Stephen Waligora '15 BS
Insurance
Livonia, MI
Stephen Waligora earned his Bachelor of Science in Loss Prevention Management from Northern Michigan University in 2015, completing the program fully online as a non-traditional student. One favorite memory from the program was his trip abroad to Ireland. Stephen went on to earn a Master’s degree of Professional Studies in Homeland Security from Penn State.
Stephen owns The Waligora Group, a Farm Bureau Insurance agency serving clients across Michigan. He brings nearly two decades of Environmental Health and Safety leadership in food manufacturing, supply chain, and retail, most recently as Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Novus Foods and Head of Environment, Health, Safety and Security at Champion Foods. Earlier in his career, he held safety and risk leadership roles at Domino's, Belle Tire, and Channel Control Merchants, managing teams and safety programs across hundreds of locations nationwide.
He has mentored Oakland University Occupational Health and Safety students for the past six years and volunteers with the Livonia Jaycees, both as a general member and as a board member. He's also served on multiple boards for his children's school and coached youth sports.
Stephen lives in southeast Michigan with his wife, Lauren, and their three children.
With half of Michigan's population living in Southeast Michigan, Stephen sees his seat on the Alumni Advisory Board as a chance to ensure more students and families in the region know what NMU has to offer. As someone who found his own path to NMU through an online program, he's especially glad to help others discover nontraditional routes to the university.