Tenacious for the D - Skillman Foundation

10
Tenacious for the D
Ordinary heroes do extraordinary things for Detroit kids
Annual
Report
F O U N D A T I O N
A voice for Detroit c
t children since 1960
Inside»
Pages 4–7 » Introduction
Pages 8–27 » Profiles
Page 8 » Aswan Almaktary
“She shows a particular joy when working with youth from the
neighborhood.” ­—Sonia Harb, ACCESS
Page 10 » Anita Ashford
“She’s very willing to help make sure we can make positive things happen in the
Osborn community.” —Quincy Jones, Osborn Neighborhood Alliance
Page 12 » Anthony Benavides
“He is a true testament to what a natural leader can become.” ­­­
—Maria Salinas, Congress of Communities
Page 14 » Susan Hooks-Brown
“She’s a relationship connector. She loves building relationships.”
—Kathy Tuggle, Angel Wings Child Care
Page 16 » Monica Evans
“She shares her personal story so youth who are victims of tragic circumstances
are able to see that successful outcomes are possible from humble beginnings.” ­
—Grenae Dudley, The Youth Connection, Inc.
‹2›
Page 18 » Jessie Kilgore
“Jessie is tenacious, tender hearted, and deeply committed in his work with children,
families, and the community. He is a turbo-force for Good Schools, Good Neighborhoods, and communities in the D.” — Barbara Markle, assistant dean for K-12
Outreach in the College of Education
Page 20 » Pat Miller
“If you looked inside her, there would certainly be a lot of the city in her.”
—Larry Gant, U-M School of Social Work
Page 22 » Bill O’Brien
“Bill is a leader not because of his role in an organization or any positional authority,
but because his attitudes, beliefs, and values drive him to generously give the best of
himself and invite the best from others.” —Christine Doby, program officer, the
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Page 24 » Dan Varner
“He looks at, listens, studies, then takes decisive action to improve the lives
of Detroiters, especially the children.” ­—Mike Flanagan, Michigan
Department of Education
Page 26 » Dawn Wilson
“She is passionate about and holds herself and others accountable for what happens
to kids in the city.” —Lisa Leverette, Prevention Network
Pages 28–31 » Meet three tenacious youth, the future leaders of Detroit
Pages 32-35 » News briefs
Pages 36 » Finances
Page 36 » Grant summary
Page 38 » How to apply
Page 39 » History
Page 40 » Staff
‹3›
The Power of
Making a difference for Detroit
Did you have a caring adult in your life as a child?
Maybe it was a baseball coach, or a youth pastor at
your church. Maybe it was the high school
newspaper advisor, or the manager at the fast
food restaurant where you worked part-time.
Maybe it was a neighbor, a teacher or a relative. Or
if you were lucky, maybe you had many of those
types of adults in your life, those who cosigned on
your dreams and committed to seeing you
through to a better future.
‹4›
Many children find the odds stacked against them,
though—especially kids born into disadvantaged
households, who don’t have a strong nucleus of
caring adults around them. The results of that lack
of early support can be devastating, and kids grow
up believing their futures are bleak and predestined. They drop out of school, turn to illegal
activity or gangs, get pregnant, disconnect, and
disengage. “I believe the presence or lack of
presence of a caring adult is one of the things
that make a big difference in whether or not
children become successful in life,” said Skillman
Foundation President & CEO Carol Goss, who
announced she will retire at the end of 2013.
“Just knowing someone cares enough to spend
their time or attention on you can be a game
changer and a life saver. In my time at the
Skillman Foundation all of us here have worked
extremely hard to help change the odds for all
Detroit kids.”
The Kids Matter Here movement, which took root
during the Goss presidency, is spreading across
the city.
In this publication, we profile 10 Detroiters whose
work is all about changing the odds for Detroit
children. For them, Kids Matter Here is a calling
they answer to 365 days a year.
MEET THE HEROES
In these pages, you’ll meet the tenacious 10,
a group that represents a much larger movement
of adults springing into action in neighborhoods
and schools across Detroit. For each person we
profiled, there are countless others doing equally
fine work dedicated to kids.
There are those who work mostly behind the
scenes, like Pat Miller (page 20), a social worker
from the University of Michigan Technical
Assistance Center, and Susan Hooks-Brown
(Page 14), who helps directors at the city’s
daycare centers and preschools understand how
to run quality early education programs.
There are heroes who walk alongside kids, like
Aswan Almaktary (Page 8), a community
activist who works with youth in the Chadsey-
Condon neighborhood, and Monica Evans (Page
16), a Detroit police officer who works to bring
restorative practices to troubled youth in schools
and on the streets.
There are leaders organizing change in their
communities, like Dawn Wilson, (Page 26),
a Brightmoor resident—and a professional
clown—who fights for her neighborhood’s
future by serving on the Brightmoor Alliance
board and the Community Connections Small
Grants panel, and Anita Ashford (page 10),
a DTE employee who serves on the Osborn
Neighborhood Alliance board.
There are education influencers such as Jessie
Kilgore (Page 18), who works to bring support to
education reform through the work of the Good
Schools Resource Center-Detroit, and Dan
Varner (Page 24), who runs Excellent Schools
Detroit, and is a man on a mission to push Detroit
high school graduation rates to 90 percent.
There are stubborn child advocates, who couldn’t
imagine living or working anywhere other than
Detroit, such as Anthony Benavides (Page 12),
whose love of his Southwest Detroit neighborhood pushed him to help save it by starting the
Clark Park Coalition, and Bill O’Brien (Page 22),
who runs the Harriet Tubman Center, which
trains young people to be community organizers.
Equally inspiring are the stories of the future
leaders. These are the young voices of three teens
from Detroit neighborhoods, young people already
active in transforming outcomes for themselves
and their peers. Meet them on page 28.
‹5›
A new sense of urgency
The leaders profiled in this annual report, each in their own way, have played a crucial role in the
Foundation’s push to transform our city for Detroit children.
In December 2012, Carol Goss announced that she would retire at the end of 2013. On the same day,
the Foundation’s Board of Trustees announced Tonya Allen, the Foundation’s chief operating officer
and Carol’s right hand, as the next Foundation president. Allen, the architect of the Foundation’s Good
Neighborhoods work, has been with the Foundation since 2004.
“Tonya has earned the respect and support of the Board to take on the role of CEO of the Foundation
through her thoughtful work for children, her passion for making a difference in their lives, and her skill
in program development, execution, management and evaluation,” said Board Chair Lizabeth Ardisana.
The leadership transition announcement came amid another big change. In October 2012, the Foundation began a comprehensive strategic planning phase, its first since 2006. It was a chance to pause,
consider the successes and opportunities of the last seven years, and to examine the external factors
at work that are swiftly changing Detroit.
‹6›
Building on the success of the Good Schools and
Good Neighborhoods platforms, the new
strategic plan, announced in the spring of 2013,
introduced a refined focus and a results-oriented
way of organizing the work, centered on driving
up meaningful graduation rates in Detroit, so
that Detroit kids are prepared for college, careers
and life.
The plan includes six investment areas—
community leadership, education, neighborhoods, safety, social innovation, and youth
development. It intends to break down
previously constructed silos of work and
engage all aspects of the Foundation’s
initiatives into one voice and one vision.
“We are excited about the next generation of the
Foundation’s work,” Ardisana said. “Our plan
builds on Carol Goss’s legacy at the Foundation,
and capitalizes on Tonya’s determination to
utilize new strategies to see that legacy fulfilled.”
Allen, determined as ever, knows the Foundation
can’t get there alone. The vision requires other
caring adults, leaders and investors at every turn.
“Children can’t just be Skillman’s business,” Allen
said, “and they can’t just be the school’s business.
They have to be our community’s business. Our
success is dependent on how they do.
“We want a Detroit where children grow up ready
to seriously thrive as adults,” Allen added. “A
Detroit where, ‘Kids Matter Here,’ our mantra
over the past several years, becomes the mantra
for Detroiters everywhere.”
Cody Rouge Family Day at Don Bosco Hall,
St. Suzanne’s Church.
Left: DeShari Godbott, 9, Paige Godbott, 5, and Harold James, 8, bond in Brenda Scott Academy’s library while
making Easter cards and other crafts during an Osborn neighborhood update meeting in April 2012.
‹7›
Aswan
Almaktary
ACCESS Hamtramck Office Manager
T
he word “jiran” means “neighbors” in Arabic. And so it makes a fitting name for the community
project Aswan Almaktary ran in the Chadsey Condon neighborhood, one of the Good Neighborhoods.
The goal of JIRAN—which stands for Join In to Revitalize Arab American Neighborhoods—is to
empower the Arab American population to get connected and create a safer, more vibrant community for
its youth. Before the program began, Almaktary, who also serves on the board of the Chadsey Condon
Community Congress and works for ACCESS, said most of the Arabic people in that area were isolated.
They didn’t comingle with the African American or Latino populations near their neighborhood. “They
don’t cross the borders because they think
everything is bad happening outside of their
borders. … That’s what I saw, that parents
were afraid to let their kids go to the other
side.” That fear lead to a disconnected
community and disengaged youth.
Almaktary said through JIRAN, that’s
changed. Parents now see her at events and
are comfortable allowing their teenagers to
roam a bit further from home. The youth
are taking ownership of their neighborhood,
beautifying it through clean-ups and taking
part in community events. “You have to first
build trust with the people,” Almaktary said.
This comes naturally to Almaktary, who was
a teacher in her home country of Yemen and
has a genuine passion for youth. She isn’t in the classroom now but considers all the youth she meets in
Chadsey Condon to be her students. The lessons she wants to leave with them are life ones—that their
voices matter, that they can use their skills to better the world and that breaking through barriers, real or
perceived, is important.
‹8›
Do you consider yourself a leader for Detroit kids?
I see my role as helping the youth see what is happening around them, see how to benefit from the different
projects and how to impact themselves and their community, and have the feeling that they can help a
whole community while they are improving themselves.
What’s your personal mission driving you to do this work?
The mission is to see the youth as a vibrant force in their community. I always tell them that they are not
representing themselves only, it’s a whole community. Youth who are isolated because of language barrier,
or fear of the unknown, that’s preventing youth to be part of their community. I want to see youth cross
neighborhoods and share in activities in their community.
Do you see a network of caring adults with a child-first agenda beginning to grow in Chadsey Condon?
When I started as coordinator of JIRAN, I was worried because I heard about Southwest Detroit [and] I
didn’t know if I was going to find these amazing people. I consider them just leaders, because they lead this
initative. They care about these youth. I don’t see it as a job for these people who are working in Southwest
Detroit. When I go to a meeting and I see these people, they’re like a family who care about youth and each
other. … And they’re crossing the borders and coming to us.
­ By Krista Jahnke
—
Krista Jahnke is a communications officer at the Skillman
Foundation. Follow her on Twitter @kirstajahnke.
“You have to first build trust
with the people.”
‹9›
Anita
Ashford
Continuous Improvement Expert, DTE,
and former Board Member, Osborn
Neighborhood Alliance
“So nobody’s
going to tell
me that Detroit
is bad, that the
kids can’t be
saved. That is
not true.”
‹ 10 ›
A
nita Ashford, who worked as a vice president and continuous improvement expert for DTE, slides into an office at the Matrix
Center and bellows out a jovial, “Hey there, how you doing?” to
everyone within earshot. It’s the kind of greeting that makes it clear
that despite her lofty title, she’s a familiar face at the human services
agency’s home in the Osborn neighborhood in northwest Detroit.
While Ashford worked as the neighborhood’s human connection to
the vast energy company—the person who sat at kitchen tables with
folks having trouble with their heating bills—she also served equally
as an advocate for children through The Skillman Foundation’s Good
Neighborhoods work. As a board member on the Osborn Neighorhood Alliance from its inception until 2012, Ashford spent extra
hours each week working to make the neighborhood a better place
for children to grow up. She also got involved with the Detroit Youth
Employment Consortium, which connects kids to summer job
experiences and employers to talented youth. Finally, she served
on the self-governing board at Brenda
Scott Middle School, where she ensured
students get connected to supports
throughout the neighborhood. As a
corporate champion, she connects
fellow DTE employees to opportunities
to giveback in the Osborn community,
whether during one-time clean up events
or through long-term partnerships
with ONA.
What’s your personal mission when it comes to kids in Detroit?
It’s just whatever I can do with my talents that I’ve been blessed with. I have to try and give that to them.
Whether it’s a leadership capacity, whether it’s funding, programs helping with that, and No. 1 is education.
Do you feel optimistic or pessimistic about the future for kids in Detroit?
There’s so much potential here, so many gems that need to be brought out. It’s just attention­—they’re
hollering and screaming. I just think we need that patience and perseverance to try and beat it back.
That’s it. And I know I’m not dreaming, because there are too many successful things that I’ve seen come
to fruition. So nobody’s going to tell me that Detroit is bad, that the kids can’t be saved. That is not true.
What inspires you to keep going?
I wake up every day, and I read the newspapers, I see kids driving up and down the street, I talk to people.
There’s always something that comes at you that you can say, ‘You know what, well, I can make a difference.”
— By Krista Jahnke
‹ 11 ›
A
nthony Benavides loves Detroit’s Mexicantown. He’s lived there his
entire life and has no intention of leaving. The 53-year-old is so
deeply committed to his community that in 1983, when the Clark Park
Recreation Center closed, Benavides and neighborhood residents came
together to save the 30-acre park. “We went to the city and told them,
‘Give us the keys, we’ll keep it open.’” Benavides said. “If the center
would have stayed closed, it would have definitely been torched or
stripped.” The neighborhood group decided to form the Clark Park
Coalition. Benavides and his fellow volunteers began working to rid the
park of drug dealers. They cleaned the park of needles, broken glass and
garbage. But his greatest accomplishment was to ensure the children
of Southwest Detroit have a nurturing safe haven where they can thrive.
Under his watch, the Clark Park Coalition has done more than merely
reopen the center. They’ve expanded programming and now have
year-round sports for kids, including hockey, ice skating, baseball,
softball, soccer, tennis, lacrosse and golf. Clark Park is
more than just a place where kids go play. “It’s like
our town square,” Benavides said. “This park is
really important to the community. This is where
‹ 12 ›
Anthony
Benavides
Director, Clark Park Coalition
they have their festivals and Quinceañeras.” In 2011, Benavides implemented an educational
component to the center’s programming. Students from local high schools can now come
to Clark Park Recreation Center and take college ACT prep classes with an instructor.
Benavides takes a lot of pride in his work. He loves giving the kids of Southwest Detroit
a positive place to go and be able to express themselves. “Watching the kids play makes
me feel good,” Benavides said. “There is a field of dreams out here.”
What do you wish people knew about the kids you work with?
They persevere. They have very little, and they make it work.
And they are always willing to try. Kids are resilient. They’re
hard working. They just need a chance.
What needs to change to make life better for Detroit’s kids?
More people to volunteer, more people to come out and support
a child. Mentor and read to a child. Throw a ball to a child while
they’re outside. Just more mentorships, more one on one.
“Watching the kids
play makes me feel
good. There is a
field of dreams
out here.”
How has The Skillman Foundation helped you advance your work?
Skillman helped us hire people. We were able to hire a bookkeeper.
We were able to hire a business manager. The
end result is we get to be more sustainable.
We are also able to hire 10 kids during the
summer to run programming, and they keep
the park clean. We also hire 10 kids in the
winter time. Those are our Learn to Skate
instructors.
­ By Martina Guzman
—
Martina Guzman is a community reporter
for WDET in Detroit. Follow her on Twitter
@MGuzman_Detroit.
‹ 13 ›
Susan
HooksBrown
Community Organizer,
Southwest Solutions
‹ 14 ›
S
usan Hooks-Brown describes herself as a connector,
a relationship builder. She finds early childcare
centers throughout Detroit that want to be known for
quality but don’t know how to get there. Through her role
as a community organizer focused on early childhood
education at Southwest Solutions, she connects the dots
for them, helping directors learn about the QRIS
program­—the Quality-Rating Improvement System that
launched in Detroit and will soon go statewide—and
other resources like grants, trainings and technical
programs that can help them cut costs and focus more on
quality childcare. She also runs workshops that help
caregivers fill training hours and advance their understanding. In Hooks-Brown’s words: “I’m the forerunner
that says, ‘Let’s get it done, let’s make it happen, this is a
good thing for the kids.’” No doubt, study after study
show the importance for quality early childcare in future
outcomes for children, and children living in poverty are often
the ones without access to those environments. “We want to
make sure those children are exposed to those kinds of rigor,
that kind of vocabulary, that kind of exploration, all those
kind of things that will make them ready for school.”
Do you think of yourself as a leader for Detroit kids?
I am really a behind the scenes the person … I’m really
humbled by that. I do what I do with a passion, because
I love to do it.
What drives you, inspires you, pushes you to keep going?
That I want our children to succeed. My mantra is, it doesn’t matter what social-economical status
you are, if you believe that your children can succeed, no matter what the challenges—we all have
them—but if you believe and put the effort in, it’s doable. It can be done. That’s what drives me....
What’s good for a child of affluence is good for a child of poverty. It’s good for all kids, and I want
us to get away from “children at risk.” It’s good for all kids.
How would you sum up childhood for Detroit in one word?
Challenging. But doable. It’s a lot of things happening in Detroit. … I guess it’s about community.
If I can drop your child off, or if your child could come to my house, or my child outgrew his uniform,
but you need one, we can make it happen.
— By Krista Jahnke
“I do what I do with a passion,
because I love to do it.”
‹ 15 ›
Monica
Evans
Police Officer, City of Detroit
M
onica Evans is no stranger to violence. A Detroit police officer assigned to the division of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, she moved to Detroit as a young teen. Growing up, she was a
victim of child molestation. Her sister was murdered. And her brother served time for murder. Evans
says she believes people with a background like hers go one of two ways. “Hurt people either hurt
people, or they go completely the other way, like me.” She’s not kidding. Evans is on the coordinating
team that operates the Safe Routes to School, a part of the Detroit Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.
Along with Skillman Foundation Program Officer Henry McClendon, Evans has taken a movement
called Restorative Practices (RP) and helped make it a presence throughout Detroit schools and law
enforcement. Instead of punishing kids who break rules—or even people who break the law—RP
focuses on making relationships right through restorative circles. In April 2011, when Safe Passages
began doing truancy sweeps, instead of ticketing youth, they
found them wraparound services and conducted circles to try
and solve the needs of the child and his or her family. “If they
needed tutoring or clothes or help with bullying, whatever the
case may be, operation Safe Passages is a holistic approach to
keeping them in school,” Evans said. In her personal life, Evans
mothers eight children, only three of which are biological. “My
mom used to say I bring home stray animals. Now she says I
bring home stray kids. I don’t want to see anyone else go through
some of the things that I went through.”
How has The Skillman Foundation helped you advance this work?
It’s their enthusiasm. They’re passionate about this. You can tell that they have a true heart for the
community, and it really shows.
Do you see a brighter future coming for Detroit’s children? Are you an optimist or pessimist?
Oh, the cup is always half full. Almost to a fault, I’m always optimistic. It’s even sometimes offensive
‹ 16 ›
to people. I’m like, ‘Don’t tell me that this can’t be done. It can be done!’ That’s where I’m at. I think
of it like, I’m planting a seed that needs to be watered, needs to be nurtured. I might never see the
end result, but it will grow.”
Tell me about a hopeful moment in your work.
One young man, 17, was arrested for a gun. I had to interview him, and I used Restorative Practice
questions to conduct the interview. I told him, ‘The only difference between you and I is you made
one different choice. … And the reason you did that, is because someone didn’t tell you that you’re
created for great things.’ He said, ‘Nobody’s ever told me that I had the ability to do anything.’ Two
years later, I was at a school doing a circle with gang groups. He walked into the room and said, ‘You
don’t remember me, do you? Well, you arrested me, and I ended up doing a year and a half in prison.
But now I come here and mentor these kids, and I’m in college for nursing.’ He said, ‘What you said
to me changed my whole entire life.’ … I went home and was like, that is so awesome, that words
could affect his life. That was the seed that was planted.
— By Krista Jahnke
“I don’t want to see
anyone else go
through some of
the things that
I went through.”
‹ 17 ›
Jessie
Kilgore
Executive Director,
Good Schools Resource
Center-Detroit
‹ 18 ›
W
hen Jessie E. Kilgore, Jr. talks about Detroit youth, he
locks your eyes and flashes an electric smile. The former
athletic director, teacher, principal and superintendent’s
infectious personality is necessary to get others on his side to
help Detroit’s children. As director of the Good Schools
Resource Center-Detroit, Kilgore has his hands-on Detroit’s
education scene, working to build intensive support structures
for teachers, students and administrators in schools within
the Good Neighborhoods. “I’m excited about the future,”
Kilgore said. “There is not often this kind of support for
schools. We are going to turn the tide with the work we are
doing.” Changing Detroit’s education model is a monumental
task, but Kilgore is undeterred. He is a lifelong Detroiter and a
product of Detroit Public Schools. He watched his childhood
friends end up in gangs, hooked on drugs and without
guidance. He spent his teenage years going to funerals and
now feels no one should have to go through that. “It saddens
me,” Kilgore said. “So many of them had
so much promise, so much potential
had they just been channeled
in the right way.”
Do you consider yourself
a champion for Detroit kids?
I do. A champion is one that carries the torch for
a cause, and I feel I’m that torchbearer for our kids
and our neighborhoods. There are many torchbearers
in this city, many who never get their names in the
paper. But there are many out there who are doing
the good work, that hard work.
How would you sum up
childhood in Detroit in one word?
Challenging. Our students and our kids have so many
things coming at them at once. One of the things that
they have that we didn’t have is this whole tech­nology
thing. You have Facebook and texting, all the bullying
that happens on the internet and in the electronic
domain. It’s disheartening to me.
Changing Detroit’s
education model is a
monumental task, but
Kilgore is undeterred.
Tell me about a time you had an encounter with a child through your work that left you angry.
There was one particular student that I spent years working with. He had a lot of family
issues, the father out of the home. I pulled this kid under my wing and did everything
I possibly could to get him on the right track. He moved on and went to high school and
I found out that he had been in a robbery and had gotten locked up. Finding out totally
deflated me; I said, ‘Oh my God, what did I miss?’ I took it personally. What did I not say?
What did I not do that led to this? That’s how personal this gets for me. It hit me deep in
my gut when it happened. I was down and out for a while. I still think about him, and I
should keep thinking about him. I don’t ever want to get to a point where I say … ‘Oh
well, I lost that one.’ That kid is going to come along again.
— By Martina Guzman
‹ 19 ›
Pat Miller
Retired Program Manager, U-M Technical
Assistance Center
When Pat Miller tries to describe what it’s like trying to help neighborhoods
achieve long-term, sustainable change, the word that comes to mind is
“messiness.” Sometimes, she says, no matter how well-intentioned plans
for change are, the people behind those plans lack … something. Maybe
it’s a cohesive vision. Or the ability to analyze data. So things get messy.
But luckily, for six years, the Good Neighborhoods work had Miller to
manage the mess. As the leader of the University of Michigan Technical
Assistance Center, Miller ruled in bringing people the
skills and connections they needed to get things done.
Miller, who retired in September 2012, is a social
worker by trade, and a professor by title. But she felt
most at home at a community meeting in Brightmoor or
Southwest Detroit. She took the Foundation’s philosophy
to let residents lead seriously, but always with the goal
of introducing research-based best practices where
they made sense. “Once we understand and they let us
know where they want to go and what they’re thinking about, we can take
a leadership role in how to get there. But we respond to where they’re at­—
because obviously they know best.”
“There are definitely changes
being made, and there are
definitely children reaping
the benefits.”
At the midpoint of the Good Neighborhoods work, how much have these
communities changed for kids?
Clearly, we see the systems of supports, the nonprofits coming together
and working in a more coordinated approach on behalf of children.
We see the very beginnings of that, and that’s huge. We see residents and
neighborhoods coming together on behalf of children. The small grants
project has made wonderful inroads there providing the opportunity for
residents and churches and faith-based organizations to provide services
on behalf of children. There are definitely changes being made, and there
are definitely children reaping the benefits. There are clean parks, there are
new parks, there’s greater interest in the safety and well-being of children
in the neighborhoods.
‹ 20 ›
What do you wish more people understood about these neighborhoods?
The strength in the neighborhoods, the determination in the neighborhoods, the drive in the neighborhoods. There’s this tendency at this point for many, many, many reasons to write off the city … I wish
people could see the wealth of resources, the individual talents that are in these neighborhoods. If we
could just give them the support they need to blossom, remarkable things will happen.
Tell me about a moment when your work left you feeling hopeful.
The hopeful moments were when this work took off, and we called together community meetings and
talked about what needs to change for children, and hundreds and hundreds of people showed up. And
it’s those same people who still come out.
What’s the word that describes childhood in Detroit?
Difficult. I don’t think there’s anything easy about it. It’s difficult to get to school, to be in school, to find
the services you need. It’s just difficult.
— By Krista Jahnke
‹ 21 ›
Bill
O’Brien
Executive Director at the
Harriet Tubman Center
H
e didn’t fully comprehend it at the time, but failing to get into
Brother Rice in upscale Oakland County was the best thing
that ever happened to community organizer Bill O’Brien. It was
1961, and his family had just relocated to Birmingham from
Indianapolis. He was 13 and very impressionable.
Instead, O’Brien headed for the city and began the important high school years at the University of Detroit Jesuit.
“Civil rights and the anti-war movements were gaining steam,” O’Brien recalled. “I soon figured out that I wanted
to do something with my life that would make the world a better place. Those teachers were inspirational.”
O’Brien runs the Harriet Tubman Center, which trains young people to be community organizers. He organized
a network of student-run agencies known as Youth Voice, through Southwest Solutions, with support from the
Skillman Foundation. “There was a desire for a student-run center where students could have an impact on their
futures,” he said.
That work led to creation of a new initiative called Our Kids Come First, which focused on neighborhoods. “It was
instrumental in providing more resources to the neighborhoods in civic engagement. It helped get parents,
citizens, and kids involved, with a real sense they could make a difference.
‹ 22 ›
“The grant was extremely helpful in us getting support from the Kellogg, Kresge, and Mott Foundations. They were
all watching, and noticed that Skillman stepped up and put money into Southwest Solutions, which helped us get
the Harriet Tubman Center off the ground.”
How do you see Detroit’s future?
Detroit is changing. New people are moving in. Some new businesses
are moving in. But at the same time, people who can, are moving out.
So there’s new hope, but there’s still discouragement caused by
abandoned houses, crime and persistent poverty. There is a lack of a
real strong coherent voice for the 750,000 people in the city. Their
future—and the future of the city—is tied to whether or not they can
have a voice.
What needs to happen to rebuild civil society in Detroit?
It’s important that we take advantage of these new city council
districts, and ask people what they really want to have. We need
a whole new level of civic engagement that can bring out hopefulness, creativity, and confidence, instead of depression and fear of
outsiders and new ideas.
Anything people would be surprised to know about you?
I like poetry. Dylan Thomas and James Joyce. I’m also a pretty
spiritual person. I’ve spent time thinking about who is God, and
are we really being brought together for something stronger and
better—a greater humanity. And I love to play golf. I like good
courses, but cheap ones.
Why poetry?
It gets me in touch with the pain and aspirations of people around
the world who worry about their work and lives. It also reminds me
of the beauty of other human beings and the beauty of creation.
“We need a
whole new
level of civic
engagement that
can bring out
hopefulness,
creativity, and
confidence.”
Although one high school teacher tried to steer him away from
poetry, he followed his bliss. “English Literature was there, and
I liked it. It was better than being a doctor or social scientist.” He earned a Master’s degree in English from Boston
University in 1972. “I’m trying to spend more time now on the weekends exercising and reading literature. It’s a
New Year’s resolution.”
— By William Hanson
William Hanson is director of communications at the Skillman Foundation. Follow him on Twitter @wilhan.
‹ 23 ›
Dan
Varner
Executive Director,
Excellent Schools Detroit
If there were a Pure Detroit marketing campaign, Dan Varner would be its poster boy. Smart, tough, and
tenacious, the native Detroiter and father of three children attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High
School before earning bachelor’s and law degrees at the University of Michigan. While working at a big
downtown law firm, he founded the highly regarded youth development organization ThinkDetroit with
his friend and fellow education reformer Mike Tenbusch of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
But he traded in a promising legal career
to work on the front lines of the education
reform struggle in Detroit. About ThinkDetroit, Varner says, “I was getting more
satisfaction out of the 5–9 work than the
9–5,” so leaving the Downtown law firm
wasn’t that difficult. After a brief stint at
the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where he
was heavily involved in the coalition that created Excellent Schools Detroit, he became its full-time CEO in
September 2011. He took over an organization of two staff members to one that now employs 10.
“I don’t think people should bet
against Detroit. We’ve got
what it takes to make it happen.”
What is Excellent Schools Detroit?
It’s a coalition of foundations, community organizations, civic entities, and educators that’s working toward
the 90-90-90 goal—90 percent of Detroit kids graduate
high school, 90 percent attend college, and 90 percent
succeed without remediation. Second, we need to
organize the community in support of those objectives,
and help folks identify, choose, and support high-quality
schools. Third, we want the coalition and the community
to marry. Finally, we want all Detroit kids in an excellent
school by 2020.
‹ 24 ›
How is work on those lofty goals coming?
The bottom line is that we’re a long way from getting there. Our school systems have not done a good job. Many people
will tell you that’s because Detroit is a poor city. I’m here to tell you that that isn’t acceptable. It would be completely
inappropriate to have a less lofty goal. We need all kids to succeed. Every great success story begins with something that
folks think is crazy. When the Wright brothers did what they did, people said they were crazy. And we now get on planes
all the time. These numbers are movable, and we can move them fairly quickly.
What inspires you about Detroit?
Varner says he likes to explore Detroit neighborhoods in his free time. He lists Russell Street Deli in Eastern Market as
a favorite restaurant “I’m a big fan of good food, especially breakfast,” he said, although his lean frame shows no sign
of indulgence.
Associates of Varner believe he is destined for elected office. His name is routinely mentioned by insiders as
the sort of person Detroit needs as mayor. Of the city he loves, he says, “its hooks are deep in me.” No matter
his political fate in Detroit, Varner feeds off the underdog spirit and tenacity of his hometown. A swimming
enthusiast for most of his life, he regularly turned heads as a member of the U-M water polo team. “Not a lot
of black guys in the sport,” he said of the game built around stamina and toughness. “It’s a great game. I love
it.” His hard work and tenacity earned him honors as a Big 10 Most Valuable Player in his senior year.
“I’m an optimist, so there is nothing that scares me about the city’s future. I don’t think people should bet
against Detroit,” he said with a cool and convincing confidence. “We’ve got what it takes to make it happen.”
— By William Hanson
‹ 25 ›
Dawn
Wilson
Board Member,
Brightmoor Alliance
‹ 26 ›
D
awn Wilson moved to the Brightmoor neighborhood 13 years ago when she found a new house
to rent for just $400 a month. Her husband wasn’t on
board: “He called it Little Saigon,” Wilson said. She
told him in 10 years, she knew things would be
different. “I hadn’t even heard of Skillman,” Wilson
said. That changed in 2007 when Wilson attended a
meeting for the Community Connections Small
Grants program. She hoped it could give her business
a lift. But Wilson, who performs as Kuddles the Hip
Hop Clown, learned that the program, which doles
out grants in the $500 to $5,000 range, doesn’t fund
businesses. Regardless, she felt inspired and wanted
to get involved. “I was humbled and honored, because
for the past 15 years, I’d been spending my life
making kids smile. To do it with a greater impact
was just amazing to me.”
Wilson joined the Brightmoor Alliance and
became a member of the resident panel that
meets monthly to decide which community
groups, block clubs and small nonprofits should
get grants. Now, she’s not waiting for anyone else
to come in and change Brightmoor; she’s doing
what she can daily to make it happen herself. She’s
now a board member on Brightmoor Alliance,
and with a small grant, started her own block club
on Patton Street. She organizes street clean-ups and parties, has helped build community gardens, and treats any
children she sees like she’s their mother or aunt, asking them what they’re up to. And she’s been inspired to go
back to school: she’s enrolled in an urban planning certification program at a community college. “I just thank
God that I’m here, to be a part of this transformation.”
What moves you to take on all of these challenges and commitments?
The children. I’ve been a professional clown for 18 years, and so
many of our children are facing so many obstacles and things that
they have no control over. To be able to give them a moment of
happiness or a moment away from dealing with drama. … The
[small grants program] allows me to do that on a larger scale.
“I just want to
be the smile
in somebody’s
rainbow.”
What do you think it’s like to be a child in Detroit?
It depends on who you’re around. For some children, it’s horrible. But for some it’s beautiful. It depends. It really
depends. For those for whom it’s horrible, I will quote Arne Duncan, who said, “I lose sleep at night when I think
about what the adults have done to the children in the city of Detroit.”
Do you think of yourself as a leader for kids in Detroit?
If I’m a role model, that’s OK. But I just want to make people smile. I want them to know they can be happy,
even in all of this mess that we witness in the city of Detroit. I just want to be the smile in somebody’s rainbow.
— By Krista Jahnke
‹ 27 ›
YOUTH
PROFILES»
The next generation of tenacious
leaders with a heart for Detroit is
already hard at work.
Attend a youth event in the Skillman
neighborhoods, and you’ll find
remarkable young people playing a
vital role in their communities’ efforts
to make Detroit a city where all of our
children can thrive. These young
activists are not only making a
difference in their schools and
neighborhoods today, they’re developing
the leadership skills, networks, and
passion for social and economic justice
essential to Detroit’s future.
Meet three of these future leaders of
Detroit. All were honored in Skillman’s
50 Promising Youth Scholars in 2010,
and both Stepha’N and Hanan serve
as members of Skillman’s 2016 Task
Force, which holds the Foundation
accountable to is goals.
­ By Paul Krell
—
Paul Krell is principal of Kalamazoo-based
Krell Strategic Communications. Follow him
on Twitter @pjkrell.
‹ 28 ›
»
F
Stepha’N Quicksey
»
ive years ago, few would have bet Stepha’N Quicksey would graduate from high school. None of his
siblings had graduated, and in middle school, Stepha’N was a class clown, with grades that were a joke:
one term his GPA was zero-point-three. “That’s one C, one D, and the rest Fs,” he said.
But after church attendance inspired him to try harder, Stepha’N started his first year of high school with a
radical experiment. “I decided to do something I’d never done before—isolate myself and study,” he said.
His experiment worked. In his first term at Osborn Academy of Math, Science and Technology, a charter
school within Osborn High School, the ex-class clown earned a 3.63 GPA. He hasn’t slacked off since.
“I’m now a 4.0 student,” said Stepha’N, who was a senior honors student at Osborn in the fall of 2012.
But Stepha’N hasn’t forgotten what it’s like being a young kid trying to navigate Detroit’s northeast side,
passing gangs on the street on the way to school, and seeing kids getting high in abandoned buildings.
Since his sophomore year, he’s worked with younger kids as a youth leader in the Neighborhood Service
Organization’s Youth Initiative Project (a Skillman Foundation grantee), led by Frank McGhee.
“We talk with middle-school kids about gang violence, drug abuse, gun violence, bullying,” Stepha’N said.
“I want to change the mindset of my peers and encourage them to look beyond drugs to their future, to
realize their potential.”
Stepha’N stresses that Detroit’s young people urgently need positive role models. “Kids fall into traps,”
he said. “It’s difficult for them to go and show who they really are.”
“I want them to look up and see that it’s possible, it’s doable.”
Stepha’N plans to major in criminal justice in college and pursue a career as an FBI agent; he also hopes to
eventually start his own business.
“Skillman is one of the most significant impacts on my life,” Stepha’N said. “I’m grateful and blessed for all
the opportunities.”
‹ 29 ›
Hanan Yahya
»
»
A
t a time when many of Detroit’s most promising young people dream of escaping the city, Hanan Yahya,
a first-year student at the University of Michigan, has a different vision for her future.
“I love Detroit. I have faith in Detroit,” she said. “That’s why I’m taking my education back to Detroit.”
Hanan was born in Yemen and came to Detroit with her family in 1997, at the age of 3. Her family settled
in the Chadsey Condon neighborhood, on the border of Southwest Detroit and Dearborn.
As a young Muslim girl growing up in post-9/11 America, Hanan was acutely aware of the anti-Arab,
anti-Islam sentiment permeating American society, and even her own neighborhood, a part of a metropolitan area that’s home to one of the oldest
and largest Arab-American communities
in the United States.
“We need to eliminate fear in people’s
hearts,” she said. “That’s the number one
problem in our community. Once that fear
is gone, that will be the first step in getting
to know each other and embracing each
other’s cultures.”
Hanan became involved in her community
as a student at Universal Academy, when
Aswan Almaktary, of the Arab Community
Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), persuaded her to participate in a program called
JIRAN—Join in Revitalizing Arab-American Neighborhoods. Before Aswan reached out to her, Hanan said
she never thought about getting involved. But when she began to consider it, Hanan liked what she found.
“You see all these people, all these opportunities.” She jumped at them. In 2009, Hanan was the Youth Outreach
Coordinator for ACCESS’s Bridging Communities program, and in 2010 she became the youth representative
on the Chadsey Condon Community Organization. She’s also stayed involved in JIRAN, and has participated
in a number of JIRAN-sponsored Diversity Dialogues, which bring young people together to discuss racial,
religious, cultural and other issues. “Youth have less bigotry,” she said. “We’re more open-minded.”
Hanan plans to pursue a double major in international studies and political science or sociology at the
University of Michigan. “I’m the first in my family to go to a prestigious university like Michigan, and the
first Yemini to live on campus in Ann Arbor,” Hanan said. “I can turn back and say, ‘Here’s what you need to
do. You can do it, you have options.”
‹ 30 ›
Agoberto Guerra
»
»
A
goberto Guerra’s community involvement began in 2011, when he landed a summer job as an
interviewer for the community youth mapping project organized by Southwest Solutions.
A graduate of Anderson High School, Agoberto was one of the project’s team of 48 youth researchers who
walked every street of their Southwest Detroit neighborhood twice, administering surveys to government
agencies, churches, and nonprofits, while also mapping vacant properties and rating the condition of the
neighborhood’s housing stock.
That led to being hired by Data Driven Detroit, a non profit demographic research and analysis group, as
a 2012 interviewer for another Skillman-funded survey.
Through both, Agoberto gained valuable work experience, along with a deeper understanding of the
challenges young people and families face in a city struggling with high unemployment, poverty and
drop-out rates. “Every year there are people moving out,” Agoberto says of his neighborhood. “There’s
lots of violence, lots of vandalism. There’s no protection for younger kids.”
Agoberto notes that many young people have given up hope of ever finding a decent job. They quit school
and drift into gangs, drugs and despair.
“We need to restore hope,” Agoberto said. “And we need a lot more jobs so they can have a stable,
steady life.”
Now in his second year at Henry Ford Community College, Agoberto foresees a career in industrial
or mechanical engineering. No matter where he goes, he said, “I want to stay involved in
the community. I want to give back to the community what they did for me.”
‹ 31 ›
News briefs»
Carol Goss announces retirement; Tonya Allen named successor
On Dec. 6, 2012, Skillman Foundation president & CEO Carol Goss announced she’ll retire at the end of 2013.
Tonya Allen, chief operating officer and vice president of program for the Foundation, was named the next
president & CEO by the Board of Trustees, effective January 1, 2014.
While accepting the planned resignation, the Board applauded the exemplary accomplishments of Goss
during her decade of service as CEO.
“Carol Goss has led the Skillman Board and staff on a remarkable journey during her tenure to redefine
the role of the Foundation in improving the lives of Detroit’s most vulnerable children,” said David Baker
Lewis, then chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Carol’s trailblazing vision of a foundation becoming a
strategic funding partner in improving the conditions that effect the lives of children has become a reality
in Detroit and the nation, through the force of her vision and her ability to persuade others to take up the
cause. There is no clearer example of this vision than her groundbreaking work on education reform
in Detroit.”
The torch is passed. Carol Goss and Tonya Allen share
a laugh and a hug at a press conference announcing
the Foundation’s leadership transition.
‹ 32 ›
As for her successor, Goss said: “She is an exceptional leader, and is probably the smartest person I know
in this work.”
Allen joined the Foundation in 2004, and had been COO of the Foundation since 2010. She developed the
Foundation’s 10-year, $100 million Good Neighborhoods program, and as COO, oversees the Foundation’s
main programs, communications and technology operations, as well as talent development.
Crain’s Detroit Business
Olekszyk named to
Crain’s 40 Under 40 list
In October 2012, Crain’s Detroit Business
named Skillman Foundation CFO and
Treasurer Danielle Olekszyk to its 40
Under 40 list.
The publication honors achievers in the
community with this award that recognizes
professionals in Southeast Michigan who
have made an impact before age 40.
Olekszyk was chosen for her work to restructure the Foundation’s budget during the
economic downturn in 2008, enabling The
Skillman Foundation to spend $11.4 million
more in grants in 2009 and 2010 than is
required by the IRS.
Vice President, Operations Danielle Olekszyk, center, accepts her 40
Under 40 Award from Crain’s Publisher and Skillman Foundation
Trustee Mary Kramer, and David Foltyn, CEO of Honigman.
Foundation Receives Friend of Education Award
The National Association of State Boards of Education awarded The Skillman Foundation the Friend of
Education Award.
The national award was presented in October 2012 at the NASBE’s national conference to Skillman Program
Director Kristen McDonald. It is given annually to an organization or individual for significant contributions
in education.
‹ 33 ›
Tonya Allen honored as innovator
to watch, and Smith Award recipient
In January 2013, the Chronicle of Philanthropy picked five
nonprofit innovators to watch in 2013, and one of them was
Skillman’s own Tonya Allen.
In the article, Ben Hecht of Living Cities described Allen
as “wicked smart.” In August 2011, the Michigan Forum for
African Americans in Philanthropy selected Allen as the first
recipient of the Dr. Gerald K. Smith Award
for Philanthropy.
Dr. Smith, who passed away in 2008, was the President &
CEO of YouthVille Detroit. Goss and Dr. Smith co-founded
the Michigan Forum of African Americans, which is an
affinity group sponsored by the Council of Michigan
Foundations.
The Dr. Gerald K. Smith Award for Philanthropy honors the work and philosophy of Dr. Smith, a pioneer in the
field. The award recognizes significant efforts and contributions of individuals whose work and grantmaking
activities promote effective and responsive social change in communities of color.
Michigan Chronicle selects
Thornton for Men of Excellence
Skillman Foundation Program Officer Robert Thornton
was selected as one of the 2012 Men of Excellence by the
Michigan Chronicle.
Thornton was selected as one of 50 men from the metro
Detroit community with outstanding professional accomplishments who has served as a leader for the African
American community.
Thornton is responsible for oversight of the Foundation’s
Good Neighborhoods work in the Brightmoor and Cody
Rouge communities.
Senior Program Officer Robert Thornton
shows off his Men of Excellence Award.
‹ 34 ›
Small Grants program hits $2 million milestone
In March 2013, the Community Connections Small Grants program topped the $2 million mark of dollars
awarded since the program’s inception in 2006.
The program has provided funding for more than 600 community groups. The total in grants awarded
through this program hit $2,028,701 that month.
Staff realigned to fit new strategic vision
In spring 2013, the Skillman Foundation adopted a new strategic framework, and announced several staff
changes that reflect that renewed vision for its work for Detroit children. Those new appointments included
11 internal promotions, including three new vice presidents. Kristen McDonald is now serving as the
Foundation’s vice president, program and policy. She has been with the Foundation since 2007. Chris Uhl
was promoted to vice president, social innovation. And Danielle Olekszyk was promoted to vice president,
operations, where she will oversee the Foundation’s operations and investments, including human
resources, grants management, technology and administration.
Kristen McDonald is now
serving as the Foundation’s
vice president, program
and policy.
‹ 35 ›
Financials»
Annual Report Grants Summary
2010:
Number of grants approved: 782*
Grants awarded: $26,393,128
2011:
Number of grants approved: 622*
Grants awarded: $17,354,036
Small grants:
The amount awarded for 2010 and 2011**
respectively was $280,736 (70 grants)
and $310,546 (96 grants).
January 2010 to December 2011
Number of grants approved: 166 grants
Grants awarded: $591,282
* Total number of grants includes traditional boardapproved grants, as well as matching gifts of Skillman
staff and Trustees.
** The Foundation awards grants to nonprofit
organizations with federal tax-exempt status and
revenues greater than $100,000. Through the
Small Grants program, the Foundation can
provide opportunities beyond these limitations
to small organizations and residents working
in our six Good Neighborhoods communities.
To make this possible, we have partnered with
Prevention Network, an organization that
has managed a statewide small grants
program for more than 25 years.
‹ 36 ›
Statements of Financial Position
ASSETS
2011
2010
Cash and cash equivalents
13,413
8,520
Investments, at fair value
413,411
420,497
1,026
18,083
427,850
447,100
Grants payable
5,225
5,880
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
1,603
1,360
Unrestricted net assets
421,022
439,860
Total liabilities and unrestricted net assets
427,850
447,100
Interest
1,703
2,093
Dividends, other
2,889
2,587
Investment management fees
(694)
(1,037)
Total Income
3,898
3,644
16,697
21,332
415
537
5,395
5,058
233
524
22,740
27,451
(18,843)
(23,807)
(4,247)
785
Change in unrealized market appreciation
4,251
39,667
Change in unrealized market appreciation
(18,839)
16,645
Unrestricted net assets, beginning of year
439,860
423,215
Unrestricted net assets, end of year
421,022
439,860
Other, including accrued interest and dividends
Total assets
LIABILITIES AND UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS
Total liabilities and unrestricted net assets
and changes in unrestricted net assets
INCOME
EXPENSES
Grants paid
Grant related expenses
Administrative expenses
Federal excise and other taxes
Total Expenses
Grants and expenses in excess of income
Realized gain on securities
‹ 37 ›
HOW TO APPLY FOR A SKILLMAN GRANT
S
killman Foundation grantseekers and grantees must: Be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
or a government or public agency (city, county, state, public school district); be a publicly supported charity
as defined in Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; have total revenues of at least $100,000 for the
preceding fiscal year and must provide a copy of a current financial audit conducted by an independent
certified public accountant. In policy and practice, offer opportunity and service to all, regardless of age,
race, creed, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation and ethnicity. Learn more at skillman.org.
WHAT WE FUND
The Foundation has an annual investments budget of $17 million. We currently fund projects that benefit
children explicitly and work in our investments areas of education, community leadership, safety, neighborhoods, social innovation and youth development. Most of our funding supports work happening in six Detroit
neighborhoods: Brightmoor, Cody Rouge, Chadsey Condon, Northend Central, Osborn and Southwest Detroit.
Approximately 85 percent of the Foundation’s grantmaking is to long-term partners in our community.
OUR MISSION
A voice for Detroit children since 1960, the Skillman Foundation works to improve meaningful graduation
rates, so youth are prepared for college, career, and life.
‹ 38 ›
O
HISTORY
ur founder, Rose Skillman, has been gone for more than a quarter-century, but her unwavering
advocacy for children lives on through the Skillman Foundation’s work and leadership in Detroit.
That strong leadership most recently came from President & CEO Carol Goss, who steered the Foundation’s
course for nearly a decade. It will continue through Tonya Allen, who will become the Foundation’s sixth
president on Jan. 1, 2014. Allen will guide the Foundation through a strategic shift, as it refocuses all of its
work on a singular goal: advancing meanginful high school graduation rates, so youth are prepared for
college, career, and life.
Rose and Robert Skillman, both born in Ohio, married in Cincinnati in 1907. One of the early pioneers in
the growth of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Robert served as the company’s sales
representative for the eastern half of the country, developed 3M’s foreign sales in England and Europe, and
became the company’s vice president and director. Following several initial years of struggle, the company
flourished as continuous advances in technology led to the inventions of waterproof sandpaper, masking
tape and Scotch tape.
After a long career at 3M, Robert retired and moved with Rose to Bloomfield Hills and Winter Park, Fla.
In Bloomfield Hills, the Skillmans purchased Fairfield Farms, which they transformed into a replica of a
white-fenced Kentucky farm, complete with a stable of horses and colts. In 1939, Robert Skillman returned
to 3M to negotiate the purchase of the Studebaker plant on Piquette Street in the Milwaukee Junction area
of Detroit’s Central Northend neighborhood. He also coordinated the project that would transform the facility into an adhesive plant. He worked for this company as an executive consultant until his death in 1945.
After Robert’s death, Rose Skillman continued to live in Bloomfield Hills and Florida for nearly 40 more
years until her death in 1983. In addition to her love of animals—particularly horses and dogs—and
her appreciation of the arts, Rose Skillman’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable children continued
to grow.
Initially, she made charitable contributions to organizations that served children. Subsequently, she worked
with her attorney and accountant to incorporate The Skillman Foundation in December 1960. She served
as president until she was named honorary chair in 1964. She remained a Trustee of the Foundation until
her death.
The Skillman Foundation staff and Trustees are committed to honoring Rose Skillman’s dreams, and to
using our grantmaking funds and institutional clout to be an effective voice for Detroit children.
‹ 39 ›
Staff list»
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Carol Goss, President & CEO *
Tonya Allen, Chief Operating Officer *
Marie Colombo, Director of Evaluation and Learning
Sara Plachta-Elliott, Evaluation Fellow
William Hanson, Director of Communications
Krista Jahnke, Communications Officer
Jessica Martin, Special Assistant in Communications
Arnett Parham, Executive Assistant to the President
Jessica Williams, Executive Assistant to the COO
* Goss will retire at the end of 2013. Allen will assume CEO
responsibilities on July 1, 2013, and become President &
CEO on Jan. 1, 2014.
PROGRAM
Kristen McDonald, Vice President, Program and Policy
Katie DiSalvo, Public Policy Fellow
Ed Egnatios, Program Director, Neighborhoods**
Laura Hughes, Program Officer
Henry McClendon, Program Officer
Tamalon Meeks, Associate Program Officer
Arielle Milton, Administrative Assistant
Lan Pham, Senior Program Analyst
Simonne Searles, Administrative Assistant
Robert Thornton, Senior Program Officer
Danielle Williams, Public Policy Fellow
** No longer with the Foundation.
Social Innovation
Chris Uhl, Vice President, Social Innovation
Rhonda Jordan, Program Analyst
OPERATIONS ***
Danielle Olekszyk, Vice President, Operations and CFO
Steve Catallo, Director of Investment
Holly Elsner, Staff Accountant
‹ 40 ›
Paty Hinojosa, Controller
Suzanne Moran, Grants Manager
Jaime Schubring, Administrative Assistant
Danielle Skonieski, Office Manager
Frankie Guiterrez, Office assistant, Henry Ford
Community College
Christopher Strong, Student intern, Cass Tech
High School
Marialicia Garza, Student intern, Detroit Cristo
Rey High School
Elizabeth Romo, Student intern, Detroit Cristo
Rey High School
Celina Ortiz, Student intern, Detroit Cristo
Rey High School
Leslie Garcia, Student intern, Detroit Cristo
Rey High School
*** Alan Harris, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer,
left the Foundation in December 2012.
SKILLMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES ****
Lizabeth Ardisana, Chair
Herman B. Gray, Vice Chair
Stephen E. Ewing
Edsel B. Ford, II
Carol A. Goss
Denise Ilitch
Mary L. Kramer
David Baker Lewis
Amyre Makupson
Eddie R. Munson
Jerry Norcia
**** Robert S. Taubman retired in December 2012 after
serving for 11 years as a Trustee.
Staff list as of April 1, 2013.
The Skillman Foundation
100 Talon Centre Drive
Suite 100
Detroit, MI 48207
Phone: (313) 393-1185
www.skillman.org
@skillmanfound
skillmanfoundation
skillmanfound
skillmanfoundation
Cover Photos: Paul Engstrom
Writing: Martina Guzman, William Hanson, Paul Krell, Krista Jahnke
Photography: All photos, unless noted, by Paul Engstrom/Skillman Foundation
Editing: William Hanson, Laura Healy, Krista Jahnke, Jessica Martin, Catherine Stein
Design: Kathy Horn, Blue Skies Studio, Ann Arbor, MI
Printing: Inland Press, Detroit, MI