U-M Athletic Director Speaks to Civic Groups

The road to Wednesday's meeting of three local civic groups – the Xemplar Club, the Rotary Club and the Optimists Club – began at a University of Michigan basketball game.

Farmington Hills Youth and Family Services Director Todd Lipa, who works part-time for U-M in field operations, asked newly minted Athletic Director Dave Brandon whether he would be interested in talking to members of the Xemplar Club.

Lipa has been impressed with Brandon since the former Valassis Communications and Domino's Pizza chief executive officer was hired in January of 2010.

"We could see an automatic change," he told an audience of more than 50 at the Huron River Hunting & Fishing Club in Farmington. "The human side of the University of Michigan came back ... The way we treat each and every guest is very important to him."

When Brandon agreed to speak, Lipa came back to the Xemplar Club with the idea of bringing the three organizations together.

"The bottom line is we are all giving to our communities," he said. "All the presidents came together and made it happen."

Brandon, who formerly ran Valassis Communications and Domino's Pizza, provided an overview of Michigan athletics, which involves 735 students across 27 sports and generates revenues of $110 million annually. In addition to the programs, he oversees maintenance of several billion dollars' worth of athletic venues.

"We're not subsidized, in fact, we send a couple of million dollars up the hill to help with scholarship programs," Brandon said. Each student athlete on full scholarship costs the program about $350,000, Brandon said.

In the Q&A, Brandon fielded questions about paying college athletes ("We've been paying student athletes for years"), whether Michigan makes an effort to recruit from inner city Detroit ("We go wherever there's talent") and whether the Big Ten can compete with the Southeastern Conference (SEC), given their recruiting practices ("Yes we can, but not on a regular basis.").

Before Brandon spoke, Lipa recognized Farmington Hills artist Brad Smith, who created a colorful map of the community that recognizes all of the businesses that have helped the Hills after-school program since it launched 15 years ago. The artwork will be used in a folder that introduces children to the program, and for other promotional purposes.

A framed reproduction presented to Smith was signed by children in the after-school program.