Warner Norcross & Judd LLP partner Mark Harder has been elected the new chair of the board of the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland Area.
Harder will serve a one-year term as chair of the foundation, which works to create last positive change in the community. Since joining the board in 2014, Harder served as chair-elect for the past year and also served on the Foundation’s executive, governance, development and audit committees.
Established in 1951, the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area works to build a permanent community endowment that supports high impact charitable projects, to help donors achieve their charitable goals, and to lead and partner in community level initiatives.
Harder chairs the Private Client and Family Office Practice for Warner . He concentrates his practice in estate planning and administration for high-net-worth individuals and in the representation of family-owned businesses and their owners.
Harder has received numerous accolades over the years and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyers for more than a decade. He was named Lawyer of the Year for Trusts and Estates in the Grand Rapids area in 2010 and 2017 and a Leading Lawyer in Michigan from 2014 to the present. Harder has also recognized for his work in private wealth law by Chambers High Net Worth Guide in 2016.
Harder is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, State Bar of Wisconsin, Ottawa County Bar Association, Michigan State Bar Foundation and American Bar Foundation. He is also a member of Attorneys for Family Held Enterprises.
Harder serves on the Institute of Continuing Legal Education Probate and Estate Planning Advisory Board. From 2003 until 2010, he led State Bar of Michigan efforts to write the Michigan Trust Code, as well as other legislation regulating how trusts are handled. In 2015, he authored a commentary for Michigan’s Uniform Principal and Income Act. He has also co-authored the Estates and Protected Individuals Code with Reporters’ Commentary from 2010 to 2017 for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education
A graduate of Leadership Holland, Harder has been active in a variety of community organizations, including the Center for Women in Transition, Macatawa Cycling Club, Holland Area Chamber of Commerce, Hospice of Holland and the Grand Rapids-based Family Business Alliance.
He holds a bachelor of business administration with high distinction from the University of Iowa and his doctor of jurisprudence with highest distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law.
About the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area
The mission of the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area is to create lasting positive change. We work to build a permanent community endowment that supports high impact charitable projects, we help donors achieve their charitable goals and we lead and partner in community level initiatives. Learn more at cfhz.org or by contacting Mike Goorhouse, President/CEO at mgoorhouse@cfhz.org or 616.396.6590.
About Warner
By providing discerning and proactive legal advice, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP builds a better partnership with our clients. One of Michigan’s largest law firms, we’re focused on providing the best legal solutions and exceptional client service to organizations throughout the world. Connect with us on wnj.com, LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
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