Dave Coulter serves as County Executive for Oakland County, Michigan's second most populous county. Prior to that Coulter served as Mayor of Ferndale for eight years, during which time he created the Blue Ribbon Commission of Ferndale Parks to upgrade the City’s parks through grants and private funds, and instituted a multi-year budgeting process to force departments to look further ahead to economic challenges facing the City. Coulter earned a B.A. in Social Science from Michigan State University, and an Executive Education Certificate from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Formerly a civil engineering draftsman and public school teacher, Coulter worked for 13 years in public affairs at Michigan Consolidated Gas Company and served as executive director of the nonprofit Michigan AIDS Fund. He is currently the program officer for the Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation.
King, Bob
Bob King retired from the United Automobile Workers (UAW) in June 2014, after 44 years as an activist and leader and completing a four-year term as president of the union. He was a visiting researcher at the University of Califorinia, Berkeley on “Labor and the Global Economy.” He currently is a Lecturer at the University of Michigan teaching the importance of collective action and collective bargaining in winning greater economic equality in the US and the world. As a UM Lecturer King is a member of the Lecturers Employee Organization (LEO) which is local 6244 of the American Federation of Teachers. King also is active in supporting AFSCME Locals 2733 and 3052 in fighting to maintain high quality mental health services for Washtenaw County residents.
Okech, Stella
Stella Okech is a senior transfer student at Boise State University. In 2016, Stella was crowned second runner-up for Miss Africa Idaho, a non-profit cultural scholarship-based pageant. She currently works as an organizer for the program, helping organize the pageant and events including the Urban Cultural Fashion Show and J’adore L’Afrique Gala, an annual charity event that promotes Africa’s diverse cultures and raises money for the English Language Center. She also serves on the advisory board for the Listening to Resettled Refugee Women and Girls project. Her most recent project is creating a short documentary about the impact attending predominantly white institutions have on Black Students.
Battistelli, Joseph
Joseph Battistelli is the is the Director of Outreach & Membership for the Coalition on Human Needs. Currently serving as part of the leadership committee for the Count All Kids Campaign, Joseph works to raise awareness of the undercount of young children in the decennial census. Joseph has 10 years of experience in advocacy, public policy, project management, and program management. Prior to his current position, Joseph was a longtime consultant for CHN and worked on major policy initiatives, fundraising projects, coalition outreach, and partnership building for them. Before coming to CHN, Joseph worked for Bloomberg, Public Citizen, and on the historic 2008 election.
Poindexter, Jeynce
Jeynce Poindexter is the Transgender Victims Advocate for Equality Michigan and has worked on HIV/AIDS prevention and transgender rights issues in the Southeast Michigan region for more than 10 years. Ms. Poindexter has worked in various capacities with such esteemed community groups and organizations as Men of Color, The REC Boyz, The Ruth Ellis Center, the Trans Sistas of Color Project, and the Community Health Awareness Group addressing the health and advocacy needs of marginalized and disenfranchised communities in her native Detroit. Ms. Poindexter is also the legendary House Mother of the House of Mizrahi, one of the most respected international ballroom houses among communities of color. An award-winning advocate and Wayne County SAFE graduate, Ms. Poindexter proudly resides in Detroit, MI.
Pitawanakwat, David
David Pitawanakwat (Bii-da-wa-na-kwit) (approaching clouds) is from Wiikwemkong (Wii- Kwem-Kong) unceded territory located on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. He currently resides in Detroit, Michigan, where he is concurrently pursuing his Juris Doctorate at both the University of Detroit Mercy and the University of Windsor School of Law. He’s an active member of the Indigenous community on both sides of the Detroit river; with whom he seeks to deconstruct colonial borders and advocate on Indigenous issues.
García, Jesús G. “Chuy”
U.S. Representative Jesús G. “Chuy” García proudly represents the Fourth Congressional District of Illinois. Prior to his election to Congress in November of 2018, Congressman García was a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where he opposed housing discrimination against disadvantaged communities, raised the minimum wage, and mandated that County employees have access to paid sick leave. He also passed an ordinance ending Cook County’s cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). Congressman García began organizing for workers’ rights and more inclusive city services during his college years at University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC).
Parra Zapata, Ivan
Ivan Parra Zapata has served as Director of Services for Florida Immigrant Coalition for the last 4 years, where he oversees the citizenship and English Innovation programs that have served over 6000 mostly Black Caribbean residents in South Florida. He has also worked as a labor union organizer with SEIU for 6 years, as part of the Justice for Janitors campaign. Ivan graduated from Law School at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, practiced law for the City of Medellin for 10 years, and was also a Constitutional Law Professor at Jaime Isaza Cadavid University.
Winston, Nia
Nia Winston is the General Vice President of the international hospitality workers’ union, UNITE HERE, and the President of the Michigan and Ohio chapter, UNITE HERE Local 24. She is also a member of the union’s Black Leadership Steering Committee. In addition to her roles with UNITE HERE, Winston serves on the Joint Employer Procurement Advisory Board for the City of Detroit, the subcommittee for the Mayor’s Workforce Development Committee for the City of Detroit, and the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau Board. In February of 2018, she was awarded Labor Leader of the Year from the Michigan African American Institute.
Wang, Jennifer
Jennifer Wang is the Deputy Director of Programs for the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. She has nearly a decade of experience in policy and government affairs, including directing programs that build power with Asian American & Pacific Islander women and girls using the reproductive justice lens, building and managing a coalition of 80+ organizations to fight fraud and abuse in student lending, creating a youth start-up nonprofit’s policy and government affairs systems from the ground up, helping an abortion fund with its first foray into policymaking, and more. Jennifer is an alumna of UCLA and the University of Iowa College of Law.
Trent, Kim
Kim Trent is an elected member and current board chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors. Having earned a dual bachelor’s degree in journalism and Africana studies in 1991, she has been a consistent supporter of efforts to support and expand racial and ethnic diversity at her alma mater. Kim also holds a postgraduate degree in African Studies from the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa and a master’s degree in communications from Wayne State University. She currently serves as senior vice president for corporate and civic engagement for Compass Strategies, a Detroit-based public affairs firm.
Torres, Gustavo
Gustavo Torres is the Executive Director of CASA, the largest Latino and immigrant rights organization in the mid-Atlantic region. Under his leadership since 1994, CASA has grown from a small social service organization with a handful of staff members to a nationally awarded, multiservice, advocacy, organizing and support agency with a staff of nearly 150 and a membership of over 100,000, which operates in multiple states including Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Torres has also served as a member of multiple transition teams for city Mayors, state Governors and County Executives and on numerous task forces and leadership groups addressing issues of diversity and immigrant rights.
Thom, Mike
Mike Thom worked at Walt Disney Resorts as a cast member for 13 years before becoming a union organizer with UNITE HERE. He has risen through the ranks to become a Lead Organizer and oversees many of the union’s organizing and immigration efforts. Recently he helped to lead a major citizenship collaboration between Disney Resorts, UNITE HERE, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Central Florida AFL-CIO, and other groups. He has also been involved in the fight for a permanent solution for TPS holders, as there are many Disney workers with TPS in Orlando.
Taveras, Deni
Council Member Deni Taveras of Prince George County is committed to providing better public schools, safer and cleaner streets and increased sustainable economic development. She is a passionate and strong advocate for social justice issues, seeking to improve the lives of working families and diverse communities. Council Member Taveras has over 15 years of experience as a policy analyst within local, state and federal government. Taveras holds a dual Master’s in public affairs and urban regional planning from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, a Masters from the University of Utah, and a Bachelors from Barnard College; the latter two in the area of chemistry.
Sussman, Rebecca
Rebecca Sussman is Director of Parent Education at Neighbors Link, a non-profit organization in Westchester County, New York, dedicated to strengthening the whole community by actively enhancing the integration of immigrants. In her role, Rebecca develops and oversees programming for families with children of all ages. Rebecca also facilitates cultural awareness trainings to a variety of organizations that are designed to break down stereotypes and barriers with the goal of developing trust and improving communication. Previously, Rebecca taught grades K to 12 and worked at Hour Children’s Center at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility where she supported incarcerated mothers and their children.
Sumic, Nejra
Nejra Sumic is the Arizona State Refugee Organizer with the We Are All America national campaign, housed at Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Western International University and is fluent in three languages. Nejra is a former Refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina and has overcome a great deal of adversity. She is most passionate in empowering other refugees, helping transform policies, and organizing community campaigns.
Stephens, Stephanie D.
Stephanie D. Stephens serves as Campaign Manager for We Are All America, which works to uphold and strengthen our nation’s commitment to welcome and protect those seeking freedom, safety and refuge in the United States. Previously she co-founded Unite Oregon, a statewide social justice nonprofit leading on issues impacting immigrants, refugees, people of color and low-income Oregonians. Stephanie was also appointed by the Mayor to lead the City of Portland's visioning project; the resulting “2030 Vision” lay the foundation for planning and development in the region. She previously served as Communications and Development Manager at Western States Center.
Sirleaf-Garley, Elouise
Elouise Sirleaf-Garley is a Mediator at the Wayne Mediation Center, a Canvasser with Michigan United, and a Social Activist. She is a naturalized American with origin from Liberia, West Africa. Her passion for social justice, social, economic and political reforms has led her to work in diverse communities in the USA and Liberia to affect social and political change. Presently, she is honored to be working with some enthusiastic and energetic canvassers from Michigan United, engaging rural voters on their attitude toward health care and undocumented immigrants access to universal health care. She holds a BA in Sociology and an MA in Dispute Resolution.
Sheridan, Michael
Michael Sheridan is the Project Director of New Immigrant and Refugee Visions, and the Founding Director of Community Supported Film. Michael is a filmmaker, educator and activist whose documentary films address issues of social and economic development and the tipping point between order and chaos. He founded Community Supported Film in 2010 to take the foreign out of foreign correspondence by providing intensive training in documentary filmmaking to storytellers and activists in under or mis-represented communities.
Sarsour, Linda
Linda Sarsour is an award winning racial justice and civil rights activist, community organizer, every Islamophobe’s worst nightmare and mother of three. She is a Palestinian-Muslim-American born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is the former Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York and the co-founder of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPower Change. She is a member of the Justice League NYC and was one of the national co-chairs of the Women’s March on Washington. She is a frequent media commentator on issues impacting Muslim communities, Middle East affairs and criminal justice reform.