Category: Community

St. Clair County Community College alumna Annette Caulfield says SC4 taught her that anything is possible if you work hard enough.

After earning her associate degree, the 1982 Anchor Bay High School graduate moved up the corporate ladder quickly and today serves as the executive assistant to the president and chief executive officer of Ilitch Holdings Inc. in Detroit.

Caulfield, 54, who lives in Taylor, said she decided to go back to school at SC4 based on a friend’s suggestion and graduated with honors in 1998.

“I was in retail management for many years, and when my last store closed, I knew I needed to do something different,” Caulfield said. “I was a single mom at the time and did not have many options. A very good friend suggested I look at taking some classes at SC4, as the college had very good options for single parents and a supportive culture.”

Caulfield said she completed an internship for her degree at SC4, where she also went on to become both a full-time clerk and a department operations manager.

After five years, she took a position as the executive assistant to the chief financial officer with AAA in Dearborn, Mich. In 2015, Caulfield worked at GTB Agency in Detroit as the executive assistant to the global chief talent officer before beginning at Ilitch Holdings in 2017.

Ilitch Holdings Inc. was founded in 1999 to provide professional services to certain businesses that were founded or purchased by Detroit entrepreneurs Mike and/or Marian Ilitch, including food, sports, and entertainment venues and teams such as the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Little Caesars and MotorCity Casino Hotel. Ilitch Holdings’ companies collectively employ more than 24,000 full- and part-time employees worldwide and have more than 350 million customer interactions annually.

Caulfield said SC4 provided an ideal atmosphere for her to head back to the books at that time in her life.

“SC4 had the best environment for a single parent to succeed, from class times and sizes to instructors who cared and understood that life can and will get in the way,” she said. “I could not have succeeded without the support of family, friends and my SC4 family.”

She and her husband Tom have three children, Bailey, Brooklyn and Tommy; and six grandchildren, Zoe, Ava, Violet, Colton, Bryson and Harper.

Caulfield said her local community college also gave her the encouragement to pursue her goals.

“SC4 helped me gain the confidence to make a career change and taught me that anything is possible if you work hard and never give up,” she added.

St. Clair County Community College alumni are among those participating in the revitalization of downtown Port Huron. Take, for instance, Todd Goldman, who is busy rehabbing a prime downtown destination for his company TC Goldman & Associates.

Goldman, who serves as president of the global manufacturers’ representative business for industrial and automotive products, purchased the building at 521 Michigan St., just north of SC4’s College Housing.

He plans to move his headquarters from the former Fogcutter building across the street to the new address later this year.

A Port Huron Northern High School graduate, Goldman, 48, earned his associate degree in general business from SC4 in 1991 and credits the institution for providing him with a successful foundation.

“As a lifelong resident of St. Clair County, I chose to attend SC4 because it was close, convenient and, most importantly, affordable,” he said. “After I received my associate degree, I attended Northwood University to continue my education. My SC4 advisor helped make sure all my credits transferred seamlessly.

At Northwood in Midland, he earned both a second associate degree in automotive aftermarket management and a bachelor’s degree in business management.

Goldman said he was well prepared when he moved on to another school.

“Attending SC4 helped me ease into the college experience before I left home,” he said. “Once I transferred to Northwood, my studying habits had been established, and my overall educational experience was successful based on the foundation I established at SC4.”

Goldman said he hopes to give his business’ new downtown building some flair.
“I purchased the building about a year ago and have hopes to complete the renovation by the end of 2019,” he said. “I have always had an interest in architecture, so we decided to do a major renovation on the building and give the old, simple block building some style.

“We have added a second story, gave it a modern look and added solar panels to help keep our utility costs to a minimum,” he added. “I really hope the unique style adds to the look and revitalization of downtown Port Huron.”

Goldman and his wife live in Burtchville Township and have two children.