Our Team
Call Numbers
ARE YOU A YOUTH (18-24) IN CRISIS?
Detroit Area
9:00 am – 5:00 p.m. weekdays call Coordinated Access Model (CAM) (313) 305-0311
After hours and weekends, contact us directly at
Grand Rapids Area
Contact the shelter directly at
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Meagan
Dunn
Chief Executive Officer
Meagan Dunn
Chief Executive Officer
Meagan Dunn is a dynamic nonprofit leader and a champion for young people experiencing homelessness. She joined Covenant House Michigan (CHMI) in July 2022 and currently serves as the organization’s first Black woman Chief Executive Officer.
As CEO, Meagan provides leadership to a dedicated team in two locations – Detroit and Grand Rapids. Since opening its doors in 1997, CHMI has served and advocated for more than 80,000 young adults (18-24) experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and exploitation, by providing street outreach, short-term shelter, transitional living, and more. With the help of Meagan’s vision and strategic direction, the team delivers high-quality programs and services to help young people achieve housing stability, heal from trauma, and hone their interests and skills to forge new pathways to independence.
Previously, Dunn was vice president of programs with YWCA Kalamazoo where she managed a $10 million budget and more than 100 team members. Among other duties, she supervised a 62-bed shelter for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and one of the first 24/7 childcare centers in southwest Michigan.
Dunn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English language and literature from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Michigan State University. She is a member of Inforum and serves on the Belle Isle Conservancy Board of Directors.
Cynthia
Adams, MSW
Associate Executive Director
Cynthia Adams, MSW
Associate Executive Director
Cynthia Adams, MSW was one of our first employees, joining our staff in 1997. She was instrumental in establishing our current residential programs, Caritas Center (90-day temporary shelter) and Rights of Passage Transitional Living (two-year independent living residence), Street Outreach and Workforce Development. She supervises all program initiatives in Detroit and Grand Rapids, ensuring the youth in our care receive the support needed to end their situation of homelessness.
Ms. Adams represents us at the Homeless Action Network of Detroit (HAND)/Continuum of Care. She also represents us on the City of Detroit’s Task Force on Homelessness.
She strives to supervise and implement services that reflect the mission and vision of Covenant House. In addition, Ms. Adams oversees operations of the organization in the absence of the Executive Director.
Ms. Adams is actively involved with her church, Word of Faith Christian Center, where she regularly volunteers with the Children’s Ministry. Prior to coming to Covenant House Michigan, Ms. Adams was employed at Boysville of Michigan (now Holy Cross Children’s Services). While there she managed residential and detention programs for delinquent youth.
Ms. Adams holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and completed her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts at Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA.
Jeff
Coffey
Chief Facilities Management Officer
Jeff Coffey
Director, Facilities Operations
Jeff Coffey joined Covenant House Michigan in 2011, bringing with him a passion for facilities management and a desire to set the bar higher each day. He oversees all aspects of the Covenant House Michigan-owned properties in Detroit and Grand Rapids. He is responsible for all facility construction projects, building maintenance, and the maintenance of our fleet of transportation vehicles, including the street outreach vans.
Jeff ensures compliance with all city & state health, safety and building codes, keeping CHMI’s reputation as a safe and secure environment for our youth intact. More recently, Jeff added cyber security compliance and training to his list of responsibilities. He supervises food service and building maintenance teams and numerous external contracts. Jeff is a member of the CHMI Executive Leadership Team & Incident Review Committee.
Prior to coming to Covenant House Michigan, he worked at Sisters, Servants of IHM as the Facilities Operations Director and Facilities Coordinator at Trinity Health. He has over 20 years of Facilities management experience.
A Veteran of the US Army, Jeff completed the Bachelor’s of Business Leadership program (BBL) at Baker college and also has an Associates degree in General Studies from Macomb Community College.
Jeff and his wife recently bought an old farm house near Armada and enjoy spending time with their young daughter, the goats and some chickens.
Carolyn
Geck
Chief Development Officer
Carolyn Geck
Director of Development and Communications
Carolyn Geck, an experienced nonprofit leader with a proven track record in guiding the development of foundational strategy and practice for ground-level organizational growth and scaling, joined Covenant House Michigan in 2023. She is a respected director of cross-functional teams in programming, fund development, communications, and event planning and execution.
Prior to coming to Covenant House Michigan, she was the Development Director at Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program. Carolyn holds an undergraduate degree from Wayne State University and was a member of Leadership Detroit Class XLII.
Tamika
Mayes
Chief Financial Officer
Tamika Mayes
Chief Financial Officer
Tamika Mayes is an inspiring corporate leader, community advocate and entrepreneur who has formed a dynamic, community-driven career path.
Growing up in Indiana instilled in her a passion for business and community impact, which inspired her to pursue accounting at Clark Atlanta University where she graduated with honors. She then went on to become a Certified Public Accountant, started her professional career as an auditor at EY and later furthered her studies at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. After working as a corporate tax attorney at top New York law firms, Tamika held several influential leadership roles within the automotive manufacturing industry in Detroit, Michigan across Global Finance, Operational Excellence, and Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services.
Tamika served on numerous nonprofit boards and led countless corporate, DEI, and community engagement initiatives. She also founded Reyz, a company dedicated to women’s health and recovery. A true champion for social good, Tamika continually strives towards creating positive sustainable impact through her ambitious work.
Tamika enjoys spending time with her husband, son and three rescue dogs, as well as exploring her creative side and golfing.
Y’vonne R.
McGhee PHR
Chief Human Resources Officer
Y’vonne R. McGhee, PHR
Director of Human Resources
Y’vonne is currently the Director of Human Resources at Covenant House Michigan. She is a functional HR thought leader with 20+ years of comprehensive HR expertise. Y’vonne is a results oriented energetic leader with a focus on excellence in communication and continuous learning. She has a unique combination of strengths and is passionate and exceptionally strong in building strategies and initiatives focused on solving business and people challenges.
Her previous works as the Director of Human Resources at CARE of Southeastern Michigan and Area HR Manager at SAVA Senior Care have provided Y’vonne with the skills and experience to get her to where she is today. In those roles, Y’vonne was responsible for the human resource obligations for a 600+ employee base, as well as HR oversight for as many as five long-term care facilities simultaneously. Additionally, she spearheaded a diversity and inclusion project with the objective to shift the culture in the workplace towards an environment reflective of a place of inclusivity.
In her current and previous roles, Y’vonne’s duties encompass(ed) extensive communication, collaboration and execution within the functional areas of human resources. Her reach stretches across facilities supporting managers, supervisors and employees in all departmental operations offering sound advice from employee relations to counseling management on mitigating risk to succession planning and benefit administration.
Y’vonne’s HR foundation began at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) as a Talent Acquisition Consultant where she was responsible for the recruitment of exempt level and unionized openings in the largest division of the organization. Y’vonne credits BCBSM for exposing her to an environment that permitted her to diversify her learning and enhance her skill base.
During her decade’s long tenure at BCBSM, a few of Y’vonne’s accomplishments include the development of a summer intern program for BCBSM’s subsidiary company, Blue Care Network, as well as being chosen to be a part of a two-person procurement team whose directive was to successfully overhaul and streamline the organization’s temporary hiring process.
It is true that Y’vonne is a successful HR Thought Leader who grew up professionally in the healthcare, long-term care, manufacturing and non-profit industries. If you ask her about her career in human resources, she can share stories of the people whose lives she’s impacted along the way. Y’vonne holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Cleary University and a PHR designation from the Human Resources Certificate Institute.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kellie
Ray
Kellie Ray
Chairperson of the Board
CPA, Partner
Plante Moran
Kellie holds a bachelor of business administration degree and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. She is committed to the success of Plante Moran’s diverse staff members, serving as a member and partner liaison to Plante Moran’s Affinity Network Staff Resource Group for LGBTQ staff and allies. Kellie serves as a board member for Covenant House Michigan and recently participated in New Detroit’s 50th Anniversary Racial Healing Project.
Victoria
Burton-Harris
Victoria Burton-Harris
Valued Board Member
Chief Assistant Prosecutor, Washtenaw County
Victoria Burton-Harris serves as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor for Washtenaw County. Victoria was appointed to this position January 1st, 2021 by Prosecutor Eli Savit.
Victoria M. Burton-Harris is a native of Flint and a graduate of Flint Southwestern Academy. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 2012. During her time at Wayne Law, Victoria taught high school students at Southeastern High School and worked at the Free Legal Aid Clinic as a student advocate for underprivileged families. Passionate about the relationship between law, social justice and equality, she began preparing for a career focused on criminal law and social justice. Victoria served as president of the Black Law Students Association, where she encouraged students to use their legal experience to create positive change for community residents. In 2014, Victoria opened a private firm in the heart of downtown Detroit specializing in family law and criminal defense at the state and federal trial court level. Victoria has represented hundreds of families across Michigan in cases ranging from child custody to murder. Victoria’s work has been highlighted on CNN, Democracy Now, The Guardian, Essence, The New York Times, The Appeal, The Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and local Detroit news stations FOX 2 Detroit, WDIV and WXYZ Detroit.
Victoria lives with her husband Robert, their three-year-old son, and their dog, Sasha.
Chris
Crook
Chris Crook
Valued Board Member
MBA, CHCIO, CDH-E
Senior Vice President. Digital Services – Corewell Health
Chief Information Officer – Priority Health
Chris Crook is senior vice president of digital services for Corewell Health and chief information officer for Priority Health. He leads all teams within digital services for Priority Health, including application development, software quality assurance, data architecture and management, client technology and domain architecture, along with other teams that work on optimizing Priority Health’s technology assets.
Crook has over 30 years of experience in the health care industry developing and leading information technology teams. Chris’ experience includes the application of technology in consumer engagement programs, analytics, reward and incentive models, as well as developing technical and operational marketing of complex product lines relating to wellness programs, digital business and innovation. Chris also led the team that developed Corewell Health’s data and analytics strategy.
Prior to joining Corewell Health and Priority Health, he served in many leadership roles in information technology at Humana. Most recently he was IT director of Humana’s wellness applications and group commercial divisions. He is a seasoned operational leader with expertise in program implementation, product management, integration, data and analytics and system growth development.
Chris holds a bachelor of science degree in computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master’s degree of business administration in entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville. He has earned the title of certified healthcare chief information officer and certified digital health executive. Chris is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and is the executive sponsor for the DEI people pillar at Corewell Health. Along with being a member of the board of Covenant House Michigan, he is also a member of CHIME (The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives), a professional organization for chief information officers and senior healthcare IT leaders.
Veronica
Davis
Veronica Davis
Secretary of the Board
Mortgage Underwriter
loanDepot
Veronica Davis is a seasoned mortgage underwriter at loanDepot. Veronica plays a key role in changing people’s lives, not only at work with helping people make one of the most important purchases, but also serving as Board member at Covenant House Michigan. She witnessed and experienced the value of helping others as a result of being a part of the population that we serve. Veronica became homeless at the age of 21 and stayed at Covenant House Michigan for six months, moving through the shelter program. Covenant House Michigan helped her move forward while she established full-time employment as a mortgage underwriter. Since she left the program, Veronica continued her professional growth while climbing the corporate ladder. Veronica is a true success story of how Covenant House Michigan impacts our residents lives every single day.
Tiffany
Ellis
Tiffany Ellis
Valued Board Member
Attorney, Pieffer Wolf
Tiffany has been a vital part of an opioid litigation team that represents more than 62 Michigan cities and counties as well as others around the country. She regularly represents survivors of sexual abuse and human trafficking including those who were abused by Larry Nassar. She is active in class action and antitrust work. She has also developed an expertise in all stages of large scale discovery projects including crafting requests and negotiation, ESI protocols and searches, and document review management.
Tiffany attended undergrad at the University of Missouri and earned her law degree Washington University School of Law in St. Louis in 2011. After earning her LLM, also from Washington University, in 2012 and starting her law career in the former office of a now federal judge, Tiffany moved home to Michigan. She specifically moved to Detroit so she could begin to make an impact in the community and region she always referred to and thought of as home.
As soon as she moved home, Tiffany became involved in the Detroit Bar Association. As member, leader, and later President of the of the Detroit Bar Association Barristers Board (young lawyers), and in cooperation with Former Chief Judge Robert Columbo and the Third District Court, Tiffany helped re-establish the DBA’s annual law day program. For the last six years the DBA and the Third District Court have annually hosted hundreds of Detroit High School students at the CAYMC to hear from prominent members of our legal community, participate in mock arguments in real courtrooms with real judges, and develop positive experiences with the law and our court system. Tiffany now serves as a Detroit Bar Association Director and is active in the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts.
Since 2016 Tiffany served on the CHM Associate Board where she helped raise money and awareness of youth homelessness. In 2021, Tiffany joined the CHM general Board of Directors.
Tiffany is also a bridge between the local and national legal communities Tiffany is a member of the Michigan Association for Justice Executive Board and is on the National Board of Governors and Public Affairs Committee of the American Association for Justice – our country’s premier trial lawyer organization. In addition, she holds memberships in Public Justice, the American Bar Association, and the National Lawyers Guild.
Dan
Garrison
Dan Garrison
Valued Board Member
SONG CTO & Global Delivery Lead, Accenture
Dan is a Senior Managing Director with Accenture Song. He started his career as an entrepreneur and has nearly 30 years of corporate consulting experience with first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities related to implementing digital solutions in today’s enterprises. Dan’s skills strike a unique balance between technology visionary and pragmatic business leader.
His work has made the difference between failure and success of programs for global companies across several decades. Dan has an uncanny ability to quickly comprehend highly technical topics and communicate them in a way that aligns business and technical objectives to achieve success. He is a collaborative and charismatic leader that knows how to build high-performing teams.
At his core, Dan is a passionate and relevant technologist and has been awarded patents related to cutting edge technologies such as Drones and Quantum Computing. He has direct experience in delivering programs with up to $1B budgets, headcount management of thousands of people, and a global portfolio of Client work. Finally, Dan is also a board member of academic and charitable organizations and advisor to numerous startups.
Jill
Howard
Jill Howard
Valued Board Member
Vice President of Population Health & Clinical Operations, Meridian
Jill Howard is the Vice President of Population Health & Clinical Operations at Meridian. She celebrated her 14th anniversary with the company in May of 2023 and has been committed to the well-being of the populations they serve since day one at the organization.
She has served in many roles throughout her time at Meridian, but the majority have been spent in Care Management/Population Health – which is where her true passion lies. Jill also has expertise in call center operations, utilization management, building clinical programs, community innovation, and leading large teams and multiple lines of business. She has also played an important role in the most recent integration to Centene’s systems and has a strong interest and passion for the communities we serve, public health, health equity, and maternal health.
Jill Howard currently holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is a highly motivated, energetic, positive, and results driven professional who has demonstrated effective leadership experience within managed care with proven abilities to develop and execute strategies to deliver on goals and increase efficiencies. Jill is married with two children and lives in the Livonia area.
Melissa
Jagst
Melissa Jagst
Treasurer of the Board
Audit Partner
Deloitte
Melissa is an audit partner at Deloitte. She has over 27 years of public accounting experience and has provided audit services to privately and publicly held clients primarily in the healthcare and financial services industries. She has planned, implemented, and managed the delivery of accounting and auditing services to large clients. Her consulting experience includes acquisitions, divestitures, and statutory reporting. She has extensive knowledge in the health care industry, Blue Cross plans, not for profits, auditing alternative investments, and Single Audit compliance. Most recently, Melissa has been has been the lead on accounting for the Provider Relief Fund under the CARES Act and its related compliance audits. She facilitates Deloitte national training seminars and presents to various groups such as the MACPA and the AICPA on accounting and auditing topics. Melissa is the Industry Professional Practice Director focusing on healthcare provider industry matters and works directly with industry leaders on technical matters and a variety of educational and training programs. She also previously served as Deloitte’s Central Region Women’s Initiative Leader.
Professional Activities
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants
Board Positions
Accounting Aid Society of Michigan
Hospice of Michigan Foundation
Education
B.S.B.A. from Central Michigan University
CPA –Michigan
Anne
Lehker
Anne Lehker
Valued Board Member
Anne Lehker was educated as an English teacher and social worker with a BA from Kalamazoo College and her secondary teaching certification and Masters of Social Work from The University of Michigan. When Anne and her husband had twin daughters, Anne turned her education and professional skills into a career as a professional volunteer, enabling her to be home with their daughters while being involved in the local and school community.
Anne served on the Huron Valley Educational Foundation Board and on the Curriculum Committee at Huron Valley Schools. In addition, she participated in three different cycles of the Huron Valley Schools Five Year Strategic Plan Committee, which takes a longer term, big picture approach to shaping the direction of the District. Anne was a member of the Carls Family YMCA Board for ten years. She served as Board Chair and was on the Board when the new Y facility was opened in Milford. As part of her Branch Board service, Anne also participated on the Metro Detroit YMCA Board.
In keeping with Anne’s interests, she was a Scholarship Evaluator for thirteen years for the Center for the Education of Women (CEW) at the University of Michigan. CEW awards scholarships to women and nontraditional students who have had an interruption in their education of at least two years.
One of Anne’s most fulfilling positions has been serving as an Area Representative for Youth For Understanding. In that role, Anne works with local host families and high school foreign exchange students, offering guidance and support during the academic exchange year. Working as an Area Representative has enabled Anne to build lasting relationships with students from many countries who relied on her expertise to navigate the excitement and challenges of being an exchange student.
Brian
McMillion
Brian McMillion
Valued Board Member
Medical Economics Manager
Aetna Better Health of Michigan
Brian currently works as a Medical Economics Manager at Aetna Better Health of Michigan, where he is responsible for analyzing data, financial modeling, and designing healthcare programs that improve the quality of patient care. He has nearly 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, where he has applied his technical skills and business acumen to improve patient outcomes while reducing costs. Brian is an effective leader with exceptional organizational and analytical skills, developed across various roles and levels of experience and education. Brian previously held different technical positions at Ford Motor Company.
Brian holds Bachelor and Master of Science in Engineering degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business. In his spare time, Brian enjoys outdoor activities, sports, volunteering, and supporting many other community-based organizations. He has a specific interest in causes that better the lives of youth and young adults and is recognized for his commitment to community service.
Brian currently resides in Metro-Detroit with his wife and three children.
Sheila
Newkirk
Sheila Newkirk
Valued Board Member
Technical Product Manager
General Motors
Sheila’s career spans over 22 years in Information Technology, holding multiple roles such as Software Developer, System Analyst, Technical Lead, Development Manager and has a current role as Technical Product Manager for General Motors in the Connected Mobility area where she manages and prioritizes feature work for 8 scrum teams. She holds a BA, Management Information Systems from Wayne State University and is in pursuit of a Dual STEM MBA at Walsh College.
When Sheila isn’t working she spends her time traveling and on the golf course and she is the Managing Director for the Detroit, Queens on the Green golf club which inspires women of color to learn the game. She enjoys volunteering with the Michigan Council of Women in IT to aide youth in STEM related careers. She has a passion for aiding in the development and progression of our youth as they are our future.
Eric
Pricco
Eric Pricco
Valued Board Member
Corporate Director of Airport Services in DTW
Delta Air Lines
Eric began his airline career with Northwest Airlines in 1999 as an AW Customer Service Agent and then moved to the Below Wing operation in LAN. In 2004 he was promoted to the Station Manager of Customer Service in FWA that also included leadership coverage in DAY, CLE, and IND. He moved to DTW in 2005 to take on a manager position within Fleet Services and continued with leadership positions in International and Ramp Operations. In 2008 Eric was promoted to General Manager of the Below Wing Operation and four years later became the General Manager of the DTW Airport Control Center & Tower Operations. In 2014 Eric was promoted to the Director – Below Wing/Cargo Operations. He currently holds the position of Director-Airport Services, Above Wing and Sky Club Operations and is responsible for all aspects of customer service, including ticket counters, baggage service office, International FIS, Sky Club and gates. Eric greets and meets thousands of customers daily and is a fixture at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science degree from Michigan State University.
Eric is married with three children. When he is not working he spends much of his time coaching youth sports and going to dance recitals with his daughter.
Jessica
Roy
Jessica Roy
Vice Chairperson of the Board
Managing Director
Accenture
Jessica is a Managing Director at Accenture in the Detroit office. She has nearly 15 years of experience working with higher education, public sector, and non-for-profit organizations across the country. Jessica focuses on partnering with institutions on transforming their HR operations to enhance the staff, faculty, and student experience while enabling mission-driven initiatives and operational effectiveness across the business. She brings experience in HR strategy and organization design, shared services, process excellences, and transformation supported by cloud-driven technology.
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management from Michigan State University and is a lifelong resident of southeastern Michigan. Jessica is known for her commitment to mentorship and service, both at work and within the community. She is a supporter of many organizations and causes throughout the city of Detroit. Prior to her appointment to the Board, she served as the Executive Chair of the Covenant House Michigan Associate Board since 2017. Jessica resides in Royal Oak where she spends her weekends catching up on reading and podcasts while always in search of the best brunch spot in Michigan.
Nicole
Scheffler
Nicole Scheffler
Valued Board Member
Director
Palo Alto Networks
Nicole Scheffler has been a Tech Diva for almost 20 years professionally. By day, she is a Director for Palo Alto Networks. At night, she puts on her cape to help spark success for super women in technology careers. She spent about 15 years of her career prior to Palo Alto Networks at VMware at Cisco Systems also working in engineering and in a Strategy and Planning role. Nicole is the author of three best-selling books, Pillars of Success with Jack Canfield, 1 Habit to Thrive in a Post-Covid World, and 1 Habit of the Greatest Leaders. Nicole co-founded the Diva Tech Talk podcast in 2015, which has now won eight awards, providing a library of women sharing their inspirational and diverse career journeys to spur more women to enter and/or stay in technology. In addition, Nicole founded the Tech Diva Success podcast designed to offer more diverse perspectives which help ignite a real excitement for careers in tech. She speaks often on this topic as a certified Success Coach and offers goal setting courses. Nicole loves exploring future technologies, remaining committed to the community, and spending time outdoors with her family. Connect with her at www.TechDivaSuccess.com.
Paul R.
Smith
Paul R. Smith
Valued Board Member
HUD Fair Housing Specialist
Fair Housing Center of Metro Detroit
Paul Smith is in his final year of graduate school at University of Pittsburg GPSIA (Graduate School of Public and International Affairs). His concentration is Public and Nonprofit Management. Paul has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with honors from Ferris State University and College of Central Florida.
In addition to his work with the Fair Housing Center of Metro Detroit, Paul works part-time at Volunteers of America as a Case Monitor. Paul currently serves on the Michigan Foster Care Review Board and is an active mediator in Wayne County. During summers in college, Paul worked with Detroit Parent Network as an AmeriCorps VISTA working with families in public schools and BellXcel in Boston working with students in public schools. During college spring break(s) Paul traveled to Miami and Jacksonville, working with local churches and nonprofits completing community service projects. After receiving his undergraduate degree, Paul completed a year of service with AmeriCorps for 11 months completing service projects in five different states. Paul’s first assignment was in New York working with Hurricane Sandy victims as a disaster relief coordinator with the American Red Cross. After completing service projects for a year, Paul received a congressional award from US Congress for his hours of service. Paul then began to work in politics in Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Louisiana. Paul worked as a paid intern in the Office of Mayor Mike Duggan, two gubernatorial elections in Indiana and Michigan, two U.S. Senate elections in Michigan and Louisiana and one Presidential election in Ohio. Moving on from the busy political life, Paul returned to his hometown of Detroit and began working with youth and families with the State of Michigan and Covenant House of Michigan.
Michael
Sytsma
Michael Sytsma
Valued Board Member
President-West Michigan
Key Bank
Michael Sytsma is the KeyBank President of West Michigan. In his role, primary responsibilities include strategic direction for West Michigan, building and leading the West Michigan employee team, growth plans throughout West Michigan, philanthropic engagements, community investments and excellent client service. Sytsma’s banking experience includes commercial middle market, business banking, equipment finance, healthcare, real estate investment and tax credits.
Michael has a history of active community engagement, including current Board Chair of Priority Health, President-elect of Grand Rapids Rotary Club Foundation, Chair of Family Promise advisory board and co-founder & Board Chair of Christophe’s Children. Some other and past organizations to which Sytsma has actively participated include Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan (board member), Humane Society of Kent County (board member), DeColores of Grand Rapids (board member), Mel Trotter Ministries, Degage and Grand Rapids Mayor’s Sustainability Committee.
Michael graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. He has three children and lives in Grand Rapids with his wife, Kristen.
Sheriff Ray
Washington
Sheriff Raphael (Ray) Washington
Valued Board Member
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington’s primary duties are to uphold the constitutional laws of the county. The mandated county duties are the protection of the county parks, courts, and jails. He has nearly four decades of solid law enforcement and management experience. Prior to joining the Sheriff’s Office
in 2009, he worked for 24 years as a Detroit Police Officer. During his 24 years of service to the Detroit Police Department and the citizens of Detroit, he rose to the executive level in that agency. He’s a lifelong Detroit, Michigan, and Wayne County resident with an extensive law enforcement background. He’s
active within the community and serves on several community boards. He uses his knowledge and experience serving as the Director of Security for Greater Grace Temple and Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.
Sheriff Washington is a graduate of Cleary University – earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Management. He is also a graduate of Eastern Michigan University’s School of Police Staff and Command. Graduating from the National FBI Academy Session 248, Sheriff Washington has also earned an Executive Certificate at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School in State and Local Government. Sheriff Washington is also a member of the National Rifle Association and is MCOLES Certified. He has served as a firearms instructor for many years and is passionate about educating the community on gun safety. He holds numerous local and national certifications and seeks to earn many more. Sheriff Washington’s approach to instruction and his personal attention to his students has earned him numerous accolades from those who have attended his classes. As the top leader within the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Washington is committed to serving the citizens of Wayne County.