It is Monday. The day we get to introduce you to an amazing area mom! We are absolutely honored to present Julie Pingston, Choose Lansing President & CEO as our Meet a Mom this week!
There is no shortage of attractions to visit, things to do and places to stay in the Greater Lansing area and this week there are even more! Why? May 17, or better known 517 Day is Friday! Julie explains how a simple May 17 social media post has evolved into something rich with 517 pride. She also shares about many 517 Day celebrations in the Greater Lansing area.
We asked Julie about her favorite place in the Greater Lansing area and while we knew this was a difficult question for a person who knows of many area hidden gems, she picked one that is loved by many. She tells how she was able to tour the restoration project and almost touch the stars – do you know where she went? Here is a hint, during field trips, you often have the opportunity to find your spot on the glass tile and look up.
You guessed it, Michigan’s State Capitol Building. Not only did she get to look up, she went up on scaffolding all the way to the dome!
Julie and her husband of over 30 years have two grown children and live locally. Read on to learn more about Julie’s family, some mom wisdom and how they made it work when their children were young!
Welcome to Greater Lansing Area Moms, Julie!
Being interviewed about the importance of tourism and hospitality to the region at our recent Annual Meeting.
Thank you for joining us, Julie! Please introduce yourself!
Hello everyone! My name is Julie Pingston and I am a proud mother of two amazing children and the President & CEO of Choose Lansing.
I grew up in Clawson, Michigan which is a northern suburb of Detroit surrounded by Troy, Royal Oak and Birmingham. We had all the advantages of a small town and a small high school but were in a very busy metro area.
I attended Alma College and majored in Political Science and Spanish and was able to spend my junior year off campus with a semester in Washington, DC and a semester in Madrid, Spain. After I graduated, I returned to DC and lived there for three years and worked for the US Travel & Tourism Administration.
I moved back to Michigan and wanted to stay in the tourism industry and was hired by the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau (now Choose Lansing) and have been there for thirty-one years. My husband Steve and I have been married and lived in Holt, MI for over thirty years.
Would you tell us about your children?
We are blessed to have two adult children…Allison is 29 and an Orthopedic PA living in Charlotte, NC and Jacob is 26 and an Electrician living in Chicago. They both have found their person but nothing official yet for any wedding bells!
What is the best part of being a mom?
The best part of being a mom is watching your kids grow and mature over the years to become amazing individuals. And, as time passes, they continue to need you for the big and little things in their lives. You’ll always be their mom!
What is a piece of advice for new moms you wish you would have known when you were a new mom?
As a working mom, I wish I had been better prepared for the inevitable question from my kids about why I worked, and why the moms of some of their friends did not. I had a good response but it does affect you as a mom pretty deeply when it gets asked so innocently by your child.
How do you balance being a mom and your career?
My husband and I were fortunate to have jobs that balanced with each other. I was usually busy early in the day and he worked into the evening which allowed him to handle the mornings and I handled everything in the evenings. And, without a doubt, we were blessed to find a daycare provider who became like family to us. We still spend time with her and her family to this day.
Julie and her family.
Now more about Choose Lansing! What is Choose Lansing?
Choose Lansing has the privilege to promote and develop the Lansing region as a visitor destination in order to provide economic impact to the community. Our main objective is to have visitors love our region as much as we do.
Why (and how) is Choose Lansing important to our region?
The team at Choose Lansing provides all the marketing and promotion for potential visitors to be able to discover the great things to see, do and experience in our region. We also have team members that work with meeting, convention and amateur sporting event planners to have them choose Lansing as the location for their events and to ensure their events go well while they are here. Without the great work of our team, there would be fewer visitors traveling to our community and adding economic vitality to our local businesses.
How many people does Choose Lansing employ?
We have 25 amazing team members.
Does everyone love the rebranding?
We were formerly the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau which has a lot of words for people to try to figure out who we are and what we do. We went through a yearlong rebranding for our organization and were very purposeful throughout the entire process. We launched the new brand on August 31, 2023 and held our breath. The support for the brand has exceeded our expectations and given our team new creative paths to connect with visitors as well as the residents in our community.
Receiving the Athena Award in December 2023
Later this week is a fun date with some local meaning! What does 517 Day mean to you?
517 Day started out with our team posting a simple message on social media with a “Happy 517 Day” graphic. Over the next few years, the 517 pride took over and festivals were being planned and businesses were offering fun 517 activities for their customers. It’s just a great day to represent the pride we have living in this community and celebrating the things that make us unique and bring us together.
Are there any fun things planned for 517 Day locally?
There are great events for 517 Day again this year! On May 17, the Arts Council’s “Arts Night Out” takes place amidst the businesses in Old Town. Also, there is an all day long celebration at Lansing Shuffle to celebrate 517 Day with fun specials, music and activities. The celebration continues on May 18 with the “Best of Lansing” taking place on the Capitol lawn featuring local artisans and a showcase of the Lansing City Pulse’s Top of the Town winners.
Julie’s kids and their significant others (Jordan, Allison, Jacob and Haylee)
Here are a couple of questions to get to know you better 🙂
Are you a coffee, a tea or another kind of must-have in the morning kind of mom?
I love hot tea in the morning, especially Blue Owl’s Earl Grey!
Last book you read?
I’m an avid reader and am on my 24th book so far in 2024! The last book I read was The Women by Kristin Hannah.
We recently had a spectacular midday sky and we are curious, where did you view the North American Eclipse?
The eclipse was a huge event for tourism that I anti-climatically watched from the back of our office building using borrowed eclipse glasses. A bit lame on my part but still an amazing sight! I’ll be better prepared for the next one in 2045 passing through Orlando! 😀
Do you have a favorite podcast?
I love all things Disney so I will check out any Disney podcast, especially about their history! Also, “Have a Seat” is a brand new podcast that I already love with Jason Benetti and Dan Dickerson talking all-things Detroit Tigers baseball.
Do you have a favorite saying or quote that motivates or inspires you?
My favorite quote is a simple yet powerful one for me…”It is what it is”. It reminds me that I can’t change everything and I have to understand that sometimes you have to admit that “it is what it is” and move on.
What are you looking forward to this summer?
I’m so excited for my husband and I to take a travel adventure on an Alaskan cruise this summer. We’ll also have a late summer trip to Charlotte, NC to meet up with our kids and their significant others for a fun-filled getaway!
Julie with her daughter Allison.
Julie with her son Jacob.
Do you have a favorite place in the Greater Lansing area you think others should take a peek?
There are so many hidden gems to find throughout the community so it’s hard to pick just one. But, if I’m picking my favorite, it’s always going to be Michigan’s State Capitol Building. The beauty and history within the building stuns me every time I visit. A fun fact is that you can find nine acres of decorative paint throughout the building. You may be looking at a column that looks like it is made of imported marble, but it is actually Michigan white pine that was painted by artists to replicate marble for a much more reasonable cost at the time the Capitol was built.
Any upcoming events or activities being hosted by Choose Lansing?
I’m looking forward to welcoming the participants of the 40th Annual National Science Olympiad May 24-25 at Michigan State. The very first National Science Olympiad was hosted at MSU and we’re happy to welcome them back again!
How do you prefer readers to connect with you if they would like more?
I can be reached at [email protected]. And check out www.lansing.org to find information on all the things to experience around the region!
If you do not, please consider following Choose Lansing on social media. They offer lots of information about all things Greater Lansing and oftentimes some sneak peeks of things coming soon!
Julie, thank you for joining us this week! We look forward to learning more about Choose Lansing, including upcoming events and activities in the Greater Lansing area! We appreciate you taking time out of your busy day for us and we hope you enjoy 517 Day!
#lovelansing
Julie was able to tour the decorative paint restoration project for the Capitol dome and go all the way to the “stars” located in the top of the dome.
*all images were provided to Greater Lansing Area Moms by Julie Pingston.
Meet a Mom Sponsor information
Today’s Meet a Mom featuring Julie Pingston was brought to you by Boji Group. Boji Group specializes in Private-Public Partnerships, has offices in both Lansing and Birmingham and is headquartered in downtown Lansing.
Are you interested or know of someone who would make a great GLAMoms Meet a Mom?
Send a message to [email protected] and we will take it from there!
