• What is the Commission and when do they meet? The Commission consists of 25 members appointed by the Governor. The voting members of the Commission elect one of the members to serve as chairperson of the Commission. Members serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties as members of the Commission.
Daniel G. Mulhern Chair
Appointed to serve as chair of the MCSC, First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern is a champion for the cause of state volunteerism and community service. He is also a tireless advocate for kids. In addition to caring for their own three children, the Governor and First Gentleman have undertaken an enormous effort called Mentor Michigan that works to insure that all of Michigan's children have the same opportunity to be influenced and taught by a caring adult.
Mr. Mulhern also authors Reading for Leading, a weekly e-column that stimulates the thought and development of leaders throughout the country. Each week, he shares his personal experiences as he writes about real people as leaders and explores both successful strategies and various misconceptions he's observed in leadership practice. The column is offered free of charge to anyone with an interest in leadership. Click here for more information.
Breannah Alexander Student
Breannah R. Alexander is a student at Grand Valley State University and is majoring in Public and Nonprofit Administration. She currently serves as a member of the Michigan Community Foundations' Youth Project as well as a Michigan LEAGUE board member. Ms. Alexander remains an active member of the Saginaw Community Foundations' Youth Advisory Council and Student Government. She has been an MCSC member since 2007.
Vernice Davis Anthony Greater Detroit Area Health Council
Vernice Davis Anthony is the president and CEO of the Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC). Before joining the Health Council, Anthony was the senior vice president of Corporate Affairs and Community Health at St. John Health System where she provided the vision and leadership for a model process for integrated community involvement and programming and established a collaboration model for Detroit's leading health care systems. She also led advocacy efforts and built strong and solid partnerships with civic, business, legislative and grassroots constituencies that focused on improving health care access and quality. Anthony has served as the director of the Michigan Department of Public Health and serves on several boards and committees including the Michigan Women's Foundation, Joint Commission Business Advisory Group, the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors, Focus: Hope, Michigan Health Insurance Access Board and New Detroit and Molina Healthcare of Michigan. Anthony is the Past President of the Detroit Wayne County Airport Authority and the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees and is Governor Emeritus of the Wayne State University Board of Governors. She has been an MCSC member since 2009.
Karen Betley Senior Services, Inc.
Karen Betley has served as the Director of the Kalamazoo County Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs at Senior Services, Inc. since 1997. She is a member of the Michigan Association of Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs (MAFG/SCP) and has served as the President of that organization since January 2006. She currently sits on the RSVP Advisory Council and the Older Michiganian's Day 2009 Steering Committee, and served for several years on the Kalamazoo Association of Volunteer Administrators (KAVA). Innovative in addressing community needs, Ms. Betley designed and facilitated an intergenerational curriculum for fifth graders and older adults, collaborated on a program to utilize older adults as "communication buddies" for aphasic individuals, and initiated a Mentoring Program in the KPS Alternative Middle School. Ms. Betley is a lifelong volunteer and has assumed leadership roles in health, education, and aging organizations. She has been an MCSC member since 2009.
Carolyn Bloodworth CMS Energy
Carolyn Bloodworth is a 27-year employee of Consumers Energy and currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation and the CMS Energy Foundation. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the foundations, Carolyn is also Director of Corporate Giving for CMS Energy and Consumers Energy. Her responsibilities involve corporate charitable contribution activities, administration of the corporation's dues and memberships and coordination of various community relations activities, including volunteer promotion and recognition. Carolyn is on the board of directors of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Jackson County and The LEAGUE Michigan, a program of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. She serves on the board of regents for Baker College-Jackson and is a member of the United Way of Jackson County's Full Circle Steering Committee. She has served as a director of the Michigan Nonprofit Association, ConnectMichigan Alliance, WKAR's Community Advisory Board, Junior Achievement of the Michigan Edge, Jackson County's Promise to Youth Alliance and the Jackson Nonprofit Support Center. She has been an MCSC member since 2008.
Elizabeth Bunn Secretary-Treasurer of the UAW
Elizabeth Bunn was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the UAW at the UAW's 33rd Constitutional Convention held in June 2002, the highest post held by a woman in UAW history. As Secretary-Treasurer, Bunn is the chief financial officer of the UAW and directs various administrative departments including Accounting, Auditing, Building Maintenance, Circulation, Purchasing and Strike Assistance. She has been a MCSC member since 2003.
Antoine Campbell Heart of West Michigan United Way
Antoine (Tony) Campbell is the Vice President, Community Investment, at the Heart of West Michigan United Way. He is responsible for allocating more than $6 million to 53 agencies throughout the Grand Rapids area and for developing research based initiatives around literacy and early childhood. He currently serves as the Associate Pastor for Messiah Missionary Baptist Church. He previously served as the Executive Director for Community Mobilization for America's Promise while Colin Powell was the Chair. He has been an MCSC member since 2007.
Robert Collier Council of Michigan Foundations
President and CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations, Mr. Collier has been an MCSC member since 2000. He serves on numerous boards including the Michigan Nonprofit Association, Michigan Association of United Ways, and Michigan Municipal League. His career in philanthropy includes service as a program officer with the C.S. Mott Foundation, grants director for the Gannett Foundation, executive director of Rotary Charities of Traverse City, and founding director of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.
Jimmie E. Comer President, Comer Holdings LLC
Comer Holdings is a minority business owned by Jimmie Comer. He was the former president of North American Joint Ventures and Diversity for Lear Corporation when he retired from Lear in 2006. Mr. Comer joined Lear in 1987 as director of Quality and has held positions as vice president and president of several divisions within Lear. Prior to joining Lear, he was employed by Mazda Motor Corporation and also held various quality-related positions during a career with General Motors Corporation. He has been a MCSC member since November 2003.
Michael Hill Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District
Michael Hill is the Superintendent for the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District. Throughout his 21-year professional career, he has held various positions within the education field. He currently volunteers as a youth coach in football, baseball, softball and basketball. He is President of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Northwest Lower Michigan and Chairman of Leadership Grand Traverse for the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. He is also co-chair of the five county Traverse Bay Area Poverty Reduction Initiative. In 2005, Mike led an initiative in the Traverse City area to secure a grant of over one half million dollars to construct and operate a Youth Health and Wellness Center. This health center currently serves students ages 10-21 who may not have access to affordable, quality health care. Mr. Hill has served on the MCSC as State Superintendent Michael Flanagan's representative since 2009.
Jason Hoskins Graduate Student, Eastern Michigan University
Jason Hoskins is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. in Political Science. He will be pursuing his Master in Public Administration with a concentration on non-profit management at Eastern in the fall of 2008. Jason was a volunteer at the AIDS Partnership MI in Detroit. He has also worked in Eastern Michigan University's Welfare Rights Office as well as served as an intern in the Office of Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. He has been an MCSC member since 2008.
Lloyd Jackson WJR Radio
Lloyd Jackson describes himself as "just a regular guy", but most people would probably disagree. This ambitious, broadcast journalist attained his personal goal of employment with WJR News long before he expected it to happen. Lloyd has covered Nelson Mandela's visit to Detroit, ridden with the police department on raids and even been shot at by a barricaded gunman!
Jackson, who began his career at WJR in 1993 as the city/county beat reporter, is now assistant news director. Lloyd has won numerous awards while at WJR, including honors from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists. He is also the host of many special interest shows on WJR, such as "Ask the Mayor", "Ask the Governor" and "Ask the Chief". He has been an MCSC member since 2007.
Lori Jewell State Farm Insurance Companies
Lori currently manages Community Relations for State FarmŽ in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. She oversees philanthropic giving for the above mentioned states that make up our Great Lakes Zone. Lori has been a member of the Michigan Business Leaders for Education Excellence (MBLEE) working group since 2001. She currently serves as Co-Chair for the MBLEE group. The Michigan Business Leaders for Education Excellence program is an initiative which represents a collaborative effort between the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Business Roundtable, and additional partners such as the Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Foundation for Education Leadership, State Board of Education and other K-12 representatives. She has been an MCSC member since 2007.
Christine Kwak W.K. Kellogg Foundation
A program director at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and an MCSC member since 2000, Ms. Kwak is the co-founder/co-chair of the Council on Foundations affinity group, Grantmaker Forum on Community and National Service, and serves on various national committees in the nonprofit sector.
Janet Lawson Ford Volunteer Corps
Janet Lawson is currently in the Office of the Chief of Staff, Ford Motor Company and Director of the Ford Volunteer Corps. Prior to this position, Janet served as the Executive Director of the Michigan Community Service Commission. Ms. Lawson brings to Ford Motor Company a 20-year history of collaborative leadership in the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Ms. Lawson served as the National Director of the UAW-Ford Family Service and Learning Centers sponsored by United Auto Workers, Ford Motor Company, and Visteon. Ms. Lawson has also served as the Manager of the Volunteer Leadership Coalition under former Governor George Romney, Harold A. "Red" Poling, Doug Fraser and the Honorable Anna Diggs Taylor. Janet has also worked at United Way Community Services as the Manager of Detroit's Promise and the Director of Volunteer Services. She has been an MCSC member since 2006.
Joseph Lubig Northern Michigan University
Dr. Joe Lubig is a teacher educator at Northern Michigan University. His focus is on adolescent literacy and civic education. Prior to his position at NMU he worked as a public school teacher for 13 years for the Marquette Area Public Schools (MAPS). Dr. Lubig is a member of several professional organizations including Phi Delta Kappa, Michigan Council for the Social Studies, the International Reading Association, and the Michigan Reading Association. He has been an MCSC member since 2007.
• Kathleen Maiser Retired Teacher
Kathleen Maisner was a public school teacher in Michigan for 38 years. She retired in June 2008 from Farmington Public Schools after teaching middle school and high school English. While with Farmington Public Schools Kathleen instituted and coordinated a Service-Learning program for grades 9th through 12th grade, with approximately 800 students participating every year. Through the Service-Learning program, Humanitarian Club, and Human Resources class she created, she worked with hundreds of student volunteers and many philanthropic organizations. She was the Oakland County Teacher of the Year in 2008 and Farmington-Farmington Hills Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2008. She has been an MCSC member since 2009.
Dr. Russell G. Mawby W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Appointed to the commission on September 13, 2000, Dr. Mawby served as chair until May, 2003. Dr. Mawby is chair emeritus and trustee of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Mawby served as a program officer, vice president, CEO and chair of the Foundation during his 36-year tenure. A former professor at Michigan State University, he later served as a member of MSU Board of Trustees, which he chaired in 1995. Mawby was appointed to the Lieutenant Governor's Children's Commission from 1995 to 1996 and the State Officers Compensation Commission from 1996 to 1998. While serving as CEO and chair of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Mawby was instrumental in convening a series of meetings leading to the formation of the MCSC.
Donna Niester Acheson Ventures
Donna Niester is Director of the James C. Acheson Foundation and Chief Financial Office for Acheson Ventures, L.L.C. She is a principal in Austin, Niester, Beauchamp & Finnegan, P.C., CPA Firm. Ms. Niester is a member of the Council of Michigan Foundations, Association of Small Foundations, and the National Council on Foundations. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, Port Huron Hospital and the Blue Water Health Services. Ms. Niester has been an MCSC member since 2005.
Bernard Parker Wayne County Commissioner
Bernard Parker has dedicated his life to community and public service. He was a co-founder of Operation Get Down (OGD) in 1971. As a community leader, he has provided direct services and programs for the homeless. He also served as executive-on-loan to the Detroit Public Schools and as Deputy CEO of Community Responsibility. He was elected as Wayne County Commissioner for the eastside District 2 in 1991. Bernard also sits on numerous boards of Directors including New Detroit, NAACP, Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking, St. John Hospital, The Wellness Plan and Southeastern Village. He has been a MCSC member since November 2003.
Jerry L. Seese Saginaw Township Community Schools
Superintendent of Saginaw Township Community Schools since 1999 and an MCSC member since 2002, Mr. Seese has held various positions in the field of education for 41 years. He is active in many organizations, including America's Promise, Saginaw County Steering Committee; Vision 2020, Saginaw County; Junior Achievement Board of Directors; Saginaw Rotary Club, Business Education Partnership; United Way Board of Directors; Bridge for Racial Harmany Board of Directors, Saginaw County; and many other business and educational organizations.
Marsha Smith Rotary Charities of Traverse City
Marsha Smith has served as the Executive Director of Rotary Charities of Traverse City since 1997. She served as the Executive Director of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation from 1993-1997. Prior to that she served several institutions as a development officer including Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Grand Traverse Health Care Foundation, Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital and the Women's Resource Center of Traverse City. Ms. Smith has a wide range of community interests and has held a variety of leadership roles in environmental, growth management, cultural, educational, and health organizations. She has been an active community volunteer in environmental and growth management efforts, serving on the Grand Traverse Planning Commission for 9 years. Ms. Smith has been an MCSC member since 2005.
Joseph Sowmick Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
Joseph V. Sowmick is the Public Relations Director of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. Mr. Sowmick is a graduate of Lansing Community College and Michigan State University with an extensive background in media. An award-winning Native photojournalist, Mr. Sowmick currently serves on the Lansing Community College Foundation Board, the Central Michigan Community Hospital Board of Directors, the President's Advisory Council of Central Michigan University, and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Health Board of Directors. Mr. Sowmick is an enrolled member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and lives on the reservation with his wife and daughter. Mr. Sowmick has been an MCSC member since 2005. In 2008, he received an honorary doctor of public service degree from Central Michigan University.
Alphonso Swain Capital Area Center for Independent Living
Associate Director at the Capital Area Center for Independent Living and an MCSC member since 2001, Mr. Swain is president of the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition and serves on the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns and the Capital Area Transit Authority Local Advisory Council.
Larry Williamson Comcast Cable
Larry Williamson is Area Vice President for Comcast's Grand Rapids-based management team. He has responsibility for the company's operations in 200 central and western Michigan communities, including Grand Rapids, Lansing, Jackson, Muskegon, Holland, Battle Creek and Adrian. He currently participates in the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce's CEO Roundtable program and serves on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Cable Telecommunications Association. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mr. Williamson was active in the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, where he was a member of the executive committee and chaired the government and community affairs division. He also served on the board of the Northeast Indiana Corporate Council, Junior Achievement, the Three Rivers Literacy Alliance and the Better Business Bureau. Mr. Williamson has been an MCSC member since 2005.
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Breannah Alexander
Vernice Davis Anthony
Karen Betley
Carolyn Bloodworth
Elizabeth Bunn
Antoine Campbell
Robert Collier
Jimmie E. Comer
Michael Hill
Jason Hoskins
Lloyd Jackson
Lori Jewell
Christine Kwak
Janet Lawson
Joseph Lubig
Dr. Russell G. Mawby
Donna Niester
Bernard Parker
Jerry L. Seese
Marsha Smith
Joseph Sowmick
Larry Williamson
