Events

With over 20 years of downtown management experience, Cristina Sheppard-Decius leads the Birmingham Shopping District as its Executive Director, bringing forth both fresh and proven economic and marketing strategies for Downtown Birmingham.  

Sheppard-Decius is known nationally and locally for her proven track record of revitalizing Downtown Ferndale  during her tenure as the Executive Director of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority from 2000 to 2015, and also for building a collaborative organizational framework in Downtown Dearborn from 2015 to 2022 through her company POW! Strategies, Inc. 

Her 25 years of knowledge and know-how in public relations, marketing, volunteer organizational management, and economic development provide the basis for developing and implementing strategies to grow downtowns.

Recognized as one of Crain's Detroit Business 40 Under 40 in 2009, Sheppard-Decius holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Western Michigan University and is a Certified Main Street Manager of the National Main Street Center. Sheppard-Decius serves as the Chairperson of the Michigan Downtown Association (MDA) and has previously served on the International Council of Shopping Centers Michigan Alliance. 

Jill Woodward grew up in Birmingham, graduated from Seaholm High School, and received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University. Her career has taken her from the Ilitch organization to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to Michigan State University’s Community Music School-Detroit. Her background includes successful fundraising initiatives and projects to build new audiences and promote the value of arts and culture. Since 2022, Woodward has been the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum.

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum celebrates a transformative period in Detroit history. Modeled after turn-of-the-century New England textile mills, this National Historic Landmark was built in 1904 and subsequently saved from destruction by community volunteers in 2000. Now it attracts over 30,000 visitors annually from 75 countries, and is an anchor development in the resurgent Milwaukee Junction neighborhood just east of New Center. The Museum offers a variety of events, tours, and family fun activities, as well as educational programming.

Dan Layman, who has degrees from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, served as President and CEO of Ele's Place Michigan for seven years. His work focused on transitioning the organization from a regional provider of peer-support services to an integrated, statewide organization with the vision of reaching all grieving families in Michigan.

Prior to Ele's Place, he worked for several Michigan-based hospices. He served over ten years as a member of the Hospice of Michigan management team and helped grow the organization into one of the largest hospice providers in the country. Dan‘s passion for non-profit work stems from his time supporting grieving families and witnessing the pain and distress unresolved grief can have on individuals, families, and the larger community.

Recently Dan joined the Blood Cancer Foundation of Michigan as Community Liaison Manager, where he works to advocate and improve access to support for children and families facing blood cancer. 

Judy has been researching her family tree from the age of 12, specializing in French-Canadian, Acadian, Native American, and Michigan research because of her own family heritage.  Owner of the website Lineage Journeys, she conducts research for clients and offers presentations across the US, Canada, and the world. She also travels to research in archives/repositories and the locations of her ancestral homes in Scotland, France, Germany, and around the US.

Judy is the President of the Oakland County Genealogical Society, Vice-President of the Michigan Genealogical Council, Awards Chair of the National Genealogical Society, and a member of many other genealogical societies and organizations.

As a Lakota and Métis woman who also has northern European ancestry, Judy is a leader in her spiritual community.

As the Anti-Defamation League’s Senior Vice President for National Affairs, George Selim leads all external engagement at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as community and civic engagement efforts nationally. The scope of his work also includes national law enforcement outreach and partnerships.

George served in the administrations of Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump. He was the Department of Homeland Security’s Director of the Office for Community Partnerships and also the leader of the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force. Before that, George served on the National Security Council Staff.

Prior to his work at the White House, George served at the DHS Office for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. He has also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Arab American Institute, and served one year with AmeriCorps. 

George holds an MA from Georgetown University and a BA from Walsh University. 

Ron Sandison works full-time in the medical field and is an advisory board member of both the Art of Autism Collaborative Project and the Els Center of Excellence. Sandison has a Master of Divinity Degree from Oral Roberts University and is the author of A Parent’s Guide to Autism; Thought, Choice, Action; and Views from the Spectrum. He speaks at over 70 events a year, including 25 educational conferences. Ron and his wife Kristen reside in Rochester Hills with their daughter Makayla.

Lexie Schwarze has more than 30 years of nonprofit experience. Her confidence, energy, and experience are what fuels her ability to lead and take a practical approach to problem solving. 

Before accepting the position as Executive Director for Hope Against Trafficking, Lexie worked as a Life Impact Director for Woodside Bible Church. In this role, she developed outreach programs; created and developed Woodside’s Anti-Human Trafficking Program called Unshackled; and built the Church’s Life Impact Department from the ground up. Lexie also developed global partnerships for Woodside in eight countries and helped create a regional outreach event that drew over 21,000 attendees.

Before joining Woodside, Lexie served as an Account Executive for the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and a Research Analyst for WXYZ-Channel 7 Action News.

Lexie lives in Lake Orion with her husband Fred of 32 years, her son Spencer, and their bloodhound Dixie. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Communication, with a minor in Computer Science, from Oakland University.

Liza Altenburg is a lifelong Metro Detroiter, an animal lover, and a bereaved daughter. She has channeled the pain of her unexpected loss into a passion for protecting people from the very same trauma that she experienced when she unexpectedly lost her dad. She helps families to have peace of mind by simply starting that conversation that they’ve been putting off. A seasoned public speaker, Liza enjoys sharing her story and finds healing in the process. She currently serves as the Family Service Manager at Acacia Park Cemetery in Beverly Hills, MI.

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Pattie Courtney has been married for 39 years to Larry, and is the mother of four and also the grandmother of four. She is a retired pastor, having served as a Youth Director and Young Adult Minister.  Since 2015, she has been a Rotarian in Livingston Sunrise RC. She has served as District 6380 Youth Exchange Inbound Coordinator since 2017, and began serving as Youth Exchange Chair on July 1 of this year.  Her family has hosted six Exchange students.  She loves Rotary Youth Exchange!