Advisory Board

Maggie Allesee, MA

Maggie Allesee is a civic and non-profit leader and one of Detroit's most honored and powerful women. She is a philanthropist and long-time supporter of various causes in the Detroit metro area. She is the recipient of many awards, including Michigan Humanitarian of the Year.

Rev. Marsha Foster Boyd, Ph.D.

Dr. Boyd received a B.A. from Tufts University and her Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominatonal Theological Center. She also earned a Ph.D. in Religion and The Personality Sciences from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. She has served as President of the Ecumenical Theological Seminary since 2006.

Hilene (Bonnie) Topper-Bricker RN, BSN, CHPN

Hilene (Bonnie) Topper-Bricker RN, BSN, CHPN, has practiced hospice and palliative care for the last 10 years. Ms. Topper-Bricker works not only with patients, but reassures, advocates for, and most importantly, listens to everyone affected by a challenging illness. Ms. Topper-Bricker practiced critical care nursing at Detroit Receiving Hospital. She has taken part in several research projects and has been nominated for many awards in her field of expertise. Additionally, Ms. Topper-Bricker was sent to Israel to act as a consultant for the Northern Galilee Home Hospice.

Nick Karmanos

Nick Karmanos joined the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in May 2000. He has successfully served the Institute in various fundraising capacities and is the Senior Vice President, of Institutional Relations. The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. It focuses solely on treating cancer - all types of cancer. As Michigan’s only cancer hospital, Karmanos is positioned to be among the nation’s top 10 comprehensive cancer centers. More than 6,000 new patients seek diagnosis and treatment annually. Karmanos cares for patients through 14 multidisciplinary teams, each focused on a specific form of cancer. The Institute also conducts more than 700 cancer-specific investigation programs and clinical trials yearly.

Lynn Fisher

Lynn Fisher is the Director of Foundation Grants and Planned Giving at Karmanos Cancer Institute. She secures funding from private and family foundations to support the priorities of the Institute. Ms. Fisher also manages the Karmanos planned giving program to encourage donors to consider giving through their estate and to participate in the Dr. Vee Legacy of Hope Society.

Ms. Fisher has twenty years of non-profit experience with fifteen years in fundraising working for Cranbrook Institute of Science, Cranbrook Educational Community, and Planned Parenthood of Southeast Michigan. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and has a degree in elementary education.

Steven Passon

Steve Passon has been involved with the business and academic community in the Detroit metropolitan area for forty years. He worked in the college and university community as an assistant professor of American History and political science for ten years and currently serves as an adjunct professor of history at Macomb Community College.

Mr. Passon supports undergraduate and graduate degrees in history, political science, and economics from the University of Minnesota with postgraduate work in the field of American History at the University of Michigan. In 1971, he was named as one of the outstanding college professors in the nation.

Mr. Passon served as a trade association executive vice president for fourteen years and was an independent businessman and owner of TeamSearch, Inc. for sixteen years, a placement firm specializing in engineering.

Renee Peck

Ms. Peck is currently the Director of Annual Giving in the Office of Philanthropy at Henry Ford Health System. She has been fundraising for the health system since 2004 and has served in other roles at Henry Ford since beginning her career there in 1998. She has an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from Western Michigan University and a Master's degree in Community Health from Wayne State University. Ms. Peck is also active with other professional and charitable organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit, Community Health Charities of Michigan, and the Michigan Association of Healthcare Philanthropy.

Wendy W. Powers

Ms. Powers serves on the board of the Jamison Williams Foundation, an organization that supports many arts projects and groups in southeast Michigan, including the DSO, MOT, Care House of Oakland County, and Junior League of Birmingham. She also served for over six years on the Behavioral Health Board of the Henry Ford Health System. Ms. Powers currently sits on the board of directors of the Clarke Powers Services, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio

Janice Steinhardt

Ms. Steinhardt has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a Masters degree from Oakland University. She owns MDG Designs, an award-winning kitchen and interior space planning company. She also volunteers her time on several boards that focus on art in the Detroit metro area.