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Friday, June 5, 2026

Member Spotlight: Andrew Cron

By Levi Black

For Andrew Cron, of Cronac Software, software development has never just been a career path. It has been a lifelong passion that started remarkably early.
“I wrote my first fully functional computer program when I was five years old,” Cron said with a laugh.
Using his family’s Commodore 64 computer, the program was simple by today’s standards, but it sparked something that would shape the rest of his life.
“It would ask for your name and then call you a dork or something,” he joked. “But it worked.”
That early curiosity quickly evolved into a deeper interest in computers and programming. Through advanced language courses in high school and later computer science studies at the University of Michigan, Cron continued building the technical skills that would eventually become the foundation of Cronac Software.

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Friday, June 5, 2026

Member Spotlight: Wally Mayton

By Levi Black

For Wally Mayton, the path to ministry was not a straight line. In fact, it began with hesitation.
“I was very reluctant,” Mayton said.
As a college student, he had his future mapped out in a completely different direction. Majoring in political science, he was preparing for a career in law, accepted into law school, and ready to move forward.
“I had no concept of pastoral ministry as being the choice,” he said.
Even those closest to him expected a different path. His wife, whom he met in college, believed she was marrying a future lawyer. His father, who worked in the medical field, had once hoped he might pursue medicine.
But during his senior year, a small moment shifted everything.
While working in the college library, Mayton came across a catalog describing a new dual-degree program in law and theology. Curious, he applied and was accepted. He entered the program intending to give it a year.
Instead, he found something unexpected.
“What caught me wasn’t just the study,” he said. “It was the spirit and sense of community.”
That experience changed the trajectory of his life.

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Friday, June 5, 2026

Member Spotlight: River Jordan Inc

By Levi Black

For Aland Stamps, the mission behind River Jordan Inc. is deeply personal. Long before the nonprofit existed, Stamps experienced the foster care system firsthand.

Growing up in foster care, he remembers learning an important lesson while living at a large residential placement campus as a teenager. The program used a model called “positive peer culture,” where youth supported one another as they worked through challenges and progressed through the program.

“The idea was that peers help each other through the process,” Stamps said. “Staff provided oversight and direction, but the peers guided each other.”
That experience left a lasting impression.

“That’s where I learned the value of peer-to-peer support,” he said. “It’s like someone in recovery helping another person who is just beginning that journey. Someone who has been there understands in a way others can’t.”
But the path that eventually led to River Jordan was not a straight line.

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Friday, June 5, 2026

Member Spotlight: Members First Credit Union

By Levi Black

For Carrie Iafrate, leading Members First Credit Union is more than a career milestone. It is the continuation of a journey rooted in mentorship, community, and a belief in the credit union philosophy of people helping people.
“I’m a Midland native, and I’m proud of that,” Iafrate said. “I’m proud to still be here, raising a family and investing in the community that helped shape me.”
After graduating from Midland High and earning her degree from Northwood University, Iafrate began her career in financial services with a marketing role at Chemical Bank and Trust. Her background in accounting and finance combined with marketing gave her a unique perspective on both the analytical and creative sides of the industry.

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