Sheila Sky Kasselman - Founder

Sheila Sky Kasselman, CLU, is the founder of Sky Foundation, Inc. A three-year survivor of pancreatic cancer, she is committed to raising awareness and funding research to find an early detection test for pancreatic cancer.

Ms. Kasselman owned Sky Financial Services, LLC in Bloomfield Hills, MI where she advised individuals, companies, and non-profit agencies on insurance matters, employee benefits, retirement planning, and charitable giving. Prior to owning her own company, Ms. Kasselman was an agent with AXA/Equitable Insurance company. She has a B.S. degree from Penn State University and is a Chartered Life Underwriter.

Ms. Kasselman has been an active community volunteer in Metro Detroit. She has chaired countless fundraising events for arts agencies and crisis centers.

David J. Weir - Board President

Mr. Weir is a lifelong Detroit area resident and has worked for General Motors in sales and marketing for more than 20 years. He is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Detroit.

Mr. Weir is a dedicated volunteer and has devoted many years to organizations such as Henry Ford Hospital, the Human Rights Campaign and The Palmer Fund. At The Palmer Fund, Mr. Weir served on the board of directors for 15 years and is the past president. The Palmer Fund was a non-profit, community-based organization that raised funds for many groups in southeast Michigan providing AIDS education, awareness, and support until it merged with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

Gerry Barrons - Board Vice President

Gerry Barrons has 30 years of experience that crosses all sectors -- business, education, nonprofit organizations and government. Barrons has extensive experience as a nonprofit administrator and consultant as well as volunteer leader. For eleven years, Ms. Barrons was the executive director of the Women's Economic Club (now Inforum), leading the organization through its first strategic planning process, developing a diverse and inclusive leadership team and working with volunteers to create a more dynamic array of programs and services.

As a community leader, Ms. Barrons helped establish and foster some of Michigan's most influential organizations -- as the founding president of the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, founding board of the Sojourner Foundation and as an officer of the National Organization for Women.

In her current role as consultant, Ms. Barrons has helped nonprofit organizations to build sustainability through clarifying organizational vision, creating operational and strategic plans, delineating board and staff responsibilities for organizations.

William H. Powers, Jr., ChFC - Board Treasurer

Mr. Powers is the founder and President of Powers Financial Resources, LLC in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He has been in the financial services business for over 25 years.

Mr. Powers has raised funds for several organizations, including the Oakland University Foundation and the Jimmie Heuga Center. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Bloomfield Hills Youth Soccer League and serves as a financial consultant to the Jamison Williams Foundation and The Mental Health Association in Michigan.

Niki Gallaudet- Board Recording Secretary
Ms. Gallaudet is on the ChildHelp State Advisory Board and was on their Board of Directors for five years. She was Tournament Director of the Virginia Slims of Detroit event in 1981 and was active in the Junior League of Birmingham and served on their Board of Directors.

Carla J. Groh, Ph.D, PMNHP-BC- Board Correspondence Secretary

Carla Groh is a professor at the College of Health Professions, Women and Gender Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy. Her primary teaching responsibility is graduate research. In addition to teaching, she has conducted a number of research studies focusing almost exclusively on depression in women. Her clinical practice as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner focuses on women who are experiencing a myriad of problems, ranging from housing instability, food insecurity, no income, medical health issues, and co-morbid mental disorders. She practices at Mercy Primary Care Center which is a primary care clinic for the uninsured on the east side of Detroit.

Ms. Groh was a nurse practitioner at McAuley Health Center and a clinical nurse specialist at Holy Cross Hospital. She is a board member for Freedom House, a temporary home for survivors of persecution from around the world seeking legal shelter in the United States and Canada.

Lucy R. Benham - Board Member

Lucy R. Benham is an attorney and owns Lucy R. Benham PLLC in Royal Oak, MI. She practices in the areas of business law, corporate law, real estate and construction law, and estate planning. Ms. Benham also is an adjunct assistant professor at Walsh College teaching Legal Issues in Management in the master's of business administration program.

Ms. Benham is a member and a Past President of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Greater Detroit Chapter. She also served as co-chair of the 2001 National Annual Meeting that was held in Detroit. Ms. Benham is a member of Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. ("WIPP"), a national bipartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business and the legislative process.

Ms. Benham is a founding member and served as President of the Board of Directors of Forgotten Harvest, Inc., a Michigan nonprofit corporation. Ms. Benham has served on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit and is a graduate of Leadership Detroit XIX.

Edwina Davis, MSW. - Board Member

Edwina Davis, MSW, is a community activist, volunteer and social services leader. A graduate of Wayne State University with a master's degree in social work, Ms. Davis has committed her life's work to improving the lives of others. Most recently, she has worked in Uganda and Ghana as a reproductive health educator under the auspices of the American Jewish World Service.

Ms. Davis also has worked as executive director of the Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition, director of volunteer services for Planned Parenthood of Detroit. She also has worked at Jewish Vocational Services as the director of the Jewish Educational Loan Fund.

Ms. Davis also worked as assistant to the late Detroit City Council President Maryann Mahaffey.

Judy McClelland - Board Member
Ms. McClelland was a Birmingham/Bloomfield/Oakland County, MI realtor with SKB Sotheby from 1973 until she retired in 2008.

Her interest and devotion to this community developed as a young homemaker when she began volunteering with the Junior League of Birmingham. Ms. McClelland taught in the Pontiac Schools' Music in the Schools program and served on its Board of Directors. For several years, she also taught in the Head Start Program while serving on the Community Services Committee at the Village Club.

 

Kate Stocker - Board Member

Kate Stocker is a retired Special Education teacher and a cancer survivor. She currently teaches at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI and supervises student teachers through Eastern Michigan University. Ms. Stocker taught at Hawthorn Center, a state psychiatric hospital for emotionally disturbed children, where she also served as President of the Hawthorn Center Association Board, and taught in the Livonia Public Schools.