TEAM ODENWALD

JOE & LAURA ODENWALD

Joe hails from Ferriday, Louisiana, a small agricultural community, while Laura is from New Orleans. Although their family home remains there, Laura spent much of her childhood in a Washington, D.C., suburb of Maryland. Today, Joe serves as President of Alma College, his second presidency in a 20-year career in higher education, which he often describes as the best job in the world because it allows him to help prepare tomorrow’s leaders and citizens. Laura’s professional background is in public relations, having managed branding and digital marketing for LSU’s College of Engineering—where she met Joe. She later launched her own PR consulting business serving nonprofits and small businesses. When they welcomed their son, Laura chose to step away from her business to homeschool and focus on raising their family. While Joe jokes that his career has required him to become more extroverted, he is naturally quite shy, making an event like this a significant lift for him—though he genuinely enjoys meeting people and learning their stories. Joe is quick to point out that Laura is an incredible baker who is always eager to learn and create new culinary masterpieces, meaning their home often smells like a bakery. Laura’s fun fact about Joe: you could also call him a farmer. He and his father own two farms in central Louisiana, where they grow corn and soybeans, and Joe enjoys studying the markets and managing the business from afar.

A man and a woman standing in front of a gold curtain, with the woman wearing a dark green dress with a bow at the neckline and the man in a black suit with a white shirt, blue polka dot tie, glasses, and a red lapel pin.
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FAQs

  • Arts United is an annual Alma College fundraising event to raise money for United Way of Greater Central Michigan. During the show, you will be able to bid on a variety of artwork in the silent auction, as well as enjoy an array of music, song, dance and theatrical performances from both the local and Alma College communities.

  • A VIP ticket is $50 and you’ll gain early access to the event (5:30-7:00pm in the Hogan Center) to enjoy an open bar (beer/wine) and hors d'oeuvres. There will also be entertainment and your ticket price includes entry to the show.

  • General Admission tickets are $10 each and include entry to the show. Doors open at 7:00pm and the show starts at 7:30pm in the Oscar E. Remick Heritage Center.

    Tickets for students 18 and under are $5.

  • Funds raised at Arts United support the year-round work of United Way of Greater Central Michigan, where we focus on uniting people and resources to improve the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our communities. To learn more about our community investment, signature programs, and impact, we invite you to look around our website!

  • There are many opportunities to support our dance teams! You can designate your ticket price to a specific team, purchase an art piece, or make a donation online. Additionally, you can share team fundraising pages to spread the word and encourage your network to join in this exciting event! If you would like to designate or split your gift between multiple teams, please donate by doing separate transactions or contact the United Way team at (989) 773-9863.

  • Throughout the event, there will be multiple opportunities to bid on artwork. A silent auction will be available to all attendees and will take place in the Heritage Center lobby. Bidding will be available before the show and during intermission.

  • There is no official dress code to attend Arts United, meaning you won’t be turned away for dressing too casually. However, attending a performance like Arts United can be a special occasion, so think of what you might wear to a dinner and dress to feel your best.

  • Guests of all ages are welcome to attend Arts United! If you're attending with a young child, please prepare them for performances by explaining theatre etiquette and what to expect (dim lighting, quiet voices, no light or sounds from cell phones or screens, etc.).

  • Arts United is held on the Alma College campus in the Oscar E. Remick Heritage Center for the Performing Arts. Parking is available directly outside of the Heritage Center, but space is limited. Additional parking can be found along Superior Street. To view Alma College parking & maps information, please visit alma.edu/admissions/connect-and-visit/parking-maps/.

 Arts United is brought to you by: