Your personal journey

...begins here.For more than 30 years, the Detroit Regional Chamber Leadership Detroit program has set the standard for excellence in leadership and has played an important role in addressing and leading solutions important to the Detroit region.

Leadership Detroit provides the foundation for a lifelong commitment to leadership by creating awareness of key issues that affect our region and challenges emerging and existing community leaders to bring about positive change in the community through informed leadership. As a member of class XXXV, you will not make this journey alone. Leaders from previous classes set out on a similar course. Their experience was shaped through a willingness to be open to new information and ideas. I am confident that class XXXV will emerge with the greater insight and skill to be ready to champion collaborative solutions to the challenges our region faces.

Yours in Leadership,

Dan PiepszowskiSenior DirectorCommunity Leadership Development

LD XXXIV has been a rewarding and insightful experience. Beyond getting to know my classmates as leaders and professionals, LD has reinforced my belief in Detroit now has the foundation in place and the momentum to continue its evolution and return to prominence as a major U.S. city.

Michael J. Rein, XXXIVUniversity of Michigan

I learned so much about our city and our region, visited some amazing places, and got to know so many great people. I am more motivated than ever to help keep moving our city forward.

Melissa Demorest, XXXIVDemorest Law First

Participating in Leadership Detroit expanded my knowledge and horizon of what the region has to offer. I discovered so many possibilities to develop my leadership skills in my professional journey and was inspired to increase my involvement in my community and the region.

Kesha Akridge, XXXIVPresbyterian Villages of Michigan detroitchamber.com/ld

Jeffrey Aronoff, Executive Director, Downtown Detroit Partnership (D:Hive)Jena Baker-Calloway, Director, MSU Detroit Center, Michigan State UniversitySarah Bannon, Chief Operations Officer, The Guidance CenterClarinda Barnett-Harrison, Regional Manager, Community Ventures, Michigan

Economic Development Corporation

Cornell Batie, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Detroit Jazz FestivalLaura Baucus, Member, DykemaMarc Bland, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, R. L. Polk & Co.Jason Bowens, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch

Kurt M. Brauer, Partner, Warner Norcross & Judd, LLPCharles Burke, Senior Director, Education, Detroit Symphony OrchestraNajahyia Chinchilla, Project Manager, Associate, GenslerRodney Cole, Regional Manager, Corporate and Government Affairs, DTE Energy

Richard Daly, Vice President, Development and Medical Education, Beaumont Health System

Graig Donnelly, Director, Detroit Revitalization Fellows Program, Wayne State University

Maria Fracassa Dwyer, Senior Attorney, Clark Hill PLCBonnie Fahoome, Director, Operations, InsYght, Digerati, Inc.

Rajeshri P. Gandhi, Owner and Lead Thinker, School Smarts, LLC.Rashida Goudeaux, Director, Workforce Development and Education, Focus: HOPEShirley Gray, Administrative Director, Clinical Support Services, Children’s Hospital

of MichiganKenyetta Hairston Bridges, Business Development Manager, Detroit Economic

Growth Corporation

Kelley Haladyna, Attorney and Member, Dickinson Wright, PLLCMelissa Hamann, CEO, American Promise Schools (New Urban Learning)Anne Harpe, Client and Community Relations Specialist, PNCLina Hourani-Harajli, Director, Business Operations, Arab Community Center for

Economic & Social Services (ACCESS)

L. Nichole Hunter, Managing Shareholder, The Allen Law Group, PCPatrick Irwin, Vice President, Human Resources, Henry Ford Hospital and Health

NetworkWendy Jackson, Senior Program Officer, The Kresge FoundationLaNeice Jones, Vice President, Programs, Neighborhood Service Organization

Jason Jurczyk, Director, Accounting, Detroit Regional ChamberScott Kowalski, Vice President, Corporate Banking, PNC Financial Services GroupJames Line, Director, Corporate Procurement, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MichiganMichael Lueck, Managing Director, Tax, KPMG, LLP

Timothy Mackay, Senior Vice President, Retail Banking, Level One BankMaria Mainville, Head of Communications, GM Foundation and Corporate

Relations, General MotorsMichael Marks, Senior Project Manager, Giffels WebsterBeth Marmarelli, Director, Communications and Marketing, University of

Michigan-Dearborn

Keiana McMichael, Manager, Field Mobility and Technology, Consumers EnergyDonell Miles, Market Leader and Vice President, Flagstar BankWilliam Milliken, Owner and Broker, Milliken Realty Co.Maurice G. Morton, CEO, Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences

La Forice Nealy, Regional CEO, American Red Cross Southeast Michigan RegionStephanie Nixon, Director, Contract Administration, Detroit Employment Solutions

CorporationLee Ann Odom, Administrator, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oakwood

Healthcare SystemTanya Paslawski, Director, Strategic Initiatives, ITC Holdings Corp.

Shani Penn, Chief of Staff to Kevyn Orr Office, City of DetroitTodd Piersol, Executive Vice President, Brown & Brown of DetroitBryan Powrozek, Engagement Executive, Clayton & McKervey, PCNorbert Promo, Deputy Executive Director, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Ambra Redrick, CEO, Teen HYPETimothy Richey, CEO, Detroit Police Athletic LeaguePeter Ruffner, Publisher, Omnigraphics, Inc.Maria Salinas, Executive Director, Congress of Communities

Karen V. Sanford, Vice President, Human Resources, Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit

Betsy Schulte, Director, Volunteer Services, Beaumont Health SystemsManish Senta, President, TekWissen, LLCAaron Seybert, Vice President, JPMorgan Chase

Denise Smith, Vice President, Early Childhood, Excellent Schools DetroitLeslie Smith, President and CEO, TechTownPhilip Spalding, Senior Vice President, Facilities Engineering Division, NTH

Consultants, Ltd.Annis N. Stubbs, Executive Director, Teach For America

Tosha Tabron, Vice President, Relationship Manager, JPMorgan ChaseCaen Thomason-Redus, Manager, Corporate Partnerships, Sphinx OrganizationBeckie Thompson, Director, Executive Communications and Press Secretary to

CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MichiganJoni Thrower-Grundy, Senior Attorney, Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, PLC

Dave Trader , Chief Security Officer, GalaxE.Solutions  Marc Vanderburg, Assoicate Vice President, Group Service, Health Alliance PlanMarisa Varga, Director, Marketing and Business Development, Barton Malow

CompanyJames Walker, Managing Director, KPMG, LLP

Jamie Westrick, Vice President, Local and National Productions, Detroit Public Television

Bobby Zhang, IT Director, Strategic Staffing Solutions 

An Introduction to Leadership Detroit Class XXXV

detroitchamber.com/ld