Audrey Harvey is the executive director and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation. Harvey holds a juris doctor and a master's degree in taxation from Wayne State University. She has a master's degree in public health with a concentration in public health practice from the University of South Florida. Harvey is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, licensed to practice in Illinois. She is a certified public accountant and certified in public health.

As a fully licensed investment professional for thirty years with Morgan Stanley, Sean has achieved a great deal of success in business, family and the community by focusing on commitment and loyalty.

Sean is active with many local philanthropic institutions and has been a loyal activist in empowering the youth of Detroit, including being a Co-Founder of Racquet Up Detroit that serves the youth in Detroit in an after school educational and athletic program. Sean also serves on the Boards of The Parade Company, and was the 94th President of The Detroit Athletic Club in 2011.

Sean and his wife Christa are the proud parents of four young children and they reside in Bloomfield Village, Michigan. His personal activities are baseball, basketball, bowling, and coaching his children’s sports teams.

Maud Lyon has broad experience with arts, culture, and public space nonprofits. She was the founding director of CultureSource, Detroit’s first arts service organization serving a seven-county region; and later led the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. She deeply understands the role of arts and culture in civic life: how it brings people together, creates a sense of possibility and opportunity for individuals and communities, and establishes connections that are essential to vibrant civic engagement and sense of place. As a consultant, Maud led the formation of the Belle Isle Conservancy, a merger of four existing nonprofits. As the Executive Director of Detroit 300 (Detroit’s tricentennial in 2001), she used history to connect urban and suburban residents to the region’s future. Detroit 300 planned and built Campus Martius Park, an innovative public space that has won national awards and has contributed to revitalizing downtown Detroit.

After graduating from University of Michigan Law School, Diane spent her entire career as an attorney with Ford Motor Company. Diane served as Chief Tax Officer for the last dozen years, having global responsibility for Ford’s tax compliance, audits, litigation, and advocacy (including representation of Ford at hearings before the U.S, House Ways & Means Committee). Since retiring in 2018, Diane has enjoyed travel to Europe, Asia, and South America, and has continued her enthusiasm for birding, books, tai chi, and community service. Diane is married with two daughters and two granddaughters.

Jana Kirlin Brownell is an accomplished executive and community leader whose career spans healthcare, manufacturing, and lighting innovation. She began her career as a research chemist and global therapeutics product manager at Kendall Research and Baxter Healthcare before joining The Kirlin Company in 1986. Jana served as Kirlin’s President and CEO for over 25 years, leading major technological advances in high-performance lighting — including the award-winning LED medical procedural lighting system, INFRALED PRO, and the patented INFRALITE system. Now Chairman of the Board, she continues to guide the company’s strategic vision while remaining deeply engaged in the Detroit community. She presently serves on the boards of The Helm, Garden Club of Michigan, Tau Beta Association, Belle Isle Conservancy and is President of Mary Thompson Foundation. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Mount Holyoke College, Jana is a mentor to emerging leaders, a champion for sustainability, the arts, and a longtime beekeeper. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including her 2024 induction into the Michigan Lighting Hall of Fame.

Jehan Crump-Gibson is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC, a boutique law firm servicing clients throughout the state of Michigan and in federal courts nationwide. She concentrates her practice in probate and estate planning, business and real estate matters.

After earning bachelor degrees in Political Science and English from Michigan State University, Jehan obtained her Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School. She has been honored as one of Michigan Chronicle’s ‘Women of Excellence’ and named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a Leader in the Law.

Jehan is a legal analyst with Fox2 Detroit’s The Noon, a speaker and published author. She has also been featured in Forbes, Essence, and Black Enterprise. Jehan is a proud resident of Detroit who is passionate about community education.

A former CEO of a medical device start up and previously the Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff of Wayne State University. The first decades of her career, Dickson was a partner at a law firm, heading up the labor, employment and benefits practice group.

Dr. Shauna Diggs, a board-certified dermatologist and recipient of Hour Detroit Magazine’s Top Doc Award, founded Comedic Dermatology and created the advanced skin care line CosmedicDerm Professional Skin Care. In her state-of-the-art office, Dr. Diggs applies the latest technologies in laser and cosmetic dermatology to ensure her patients receive customized and comprehensive skin care including treating skin cancer, autoimmune diseases and dermatitis. Innovative and highly respected in her field, she was the first medical director of the Laser Treatment Center at the Detroit Medical Center. Dr. Diggs is a graduate of the accelerated, intensive Inteflex Program at the University of Michigan, and a state-wide elected official, serving on the UofM Board of Regents since 2012. She is active in the community and on the board of directors of many Detroit area non-profit organizations, including as chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation and chair emeritus of the Association of Governing Boards.

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 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Inforum. Meagan also serves on the Board of Directors for both the Belle Isle Conservancy and Michigan Black Business Alliance, as a Trustee with the Hudson-Webber Foundation, and as an Advisory Board member for The James H. Cole Legacy Foundation.

Meagan was recognized by the Detroit City Council through a Spirit of Detroit award in 2023. In 2024, she was named one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ 2024 Notable Black Business Leaders and Michigan Chronicle’s 2024 Standout Black Nonprofit Leaders in Southeastern Michigan. Meagan is a member of the International Women’s Forum, Michigan Chapter and was recently recognized as a notable professional with Who’s Who in Black Detroit. To learn more about Covenant House Michigan, visit covenanthousemi.org.

Hal serves as the Senior Manager, Corporate Grantmaking at General Motors where he oversees GM’s philanthropic giving and grantmaking operations. He leads a team of portfolio managers who steward GM’s generosity by working with hundreds of nonprofit organizations to improve the communities where GM operates. Prior to joining GM in 2016, Hal was the Annual Fund Manager at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, OH. He has spent his entire career in philanthropy, having also held positions at the Cleveland Foundation and Citizens Bank Foundation.

Hal earned a Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership (MNAL) as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies both from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Carol A. Goss was a 2014 fellow in the Advanced Leadership Initiative program at Harvard University. Prior to joining Harvard, Goss served as president & CEO of The Skillman Foundation, a private independent foundation whose mission is to improve the lives of children in metropolitan Detroit by strengthening their schools and neighborhoods. She is currently working to improve the lives of our most vulnerable women and children through a project named, Warrior Women Against Poverty, a coalition of African American women working to change lives one woman one step at a time.

Involved in philanthropy for the past 20 years, Goss joined The Skillman Foundation in March 1998 as a senior program officer. She was named President & CEO of the Foundation in 2004. She retired in December 2013. She has also worked as a program officer at the Stuart Foundation in San Francisco and as program director at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich. Goss was named the 2007 James A. Joseph Lecturer by the Association of Black Foundation Executives. Crain’s Detroit Business cited her as one of Southeast Michigan’s Most Influential Women, an honor that the respected weekly bestows every five years to the region’s most dynamic and powerful women.

Goss' professional career also includes nearly 20 years' experience in child welfare, family services and youth development in Detroit and Oakland, Ca. A native Detroiter, Goss has a BA in sociology and an MSW from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She retired from The Skillman Foundation at the end of 2013.

In 2011, Goss won City Year Detroit's "Idealist in Action" award and Olivet College's Leadership in Individual and Social Responsibility Award. The Detroit News named Goss a 2010 Michiganian of the Year, and in 2009, Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families honored her with the 2009 Fred Rogers Leadership Award. In 2008, Goss was selected as the Eleanor Josaitis "Unsung Hero" recipient as part of the Shining Light Awards. The Shining Light Awards, launched in 2007 and sponsored by the Detroit Free Press and Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, "honor individuals who are making important contributions to regional cooperation, progress and understanding in metropolitan Detroit."

While running The Skillman Foundation, Goss was active with numerous nonprofits and philanthropy organizations. She has served on the boards of City Connect Detroit, the Council of Michigan Foundations, the Council on Foundations, the Education Achievement Authority, Living Cities, New Detroit Inc., the University of Michigan Alumni Association, and the Youth Development Commission. She is currently a member of the board of directors of the Safe Routes to Schools the National Partnership, BoardSource, GreenLight Fund, Diploma Equity Project, and Planned Parenthood of Michigan.

Joya Harris is an award-winning marketing and strategy executive with 30 years of leadership experience driving growth, culture transformation, and impactful brand strategy for Fortune 500 companies. She is the Founder & CEO of Joyability, Inc., a boutique marketing consultancy, and serves as Executive Vice President, Market Strategy for her family’s multi-million-dollar Vicksburg Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM dealership.

Joya previously held executive roles at leading global agencies including Publicis and Dentsu, managing major automotive, multicultural, and retail accounts. She retired from DCI Marketing, a Berkshire Hathaway company, as Vice President of Strategy & Creative, where she guided North American strategy across automotive, beauty, and technology sectors. Her career also includes leading GM Certified Service at Leo Burnett and establishing GM’s multicultural strategy at Carat, delivering measurable sales impact. At Carlson Marketing, she drove 180% business growth and led several iconic vehicle launches.

Joya holds degrees from Howard University and the University of Illinois and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

A native Detroiter who spent many hours growing up on Belle Isle, Robin is committed to a stronger Belle Isle. A member of one of the four founding organizations of the Belle Isle Conservancy, she chairs the Daffodils4Detroit project that has planted nearly 1 million bulbs on Belle Isle alone and co-chairs the annual Garden Party on Belle Isle fundraiser hosting hundreds each year to enjoy a simple cocktail party in support of the Conservatory. Robin also is President of the Detroit Yacht Club Foundation dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the over 100 year old clubhouse which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Her hope is to have her picture taken again (decades later) sitting in the crescent moon statue, last standing in the Children's Zoo on the island.

Evette Hollins is vice president of Customer & Community Engagement for DTE Energy. She leads a diverse portfolio spanning customer billing and financial operations, community engagement, corporate citizenship, and the DTE Energy Foundation.

In this role, Hollins steers the company’s community-facing work. She leads teams responsible for the company’s customer outreach and community engagement strategies, advances high impact community transformation efforts, employee volunteerism, and philanthropic support through the DTE Energy Foundation, which provides more than $14 million in annual grant support.

Beyond her external engagement responsibilities, Hollins oversees all aspects of customer billing and financial operations, balancing revenue stewardship with customer well-being by modernizing billing and payment practices while connecting vulnerable customers to more than $125 million in energy assistance annually. Hollins joined DTE in 2015 and has since held multiple roles dedicated to enhancing the customer experience. Her background spans across the telecommunications, financial services, and economic development sectors. Hollins holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. She currently sits on the board of the Belle Isle Conservancy and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

As the youngest executive to be named a corporate officer at DTE, Hollins has been recognized by Crain’s Detroit “20 in their 20’s” and “40 Under 40,” as well as Michigan Chronicle’s “Woman of Excellence” and “40 Under 40.”

Kristen Kosick is the Chief of Michigan State Parks. She joined the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in June 2025 to lead the Parks and Recreation Division, a dedicated team of 700 full-time employees and 1300 summer park workers that welcome 38 million visitors annually. The division operates 103 state park and recreation areas, more than 13,000 miles of state-designated trails, state forest campgrounds, and the state waterways program which includes 1200 public boating access sites and 19 state harbors. Prior to leading Michigan State Parks, Kristen spent 15 years working for the National Park Service in a variety of program and leadership roles at Yosemite, Kenai Fjords, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and most recently served as the Chief of Staff in Yellowstone National Park. She is originally from southwest Michigan and loves spending time outdoors.

Life long Detroiter. Graduated Valparaiso University BS in Accounting. Past position, President Flame Heating Cooling and Electrical.

Selected by his peers for listing in The Best Lawyers in America, Nachman was a shareholder, practicing real property law based in Butzel Long’s Bloomfield Hills office. He received his B.A. in 1960 from the University of Michigan and his J.D. in 1963 from The University of Michigan Law School. He has been a frequent lecturer at Institute of Continuing Legal Education seminars and has lectured at Michigan State Bar Real Property Law Section Homeward Bound Seminars.

Mr. Nachman is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, a member of the Real Property Law Section and Committees on Mortgage Financing and Commercial Leasing of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association.

Mr. Nachman holds a long and impressive record of volunteerism and leadership in the community. Currently he serves on the boards of the Jewish Federation and United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit, and Adat Shalom Synagogue. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of United Way, Hillel Day School, and Hospice of Michigan. A former president of Federation’s Junior Division (now the Young Adult Division- “Next Gen”), he is the recipient of the 1969 William H. Boesky Award for Outstanding Leadership, the 1972 Frank A. Wetsman Leadership Award, as well as the 2017 Fred M Butzel Award for Distinguished Communal Service. An ardent supporter of Tamarack Camps, Nachman is a past president of the Fresh Air Society (1980-83). A member of Federation’s Board of Governors since 1969, and on the Executive Committee since 1988, Nachman has held numerous leadership positions with Federation, including chair of the Planning and Allocations Committee. Nachman has also played an active role in the community’s missions to Israel, serving as chair of Federation’s Teen Missions (1988 and 2000) and as a bus captain on Federation’s first Michigan Miracle Mission to Israel in 1993.

Mr. Nachman is the founder and past president of Cabaret 313 in Detroit. He is a member of the Boards of the Detroit Opera, the Belle Isle Conservancy, a governing member of the Detroit Symphony, and the founder of Brandeis AZA in Detroit.

Mr. Nachman is a resident of Bloomfield Hills with his wife, Joy. They are the proud parents of children Elanah and David.

George M. Roberts is the co-founder and managing principal of Civic Companies, a place-based real estate development firm creating mixed-use, community-oriented projects across Detroit. His current work includes transforming a historic glove factory into post-COVID office space, building attainably priced townhomes on a former Gilded Age estate, delivering sustainable multifamily housing near Downtown, and leading the redevelopment of a two-block district on Woodward Avenue in Midtown.

George began his career at Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, working closely with Dan Biederman on nationally recognized park-centered projects, and later guided public space and placemaking strategy for the Rock Family of Companies, helping elevate Campus Martius Park, Cadillac Square, and Capitol Park into civic assets that drive economic value.

He is also deeply involved in nonprofit leadership, serving on the boards of Jewish Federation of Detroit, The Jewish Fund, Mezuza, Michigan Hillel, and the Belle Isle Conservancy, and co-chairing the capital redevelopment of the Downtown Synagogue, Detroit’s only active synagogue building.

Todd Sachse is the CEO of Sachse Construction. Todd formed Sachse Construction in 1991 on the foundation of a systematic approach to project management, and the principles of doing the right thing and pursuing excellence by constantly raising the bar. Over the past 30+ years, he has developed a loyal clientele of high-end customers who require detailed expertise in design and construction. As a result, Todd has driven Sachse Construction to successfully complete millions of square feet of commercial, institutional, multifamily, and industrial projects throughout all 50 States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Todd’s role is to lead and develop the company’s overall strategy and vision. Todd has built a strong senior leadership team that specializes in all aspects of commercial construction.

Additionally, Todd is a hands-on leader whose objective is to create long-lasting relationships with clients. He takes pride in making himself accessible to clients, architects, and all members of the project team.

Andrew Stein joined The Children’s Foundation as President & CEO in January 2023.

The Foundation connects generosity with community needs, strengthening the health, well-being, and opportunity of Michigan’s children—today, and for generations to come. By growing its own endowment, supporting nonprofits in building their own endowments, and providing donors with tailored philanthropic services, the Foundation is creating meaningful, long-term impact.

For Andrew, joining the Foundation was both a professional opportunity and a personal mission. He is motivated by the Foundation’s work to create a Michigan where every child can thrive. What excites him most is the Foundation’s role in bringing people together—donors, partners, and communities—to build a future of lasting support for children and families across our state.

Under Andrew’s leadership, the Foundation launched and continues to advance innovative projects like the Michigan Central Station Children’s Endowment Initiative, created alongside the opening of Michigan Central, in partnership with Bill and Lisa Ford. This community-led effort supports 11 youth-serving organizations in building their own endowments.

Kids have been at the center of everything Andrew has done professionally. For 14 years, he was a part of City Year, serving in a variety of leadership positions. Beginning as an AmeriCorps Member working full-time in Washington, DC Public Schools, Andrew eventually became the Executive Director of City Year Detroit, where he more than doubled the size of the organization, increasing the number of students served every day from 2,500 to 7,000.

Andrew is an alumnus of Detroit Country Day School, Michigan State University, and Georgetown Law School. He lives in Detroit with his wife and three children. He is active in the community, currently serving as a board member for Belle Isle Conservancy, and numerous other coalitions and committees focused on children, community service, education, and workforce development. He was the recipient of the Detroit Young Professionals Vanguard award and Leadership Detroit Class XXXVIII, as well as recognized as one of Crain’s Notable Leaders in Philanthropy.

Ryan Sullivan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. The Conservancy serves as the perpetual steward of the Detroit Riverfront public spaces, which include the Riverwalk and three associated greenways.

Sullivan is also the Chief Executive Officer of Watershed Horizons, a company that he founded to pursue opportunities in energy, infrastructure, and natural resources along the Great Lakes watershed.

Before joining the Conservancy in May 2024, Sullivan was recruited out of Michigan State University in 2006 to do investment banking in New York City.

Sullivan joined Rock Ventures LLC in 2010, helping to build Dan Gilbert’s gambling operations in Ohio. In 2016, Gilbert was made Chief Executive Officer of Xenith LLC, a growth-phase football helmet maker within the Rock portfolio of companies.

Sullivan is passionate about economics and helping businesses grow. He is also interested in helping foster communities and helping people grow and develop.

JJ Vélez (he/him) is the Director of Public Spaces at the Gilbert Family Foundation. He previously served as Deputy Director of the City of Detroit’s Parks & Recreation Department, appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan, and before that as Assistant Director of Special and Summer Programs at the Cranbrook Educational Community. JJ focuses on advancing economic opportunity for all Detroiters by strengthening social resilience and creating, developing, and supporting inclusive environments, from parks and greenspaces to boardrooms and classrooms, and across neighborhoods throughout the city.

Matthew Walters is the Owner and CEO of Walters Group, a commercial real estate development firm specializing in development, asset management, and consulting across the State of Michigan with its office in Detroit, MI. Since founding the company in 2020, he has led and represented numerous multi-million-dollar projects in the multifamily, industrial, and hospitality sectors.

Previously, Walters served as Deputy Group Executive for the Jobs and Economy Team in the Detroit Mayoral Office, overseeing mixed-use real estate development citywide.

Outside of work, Matt spends his time with his wife and three young children. As a family, they stay active outdoors skiing, playing tennis and swimming.

Bloomfield Hills, MI. In the process of completing course work in landscape design, Sarah Earley realized that her adopted hometown of Detroit, Mi held one of the unpolished gems of Frederick Law Olmsted's portfolio of urban parks. Having been born in Boston, lived in cities across the U.S., including New York, she was quite familiar with his body of work. Concerned that too few Detroiters recognized the historic and cultural significance of Olmsted's only "island" park in the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, in 2004 she founded the Belle Isle Women's Committee. That organization raised funds on a project basis to help restore and preserve Belle Isle. She mobilized influential women across Southeast Michigan to raise awareness of the need to preserve this gem.

In 2009, Sarah garnered support from the Kresge Foundation to begin the process of merging four existing non-profits, all of whose focus was Belle Isle, into a Conservancy for the park. Beginning with benchmarking other national park conservancies, through a User Survey conducted by the Project for Public Spaces and a merger process facilitated by the Michigan Nonprofit Association, the merger was concluded in January of 2012. After 10 years as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Belle Isle Conservancy, Sarah “retired” from the Board and now serves as Chair of the Conservancy’s Comprehensive Campaign.

Sarah also serves on the boards of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Michigan Women Forward, (where she chairs the Trusteeship Committee and the Development Committee) and the International Women’s Forum Michigan chapter. In addition, Sarah serves as Tri Chair of “Ring Out, Ring True” the campaign at Saint Mary’s College. She has also served as Trustee for the City Parks Alliance;

Saint Mary’s College Board of Trustees; and past President of the Alumnae Association at Saint Mary’s College.

She has a BA from Saint Mary's College, an MBA from San Diego State University and a Certificate in Landscape Design from Oakland Community College.

Sarah enjoys being with her four sons, her daughters in law, and 10 grandchildren.