Don was a Research Scientist working in the rubber industry for almost 40 years, having retired in 2016.
He has been an avid birder since he was a young boy (started off on his own without assistance).
He has birded on all 7 continents and 40 countries and all 50 states.
Statistically, he has seen: 5470 species in the world (over 50% of all species), 774 species in the ABA area (815 including Hawaii) and 352 species in Michigan.
He is President of Oakland Audubon Society (has been for the last 13 years) and was a board member at Seven Ponds Nature Center (6 years). He is an ABA member and member of National Audubon. He supports Sierra Club, Greenpeace and other environmental groups.
He loves to bird and travel and is also very active in helping others learn about birding and the environment.
Tom Harvey has been a pilot since 1956. He has a passion for sailing, flying, and his family. Tom is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. The local chapter is based at the Oakland Pontiace Airport. The Chapter hosts flights for youth called Young Eagles.
Born and raised in Royal Oak Michigan, Reid is currently a branch manager and wealth advisor for Raymond James Financial Services. He is an active volunteer in the community and has served as board president for the Metro Detroit Youth Clubs, formerly The Boys and Girls Club, and is still a very active board member. Past President and Current treasurer for the Royal Oak Optimist Club and longest standing member of the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Committee. When not in the office I love to travel the world, fish on Lake St Clair and I spend most of my mornings at my local CrossFit Gym Stars and Stripes.
Birmingham Public Schools welcomes Dr. Embekka Roberson to her new role as the BPS Superintendent. The BPS Board of Education recommended Dr. Embekka Roberson to serve as the District’s Superintendent on June 8, 2021. Roberson has been with BPS since 2008, having served as Harlan Elementary Principal from 2008 to 2017 and Groves High School Principal from 2017 to 2020. Prior to her position as superintendent, Dr. Roberson served as the Birmingham Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning and Inclusion. She has experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels and holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Wayne State University.
Kathleen McBroom, a lifelong resident of Beverly Hills, is a librarian, educator, and most recently, docent at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Kathleen conducts tours - both on-site and virtual - for visitors, families, and special groups, which can range from wedding parties to corporate functions to Cub Scouts. When she's not at the museum, Kathleen teaches at Wayne State and fills in occasionally as a substitute librarian at the Baldwin Public Library.
Executive Director of the Birmingham Shopping District
Aug. 16, 2021 12:00 p.m.
Sean Kammer is the new Executive Director of the Birmingham Shopping District. Prior to this, he served as Downtown Manager of the city of Royal Oak for four years, where he won a national Main Street Forward award for his recovery and relief efforts for downtown businesses during the covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Kammer has also served as Assistant City Administrator for the City of Lathrup Village, Executive Director of its Downtown Development Authority, and had worked in the City of Flint's Mayor's Office. Mr. Kammer possesses two master's degrees in political science and public administration from Wayne State University and a graduate certificate in economic development.
Local author and professor in the MSU School of Journalism
Aug. 23, 2021 12:00 p.m.
Joe Grimm has been visiting editor in residence in the Journalism School at Michigan State University since 2008. Before that, he worked at the Detroit Free Press for 25 years. He has written or co-authored about 30 books. They include “Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors,” “Michigan Voices,” “The Faygo Book” and “Coney Detroit.” He has self-published books for journalism job hunters and has helped students at Michigan State publish more than 20 books. Most are in the Bias Busters series, which answers 100 common questions about different ethnic, racial, religious, gender, cultural or occupational groups.
Cathleen Russ has been the director of the West Bloomfield Township Public Library since December 2020. Prior to that, she was Director of the Troy Public Library from 2007-2020, during which she led the Library through several contentious millage campaigns. She also taught Library Administration and Management as an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University from 2010-2014.
Cathy holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Arts, Honors, Communications from Loyola University Chicago. She served on the Michigan Library Association Board of Directors from 2017-2020, and was recently re-elected to another 4 year term. The Michigan Library Association honored Cathy as the Michigan Librarian of the Year in 2019.
Cathy is also the President of the Metro Detroit Book and Author Society, and has led the Village Club of Bloomfield Hills book discussion group for over 20 years.
Cynthia Tupper has been a member of the Farmington Players since 1980, when she moved back to the Midwest from New York City. Her first role was in "Guys and Dolls," dancing in the chorus as a Hot Box Girl. Since that time she has designed costumes for 75 shows, acted in 31 shows, directed 16 shows, and been on the Board of Directors for many terms. She is currently serving her 9th term as President. In real life, she is a retired fashion designer.
Cris Braun – Executive Director of Next, a 50+ Community Center
Next is a non-profit serving the 50-plus communities of Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin and surrounding areas. As Executive Director, Cris works to enrich lives and support independence.
In 2015, with a new name and a renewed mission, we transitioned into Next. This was the start of a more active, youthful and comprehensive community center. With expanded hours, the introduction of unique, high-quality programming, and more diverse offerings, we have grown almost exponentially in all areas; membership, fund development, programming, attendance, and retention. With a clear and deliberate vision, we are providing more opportunities to the 50-plus cohort than ever before - Next is a wonderful, warm and welcoming place to stay active and connected.
As the Director of Economic Development for Oakland County, Birmingham resident Ingrid Tighe oversees business development and international business attraction; community development and planning; and the County’s workforce development and veteran services. Prior to this position, Ingrid served as the Executive Director of the Birmingham Shopping District and also worked for the State of Michigan, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, and the Michigan Economic Development.
Ingrid attended Vanderbilt University on a four-year R.O.T.C. scholarship and was commissioned as a U.S. Army Signal Corps officer upon graduation. She served from 1998 to 2005 with the 1st Infantry Division in Germany, participating in NATO peacekeeping operations in Macedonia and Kosovo and later with the 1st Cavalry Division leading troops in 2004 to 2005 in the combat zone of Baghdad. In Iraq, she had the unique opportunity of working alongside Iraqi National Guard soldiers and training and mentoring Iraq’s first class of female Army officers. After honorably separating from the Army, Ingrid used the post 9/11 G.I. Bill to obtain her Master of Public Administration from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
Ingrid serves on the University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Alumni board and is a Michigan Political Leadership Program Fellow. She also served as a City of Birmingham Board of Review Member. Ingrid is a member of the Iraq and Afghanistan’s Veterans of America (IAVA) and participated in the IAVA 2014 Storm the Hill initiative in Washington D.C. campaigning to combat veteran suicide. Ultimately, these efforts paid off with the Clay Hunt SAV Act signed into law by President Obama. In addition, Ingrid has published her writing in the book She's Out There: Essays by 35 Young Women Who Aspire to Lead the Nation: The Next Generation of Presidential Candidates and in the Huffington Post.
Executive Director, Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center
Oct. 11, 2021
Antonio David Garcia is the Executive Director of Affirmations, an LGBTQ+ community center that has been located in Ferndale, Michigan, for 30 years. He is putting in his second stint there, after serving five years, in between, as the Director of Policy and Community Building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Previously, Dave also served served as the Executive Director of The Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center (now OutFront), and before that, he worked in various leadership capacities at the YMCA.
Dave first began his fight for LGBT equality after being fired from his position as the Community Services Coordinator of Swartz Creek for his attempt to start a Gay Straight Alliance in the public schools in 2000. After walking 55 miles overnight from the doors of Swartz Creek High School to the State Capitol, Garcia delivered one of his many heartfelt and inspiring speeches. Over the past 20 years, Dave has continued his dedicated efforts to improve lives and advance justice for all.
Among his other accomplishments are: being named “Civil Libertarian of the Year” by the ACLU of Flint, being featured in Dan Woog’s book, Jocks II – Coming Out to Play, winning two 2009 Michigan Addy awards for his film work, and being named Student of the Year in Communications and Media at the University of Michigan – Flint. In addition, Dave has completed a full-length documentary, Fences and is a critically acclaimed playwright. His play Candy Corn, Christ and the Convoluted Creation of Golf debuted to sold-out audiences at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor and was named a top ten show of Michigan by the Flint Journal.
State Representative Mari Manoogian was born and raised in Birmingham, Michigan—where she continues to reside—and is now serving her second term representing the 40th District, which includes Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, and a portion of West Bloomfield. She currently serves as the Deputy Democratic Caucus Whip and the Minority Vice Chair for the House Committee on Energy.
At 28, Manoogian is the youngest woman serving in the 101st Legislature. Prior to joining the Legislature, she served in various capacities at the federal level, including interning for then-Congressman John Dingell, working with the Council on Foreign Relations, and assisting Ambassador Samantha Power at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Manoogian is a third-generation Armenian-American whose great-grandparents came to America in the 1920s to escape the Armenian Genocide. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international affairs at George Washington University.
Manoogian is an avid Detroit sports and Team USA fan, and enjoys figure skating, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She is a member of Saint Sarkis Armenian Church in Dearborn.
Annie VanGelderen joined the BBAC Board of Directors in 2003 and later also assumed a full-time volunteer staff position as Enterprises Director. In 2011, she was appointed President and CEO of the BBAC. VanGelderen plays a leadership role in the community, serving on the boards of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham's Public Arts Board, and the Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Council. She is also on the advisory council of Southfield's Partnerships for Education Council and the membership committee of the regional CultureSource organization. In Oakland County, she is an alumna of Leadership Oakland and of the Advanced Leadership Institute. In 2015, she was given the Leader of Leaders Award. VanGelderen was also a member of the 2015-16 Leadership Detroit class. Since 2011, with a focus on inclusivity and increasing opportunities to those who might otherwise lack access, she has advanced the BBAC’s roster of ArtAccess programs. Beneficiaries include individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia, incarcerated youth, people of all ages with cognitive and physical challenges, and senior citizens. VanGelderen continues her own practice of art-making and is committed to the BBAC vision of “art for all.” On October 25, she will bring to the Rotary meeting a Halloween-inspired art package for everyone to take home!
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