went to his computer to look at the real cost. At the time Larry owed me several thousand dollars saw the actual cost of that coat was only $1,595, so in the end the 1,600+ I paid for it in trade for part of what he owed me was a great investment around what Katie thought was the IMPOSSIBLE.
Katie later asked as we were going home, “can I wear it at school?” I said, “are you crazy?” People get robbed for far less than an $8,000 coat!! Unless you have a guard standing in front of your locker at all times, Forget it… Also working full time with Ford Motor Company made it possible, aka the opportunity to instill the image of hard work, integrity, generosity, and creative learning into my children. All attributes any father would like the opportunity would like to have, especially since they lived it with me.
That Halloween, Larry lent Katie his SKUNK hat… too much mischief to speak of here… you will need to read it in my book The 5 R’s.
While working with family businesses like Perani’s, Burtrum Furs, Motor City Computers, and many others I had a chance to learn over 60 industries in grave detail customizing this Point of Sale System to then include e-Commerce in 1998.
Motor City Computers became a great success story as this customized product normalized the data in the business, saving the business and making it #1 in their industry in less than 9 months. This was in 1996 when I was working at General Motors Truck Electrical Systems in Pontiac, Motor City Computers 10 minutes away. MCC went from $30,000 a month in sales and failing to over $2,000,000 a month adding three to the staff and having to add aka double their warehouse size to accommodate the increase.
Looking back a magical time to see how the application matured and “worked” with the staff and business. That application is still in operation today doing what they need to get the job done.
Over the years I have used CSES as a consulting firm to provide Project and Program Management Services, Quality Management Development – Operational and Audit Services, Government Liaison Services, Business Startup Consulting Services, and IT related services as shown on the card pictured below.
Willie and Me
Like most young lads at the age of 8 and 9 I too watched and listened to the Detroit Tigers in 1967 and 1968 when in 1967 they came down to the last out of the season only to lose a chance at the payoffs to winning the World Series in 1968 many times imagined being either Willie Horton or Al Kaline hitting the decisive hit winning the game in grand style with a home run.
Never did I ever imagine becoming a part of Willie’s family that had it’s start in the summer of 1996. In 1992 I had started a company CSES International at the request of my manager at Ford Motor Company while working on Ford’s 7.3 liter Diesel Powerstroke Engine and Transmission Control System in Dearborn. I got into the Point of Sale Systems business for small business, a system that ran on the IBM PC (386’s at the time). I had purchased the source code and development tools from MicroBiz out of New York found at the back of that large Computer Shopper Magazine at the time (before Internet was available). I learned to customize the software and after meeting Walter Rice who wanted me to write a software management tool that took this software into selling subscriptions into a multilevel marketing business.
Shortly after finishing the tool Walter went on a Meals on Wheels Charity Gold Event and Willie Horton was his golf partner. Walter talked to Willie about his business venture and Willie agreed to host a BBQ at his home for many of his good friends. As a result Walter asked me to go so I took advantage of that and I found myself on the couch with Willie in his front room for some 3 hours just getting to know Willie. When we stood up it was as if we had known each other for our entire life.
Pictured here in Willie’s book The People’s Champion I had the pleasure of being with him when many of the photos were taken in this book. It was around this time when he was voted into the State of Michigan Legislated Calendar on Oct 17th to celebrate his birthday and all the work he has and is still doing in the state for those who couldn’t for themselves. He going to need a very big shopping cart to put all those crowns he will be given in heaven when that happens.
Very soon after that first meeting I had Willie visit me at General Motors while I was working with GM Truck – Electrical Systems in Pontiac – Central and we talked about how Ort Tool and Die out of Eric, Michigan could become a vendor of General Motors. Although Machine Tooling was not part of where I was at, I had worked with Purchasing to help write the manual to qualify and quantify an Electrical Systems Vendor with the GM – Truck organization because AC Delco was sold and renamed as Delphi earlier that year.
Willie had shared with me that he really wanted to have his two sons Al and Deryl, who come back home to the Detroit area from LA and Seattle and was frustrated on how he could do that. Having worked with my good friend Roy Dolley who taught me about the Michigan Minority Development Council and what a Minority Business was all about and the advantages it had and about SBA 8(a) Certified businesses for the Federal Government I suggested we get Ort Tool & Die to sponsor a company for Willie’s Sons to work at and we called it Willie Horton Industries.
Deryl who Willie called “his loyal son” (this is going to get me in big trouble ) agreed and came home. Knowing it would not be an instant success he got a job doing Security at a Mall in the Area (remember the mall cop? ). In the end Deryl became and is successful in a specialized heat-treating company along with his wife Laurie who is a superstar in the Day Care / Early Childhood Business in Detroit working with low-income families… We love them both.
Soon after the company was formed Willie and I went to visit Ron Hall at the MMBDC in the Fisher Building and I got to hear the play by play of the grand home run Willie hit as a teenager hit over 500’ out to right center field over the head of RON HALL in the State Championship Game. I couldn’t believe it. It was those two guys that changed history with one swing of the bat and I got to get the story from them simultaneously!! Of course it was much more dramatic now that they had perfected their storytelling!!
Needless to say Willie was given instantaneous service and certification the next week as Carman Munoz visited Willie’s home and explained what she expected to see to keep the certification he was given. At the same time she asked be to become a speaker for the Manufacturing Sector at the MMBDC to talk about expanding the members business into the Government Sector and if they qualified to become an 8(a) certified company.
With the Minority Certification in hand and coaching from my friend Roy, Willie and I set out to go to the SBA office located in the McNamara Federal Building on Michigan Avenue in Detroit – down the street a ways from Tiger Stadium we spoke with the SBA Office and in less than 30 days Willie Horton Industries became an 8(a) Certified Company. These exercises confirmed what I already knew, when a Legendary Leader is part of the leadership of an organization the rules do NOT apply. With some 35 years of Hall of Fame experience there was no question as to whether organizations want him on their team… think about it.
Once we got Willie Horton Industries set up it became evident that auto leaders wanted Willie to work with Tier One Suppliers, so we were sent to Lamb Technicon. The leadership at Lamb Technicon identified a couple of companies for Willie to work with and that is when both Deryl and Al came on board to work full time for the business learning the business from these two companies. It was at that time Willie was so very happy with how together that came about he felt fulfilled what he considered as a sign from God that all is ok.
The whole story has not been told (you can read it in my book The 5 R’s), but needless to say Willie and I have been around the block together helping one another learn and live. To share innermost thoughts and ideas, watch our children (and grandchildren) grow up and play together, to be there for one another has been a great joy in my life.
This past Labor Day weekend (Sept 2021) at the Horton Family Annual Labor Day Weekend BBQ my eldest daughter Katie came with her family. Her eldest Lukas who was 9 played left field for his team that summer AND was #23. When Lukas sat next to Willie to tell that story to Willie, Willie was overjoyed and began a magical moment moving into his fatherly mentor/coaching moment discussing baseball and sharing with Lukas what he can look out for. This was taped and put on Facebook. Pictured below is shortly after that moment. Lucas was so excited when he got home telling his mom that “today was my best day ALL summer.”
My daughter Katie encouraged him to write Willie a card thanking him. Shortly after Willie called me about the card stating it was his “prized possession” for the year and that he had placed it in with his collection of memoirs. Willie reminded me about that card for several months after. This event in total is what carrying on a Legacy is all about. This is why Willie at 80 years old in the photo… is rightfully named “Willie the Wonder.” Think about it.
In Lakeland, Florida in TigerTown where the Detroit Tigers train up an coming players and is the home of spring training Willie has an organization called 360 Willie Horton Community Partnerships, Inc. where he has a large group of community, county, and state leaders all working together to include the Churches, Businesses, and area Colleges working together to help the little children and their families who have NOTHING be able to get the help and attention they need to include exposing the boys and girls into sports lead by PROFESSIONALS even taking them to the Professional Games in Central Florida. The Senior Citizens and Veterans who are disadvantaged also come along for the ride. The children are accompanied by mentors and professionals trained to work with little boys and girls specializing in those disadvantaged in the community. Results are amazing. The Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department HQ’s out of Simpson Park and the Superintendent of Schools for Polk County have been amazing for us to work with.
I myself am now the Executive Director of Community Partnerships for the organization. It is an honor to have what I call the Willie Horton Baseball Bat of Honor as a figure of trying to do the right things for the right reasons in disadvantaged communities wherever I find myself. I hope in the very near future to spread that influence in Metro Detroit working with leaders in Detroit, Macomb County and Inkster, Michigan.
Singing from the Toes
Singing from the Toes is a term I use to refer to as the act of singing with abandon where you sing out using all the energy you can muster establishing the whole front of you body from the tip of your big toenail to the crown of your head as a sound board where the sound springs out the top of your crown with an explosion of sound. For me, the sound resolves 8” 60 degrees out from the top of the crown of my head at 91-93db when singing a G (G4 or G’ or High G or piano key 47) at 392hz (391.9954hz). Keep in mind a jet engine generally operates at 100db. It’s fun to know that OSHA has policies earmarking how to handle extreme sound like that in the work environment and how long one can expose themselves to it without ear protection!!
When I first experienced the phenomenon of Singing from the Toes, it was in a lesion with my voice coach during a vocal ease exercise. She was so excited that she jumped up from the piano bench and did a little victory dance around the piano bench, sat down and shouted again.. again.. and after repeating it four or five times it demonstrated I made it to the plateau she had been aiming for to move towards developing professional level techniques for me to learn that she had mastered some 20 years prior.
The following is a chronicle of one of my favorite tunes in Choir since the 6th Grade.
THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
At the end of the school year in 6th grade, all the 6th graders who volunteered to sing at a graduation event at the high school, It included the 8th grade choir, and high school choir in a mass choir of some 300+ voices. I had a chance to perform in that group on three occasions, 6th, 8th, and 12th grades. Each time the event ended with the School District’s signature song The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The Battle Hymn was made famous during the civil war as the song was sung mainly by Black Union Regiments as they marched. One day as they were passing the White House President Lincoln heard one of these Regimens bellow out this song with many very strong baritone voices that rang clear right down into the soul of the President and into his memoirs for that day as the soul of the American Spirit. Learning this song in 5th grade like so many songs I learned has become one of my all-time favorite songs to sing in Choir as composed by WILLIAM STEFFE with the 1957 Choir Arrangement as the song has a thunderous effect on the soul when you Sing It From The Toes as evident in the May 5th 2016 YOUTube Video of the 1st Baptist Choir and Orchestra where you will catch me front and center. Performance Example – May 5th, 2016 – First Baptist Dallas Choir and Orchestra The Battle Hymn of the Republic https://youtu.be/Qbj2vK9ZeZA From 1:30 to 1:40 seconds into the video you will see me front and center of the camera. Notes on the Battle Hymn of the Republic The “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, also known as “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote her lyrics to the music of the song “John Brown’s Body” in November 1861 and first published them in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. The song links the judgment of the wicked at the end of the age (through allusions to biblical passages such as Isaiah 63:1–6 and Revelation 14:14–19) with the American Civil War.
I WONDER AS I WANDER
Because of my 2nd Grade Teacher and her work to help the class learn how to sing and have fun doing it, we became better than the 5th graders. The next year we 3rd Graders took the lead in the annual Christmas Concert over the 6th graders since we were so much better.
I Wonder as I Wander was broken up into two solos singing the first two verses and the choir singing the remaining verses. The first verse was given to my neighbor Andrea who did a great job however at the very last note the microphone failed, and it was my turn to sing the 2nd verse… knowing the show had to go on I quickly took as strong of a breath as I could and sang at the top of my voice in front of a very crowded standing room only gymnasium of some 800 parents and guests. Early the next day a neighbor dropped his daughter off to go to school with us, made mention that he was standing up against the back wall of the gymnasium, could hear me loud and clear, and also mentioned that my face was as red as a beet!! He laughed it off saying “yes, it was very hot in the room”… but I knew it wasn’t just the heat. For an 8 year old this was my first public solo… safely in the can as they say. I Wonder as I Wander has a fun story check it out;
John Jacob Niles, the singer and collector of folk songs, said that he based his “I Wonder and I Wander” on a line of two of haunting music that he heard sung by a young girl in a small North Carolina town. He asked her to sing a few notes over and over and pay her a few pennies each time, until he had jotted it all down in his notebook. So close was the finished song to its Appalachian inspiration that Niles is often cited as arranger of the tune rather than its creator. The melody’s minor key, minor intervals and unfinished cadences, as well as poem’s questioning pensiveness, make this one of most plaintive of carols.
PERSONAL TRILOGY
When folks find out what I can do vocally, I most times get asked to perform on the spot, most times acapella. With that in mind I decided to work on a Trilogy of tunes most everyone could relate to that is gospel related. The Trilogy is about “how sweet the sound” where the lyric of the third song is about the second song. The first song “I Love You Lord” a heart-felt very personal tune offering a song what hopes to be a sweet sweet song to His Ears gives way to the first verse of Amazing Grace talks about “how sweet the sound” leading to He Looked Beyond My Faults and Saw My Need that talks about Amazing Grace being “my song of praise” finishing in a dramatic ending of God catching my falling soul, finished back with the first phrase of Amazing Grace fading away reflecting on “how sweet the sound.” The Trilogy is perfect for my range and being able to project the sound, a sweet sound filling the air is a soul mover not just for the audience.
The history for Amazing Grace and He Looked Beyond My Faults and Saw My Needs both have historic stories both from English born composers dating in the 1600’s and early 1900’s.
IT IS WELL
Soon after losing a son and his wealth to the Chicago fire of 1871 Horatio G. Spafford sent wife and 4 daughters to England to follow in a few days, where the ship was struck by another vessel and sank the ship where all 4 daughters drowned. On a ship to meet his wife in England, when his ship passed over the watery grave penned the words to this song, It is Well.
In my lifetime I have sung this song hundreds of times in the Congregation, in choirs, and as a solo. The lyrics and melody is a celebration of when God makes right your soul in the very hardest of times if you just come to Him and ask Him to. It is a bit of a tradition to end the song “big” as they say, especially as the Tenors (that be me) finish is a all out Singing from the Toes Ad with all you have as your heart and soul lift from utter sorrow to victory over death singing “It is well, It is well, with my soul!!!”
For my extending family I believe this song to be the #1 favorite if one ever asks for a favorite they would like to sing.
HOW GREAT THOU ART
Written by Swedish pastor Carl Boberg in 1886 after a great thunderstorm led way to birds singing sweetly in the garden, was where he wrote 9 original stanzas to the song. Translated to German, then Russian, was discovered by a British missionary in the Ukraine, that missionary being Rev. Stuart K. Hine took three stanzas translating them from Russian to English and added a fourth. From there Billy Graham picked it up and made it one of the most enduring songs that is an outward expression of the ultimate worship experience expressing one’s appreciation of How Great God is in their life and soul. Here again Billy Graham’s choir had its own rendition that gave us Tenor’s the opportunity to Sing from the Toes and finish the last line of the lyric in grand style singing a series of D thru Ad along with the Soprano’s and octave higher and beyond.
Singing lyrics of “Then Sings My Soul” in the chorus has a cleansing effect in your lungs much like you have after swimming or scuba diving leaving you flush with oxygen and being beaming with joy feeling that connection to God Himself as you imagine yourself at the base of His Throne at that moment.
I look to expound on several favorite tunes, genera’s, places and groups I have sang with, and also to give everyone a glimpse of what is to come. Keep an eye out for them.
AND CAN IT BE
OH HOLY NIGHT
BLESSED ASSURANCE
400+ YEAR MUSICAL LEGACY
MEN OF THE HEIGHTS
SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC
- Introduction to
- Bill and Gloria Gaither
- Larnel Harris
- Sandi Patti
- Cathedral Quartet
- Dolly Pardon – Dollywood – Southern Gospel Music Museum
1st BAPTIST DALLAS CHIOR AND ORCHESTRA
TROY BAPTIST / WOODSIDE BIBLE CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA
FUTURE PLANNED MUSCIANSHIP
SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT COMERICA PARK
CARNEGIE HALL w/1ST BAPTIST DALLAS & SANDY PATTI
BROOKLYN TABERNACLE w/1st BAPTIST DALLAS
1st BAPTIST DALLAS 2014-2016 (view Choir Archives)
TIMES SQUARE FLASH MOB – 300 FROM 1st DALLAS
EASTER SUNRISE SERVICES – EMPIRE STATE BUILDING – REV FRANK RAFTER
TROY BAPTIST / WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH 1976 - PRESENT
What’s Next
I am currently working on projects that have portfolios of projects built in; Hero’s in the Hood, my book the 5R’s, a Native American Portfolio of Projects, laying out a plan to start a new solo outreach, and to take speaking events on the road addressing the need for community partnerships that unite each other in brotherly love rather than divisive hate and jealousy.
The realization of RETIREMENT AGE for me is here and now. But RETIREMENT for me means something very different. It means RE-TREAD like when you put new treads on a big truck tire. Your core values and capabilities still get used but certain things you let go so that one can sustain these capabilities indefinitely, i.e. until you can no longer work at all.
Because I did not abuse my body too much I was able to teach 6 young guys how to prep, form, pour, and finish concrete flat work to include small porches using block this past summer of ’21.
But I realize that is going BACKWARDS so I look to go back to my core capabilities around writing, inventing, and helping apply technologies to business especially for kids who want to own their own business as early as 12 years old.
As I write this I am writing my new book THE 5 R’s which is about re-engineering education from K-12 to ages 3 – 18 in a Trimester Format where learning doesn’t take more than a 2 week break, AND it’s fun to learn making it sustainable for a lifetime. One can read about it on this website.
Another program I am working on is HERO’s in the HOOD and THE LEAGUE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL HERO’s rebuilding Urban America with over 1,000,000 new businesses for kids, new WELLNESS CARE SYSTEMS that REPLACE Break Fix Medical Care, and establish community centers for each business district that is created. Detroit on the eastside in the Palowski Neighborhood part of the OSBORNE Community at 7 Mile near Outer Drive. There have been over a dozen murders and fatal accidents there in less than a year. And yes I have had to dodge bullets myself.
Another program I am working on is for our Native Americans the Indians helping them establish businesses and operations that are sustainable at a much higher value of living. A group has considered me to become their Federal and State GSA Ambassador.
In the 3rd quarter, I hope to complete my book and start music recordings to add to the book tour, to be scheduled sometime the 1st quarter of ’23, to include visiting the homestead in Perbeck, Alberta between Buffalo Jump and Calgary and to begin setting up large family reunions on a yearly basis with the Duffel family who has over 11,000 family members in Western Canada.
That’s not all, so stay tuned.
Resumes
Computer Process Control Data Acquisition Systems Plant Floor Systems
Point of Sale – Inventory e-Commerce Systems
PM
– Project / Program Management
– Technical & Non-Technical
– Quality Management Systems
– Development & Audit
Education
– Instructor -Teacher -Coach -Mentor
– Curriculum Developer
– Advanced Training Trainer
– Educational Engineer
SPORTSARTSMUSIC
– Sports
– Artist/Draftsman
– Musician
– Concert Producer
– Event Planner
NTCONSULTANT
Non-Technical Consultant
– Government Liaison
– Corporate Consultant
– Community Program Engineer
– Grant Writer
SALESREP
– Sales and Marketing
Construction
– Concrete – Residential – Additions – Plumbing – Electrical – Painting – Dry Wall – Handyman
LEADERSHIP
– Leadership
– Ambassador
– Intellectual Property Mitigator
BCONSULTANT
Business Consulting
– Startups – Mergers – Acquisition – Process Improvement – Business Plans – Proformas – Profit & Non-Profit
MASTER
– Master Resume
TECHNICAL
– Technical Career
NONTECHNICAL
– Non-Technical Career
ENTREPRENUREAL
– Entrepreneurial Career
CORPORATE
– Corporate Career
Coming Soon!
Legacy
Spirirt of detroit
Michael Relph an award-winning writer, mathematician, technologist, education developer, architect, publisher, professional vocalist and musician, and in professional sports with nearly 50 years of experience finds himself as an Executive’s Executive, The Commanding General’s Confidant, Program/Project Manager (major), International Entrepreneur and Inventor, Corporate Diplomat, Consultant and Mentor, a developer of community and business with a strong Christian faith that is lived with purpose and passion helping bring the best out in others working in some 70 different Industries in 27 Countries.
CALGARY STAMPEDE HQ
The City of Detroit is my birthplace and is a place of legacy for my family since just after WWI where my father’s parents moved from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and they settled on Cardoni where it intersects the northbound I-75 service drive. My grandfather worked as a machinist for the Detroit Street Railroad and retired in 1954, about a year after my his wife my grandmother passed away from the mumps.
JAM HANDY CORPORATION STUDIO’s
From there my father went to work for Reardon Parshall Financial Printing located at 1 st and Larned only a couple blocks from the Detroit River. This was well before Cobo Hall was built and rail was everywhere for the Detroit Street Railway to include the Wabash Train Station to the west towards the Ambassador Bridge, the Bob-lo Boat at the foot of Wooward, and the Grand Trunk Railroad Train Station where the tracks rode up through the John R – Woodward Corridor, thru Royal Oak, Birmingham, Pontiac, Holly, Flint, and Saginaw, and off to the east along Gratiot and Groesbeck to Port Huron, the same line Thomas Edison work on as a young lad. My father spent a lot of time for lunch in the summer sitting on the river’s edge watching the large freighters pass by taking photos and learning about the details of the ships, their owners, where and what cargo they would pick up and deliver and soon understood their schedules and what he could expect to see on any given day. A fun fact, when Cobo Hall was being built along with the original John Lodge Freeway when they were digging the foundation for Cobo Hall along Larned they dug up the original dock pilings built in 1735 in 1959.
RenCen GM Headquarters
Along with other sites like the Belle Isle Gardens, the waterfront, and vast parks is one of the few jewels of the city sheltered from those who don’t appreciate sharing nice things with others.
Belle Island Garden
City of Madison Heights
Returned to Madison Heights in November of ’96 on 11 ½ mile east of John R on the Lamphere side just down the street from the Madison High Football field. Stayed there to October 2002 where we moved to Clinton Township near where my mom was living at Charter Oaks off Metro Parkway and the Railroad Tracks (Groesbeck).
City of Madison Heights
In 1965 we changed churches to 1 st Baptist of John R in Troy just south of Big Beaver (16 Mile Road) in Troy. Michigan, at the time at 14 Mile and John R where Oakland Mall is today it was the site of wheat farm and over the years the City changed from more of a rural area to a well to do City with two malls to include the Upper Scale Somerset Collection that has a mall section on either side of Metro Parkway connected by an enclosed walkway over Metro Parkway – the place where the above photo was taken. Prior to Kmart acquiring Sears and Roebuck their sprawling headquarters was immediately west of Somerset Mall now left vacant for almost 20 years. The City of Troy is where my father’s parents had a Victory Garden during WWII to grow fruits and vegetables. Early days they had a hot springs pool to swim in with a 12’ diving board where I discovered high diving was not for me.
WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH
In January of ’76 I moved from 1 st Baptist to Troy Baptist located just north of Big Beaver on Rochester Road which in early 2005 moved north just over 3 miles and renamed the church Woodside Bible Church – Troy Campus where I have been part of the Choir and worship arts even to this day. During this time from 2005 leadership from the Church, and the City of Troy to include the Mayor, Councilmen and women, the Chief of Police, Troy School District Leadership, School Principals and Teachers, even to include State and US Representatives, CIA, FBI, Coast Guard, Board Agents, and a corporate IRS Agent all who were or are members of the church and people I have seen every week, some several times a week. Other than the Choir was a leader in my High School and College Youth Group, Taught 4 and 5 year music theory, was in the Bowling League, Played in the High School and Mens Softball Teams, sang 1 st Tenor in a southern gospel quartet for 13 years, produced six southern gospel concerts at the Warren Campus, served as in the Visitation Program from ’76-’81 to help grow the church, and was a camp counselor Camp Shalom for 4 years for 5 th grader boys, and led music for 2 years. Many of the missionaries who have worked around the world I grew up with in High School and College, and several I have worked with as a technologist gave me the capability to meet long time friends in 43 countries around the world and be escorted in those countries as their guest. Today Woodside has 15 campuses across metro Detroit with Troy as their headquarters.
City of Sterling Heights
City of Rochester and Rochester Hills
New York City – Times Square – Flash Mob – Singing from the Toes
Fraser High School
City of Allen High School Football – Texas
Calgary, Alberta Canada
My father’s parents Walter and Jesse Relph both came from significant upbringings and they themselves became legends in their own right. Part of my Grandfather Walter’s story is captured in the newspaper article written in Leeds, England in 1954. My grandmother’s father William Duffel who upon his sixth child a girl being allergic to coal dust in London, England sold his businesses in 1905 and headed homestead on the Railroad in Canada. Stopped in Toronto, but the flu epidemic of 1906 kept them on the train and they got let off in Calgary. Just so happens my Grandparents were trick riders in 1912 – the very first Calgary Stampede. Both sides of the family represent some 400 years of musical talent in Piano (Relph’s) Violin (Duffel’s) and Voice. Being taught voice at the age of 3 from Sir Walter (his Sister Lena’s title for her hero) how to match a tone, to sing harmony at 4, read music at 5, and at 7 taught my 2nd grade teacher Ms. Altman how to teach music to the class was the start of my “teaching teachers” legacy began. Incidentally William Duffel in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was recognized as “The Legend of the Rocky Mountain Violinists.” The Rocky Mountain / Calgary Cattle and Horse Ranch culture is well captured in the longest running TV Series Heartland. My grandmother Jesse was well known in the neighborhood caring for sick and hurt animals a skill she learned on the ranch. It’s not surprising that the show and my grandmother were/are so popular because they are about loving people and God’s creations where they are at.
The ranch officially located in Perbeck, Alberta, Canada in Kneehill County is but minutes from Buffalo Jump. Referring to the photo the railroad travels directly through the middle of the homestead that will take you to Calgary connecting to High River, the movie set location for Heartland.
Shortly after WWI Walter and Jesse moved to Detroit and eventually built a home on Cardoni that at the time went through the heart of Chyrsler Center in Highland Park. I remember my grandparents each time I drive northbound on I-75 service drive (south of Nevada) as the property was taken by the Service Drive.
While in Detroit my grandfather worked as a machinist for the Detroit Street Railroad and retired in 1954, about a year after my his wife my grandmother passed away from the mumps. Walter later moved in with us and became my boyhood hero. Ask me about our time together watching Popeye The Sailorman every morning… A fun fact in my Grandfather’s career was that he was on the team that built the Railroad for the Detroit Zoo commissioned in 1931. Making the railroad fun for me led to my interest in Model Railroading for a hobby.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN USA
My mother’s family moved from Chicago to Detroit (6 Mile – Woodward) in 1938 where my Grandfather partnered with Jam Handy at the infamous Jam Handy Corporation located on Beaubien and East Grand Blvd. That first movie production studio they built was the first in Michigan and is now a Historic Landmark in the City. Part of that organization became General Motor’s infamous Photographic Center. Handy Corporation has its archives available on-line, 1,000’s of them many my Grand Father had a part in. A fun fact is that they produced the Children’s Christmas Cartoon, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Out of High School my father worked for Jam Handy and it is at a Summer Picnic where my parents met, so it is safe to say if Mr. Handy did not have a summer picnic I would not be alive today!!
From there my father went to work for Reardon Parshall Financial Printing located at 1st and Larned only a couple blocks from the Detroit River. This was well before Cobo Hall was built and rail was everywhere for the Detroit Street Railway to include the Wabash Train Station to the west towards the Ambassador Bridge, the Bob-lo Boat at the foot of Wooward, and the Grand Trunk Railroad Train Station where the tracks rode up through the John R – Woodward Corridor, thru Royal Oak, Birmingham, Pontiac, Holly, Flint, and Saginaw, and off to the east along Gratiot and Groesbeck to Port Huron, the same line Thomas Edison work on as a young lad. My father spent a lot of time for lunch in the summer sitting on the river’s edge watching the large freighters pass by taking photos and learning about the details of the ships, their owners, where and what cargo they would pick up and deliver and soon understood their schedules and what he could expect to see on any given day. A fun fact, when Cobo Hall was being built along with the original John Lodge Freeway (1959), when they were digging the foundation for Cobo Hall along Larned they dug up the original dock pilings built in 1735.
Biography
DNA
Michael Relph an award-winning writer, mathematician, technologist, education developer, architect, publisher, professional vocalist and musician, and in professional sports with nearly 50 years of experience finds himself as an Executive’s Executive, The Commanding General’s Confidant, Program/Project Manager (major), International Entrepreneur and Inventor, Corporate Diplomat, Consultant and Mentor, a developer of community and business with a strong Christian faith that is lived with purpose and passion helping bring the best out in others working in some 70 different Industries in 27 Countries.
Groomed by Grandfather, Knight of the English Throne, also Blood Brother to the American Indian Nations was shone how to live life well as a leader who at the same time a servant. Seeing the potential in others and helping to bring that out whether as a group or individuals, the lowest common denominator is the person, the individual. With that said working with any organization is a success as long as the individuals of that organization are willing to work together. That fact has been very true for me and I look to try to carry that forward in addressing you directly for the opportunity at hand and the many that surround it.I was Groomed to be that open minded all things possible personality that is very persistent, looks to add value to people and efforts, is very process oriented, willing to patiently work with 4 – 92 year olds, those that are not so smart, or genius level intellectuals like myself. Yes, rocket scientist, nuclear scientist, top surgeons, I have worked well with. CEO’s of large corporations, or the janitor pushing the broom in a dark dirty dingy plant somewhere. Sometimes during very adversarial conditions where $100’s of millions are at stake or where 1000’s of lives are on the line. Superintendents of Schools, Corporate Directors looking to save their organization, owners of businesses needing to sell or make radical changes to survive, through my effort of coming alongside of them have been successful, many times far beyond my expectation.
As an inventive Technologist with many inventions you use today I have a mental, an intuitive process to tackle even the most complex challenge. So whether your requirement requires special experience using certain application tools, or requires a certain license, many of those technological innovations I have had a part in over the years, so coming up to speed is never an issue, rather sometimes an opportunity for the application of process using that tool for improvement through fresh eyes for which I have many stories on. A license many times is a formal approach to an application. All those things can be easily learned or refined as many times I already have years of experience in those disciplines.
Professional Roles
Technologist – Strategist – Engineer – Analyst – Info Security Specialist – Project Manager IT Operations – Application Development – Infrastructure – Architect – Quality SME Disaster / Recovery Specialist – Military Army Logistics Specialist – Technical Writer
Prior To College Graduation
Mr. Relph has enjoyed the legacy of being trained by “professionals” starting at the age of 3 began his teaching career at the age of 7, proved advanced math, business, and publishing skills at the age of 8, and starting his first business at 12 mentored by the owner’s son of the Royal Oak Daily Tribune. Having a professional grade in bowling at the age of 15 was given leadership of what became the largest youth program of its kind in the US. By the time Mr. Relph was 17 found himself with over 900 students in a given week, tutored over 15,000 students in all academics, to include MBA students in Mathematics starting at the age of 15, mentored and tutored remedial students transforming them to straight A students 100% of the time, and by 17 represented 250,000 students nationwide as a board member of the American Jr. Bowling Congress.
Education
It is not a surprise as a registered mathematics genius at the age of 17 in the State of Michigan he chose Lawrence Technological University (after attending OCC in Mathematics at night in High School) boasting professors who are professionals in their field of instruction. Before graduating CUM LAUDE with a BS in Applied Mathematics worked for TACOM in Integrated Logistics Support trained by Commanding General Decker having met on his 3 rd day whereas the General showed up at Mr. Relph’s desk his 4 th day of work! Over 40 years later it was found the Mr. Relph’s boyhood mentor the founder of the OSS with President Hoover had unknown influence.
The Journey – From the Cradle to Present
In 1956 my parents moved to a new small orange brick home on 11 ½ Mile, three Blocks west of John R in Madison Heights, Michigan, where all but my youngest brother graduated from Madison High School aka an elder sister and two younger brothers. Full time my father worked at Reardon Parshall Financial Printing located at 1st & Larned downtown Detroit in a 4-story industrial building built in 1883. When they built the first phase of Cobo Hall it was built right across the street. My father took 100’s of photos of that construction. When the 2nd phase was to start it took that building and the company moved to 3rd & Fort Street. Part-time my father work with the City of Madison Heights as a Probation Officer. We both worked for the City of Madison Heights – part-time only I worked with Parks and Recreation from Sept – May from ‘74-‘81 ad Director the Youth Bowling Program. I worked full time in the summers of ’77 and ’78 for the Summer Day Camp as the Director and Bus Driver. What a great job… to the beach every day!!
Growing up at that time ’59-’81 was a great experience where all the neighbors knew each other, most families had 3-6 children, there were only a few retired families, no one lived alone, there were very few rental homes, most moms worked at home raising those 3 to 6 kids, most all families were active in the PTA at school with about a 95% participation rate, and most 80%+ attended church on a weekly basis. Love, Respect, Integrity, Modesty, Kindness, Caring for those who could not care for themselves etc. was the norm. Dads made sure of it, especially mine.
Organized sports was big with so many who could play even to include band and choir at school. A Fun Fact, George the Animal Steel in Big Time Wrestling (Jim Meyers) was the Athletic Director and Gym Teacher – later My Champion for Youth Bowling. From his coaching we had several that became professional NFL Football Players, and a World Cup Wrestler – Rudy Gonzalez in my freshman year. In ‘76-‘77 as the Student Assistant to the Math Department and Student Assistant for the Superintendent of Schools I led the effort to bring Calculus to the High School Math Program and wrote the curriculum for 4 math classes that supplemented the requirement for Algebra II for Business Accounting, Electronics, Science, and Home Economics thus filling up those classes and later over filling the Algebra II classes. Later worked my last two years in College as a Substitute Teacher in the High School.
In the end while attending Madison High School I became a sports professional, a paid professional artist, a vocalist (soloist, 3 choirs, barber shop quartet, southern gospel quartet, and a trio), a mathematician, scientist, an award winning writer, education developer, teacher, coach, mentor, and later a college graduate in Mathematics all while living in Madison Heights.
After graduating college I moved to Florida, and 15 years later eventually returned to Madison Heights in November of ’96 on 11 ½ mile east of John R on the Lamphere side just down the street from the Madison High Football field. Stayed there to October 2002 where we moved to Clinton Township near where my mom was living in Charter Oaks off Metro Parkway and the Railroad Tracks (Groesbeck).
RenCen GM Headquarters
Having witnessed the construction of the Ren Cen which was built in the mid-‘70’s took the site of old Grand Trunk Railway Station opening in the spring of ’77 in time for my family to treat me to my High School Graduation Dinner on top of the Middle Tower 71 stories high in rotating restaurant that rotated around about once an hour to view the Metro Detroit and Windsor Skyline. A fun fact is that after being opened 30 days the restaurant elevator (an express elevator to the top floor) had to be slowed down because people were getting sick after eating dinner descending in almost in free flight downward could not take the G-Force the ride had to offer!! It gave a whole new meaning to Tossing Your Cookies!!
Later General Motors spent $72M to purchase the Ren-Cen for its Headquarters. 25 Years old already GM spent some 200+M in renovations creating the Wintergarden facing the Detroit River, the new River Front Walk, and the Glass Ring connecting the Towers in 1999. I worked for the Finance Department migrating desktop operating systems during that time of construction. The improvements were fun to watch and amazing to use once it was complete. In the end General Motors made the Ren Cen a spectacular showcase. The saddest day I ever spent there was a day a very thick fog was all over the region to include Metro Detroit and Most of lower Ontario, Canada. If you were over 25 floors high in a tower you were above the fog in the sunshine like you are in a plane flying high above the clouds, sort of like having an office in Mount Olympus!! Sadly, over 130 Cars and Trucks collided on Queens 401 east of Windsor creating a fire where many died burned alive in their cars.
City of Troy
In 1965 my family changed churches to 1st Baptist of John R in Troy (home of Bethany Schools) just south of Big Beaver (16 Mile Road) in Troy. In 1965 Troy, Michigan, at 14 Mile and John R (where Oakland Mall is today) was the site of wheat farm. Over the years Troy changed from more of a rural area to a well to do City with two malls to include the Upper Scale Somerset Collection that has a mall section on either side of Metro Parkway connected by an enclosed walkway over Metro Parkway – the place where the above photo was taken. Prior to Kmart acquiring Sears and Roebuck their sprawling headquarters was immediately west of Somerset Mall now left vacant for almost 20 years. The City of Troy is where my father’s parents had a Victory Garden during WWII to grow fruits and vegetables. In the 60’s and early 70’s at 18 Mile and Rochester Road the City of Troy had a hot springs pool to swim in with a 12’ diving board where I discovered high diving was not for me.
WOODSIDE BIBLE CHURCH
In January of ’76 I moved church homes from 1st Baptist to Troy Baptist located just north of Big Beaver on Rochester Road which in early 2005 moved north just over 3 miles and renamed the church Woodside Bible Church – Troy Campus where I have been part of the Choir and worship arts even to this day (Jan ’76 – Present). Many at Woodside became leaders in Troy to include the Mayor, Council men and women, the Chief of Police, Troy School District Leadership, School Principals and Teachers, even to include State and US Representatives, CIA, FBI, Coast Guard, Boarder Agents, and a corporate IRS Agent all members of whom I seen and worked with every week, some several times a week. Other than the Choir I was a leader in my High School and College Youth Group, Taught 4 and 5 year music theory, was in the Bowling League, Played in the High School and Mens Softball Teams, sang 1st Tenor in a southern gospel quartet for 13 years – Men of the Heights, produced six southern gospel concerts at the Warren Campus, served as in the Visitation Program from ’76-’81 to help grow the church, and was a camp counselor Camp Shalom for 4 years for 5th grade boys, and led music for 2 years. Many of the missionaries who have worked around the world I grew up with in High School and College, and several I have worked with as a technologist gave me the capability to meet long time friends in 43 countries around the world and be escorted in those countries as their guest. Today Woodside has 15 campuses across metro Detroit with Troy as their headquarters.
Lawrence Technological University
In my Senior Year in High School I was attracted to LIT (Lawrence Institute of Technology) as an Architectural School. Fellow student at Madison High, Greg Hawk took me to an Architectural Student Open House and I was overwhelmed by the display so much so I decided right Then and there to pursue Mathematics and Technology. From there I met with the Dean of the Math Department and submitted my application as a Transfer Student from Oakland Community College as a Math Student Graduating as a High School Student. Starting LIT having already taken Calc I, my head start took some of the pressure off a grueling schedule of Mathematics, Technology, Chemistry, and Physics with a few electives that were no “passes.” Along the way I continued to work Teaching Bowling at the Bowling Alley, and later at TACOM as a Computer Aid in the ARMY Integrated Logistics Support Office also as Commanding General Oscar Deming’s “special” assistant.
LIT for me was all about having access to the Dean always, in small classes, and professors who were professionals in the subject they taught. For instance, my Professor for the Organic Chem Lab was the former President of Bendix. He was 83 and sharper than a tack with over 31 Chemical Patents to his name. In between waiting for the lab “to bake” we had an opportunity to learn a lot about the Chemical Business and how it is run.
The school was very serious about no cheating, and no mischief seeing a student physically apprehended and expelled immediately upon being caught for cheating in a Math class. Later saw two students deported back to the Middle East for defacing the Science Center with words of great hatred written in Arabic during the hostage crises in Iran. Ross Perot of EDS later came to the rescue and delivered them.
In the end the HR Placement department at LIT was epic. They were the ones that got my opportunity at TACOM and many interviews and offers around the country. I had offers even before the interview. The interviewers had a great deal of respect forwarded me because board members for the college were also board members of these companies. Alas my Uncle Ron who was leading IBM’s Federal Systems Division for the Space Shuttle development gave men an opportunity to interview at Cape Canaveral where I had a two-day amazing TOP SECRET interview and tour of all the SECRET places at Cape Canaveral. Sitting in the Firing Room at the helm where one FIRES off the Rockets was quite an experience. Oddly, I wasn’t there to “really” interview for IBM, I was there to interview for Scientific Systems Services, and had an offer before the interview and accepted that Saturday afternoon with the interviewer in Cutoff Shorts, a Tank Top, and Flip Flops. At the Beach Office a perk at lunch was having the opportunity to SURF the waves. A cool perk I never made good on
Florida Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Palm Bay – photo of cocoa beach and kennedy space center
Upon graduating from Lawrence Tech in June of ’81 I moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, later Melbourne and Palm Bay to go work on the Space Shuttle, and Nuclear & Fossil Power Plant Control Systems.My first few months in Florida starting with Scientific Systems Services I commuted to Melbourne from Cocoa Beach staying with my Uncle Ron who got me the job in the first place. Several times I was awakened by Delta Rockets being launched at 4am shaking the house and windows as if a very strong storm was passing by. I had a chance to experience the great beaches and waterways sailing on a catamaran, canoes, windsurfing, and learning to respect the heat and high humidity having tried to cut the lawn for the first time in a climate I never experienced before coming from Detroit. Lost 15ilbs of water weight that afternoon.
Moved to Melbourne and later to Palm Bay purchasing a new built home and inside of a year had our first daughter Katie. This was back in the day when mortgages were 12% where one felt fortunate to get an assumable mortgage at 10 3/8ths. In a neighborhood that was only 33% complete we had our share of wildlife, like large turtles, very large water moccasin snakes, pigmy rattle snakes, deer, very large dragon flies, fox, and other creatures that were part of natures cycle of life.
Alabama Huntsville Photos City of Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal
After having my first daughter Katie we focused our sights back on our hometown in Michigan and found a job with AVCO Electronics in Huntsville, Alabama who claimed they had a job in Detroit working on General Motors Electrical Test System at the new Detroit-Hamtramck Plant. The day I accepted the offer I put the house up for sale and gave the realtor an incentive to make a quick sale of the house, and in the first day we had 5 offers, the 5th our asking price. We were able to close on the sale the last day and had a check in hand on the road to Alabama that afternoon with moving van already on the road!Arriving in Huntsville we found an brand new apartment complex 2 miles from the office, but they were not going be ready for a week. Sad thing happened in that before we moved into that apartment I was informed that the project in Detroit was lost. As a result I was put on a project to develop an Airport Control System for the King Klieg Airport in Saudi Arabia. I didn’t have to go overseas, merely to architect my part of the system, and write the code. A couple of months into it the management decided it wanted to send the project to Boston, Massachusetts and change the programming language from PL/I to Forth. What a mess. I did not want to go to Boston so I redirected my attention to Detroit and what was going on with GM, and found an opportunity to work on the Quality Inspection System working as a contractor in GM’s Plant Floor Systems area at the GM Tech Center at what is now the Cadillac Building.
In the meantime, I had a chance to learn about the Red Stone Arsenal where the Rocket Engineer’s extracted from Hitler’s Rocket Scientists lived, worked, and played. Huntsville and Cape Canaveral worked very close together as Huntsville was the development arm for the rockets to be launched at Cape Canaveral where I came from prior to coming to Huntsville.
City of Rochester and Rochester Hills
In the spring of ’84 moved from Alabama to what was then Avon Township which later incorporated into Rochester Hills threated by the spread of Rochester. This was a time of great expansion in the area as Chrysler was building its empire as the new Headquarters and Tech Center in Auburn Hills about an 18 Million Square Foot Facility. Additionally, it was a time of great expansion with EDS as they began building around the city when they were purchased by GM in Jan 1985 for which I was a part of having hired into EDS Dec 15, 1984. Working as a GM Contractor developing the Quality Inspection System for the new GM Det-Hamt Plant, I had a chance to visit the predecessor plant and system, The Lake Orion Plant immediately north of the new Chrysler HQ.
On the home front I contracted my own addition on my new home in Rochester Hills. There I learned how to work with the building department, and inspectors. Having participated in the work to include trenching, roofing, drywall for high ceilings, woodstove and chimney, siding, foundation concrete, concrete block, cement patio, door and window installation, basement renovation, building a full bathroom, heating a home from a wood burning stove, built a large playhouse and fence, and created a lawn from hard clay using hydroseed there were many new skills and tools that I acquired
At GM’s new plant I learned what is involved in a plant startup from a concrete floor and all the dynamics of new teams of staff in several areas of expertise and the leadership at their various areas as the Quality Inspection System touched every part of the Assembly process at the plant having to interface with all the reporting functions of all the plant floor systems.
Philippines – Manila & Sibuyan Island
In the process of researching imports for computer parts I met my wife who was born and raised on Sibuyan Island in the Romblon Province of the Philippines. Nothing like taking a flight from Detroit to Japan to Manila for the first time on my own meeting her for the first time being transported by her cousins to a hotel for the night. The next day did some shopping in Manila, and the next day on a 5 hour bus ride to the Port of Batangas to board a “recycled” ship from Japan that was also very large ferry at 8pm that had two stops on the way with an arrival at noon the next day… to Sibuyan Island, an Agricultural Island known as “The Island of Hospitality.” Have you ever had the experience of “Just getting off the boat” in strange place in a strange land. I now sort of know what Gilligan felt like on the show Gilligan’s Island, or the characters in the show Swiss Family Robinson.
Having been there several times my experience and memories are incredible where the stories just are very difficult to believe. The family has a resort on the only Sandy Beach on the Island where one could stand and watch General MacArthur defeat the Japanese about 10 miles out to sea while sipping Coconut Milk from a Fresh Coconut picked from the trees overhead.
Clinton Township & Fraser High School
Mother’s Day 2002, while on our way to my Mom’s place in Charter Oaks, just west of the railroad track on Metro Parkway (16 Mile Road) we saw a sign, houses for sale. On our way back home we stopped by and were excited about what we saw, and the next day we signed a contract to purchase the house already under construction. Jennine our youngest started Kindergarten at Disney Elementary, and in a couple of weeks I invited myself for a meeting with the Superintendent of Schools where we discussed the program – Energy Efficiency for Local Schools and Governments. In that meeting I had the Superintendent enter that free program that set a chain reaction of good fortune for the District Fraser Community Schools, the City of Fraser, and Clinton Township.
At the end of the day the district pre-paid a 30 year bond to upgrade high energy consumptive devices (boilers, lights etc), give tablets to students 3rd grade and up, create computer rooms in the classroom and other upgrades $15M would buy ahead of its time from the cost savings in energy. As a result Tim Shireman from the Michigan Energy Office called me and said the district qualified for a $6K grant to add curriculum to teach energy and energy efficiency. The staff agreed we would take a high school classroom of all remedial students rename it “The Conservation Club” and have them teach arts and crafts to 3rd Graders about Energy and Energy Efficiency. Amazing things happened. By the end of the year the Remedial Students we all pulling A’s in ALL their classes, They won 3 Recognition Awards from the Governor, and the community reduced it’s carbon footprint significantly just by turning off lights, and exchanging lights to LED’s. When Gary Haxer gave his version of his story of the Vast Improvement of the Remedial Students he broke down in tears sobbing about this group of kids deciding as a class that they were for the first time in their lives going to work hard to gain the respect of the 3rd Graders, and they did. Not only that, they won awards from the Governor and became a group of kids that were hard to beat academically. My comment to the School Board was “as a Mathematician – Go Figure!!”
Working with the Superintendent Rick Repicky on this project was short of amazing as company’s who wanted to demo their green technologies brought some $150M in free upgrades to the District. From that they were able to concentrate on furthering their efforts in Music, Art, and Sports. For a small district they are the best performing school district in Macomb County today.
City of Allen High School & Texas High School Football
At the very end of 2013 we moved to Allen, Texas first staying with my wife’s brother and then purchasing a home less than a mile away within site of the large International Park where the city puts on Fireworks for the 4th of July and over 250,000 people show. Allen, Texas at one time bragged about having the finest High School Football Stadium in Texas with a State Champion Title for more than 15 years running. Originally looking to spend $53M spent $60M only to find the concourse concrete breaking up as it was poured wrong. It was repaired and the Game Continued on the homefield.
With the infrastructure new or being made new took me 6 months to find any potholes for my car to get jolted by, a very too common occurrence in Metro Detroit. The Neighborhood Walmart Store had very kind (and very attractive) cashiers, something just not at all common in Metro Detroit. The list of commonly high end amenities and venues were all over the place made common by their newness and quality construction.
I did notice that because so many had dual substantial incomes people did not take the time to cook at home, so there was no real “slow” day at a restaurant unless the weather kept people home. Like Metro Detroit you definitely needed a car to get around as the distance and traffic in the whole DFW area was always a challenge. Having moved to the area because we had family and friends it made it much easier to learn where to go to get things done, and sources of folks to associate yourself with. Friends from back in Michigan who lived in Rockledge introduced us to First Baptist Dallas, a place I loved to be the very first step inside the sanctuary I had.
First Baptist Dallas
Having sang in my Church Choir since I was 14 years old the Choir at 1st Dallas won me over. Being able to sing in a choir of 150-250 voices who were very skilled at what they did was a dream come true. Me having over 4 ½ years of private vocal lessons being able to amass a 93db volume with about a 4 octave range finally made it so I would not stand out in the music. There I had a chance to make many “professional” friends who were very highly skilled and successful in many industries and professions. Finally a flock of Eagles as I saw it.
The best experience I had was taking my youngest daughter Jennine to perform in New York City with the Choir and Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Tabernacle, performed a flash mob in Time Square, visited the one week old 911 Memorial, did the Bus Tour of Lights, and a Dinner Cruise on the Hudson River riding around the Statue of Liberty and under the famed Brooklyn Bridge. The day we left for NYC was to be my daughter’s high school graduation ceremony (in 106 degree temps), but instead she came with her “old man” to New York City for the experience of a Lifetime, even better than a High School Graduation Ceremony. I was there exactly three years and loved every moment of it. You can view the choir archives on the Church Website for 2014 15 and 16 and as the camera pans the choir you will find me singing… singing from the toes I might add.
City of Sterling Heights
Returned back to Michigan the very end of 2016 and moved to Sterling Heights. My wife (an RN) had preceded me as she moved in with my mother who was having health problems. My mom later moved to Texas with my sister so she could care for her where she passed at the age of 86 on Jan 15, 2021. Back in Michigan I restored my business relationships with organizations like the Macomb Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Detroit City Airport, Willie Horton’s 360 Community Partners Inc., Woodside Bible Church and new associations with the Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce, the Inkster Chamber of Commerce, Gabbert’s Concrete Products of Inkster, and a number of other organizations.
I am proud to recognize Sterling Heights as the safest city in Michigan, and Macomb County as the best run County in all of the United States because leaders are all working together for the good of its people. It not about party lines, its about quality of life for all residents. John Johnson the leader of the Macomb Chamber is arguably the strongest force in all chamber of commerce organizations in the entire country because he works hard for all stakeholders in the chambers he represents. Though I do not look to retire I do look to maintain a residence in Sterling Heights for as long as I can physically and mentally.
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Education
It is not a surprise as a registered mathematics genius at the age of 17 in the State of Michigan he chose Lawrence Technological University (after attending OCC in Mathematics at night in High School) boasting professors who are professionals in their field of instruction. Before graduating CUM LAUDE with a BS in Applied Mathematics worked for TACOM in Integrated Logistics Support trained by Commanding General Decker having met on his 3 rd day whereas the General showed up at Mr. Relph’s desk his 4 th day of work! Over 40 years later it was found the Mr. Relph’s boyhood mentor the founder of the OSS with President Hoover had unknown influence.
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Biography
General Autobiography
Michael Relph an award-winning writer, mathematician, technologist, education developer, architect, publisher, professional vocalist and musician, and in professional sports with nearly 50 years of experience finds himself as an Executive’s Executive, The Commanding General’s Confidant, Program/Project Manager (major), International Entrepreneur and Inventor, Corporate Diplomat, Consultant and Mentor, a developer of community and business with a strong Christian faith that is lived with purpose and passion helping bring the best out in others working in some 70 different Industries in 27 Countries.
Michael Walking on Water
Professional life
Early life
Education
Experiences
Since has worked to provide Business and Technological Strategies to include marketing and sales for new and existing small business in parallel of his work to manage large scale IT Transition Projects working with IBM and several of its major customers like Nexus-Lexus, Enterprise Rental, Raytheon, Dow Chemical and others.
Career Highlights
1. Grants
Captured two consecutive Grants 1.5M each from Michigan’s Energy Office for Urban Energy Efficiency Studies.
2. Publications
Published 4 papers for St. Joseph Hospital, Detroit – vastly improving quality of service for script writing, orders for patients, and overall communications between Doctors, their staff, and their patients.
3. Data Centers
Built Dual Redundant Data Centers for State of New York Medicare in record time, 120 days, about 200 days faster than normal for an IBM/ATT project of its type.
4. GM-Online
Headed the complex deployment of GM-Online for the finance department and completed the six-month project two months ahead of schedule, eliminating $275M+ in risk to GM’s Q4 bottom-line.
5. ITIL Establishment
Established ITIL in 2004, conducted ITIL training for IS&S GMNA Operations, and sparked organizational changes and process restructuring that cut costs by $440M and produced an additional $1.2B in cost savings.
6. Motor City Computers
Enabled Motor City Computers to grow from $30K to $2M in monthly revenue and become a national leader.
7. Entrepreneur at age 12
Entrepreneurial Strategist and Leader started first business at age 12, Directing manager at age 17 directing 16 employees, Business Consultant at age 8, Teachers Teacher and Education Developer age 17, Partnered in; Media/Communications, Construction, Computer Systems and Manufacturing, Machine Tooling, Education, Technical Automotive Consulting, Medical/Wellness Research, Health Care, Energy, Publishing, and Music Performance Industries. As a contractor or employee treats each assignment as if the company depended on his best performance for the business to succeed, a master in Large Scale Strategic Projects, Budgets, and Statistics.
Singing from the Toes is a term I use to refer to as the act of singing with abandon where you sing out using all the energy you can muster establishing the whole front of you body from the tip of your big toenail to the crown of your head as a sound board where the sound springs out the top of your crown with an explosion of sound. For me, the sound resolves 8” 60 degrees out from the top of the crown of my head at 91-93db when singing a G (G4 or G’ or High G or piano key 47) at 392hz (391.9954hz). Keep in mind a jet engine generally operates at 100db. It’s fun to know that OSHA has policies earmarking how to handle extreme sound like that in the work environment and how long one can expose themselves to it without ear protection!!
When I first experienced the phenomenon of Singing from the Toes it was in a lesion with my voice coach during a vocal ease exercise. She was so excited she jumped up from the piano bench and did a little victory dance around the piano bench, sat down and shouted again.. again.. and after repeating it four or five times it demonstrated I made it to the plateau she had been aiming for to move towards developing professional level techniques for me to learned she had mastered some 20 years prior.
The following chronicles are stories of Singing from the Toes
THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
At the end of the school year in 6th grade all the 6th graders who volunteered to sing at a graduation event at the high school, it included the 8th grade choir, and high school choir in a mass choir of some 300+ voices. I had a chance to perform in that group on three occasions, 6th, 8th, and 12th grades. Each time the event ended with the School District’s signature song The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The Battle Hymn was made famous during the civil war as the song was sung mainly by Black Union Regimens as they marched. One day as they were passing the White House President Lincoln heard one of these Regimens bellow out this song with many very strong baritone voices that rang clear right down into the soul of the President and into his memoirs for that day as the soul of the American Spirit. Learning this song in 5th grade like so many songs I learned has become one of my all-time favorite songs to sing in Choir as composed by WILLIAM STEFFE with the 1957 Choir Arrangement as the song has a thunderous effect on the soul when you Sing It From The Toes as evident in the May 5th 2016 U-Tube Video of the 1st Baptist Choir and Orchestra where you will catch me front and center. Performance Example - May 5th, 2016 – First Baptist Dallas Choir and Orchestra The Battle Hymn of the Republic https://youtu.be/Qbj2vK9ZeZA From 1:30 to 1:40 seconds into the video you will see me front and center of the camera. Notes on the Battle Hymn of the Republic The "Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote her lyrics to the music of the song "John Brown's Body" in November 1861 and first published them in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. The song links the judgment of the wicked at the end of the age (through allusions to biblical passages such as Isaiah 63:1–6 and Revelation 14:14–19) with the American Civil War.
I WONDER AS I WANDER
PERSONAL TRILOGY
IT IS WELL
HOW GREAT THOU ART
AND CAN IT BE
OH HOLY NIGHT
BLESSED ASSURANCE
400+ YEAR MUSICAL LEGACY
MEN OF THE HEIGHTS
SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC
- Introduction to
- Bill and Gloria Gaither
- Larnel Harris
- Sandi Patti
- Cathedral Quartet
- Dolly Pardon – Dollywood – Southern Gospel Music Museum
1st BAPTIST DALLAS CHIOR AND ORCHESTRA
THE JOURNEY INTO PROFESSIONAL VOICE TRAINING
VOICE TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE – THE EARLY YEARS
FUTURE PLANNED MUSCIANSHIP