Community Recognition Alumni Award

Richard Barz, M.B.A. ’77, is an active member of the Mount Pleasant community and an avid supporter of CMU.

He is president and CEO of Isabella Bank, where he got his start as a teller in 1972.

Richard is a lifetime member and current chairman of the Middle Michigan Development Corp. He is immediate past chairman of the board for Central Michigan Community Hospital and current chairman of the Local Development Finance Authority.

He also is active with the Michigan Bankers Association as chairman of the Robert Perry School of Banking at CMU, as well as a member of its management committee.

He is past chairman of the City of Mount Pleasant Planning Commission, the United Way, the Volunteer Center, as well as past president and coach of both the Mount Pleasant Little League and Mount Pleasant Select Soccer Association.
The Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce honored him with the prestigious Citizen of the Year award in 2005.

Some of the organizations and activities Richard supports include Central Michigan Pregnancy Services, the Commission on Aging, Art Reach, Mount Pleasant Area Community Foundation, and the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce.

Richard shows his commitment to CMU by serving on the CMU Development Board, CMU Research Corp. Board, and the president’s Mount Pleasant Advisory Board. He also served on the College of Business Administration’s Finance Advisory Board from 2003 through 2005.