GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On Monday, CEO Blake Krueger will join the Junior Association Business Hall of Fame, which the organization describes as "a league of outstanding individuals" who have made "legendary contributions" to the community.
Krueger is the former CEO of Wolverine Worldwide. Many local residents, including those affected by PFAS contamination caused by Wolverine Worldwide, are asking Junior Achievement to reconsider.
"I don't think this is what a good corporate citizen would look like. Actually, this is rewarding bad behavior," said Sandy Wynn-Stelt, an activist and impacted resident.
Wynn-Stelt was among those residents who showed up on Monday to the steps of Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, to hand-deliver letters protesting the choice to include Kruger as an outstanding business leader.
"We have a number of letters," Wynn-Stelt said. "A number of people also gave us letters to send."
While activists said they had checked Junior Achievement's hours on their website, the office was closed and no one was there. Wynn-Stelt said that they planned to just mail the letters. "We're gonna go old school and use snail mail."
She hopes that they can start a conversation with Junior Achievement about what it means to be a business leader, one that future generations can look up to.
"What are we teaching our youth about who our business leaders are and what is acceptable?" asks Elaine Sterrett Isely, Deputy Director at the West Michigan Environmental Action Council.
Letters are going to be mailed not only to Junior Achievement's local office, but to the national and international offices, Isely said.
"For Mr. Krueger to receive this award, it's extremely disappointing," Isely said. "Wolverine Worldwide has continued to do the bar minimum what they are required to do from the regulatory authorities and through the lawsuits that have happened. They are not good public citizens. They are not helping the community members that they've hurt in this."
Activists say Krueger, as CEO of Wolverine Worldwide, was not transparent about the company's use of "forever chemicals" and PFAS contamination, which affected at least 25 square miles in Kent County.
A $54 million settlementwas approved in September 2022, after a class action lawsuit was filed in 2017 by residents in Rockford against Wolverine Worldwide and 3M.
"They knew way back in in 1999 that PFAS was bad, 3M still continued to sell it to them. They had plenty of time to warn people, " said Gail Mancewicz, who also said she opposed Wolverine when she served on the Rockford City Council. "They put profit over human health and safety, every time."
Tobyn McNaught, a local resident and mother of two, said she hoped Junior Achievement would recognize people "who would truly be role models" for her two-year-old and six-year-old."
"I wanted them to look at a bigger picture and have more empathy for the community that I live in," she said. "To me, it is just very hurtful."
READ MORE: Water activists want more done for PFAS in and around Rogue River in Rockford
