Meet Leland

Meet Leland

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My son was part of the first class at Bendix Academy. Leland’s involvement in Bendix has been a truly formative and amazing experience for my him.

The exposure to tools, machinery, and industry at his age greatly broadened his view of not only himself, but also his future. It’s clear that every Bendix mentor is driven by the love of their craft and relish the opportunity to pass on their skills to the young men and women who participate.

The skills and friendships Leland developed at Bendix have had a huge positive impact on his life and on his future expectations. His experiences impacted him so much that he has chosen aeronautical engineering as a university and career goal.

Bendix Academy is a rare and unique asset and we are so blessed to have benefited from their convergence of incredibly talented people.

– Doug Raven, Father of Bendix student Leland

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Meet Genessa

Meet Genessa

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My son has Asperger’s Syndrome, a high functioning condition on the Autism Spectrum. Grey has a savant memory of fact and details, but his condition makes it difficult for him to socialize, engage, and fit in with children his own age. In middle school he was very shy, lacked confidence, and was severely introverted.

For years, I tried find ways to help Grey embrace and appreciate his unique gift, but it was always challenging. He has a love of learning and a need to learn things that our schools and I could not provide. As a single mother, I was stressed.

Then came Bendix Academy.

A serendipitous encounter one afternoon led to Grey’s participation in a program that fostered his natural and unique talents and unleashed his untapped potential. Working alongside a team of mechanically minded mentors at Bendix, Grey found his calling and his “happy place”.

He spends countless hours at the Academy, learning toolmanship skills and forming relationships with adults who grow his confidence, foster his interests, and build a skillset he’d never have been able to acquire anywhere else.

This incredible, unique program took Grey to the next level, helping him unearth a passion for mechanical ingenuity. Through positive reinforcement for all he was learning, he was given a space to build on his natural interest, his innate curiosity, and God-given talents. He’s becoming fluent in the art of trade skills and has laid a launching pad for his self-starting curiosity, self-confidence, and his future.

In just three short months, I went from seeing my son enter middle school feeling isolated, shunned, and outcast and transform into to a young man full of passion and maturity. Today as a high schooler, he thrives in social settings and is confident in his interactions.

Grey has come so very far because of his experiences at Bendix Academy. And for that, I am grateful beyond words.

– Genessa Lane Claeys, Grey’s mother

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Meet Zelie

Meet Zelie

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I go to Kensington Woods High School, a small charter school in Lakeland, Michigan. I love school, but at Kensington, we don’t have many of classes other schools have, including shop class.

I first heard about Bendix Academy from a school counselor. I was curious, so I went to their workshop for a tour. The next think I knew I was learning to properly use a saw then design things in CAD!

Even if my school did have shop class, it wouldn’t be anything like Bendix. I also don’t have grandfathers who mentored me or anyone at home to take me to the garage and teach me how to take apart an engine, fix my bike, or do electrical work.

Today I am part of Bendix Academy and I am learning all these things – things no other kids learn at my school. Things like how to run a hydraulic press, lay a welding bead, and fabricate airplane wings.

I’m able to participate at Bendix thanks to a scholarship. I’m from a big family – the middle of seven kids – and sometimes money is limited. Scholarship support from generous people have allowed me to attend, learn, and expand my horizons.

Bendix is giving me an equal standing in a male dominated arena and is giving me a foundation that will empower me to rise to the top in my field. I am expanding my horizons because of people who donate and make my participation here possible.

Bendix changed my life. Without Bendix, it would have never occurred to me to pursue a career in manufacturing. And the financial support provided made my education here possible. Support Bendix and you’ll support untapping young talent and potential and help empower more teens like me find their futures!

– Zelie, Bendix student

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Todd Trainor

Todd Trainor

Todd Trainor

Todd Trainor

Executive Director

Born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, Todd was mentored by his father while restoring antique aircraft and fixing things around the house.

Todd retired early from a career in information technology to become the Director & Creator of the Warbirds of Glory Museum’s Toolmanship Mentoring program, following a passion for youth development borne from his time spent working with his father. The program was extremely popular with mentors and students, and after three years the program separated from the Museum to become an independent nonprofit.

Today Todd serves at the Executive Director at Bendix Academy where he is devoted to expanding opportunities to further the program’s reach to benefit the youth, industries, and mechanically-minded professionals and retirees in east Michigan.

Todd graduated from Michigan State University in Computer Science and enjoyed his career as a programmer and senior project manager in the IT industry including 10 years at Dow Chemical and 22 years at Hewlett Packard. During this time, he also started and operated several small businesses, including 13 years with The UPS Store. Additionally, Todd founded the Aeronca Aircraft History Museum in 2010 and is co-founder of the Warbirds of Glory Museum. He also served as project manager for the 2013 recovery of WWII B-25J Sandbar Mitchell from a remote crash site in Alaska.

Todd attends St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Brighton with his wife, Anna, and when vacationing they both enjoy visiting Catholic churches throughout the States.

Rodney Beckwith III

Rodney Beckwith III

Rodney Beckwith III

Rodney Beckwith III

Board Member

Growing up on a farm in Niles, Michigan, Mr. Beckwith earned his mechanical abilities very early in life. These abilities served him well early on, helping him achieve the Eagle Rank in Scouting when he was only 16 years old.

Mr. Beckwith attended Jackson Community College and Lawrence Institute of Technology where he majored in Mechanical Engineering, with studies in Metallurgical and Electrical.

On June 27, 1964, he married Georgia Bruiuing. He interviewed at Ford Motor Company the following Tuesday, and was hired the day after Labor Day. He retired from Ford in 1997 after a 33 year career there.

Before starting at Ford, Mr. Beckwith worked in the design of material dispensing equipment for the auto industry and electro/hydraulic systems for the military and aerospace.

In addition to serving as a Bendix mentor, Mr. Beckwith is also a leader in Scouting and teaches for the American Heart Association and Red Cross for many years. He is also a Tech Inspector for auto racing including Formula SAE and teaches metal fabrication for race cars and airplanes. Not one to rest idly in retirement, he also serves as Health Officer and Aquatics Director for Scout camps.

Mr. Beckwith was involved in the design and implementation of the first Toolmanship Mentoring program in 2017. He believes deeply in bring generations together to motivate youth in constructive careers.

Anna DeMonaco

Anna DeMonaco

Anna DeMonaco

Anna DeMonaco

Board Member

Anna grew up in Romeo, Michigan but lived in Arizona in the 1980’s. While in the southwest, she became a Certified Foster Parent and adopted two siblings, aged four and six from the State of Arizona Foster Care System. The experience taught her many valuable lessons, especially the importance of faith, family, and relationship. Most importantly, she says, was the value of personal relationships with young people – the avenue needed to offer care, guidance, and education to them, especially youth coming from difficult situations.

Anna began her career in the hospitality management while in Arizona. Returning to Michigan, she changed careers and recently retired from 32 years in information technology and network management, with many of those years in the manufacturing industry. Most of Anna’s career was spent building successful startup organizations, where creating processes and procedures and breaking new ground was part of the job. Simultaneously, he she was the manager of multiple startup UPS Store franchises in 1994 and was treasurer of several nonprofit startups. 

Anna graduated from Ferris State College with a degree in Accounting and from Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in Information Systems. She enjoys quilting, studying, creating Sacred Art, gardening, and baking.

Her caring nature and previous experience with disadvantaged youth, startup organizations, nonprofits, and in information technology make her a valuable member of the Bendix Academy board.