Crain's Detroit Business Nov. 8, 2021, issue by Crain's Detroit Business

SUPPLY CHAIN

VACCINE REQUIREMENT: What the Jan. 4 deadline means for businesses. PAGE 3

Prices increase as manufacturers struggle to meet huge demand. PAGE 10

CRAINSDETROIT.COM I NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Clockwise from bottom left: Dr. Joneigh Khaldun; Charity Dean; Susan Harvey; Lisa Lunsford; Jen Baird; Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha; Mary Barra.

rom the governor’s office to the halls of Congress, from the board rooms of Fortune 500 companies to corner offices at Michigan’s biggest businesses, on front lines and production lines and on the ground in their communities, these 100 women reach across generations to draw inspiration from those who came before and lift up tomorrow’s leaders as they climb. In this issue, we offer the chance to meet and learn from Michigan’s Most Influential Women in business, public policy, entrepreneurship, nonprofits and higher education who have used their power to make measurable differences in their fields, their companies and their communities.

| COURTESY PHOTOS

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‘The Great Resignation’ hits the executive ranks, too BY DUSTIN WALSH

Kevin Browett spent the early days of the pandemic rethinking his life and career. The pharmacy executive-turned Kmart vice president-turned publisher — he founded Michigan’s SEEN Magazine in 2014 — wanted to do more, to have a positive impact on people.

“Six or seven years ago, I lost my younger and only brother to cancer. Then my dad passed,” Browett, 66, said. “At that point, I took a hard look at my life. I had to ask whether I was accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish from a career standpoint. I wanted to feel good again about what I was doing every day.” In February, Browett became the CEO of Farmington Hills-based

Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders and returned to the field where his career began more than 40 years ago. He sold SEEN Magazine to then-COO Amy Gill. Browett is just one of millions of Americans who have quit their jobs to find another one. In August, 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs. It’s a trend that’s occurred month over month for much of 2021 — so

much so, it’s been dubbed “The Great Resignation.” The 10.4 million open jobs at the end of August, the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, puts power in workers’ hands to chase higher wages, better working conditions and an improved culture. And it’s not just restaurant cooks, nursing assistants and other

wage-earners on the hunt. The same executives developing retention strategies are looking for greener grass on the other side of the resignation letter. Executive searches at Troy-based boutique search firm Harvey Hohauser & Associates have doubled in 2021, said CEO Todd Hohauser. See EXECUTIVE on Page 64

NEWSPAPER

Advancing Black Pathways To learn more, visit jpmorganchase.com/abp.

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McGregor Fund board and team congratulate our president Named to Crain's 100 Most Inﬂuential Women Kate, in turn, names

MORE WOMEN

who’ve inﬂuenced her

These one hundred remarkable women are among the many Detroiters who embody community, service and the pursuit of justice. They follow their passions with tenacity, integrity and joy. They inspire others through their generosity and their vision of a better world. For twenty years, they have been my guides, partners and friends, teaching me to listen with humility and lead with compassion and bravery. It is my great honor to walk alongside them and acknowledge all they have given me.

-Kate Levin Markel

President of McGregor Fund

mcgregorfund.org

ANALYSIS

COVID-19

For Duggan, a third term as mayor with familiar challenges BY ANNALISE FRANK

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s landslide victory last week over challenger Anthony Adams sets the stage for a third term and an all-too-familiar problem that has challenged Duggan and his predecessors for decades: Wealth creation in one of America’s poorest cities. Michigan’s largest city, with its unemployment rate double the state’s before the COVID-19 pandemic even began, faces an un- Duggan even recovery from yet another recession. The pandemic has set back the process of solving Detroit’s long-held labor problems by years. Even with expected job growth, Detroit’s fundamental dilemma — too many residents earning too little — will continue. Economic disparities between Black and white Detroiters, and with the region as a whole, are stark. All the while, the city’s population has continued to decline, despite Duggan’s insistence early in his tenure that he would reverse that trend. In that context, the 63-year-old former Detroit Medical Center chief and Wayne County prosecutor is now staring down another four years in the driver’s seat. Duggan bested Adams, a former deputy mayor under Kwame Kilpatrick whose campaign could not put a dent in the mayor’s well-financed political armor. Now Duggan will be the first Detroit mayor to serve more than two terms since Coleman A. Young, who served five. So, what happens next? “I didn’t run again because the work was done,” Duggan said Tuesday night in his victory speech at N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art. “We’ve got a lot of work still to do.”

A pharmacist administers a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to a customer at a pharmacy in Livonia. | EMILY ELCONIN/BLOOMBERG

MANAGING A MANDATE Businesses prepare for vaccine or testing in large workplaces BY STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the coronavirus weekly under government rules that took effect Thursday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said companies that fail to comply could face penalties of nearly $14,000 per violation. The new requirements, which were first previewed by President Joe Biden in September, will apply to about 84 million workers at medium

and large businesses, although it is not clear how many of those employees are unvaccinated. Under the rule, companies must enact a plan to mandate all employees be vaccinated or a weekly testing regimen for the unvaccinated on their payroll. Employees must either be vaccinated or undergo testing starting Jan. 4, 2022. OSHA is allowing employers to shift the cost of testing to employees. Those costs for Livonia-based metal stamper and engineering firm AlphaUSA will likely end its vaccination incentive program. The company has offered a $200 bonus to employees to get fully

dosed with the COVID-19 vaccine — $100 for the first dose, $50 for the second and the booster — for the past several months. AlphaUSA even extended the benefit to spouses and children of workers — $100 and $10 for all doses, respectively. Now the company is planning to end the program as it figures out a testing program for its unvaccinated employees, said David Lawrence, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for the company. Instead the money it’s used to pay for bonuses will go toward the new weekly testing regimen as required by the OSHA rule.

Magna International Inc. said it would comply with OSHA but does not currently have a companywide vaccine mandate in the U.S. “There are situations where vaccinations are being mandated — particularly if an essential function of a person’s position requires it (for example business travel, various customer interactions, face-to-face conferences, etc.),” the auto supplier said in an email. Borgwarner Inc., said it has a plan for meeting the OSHA requirements but did not provide details Thursday. See MANDATE on Page 65

See DUGGAN on Page 66

NONPROFITS

Reparations effort kicks off with Detroit pilot, national ambitions BY SHERRI WELCH

A new nonprofit led by 18 leaders from around the country is raising money to provide reparations for descendants of American slavery, starting with families in Detroit. Reparation Generation’s Blackled, white-financed strategy will direct privately funded “reparative transfers” to Black Americans for home ownership and other wealth-building pursuits, including education and entrepreneurship, according to organizers. Reparative transfers are not donations, philanthropy, gifts or acts of charity, the group’s founders said, but rather payments for moral obligations

“WE SEEK TO SHOW REPARATIONS IN ACTION AND IN TURN, TO PASS A FEDERAL REPARATIONS ACT FOR BLACK AMERICANS. EQUITY FOR BLACK AMERICANS IS GOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS. ” — Kiko Davis Snoddy, co-founder, Reparation Generation

owed for racial and economic justice. The nonprofit, whose founding board members are multiracial, is collecting tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund the payments to help Black Americans build wealth. To be eligible for the payments, applicants must prove they are descen-

dants of enslaved people. So far, more than $400,000 has been raised from undisclosed individuals and family foundations, said co-chair Kiko Davis Snoddy, managing director of Northville-based Groovesville Productions and trustee of the Donald Davis Living Trust (which holds the majority share of

Detroit-based First Independence Bank).Snoddy is working alongside David Mayer, the founder and president of California medical device company Mayer Laboratories Inc. and founder of Berkeley Housing Opportunities for Municipal Employees. The eventual goal is to expand the reparations made through the group across the U.S., they said via email. “We seek to show reparations in action and in turn, to pass a federal reparations act for Black Americans,” Davis Snoddy said. “Equity for Black Americans is good for all Americans. Systemic racism has kept the U.S. from reaching its full financial and economic potential.” Reparation Generation is teaming

with nationally known incubator Multiplier and local organizations in each target city to select participants, manage contributions and disburse the payments. It launched its pilot application process in Detroit last week. The program will provide $25,000 payments to about 10 eligible homebuyers to help fund the purchase of a primary residence in the city that was home to direct descendants of enslaved people and those impacted by Jim Crow racial segregation laws in the South. The payments will be made on a firstcome, first-served basis and disbursed within 90 days, organizers said. See REPARATIONS on Page 63

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REAL ESTATE INSIDER

California ‘Dormzilla’ had test bed at University of Michigan “The Munger Games.” That’s the headline of a Slate article about, ostensibly, Munger Hall, the proposed University of California, SanKirk ta Barbara, stuPINHO dent housing development largely bankrolled by Charlie Munger that, to the chagrin of many, has virtually zero windows in the small living quarters of the 4,500-some students expected to live there. If the name Munger, sounds familiar, it’s probably for one of two reasons. First, the 97-year-old billionaire is vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a Big Cheese to The Big Cheese, Warren Buffett. Munger, a University of Michigan graduate, contributed some $200 million to the $1.5 billion development at UCSB with the Very Big String Attached that the university cannot deviate from his design in any way, according to the Santa Barbara Independent, whose story on the project and the October resignation of an architect on the UCSB Design Review Committee appears to be the seed for a wide-ranging series of articles about the 1.7 million-squarefoot, 11-story “Dormzilla” and its implications. The second reason Munger’s name may be familiar to you is that you, in turn, are familiar with Munger Graduate Residences at UM in Ann Arbor. Yes, it’s the same Munger. And yes, in many ways, it’s the same concept, although on a smaller scale. Munger told Bloomberg as much during an interview Oct. 29, calling the UCSB proposal an “improved” design of the Munger Graduate Residences, which opened a few years ago on UM’s Central Campus. He gave at least $100 million to the UM project, although Henry Baier, associate vice president for facilities and operations, told me Monday that there were no requisites that his design concept be followed. But in an apparent moment of self-reflection, Munger told CNN on Monday that he regretted not putting (at the very least) artificial windows in the UM building like he wants in the UCSB building. (A Los Angeles Times columnist called the artificial lighting system indicative of a “dystopia.”) It should also be noted that the American Institute for Architects recommends operable windows in its guidelines for well-being, pointed out in the Los Angeles Times column. And CNN spoke with a public policy graduate student, Luiza Macedo, who described a weeklong quarantine due to a COVID-19 scare in her Munger Graduate Residence room as a particularly low point. At UM’s Munger Graduate Residences, students live in single-room occupancies, or SROs, many of which also do not have windows (although room for a queen-size bed, a study area and a private bathroom). There are large common areas the graduate students share with six others in a multidisciplinary setup meant to encourage collaboration. I reached out to the university on Monday to talk to someone about the

The Munger Graduate Residences building at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor was funded in part by a $100 million donation from businessman and UM alumnus Charlie Munger and opened in 2015. | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

“BUT WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT IT REALLY DOES INVITE YOU TO CHECK OUT THE LIVING SPACES, NOT JUST MYSELF, BUT ALSO ALL MY OTHER ROOMMATES.” — Sabrina Ivanenco, graduate student in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business

The Munger Graduate Residences building at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has 2,700-square-foot suites each with seven 190-square-foot single-room occupancy rooms with private bathrooms. | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

concept and they put me in touch with Baier and two others: Lindsay Stefanski and Sabrina Ivanenco. Stefanski, assistant director of graduate academic initiatives, said the windowless SRO atmosphere gives grad students a nudge to “get out of their space and interact with one another.” She called that “really what makes that building unique, and it’s especially important for graduate professional students, recognizing that they are so close to getting out into 21st century careers where transdisciplinary learning and communication and working across differences, is so very important in any kind of field that you’re trying to work in.” Ivanenco, a graduate student in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, said she spends much of her time outside her 190-square-foot room. “At first I was thinking, ‘OK, how is that going to work?’ because windows are pretty great,” Ivanenco said. “But what I realized is that it really

4 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 8, 2021

does invite you to check out the living spaces, not just myself, but also all my other roommates.” She continued: “For the most part, I’m usually in the basement of Munger or on the eighth floor, which is where we have a lot of great facilities,” such as a gym, movie theater and activities room with things like massage chairs and a pool table. Which, I guess, is kind of the point, even if it’s arrived at in a way that the resigning architect described as “a social and psychological experiment with an unknown impact on the lives and personal development of” students, USA Today reported. The Santa Barbara Independent quoted architect Dennis McFadden’s resignation letter from the Design Review Committee as saying: “An ample body of documented evidence shows that interior environments with access to natural light, air, and views to nature improve both the physical and mental well-being of occupants. The Munger Hall design ignores this evidence and seems to

take the position that it doesn’t matter.” Munger, for his part, called that hogwash on CNN, referring to McFadden as “an ignorant man” who is “just plain wrong.”

Land for big Detroit retail largely unavailable Earlier this week, I wrote a piece dissecting why Target Corp. decided that the area straddling the Midtown and Brush Park neighborhoods in Detroit was a good spot for its 32,000-square-foot small-format store at Woodward and Mack avenues. I also talked a little bit about the challenges behind putting a new fullsize Target in the city, including the fact that you don’t just build a standalone Target — you build a Target but also a whole bunch of other stuff to go along with it, in a type of development commonly known as a power center. Those typically require 25-80 acres

of land, according to the International Council on Shopping Centers. I had reached out to the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. for a list of any large chunks of land it had available for retail development. Although I hadn’t heard back by the time the report published, I heard back Monday. Here is what the organization said in a statement: “While Detroit is home to a number of large sites available for development, the city and DEGC are promoting retail development in neighborhood commercial corridors. By concentrating retail in the corridors that serve Detroit’s neighborhoods, these developments serve residents with amenities, increase quality of life, and meet Detroiters where they live,” the organization said. The statement continued: “Sites ranging from 25 to 80 acres are traditionally zoned for industrial uses, and in those cases we prioritize industrial and advanced manufacturing developments that leverage large format sizes to create high numbers of job opportunities for Detroiters. Where retail developments present similarly compelling opportunities, we of course welcome that investment in the city. But there are no large format sites that we are exclusively promoting for retail development at this time.” Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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NEED TO KNOW

CRAIN’S NEWS

THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT

 GRAND PRIX GETS OK FOR DOWNTOWN MOVE THE NEWS: The Detroit Grand Prix is expected to move from Belle Isle to the streets of downtown in 2023, after City Council on Wednesday gave the location switch a unanimous green light. Detroit’s lawmakers had to approve a three-year contract between the city and the nonprofit Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Inc., as well as a permit to temporarily close streets. WHY IT MATTERS: The IndyCar race will move from the island state park, a location long bemoaned by environmental advocates and park users, to the place it started nearly 40 years ago.

 DTE OUTLINES $7 BILLION INVESTMENT PLAN THE NEWS: DTE Energy Co. plans to invest $7 billion over the next half-decade to upgrade the electricity grid in its Southeast Michigan service area, a plan that starts with clearing vegetation that’s the near-constant source

of customer frustration with the Detroit-based utility giant. DTE executives on Thursday rolled out the company’s five-year plan for preparing the electric grid to handle the advent of electric vehicles and their need for juice. The plan calls for DTE to add 700 megawatts of electricity capacity to the grid, enough to power 110,000 electric vehicles or 180,000 residential homes. WHY IT MATTERS: Electric reliability has become a hot-button issue for Michigan’s utilities after a year of extreme weather that caused numerous significant power outages.

 KELLOGG IMPORTS CEREAL DURING STRIKE THE NEWS: Kellogg Co. is bringing in cereal from abroad to help supply the U.S. market as workers at its four cereal plants in the country strike. “We have plants in Mexico, Canada, the U.K. — Manchester is a very big cereal plant — and even as far away as Australia,” CEO Steve Cahillane in an interview. “So we’ll leverage the totality of our global network.” The

U.S. plants affected by the strike are being operated by a combination of replacement workers and salaried staff. WHY IT MATTERS: The strike by workers at the Battle Creek-based maker of Frosted Flakes, Pringles and other packaged foods has been going on since Oct. 5.

 DETROIT COUNCIL REJECTS MOROUN LAND TRANSFER THE NEWS: Detroit City Council on Wednesday turned down a land transfer that would have handed over a piece of land the Morouns’ Detroit International Bridge Co. needed if it was to build a second span across the Detroit River. It was the second piece of a 2015 land swap deal under which the Moroun trucking and logistics family agreed to give the city of Detroit a total of $5 million for improvements to Riverside Park in the shadow of the bridge. WHY IT MATTERS: A green light could have moved the Ambassador Bridge owner’s more than decade-old venture to build another bridge between Detroit and Windsor a step forward, though with conflicting permits from the U.S. and Canada the venture is still a ways off. The transfer was part of a previously approved agreement with Detroit International Bridge, and the 4-3 down-vote could open the city to litigation.

Crain’s Detroit Business adds new editor, promotes another Washington Post. She  Crain’s has added a has a bachelor’s denew manager on its gree in journalism and editing team and proan MBA from Wayne moted another. State University. Laurén Abdel-RazCrain’s has also zaq has joined Crain’s promoted Beth Reeas assistant managing ber Valone into an editor, supervising assistant managing coverage of commereditor role. She has cial and residential Valone been with Crain’s real estate, health care since 2012 as a copy and nonprofits. She editor and news edijoins Crain’s after 10 tor and has overseen years in editing and breaking news coverreporting roles at The age since 2015. VaDetroit News, most relone supervises covcently as digital direcerage of tor overseeing the daimanufacturing, small ly newspaper’s online business, entreprepresence and breakneurship, technology ing news coverage. Abdel-Razzaq and finance, cannaAbdel-Razzaq has also held editing roles at the bis and the city of Detroit.

Corrections A story on blight efforts in the Nov. 1 issue with the headline "Detroit revamps blight efforts, tries to turn around program beset by controversy" misstated a city of Detroit neighborhood study’s relationship to the Strategic Neighborhood Fund effort. Detroit’s new Midwest planning study is not part of the Strategic Neighborhood Fund.

The Nov. 1 40 Under 40 feature gave an incorrect year for Rox Gatia II’s most recent promotion. Gatia was promoted to his current role in 2018. A story in the Nov. 1 issue incorrectly reported the number of Detroit Wing Co. locations currently open in our profile of Gus Malliaras. The chain has 12 locations.

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BANKING

Farmington Hills-based Level One Bank has agreed to be acquired by First Merchants out of Indiana. | COSTAR GROUP INC.

Level One Bank to be acquired in $323.5M deal Combined lender would have $17.6B in assets BY NICK MANES

In an attempt to add more “scale and breadth” to Level One Bancorp Inc., the Farmington Hills-based lender has signed an agreement to be acquired by an Indiana lender in a deal valued at more than $323 million, according to a news release Thursday morning. The cash and stock transaction calls for Level One (NASDAQ: LEVL) to merge into Muncie, Ind.-based First Merchants Corp. (NASDAQ: FRME). The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year and will result in the retirement of Level One’s chief executive. For Level One, the deal marks a coda for a 14-year-old bank formed in the frothy days leading up to the Great Recession and will add considerable capabilities, unique business areas and market share to the acquisition-hungry First Merchants. Shareholders of Level One would receive a 0.7167 share of First Merchants common stock in a tax-free exchange, and $10.17 in cash for each share of Level One common stock owned, currently an approximate 75 percent stock/25 percent cash mix, according to the release. The combined bank would have combined assets of about $17.6 billion — landing it among the 10 largest bank chains operating in Michigan, according to a 2020 analysis by Crain — and have 122 locations in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. First Merchants Bank already has 16 branches in Michigan, located in Monroe, Wayne and Washtenaw counties. In 2019, First Merchants completed a $230 million all-stock acquisition of Monroe Bank and Trust. The deal to create the merged bank will add to Level One’s commercial banking abilities, Level One founder, Chairman and CEO Patrick Fehring said during an interview with Crain’s on Thursday. Fehring will retire upon completion of the proposed merger, as will Chief Human Resources Officer Lani Barrett and Chief Financial Officer David Walker. “They have the sophistication to do things we’re just not engaged with, or don’t have the scale and breadth,” Fehring, 64, said of First Merchants’ capabilities, noting the acquiring bank’s presence in capital markets, private equity and other areas. “We’ve had a great commercial banking group, but it just gives them, as the cliche goes, more arrows in their quiver.”

In a news release, Level One President Tim Mackay said the deal “brings together two organizations with very similar cultures and a goto-market strategy that allows us to build upon our strong commercial banking performance while also leveraging the momentum and growth we have developed in consumer banking and residential mortgage lending in recent years.” The release says Mackay, who became president of Level One earlier this year, will remain in the role within First Merchants’ acquired Southeast Michigan market as will Lending Officer and Corporate Secretary Gregory Wernette and Risk Management Officer Eva Scurlock. Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial adviser to Level One Bank in the transaction and Barrack Ferrazzano was legal adviser.

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Adding scale Assuming the deal with First Merchants is completed, the combined lender would become the ninth largest bank in the Detroit, Ann Arbor and Monroe markets, with 33 branches, $3.4 billion in deposits and 1.57 percent market share, according to an investor presentation. Level One becomes the latest Southeast Michigan lender to be acquired by an out-of-state bank. Troybased Flagstar Bank announced a deal earlier this year in which the lender would be bought by a New York City-area bank. That deal has been slowed by regulatory hurdles, as Crain’s reported. Tracking by S&P Global as of early October notes that the aggregate value of bank M&A deals so far this year has surged to nearly $52 billion, compared to about $28 billion last year and $53 billion for all of 2019. Level One was founded in 2007 primarily as a financial play, according to those who assisted in the formation. It grew to a bank with total assets of $2.5 billion as of earlier this year, based on a quarterly financial statement. John Donnelly, a consulting partner with Grosse Pointe Woods-based investment banking firm Donnelly Penman & Partners who helped with the initial capital needed to launch the bank, classified the exit announced Thursday as “a huge deal for investors.” Contact: nmanes@crain.com; (313) 446-1626; @nickrmanes

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COMMENTARY

Whitmer’s bid for refunds ‘gut punch’ for injured drivers

ANSING — For the past five Tuesdays, Melissa Springsteen has guided her automatic wheelchair into the Capitol, taken the elevator to the third floor and parked outside of the Senate chamber doors. Chad a 44-yearLIVENGOOD oldSpringsteen, mother of five from rural Kent County, has been trying to talk to senators as they pass through the Capitol rotunda, to make her case that they should roll back some of the cost-cutting measures they wrote into a 2019 law that overhauled Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law. Springsteen became a paraplegic at age 15 when a semi-truck hit the vehicle in which she was a passenger. She has since lived a mostly ordinary life in a wheelchair — going to college, getting married, raising five boys — until seven years ago when her body started “breaking down,” resulting in the amputation of her right leg and several surgeries for stomach and bowel problems that were the result of her paraplegia. She now requires an around-the-clock caregiver, paid for by Michigan’s auto insurance law. Until Monday, Springsteen thought she and other survivors of catastrophic car accidents were making progress in convincing key legislators in the Republican majority to reconsider cuts in payments to medical providers that have disrupted her at-home care and routine refills of prescription drugs and even delayed access to needed medical equipment, such as a shower wheelchair and a pain cushion.

Melissa Springsteen, 44, of Gowen in rural Kent County, has been sitting outside of the Michigan Senate chambers each Tuesday for several weeks, trying to talk to legislators about their 2019 vote to reduce payments to medical providers who care for injured motorists. Springsteen became a parapalegic age 15 after a horrific car accident. |CHAD LIVENGOOD/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Then came news that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association to refund a $5 billion “surplus” in the trust fund that is used to pay for Springsteen’s long-term care. “It was just a complete gut punch,” she said. “Here we are struggling to even access the

funds and she wants to take a $5 billion chunk out of it to give back to drivers.” Whitmer’s bid for immediate refund checks of up to $675 aligned the Democratic governor with the auto insurance industry, which is trying to use her request to beat back legislative efforts to reconsider the cost-cutting measures

that car accident survivors like Springsteen are fighting. And they think that needs to be done before there’s any talk of refunds. “I just don’t understand what in the world she is thinking,” Springsteen said of the governor. Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., an East Lansing Democrat and ally to Whitmer, said the governor’s call for a refund is tied to actuarial projections that the pandemic resulted in fewer car accidents and fewer medical claims. Whitmer’s support for changes to the 2019 fee schedule for medical providers has not changed, Hertel said. “And that money should go back to the people,” Hertel said Tuesday. The 2019 law allows for motorists to be refunded for surpluses in the $27 billion catastrophic claims fund if the fund’s value exceed 120 percent of its liabilities. The MCCA’s 2020 and 2021 fiscal year reports suggest there’s a surplus of more than $5 billion on hand — money Whitmer said “belongs to Michigan policyholders and should promptly be returned directly to them in full, in the form of refund checks.” On Wednesday, the MCCA board of auto insurance company executives voted in favor of issuing refunds and said details about the checks will be announced “in the next several weeks.” The governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment on the issue. But in an interview Wednesday on Michigan Radio’s “Stateside” program, Whitmer defended the refunds and called on the Legislature to “extend coverage to people who were injured prior to July of last year.” See LIVENGOOD on Page 63

COMMENTARY

Nomination would spell bad news for community banks BY JOHN LLEWELLYN

he U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is an independent bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, whose mission is to ensure that national banks and federal savings associations operate in a safe and sound manner, provide fair access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. In essence, the OCC provides critical oversight that guarantees that Americans are treated justly by banks and their deposits are protected. Regrettably, President Joe Biden’s controversial pick to head this important post, Cornell University law professor Saule Omarova, would drastically transform the regulatory landscape of government oversight of America’s banking institutions. If confirmed, Omarova, who in the past has gone as far as to propose letting the Federal Reserve take on the deposit accounts of all Americans, would effectively eradicate the community banking model that has provided the U.S. with the most competitive and diverse banking system in the world. As recently as last year, Omarova stated that, “Allowing private banks to continue accepting deposits in competition with the central bank potentially creates significant problems from

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR SAULE OMAROVA, WOULD DRASTICALLY TRANSFORM THE REGULATORY LANDSCAPE OF GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT OF AMERICA’S BANKING INSTITUTIONS. the perspective of systemic stability.” This misguided proposal, if enacted, would essentially nationalize and displace locally based community banks who have thrived by keeping our communities’ best interests at heart. For decades, local banks have served as the lifeblood for thousands of small businesses, by providing the necessary capital to foster longterm economic growth and prosperity in local communities across the Great Lakes State. Community banks provide local people with vital credit in their community, too. Increased regulation of the Big Wall Street Banks also was applied to the community banks and has already hindered local banking networks in favor of the Wall Street Banks. Omarova’s position is a pathway to gobble up the rest. With all decisions made in high towers in New York and Washington, D.C., based on algo-

rithms, the result will be that “personal” is removed from personal banking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. Under Omarova, the OCC would also implement even more restrictive government control over our nation’s financial institutions. In a legal research paper, published in February of last year, Omarova expressed that she would want a government bureaucrat to sit on every systemically important bank, bank holding company, and financial technology company in the United States, stating that it could make sense to, “mandate a direct government stake — the ‘golden share’ — in these entities.” This ill-advised tactic would turn these vital infrastructures into public-private enterprises, ultimately hindering innovation and handing over direct management to the government. In addition, Omarova wants to establish a government-run National Investment Authority, which would exert even more direct control over the domestic economy. “To direct more money into conventionally unprofitable or unproven infrastructures, the public needs to actively create ‘market opportunities’ by exercising more direct control over the allocation of capital. It’s not just about spending, it’s about managing.” This radical proposal would, for all intents and purposes, tie our hands behind our back, instead of promoting the very innovation in research

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited for length or clarity. Send letters to Crain’s Detroit Business, 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, or email crainsdetroit@crain.com. Please include your complete name, city from which you are writing and a phone number for fact-checking purposes.

and development that has allowed our nation to lead the world in technological and financial ingenuity. Biden won back independent voters here in Michigan by campaigning as a moderate voice of reason capable of navigating today’s highly polarized political landscape. Yet, his nomination of Omarova and her proposals are already drawing high praise from far-left lawmakers in Washington, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren. D-Mass. This should come as no surprise, however, given that Omarova has already publicly endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) Green New Deal. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters has become known for his common-sense and bipartisan approach, both in Lansing as well as on Capitol Hill. So, when it comes to preserving the future of community banks and economic growth here in Michigan, I urge him as well as Sen. Debbie Stabenow to set partisan politics aside and oppose the nomination of Saule Omarova to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, when it comes to a vote before the U.S. Senate. John Llewellyn served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1993-1998 and was vice president of government relations for the Michigan Bankers Association.

Sound off: Crain’s considers longer opinion pieces from guest writers on issues of interest to business readers. Email ideas to Managing Editor Michael Lee at malee@crain.com.

8 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 8, 2021

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involved in leasing construction

OTHER VOICES

More likely to be

What will it take to get workers back? There is a path

B2B decision makers

BY EMILY BARNES

A day doesn’t go by without some story about how employers are struggling to find workers, and they’re blaming it on the pandemic. But it’s a issue. Dr. Emily Barnes bigger What employees is provost of want from work Cleary has changed, University in and if employers Howell. want to attract talent, they’d better get up to speed. As the provost of a business university, I speak with employers all the time about how to attract and retain workers. After all, I’m in the business of preparing students to enter the workforce. I hear two things: I can’t find people to work for my company, and I can’t get employees to stay. The issues are related, and everyone is frustrated. But it’s an easy fix. It used to be that everything about work fit into a neat order — leaders were authoritative, and workers showed up, did the job expected of them, and took home a paycheck as a result. Many employers still believe that’s the heart of the transaction, but employees no longer agree. They want connection, relationships and trust. Workers today don’t want a list of duties to check off in order to get paid. They want a boss who cares about them and invests in their future. They want education to advance and transparency from the top, to know the inner workings of the company, so they can see how to be an important part of it. Above all, they want to feel like what they’re doing every day is meaningful. Now, workers care about time more than money. They want to know that how they spend their days matters. The pandemic taught us that employees are quite comfortable blurring lines between home and work. Employers — not so much. That must change. Your boss, your co-workers, are now people who sit in your house with you. They see the mess behind you while meeting on Zoom. They understand when you go mute and off-camera for a minute to deal with a barking dog or a crying child. They don’t mind if you sip coffee or grab a snack — they’ve seen that you must be human even while you work. How can we expect to go back to seeing employees only as people who do a job in a particular setting now that we know they are so much more? As the mom of three young children, I talk to colleagues, students and my boss when I’m grocery-shopping, making dinner or folding laundry. Sometimes, they’re on speaker phone while I drive carpool. My employer knows I am a complex mix of roles — all employers must recognize and reckon with this duality and accept it to move ahead. Where in the past, people found their value at work in a place, a title and a paycheck, now value comes from the quality of the work and the inner purpose it brings. Title and salary are less important than a strong relationship with your boss.

This was ruminating in the wings, When you see your boss spending time on you, you know you matter. but the pandemic sped it up. Now, a You know you have a long-term role lot of talented, credentialed people, in particular women, have learned to at their side. live on one inI wrote my discome again. They sertation on how THERE’S NO NEED TO realized they millennials are hate rushing working differ- RETURN TO THE their kids in the ently, and what it takes to appeal to MICROMANAGING WAYS OF morning. They hate fitting a the modern THE PAST. mold of “I’ve got worker. In my research, I confirmed that more than a to shove my life away, hide who I am, job, workers want a boss who cares so I can go to work and put my face about them. They’ll do anything for on.” They hate the transaction of work, someone who believes in their vision. It may sound sappy, but they’re and they’re not willing to trade their time for money anymore because looking for a kind of love.

see the human side of their superitime is the new currency. To attract employees, employers ors. Banish barriers, drop formalities. must communicate, share the vi- Pull back the curtain and show famiflaws. sion that drives them. Show why ly, hobbies, More likely to be And finally, employers must trust the work they do matters in the professionals, employees to do the job. If they want greater world. including engineers, give and it to them. Embrace They must develop their workers flexibility, architects of life and allow workers — invest in them. That means tangi- the fluidity physicians ble things, like professional develop- to be human — leaving early to pick ment, seminars and advanced edu- up kids, working a hybrid home-ofMore likely to involved cation, and it also means intangibles, fice schedule, not nickel-and-diming in like spending time developing peo- minutes for doctor appointments or health care and personal needs. ple to be leaders, listening to their decisions insurance More likely toabout their welfare We’ve seen that when we have to, concerns, caring at their company have highInnet and their lives. a way, being their people can work just fine from home. worth, income and There’s no need to return to the micoach as well as their boss. home value Employers must share a bit of cromanaging ways of the past. It’s a themselves, too. Employees want to new workplace era. Let’s embrace it.

THE BOOK BY THE NUMBERS:

MORE METRO DETROIT

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business owners, partners or corporate

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involved in leasing

INFLUENCERS CRAIN’S READERS VS. DETROIT METRO AREA

construction

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professionals, including engineers, architects and physicians

of Crain’s readers refer to THE BOOK year-round

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SOURCES: The Media Audit, ”Detroit MI Greater Metropolitan Area,” 2021; 2019 Signet Readership study.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 9

From

MANUFACTURING BEYOND AUTOMOTIVE

EMILY ELCONIN/BLOOMBERG

IN SHORT SUPPLY A worker inspects a Carhatt hat in progress at the Industrial Sewing & Innovation Center manufacturing facility in Detroit. Some Carhartt products, including its classic beanie, will be hard to come by this holiday season.

Manufacturers enjoying huge demand — the challenge is meeting it BY KURT NAGL It has never been more of a hassle for

John Gessert to make trucks at his assembly plants in Michigan and Mississippi — even though each unit has just a handful of parts. The president of Walled Lake-based American Plastic Toys Inc. has found that even toy trucks are not protected from the supply chain crisis that has bruised automotive companies and other manufacturers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nor is anything, it seems. From Carhartt clothes and Whirlpool washing machines to La-Z-Boy recliners and Masco paint, the cost to make products has soared over the past year for manufacturers based in Michigan and throughout the U.S. The result is higher shelf prices as companies look to protect their bottom lines by passing along those costs to customers. “I call it a puzzle, a very difficult puzzle,” Gessert said. “Trying to fit it together and keep things flowing has been as difficult as it’s ever been.”

The unprecedented cost of shipping containers from Asia has hammered many of Gessert’s import-heavy competitors, presenting a big opportunity for his company, which buys less than 5 percent of its components abroad. For American Plastic Toys, though, the puzzle is less a parts problem and more a lack of people to piece things together. The company employs around 250 people, compared with 300 before the pandemic. Gessert said despite wage increases and bonuses, he cannot lure enough workers to handle record demand. That’s led to leaving millions of dollars in lost sales on the table, he said. “We have had to turn away business from retailers who wanted more products to backfill some of the products they weren’t going to get from Asia or were concerned about getting,” he said. “Retailers are scrambling for product.” American Plastic Toys said that rising shipping and materials costs forced it to increase the price of its products, including its popular Gigantic Dump Truck. | CARLSON PRODUCTIONS

See DEMAND on Page 11

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So takin and acro chai State the May “Th pen ing torie stoc er ch Th Carh ees wint issu said den born “I from chal man defi to th prod year to ca ther W Carh ucts be h So, style cust whe C Wal taile from with to p “F flati see for a mat cost or $ dep In mist for t cern Mic mar So Ben spun with nue dem thro were desp $237 Th als and com tion said “T cons men mos Whi Bitz track man A tives the with “G risin

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From Page 10

Some variation of Gessert’s plight is taking place inside executive offices and factories of all types and sizes across the country. John Taylor, supply chain management professor at Wayne State University who told Crain’s about the “bullwhip effect” in the market in May, said the whip is still cracking. “The phenomenon that always happens is you start getting hoarding, leading companies to have to build inventories,” Taylor said. “Everybody is stocking up. It makes offering consumer choice more difficult.” That’s one of the major problems for Carhartt, which has enough employees to handle peak season this fall and winter but is being stymied by shipping issues and unpredictable lead times, said William Hardy, senior vice president of supply chain for the Dearborn-based workwear brand. “I’m in my 29th year, and I think from collective experience, some of the challenges that we’ve seen are new to many of us, and I believe that this is a defining moment for how we respond to that as a company,” he said. “Our production and our sales both are up year over year, and we continue to try to capitalize on that demand that’s out there.” What the supply pinch means for Carhartt customers is that some products, including its classic beanie, will be hard to come by this holiday season. So, the company is offering different styles and emphasizing gift cards so customers can get what they want later, when demand is less crazy. Customers browsing the toy aisle at Walmart, Meijer and other major retailers should still be able to find trucks from American Plastic Toys, but, along with the rest of its products, can expect to pay more. “From my standpoint, I don’t see inflation as transitory,” Gessert said. “I see it as something that’s going to stick for a while at least because between materials and labor and transportation costs, items that we used to sell for $20 or $25 are now $30 or $35 or even $40, depending.” Inflation has been the talk of economists and financial experts in the U.S. for the past few months. It is a key concern for consumers and companies in Michigan amid the supply chain nightmare before Christmas. Some have dealt better than others. Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool has spun the challenges into a tidy profit, with $5.5 billion in third quarter revenue, up 4 percent from last year when demand for home appliances was through the roof. Its gross margins were on par with last year – $1.1 billion, despite the cost of products sold rising $237 million, the company reported. The negative impact of raw materials price increases, particularly steel and resins, was “fully offset by our combined price mix and net cost actions,” Whirlpool CFO James Peters said on Whirlpool’s earnings call. “Today, we are operating in a supply constraint and inflationary environment, which is negatively impacting most industries across the world,” Whirlpool Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer said on the call. “Yet, we’re on track (for a) year of record performance.” At Monroe-based La-Z-Boy, executives are asking customers to weather the supply chain storm hand-in-hand with the furniture maker. “Given the unparalleled nature of rising material costs, we are asking our

Gessert

Hardy

business partners to share in the financial impact during a period where we are all experiencing record demand,” President and CEO Melinda Whittington said during an investor call in August. Wait times for La-Z-Boy recliners and other products have extended to seven months, according to the compa-

ny, which reacted by stockpiling “key component parts” to keep up the flow of furniture and minimize disruptions. “Recognizing the commodity prices are expected to remain at the highest levels in recent history, in July we took our fifth price increase since the pandemic began, but this time also took a surcharge on our backlog,” Whittington said. Passing on costs has not hurt business. La-Z-Boy reported record profit and sales for its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021, which ended April 24, with $222 million in gross profit on $519.4 million in sales for the quarter, compared with $171.1 million in gross profit on sales of $367.3 million during the same time last year. Zeeland-based furniture maker

MillerKnoll, which changed its name from Herman Miller after acquiring Knoll Inc. in the spring, was hit hard by the pandemic — especially its office furniture segment. Despite reporting increased orders amid a return to the office for some, the company estimated a $30 million sales hit for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2022 due to supply chain issues. It has also raised prices. “It’s no secret. We’re feeling the impact of inflationary pressures in the business. We expect commodity pressures sequentially from Q4 into Q1 will drive an estimated $4 million of increased cost that will pressure gross margins,” MillerKnoll CFO Jeffrey Stutz said during a call with investors in June. “We’re also feeling it in the area of

direct labor costs, like so many companies are.” Livonia-based Masco, which supplies Behr paint to Home Depot and other wholesale customers, is another metro Detroit company that is successfully passing on price increases. While its bottom line has been impacted by the supply squeeze, it indicated late last month that strong demand has more than made up for it. Toymaker Gessert said he wonders how long the demand will go on — and if he can hire enough employees to capitalize on it before it’s gone. “We could have had a really phenomenal year,” he said. Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl

LEARN LIKE A WARRIOR AND CALL DETROIT HOME There is a lot that’s exciting about Wayne State University, and living here lets you experience it all. Our anything-but-ordinary housing options boast modern amenities, as well as unique areas to study, rest and connect. All this in the heart of Detroit, the centerpiece of so many opportunities. Now that we’ve welcomed students, faculty and staff back to campus to live, learn, work and play, we’re reminded of what makes our community great: its people. So, schedule a tour, which includes our incredible apartments and residence halls. You’ll see how just one visit to our campus can turn anyone into a Warrior for life.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 11

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REAL ESTATE

Detroit panel puts Packard properties on path to demolition Owner Palazuelo fires back at decision: ‘Breaking the spirit of the democratic hearing’ BY KIRK PINHO

Five properties that are part of the Packard Plant site have been ordered demolished as a result of what the city says are dangerous conditions. During an at-times contentious hearing last Monday afternoon, the three members of the Detroit City Council’s Public Health and Safety standing committee followed a recommendation from the city’s Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department recommendation that the Fernando Palazuelo-owned properties be demolished. The buildings are located on Concord Street at the following addresses: 5403, 5455, 5475, 5819 and 5851. Arthur Edge, the city’s dangerous buildings supervisor for BSEED, said during the hearing that in the last week or so, the buildings were observed open to trespass; had windows open or broken, exposing the buildings to the elements; were strewn with debris and rubbish; and had dangerous upper floors, holes in fencing and collapsing walls. Palazuelo attended the hearing virtually via Zoom along with his attorney, Joseph Kopietz, senior counsel for Detroit-based Clark Hill PLC. Palazuelo said that he has spent $5 million securing the Packard Plant, cleaning it up and paying for security, among other things. But Charles Raimi, Detroit deputy corporation counsel, called the situation at the plant “truly a disaster for the city.” “Mr. Palazuelo ... bought this property eight years ago with grand promises to redevelop, (in October 2020) changed and said he was going to demolish the property, and now he is just trying to get out of Dodge with as much money as he can in his pocket,” Raimi said. “He’s done absolutely nothing with this property for eight years.” During one testy exchange with City Council and standing committee member Roy McCalister Jr., Palazuelo said the committee was “breaking the spirit of the democratic hearing.”

A Detroit City Council committee has approved a recommended demolition of five Fernando Palazuelo-owned properties on Concord Street that are part of the Packard Plant on the city’s east side. | KIRK PINHO/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

“Don’t go there,” McCalister responded. An email was sent Tuesday morning to Kopietz and Palazuelo seeking comment and information about possible appeals to the committee’s decision, which was unanimous. During the meeting, Palazuelo described his opposition to the ordered demolition. “I am in complete disagreement of the pressure of the city against those properties,” he said. “They do not pose a danger for the neighbor-

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hood, and I am in complete disagreement. We have spent $5 million in abatements and cleanups and the property is 24-hours, sevendays-a-week duly protected, duly observed by our security team. I am in complete opposition of the whole process that unfortunately you are dealing with.” Kopietz also said that demolition of those properties would be difficult because they are part of what essentially is one interconnected structure. “The specific addresses at play, if you look at those, those are part and parcel adjoined to adjacent structures which are not up for demolition and it would be impossible to demolish pieces out of the middle of the buildings,” Kopietz said. The vote comes at a key time for Palazuelo, the Spanish developer who now lives in Peru. He says he has a well-capitalized developer in line to buy the property. He says an agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year, with the deal closing by the end of March. He did not identify the developer. A report last month in the Detroit Free Press said that Kansas City-based NorthPoint Development LLC had been interested in the property but backed away. Palazuelo paid $405,000 for the Packard Plant — more than 40 parcels totaling more than 3 million square feet across 40 or so acres of Detroit’s east side — at a 2013 Wayne County tax-foreclosure auction, promising an ambitious redevelopment of the property over the course of more than a decade. However, a year ago he pivoted and instead put the Packard up for

sale with the suggestion that the entire plant could be razed to make way for new industrial, warehouse and distribution uses — long viewed as the more feasible reuse of the site rather than the apartments, coffee shops, breweries and office space he envisioned initially. Over the years, Palazuelo’s stewardship of the property has been wracked with blemishes, including nearly losing the property earlier this year to the same property-tax foreclosure process that allowed him to purchase it in 2013 for less than the cost of an average home in Ann Arbor. The bridge that spanned East Grand Boulevard collapsed in January 2019. A photo shoot with wild animals, including a tiger, two wolves and a bobcat, drew international attention. Palazuelo failed to pay about $6,000 in rent at his office, prompting an eviction. In the past month, the city has scrapped its public funding of the planned $23 million renovation of the former administrative building. An appeal of the decision on demolition would have to go through the Department of Administrative Hearings, said Georgette Johnson, press secretary for BSEED and the Department of Public Works. If the City Council approves the order of demolition, the Detroit Demolition Department would then be tasked with scheduling the demolition date. A statement from BSEED Tuesday afternoon says there have been 582 tickets with $542,800 in fines issued the last several years. “The Law Department initiated a

consent agreement in late 2019 or early 2020 to attempt to get the owner into compliance by addressing serious safety issues. Due to a lack of progress addressing these issues, the city filed a lawsuit in March of this year. In July, the city amended the complaint to ask the judge to declare the building a public nuisance and to require the owner to tear it down at his own expense.” Rick Portwood, owner of Detroit-based The Display Group, which has its headquarters next to Palazuelo’s Packard Plant, said chunks of the plant were falling on his building and causing damage. Portwood said Tuesday morning that he was at a fundraiser for Duggan’s mayoral re-election campaign on Friday and brought the issue up with Duggan, who is seeking a third term and is running against challenger Anthony Adams in Tuesday’s general election. “I just want someone to come in and secure it, which is why I brought it to the city’s attention because there is not much we can do on our own,” Portwood said. “They had a crew out right away, and they are going to deal with it somehow. The entire structure has pieces falling off it, so something’s got to be done with that place.” The BSEED statement said Monday’s hearing “was initiated about four weeks ago” and “included multiple properties for which BSEED is seeking a demolition order designation from City Council to clear the way for demolition.” Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

12 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 8, 2021

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A conceptual rendering of the proposed Jollibee restaurant slated to go in the former Denny’s space in Sterling Heights near Lakeside Mall. | COURTESY OF ALRIG USA INC.

Popular Filipino chain Jollibee to open first Michigan location BY KIRK PINHO

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The first Michigan location of a popular Filipino fast-food chain is headed to one of the region’s busiest retail corridors. A nearly 2,500-square-foot Jollibee is expected to be built on the site of the former Denny’s restaurant that closed in October 2020 on a Lakeside Mall outlot at 44945 Woodridge Drive in Sterling Heights, according to Planning Commission documents from August. The Denny’s building would be torn down and the new Jollibee, with a double drive-thru and some 360 square feet of outdoor patio seating, would be built in its place on the 1.24-acre site. It would join other popular fast-casual options like Chicago-based Portillo’s, which opened in March; Chick-Fil-A, which opened in January across Hall Road in Shelby Township; and an incoming Shake Shack restaurant along that stretch of Hall Road/M-59. Jollibee, which started in the Philippines in 1978, is known for its fried chicken; spaghetti, which has a sweet sauce and includes meats like ham

and hot dog; hamburgers; and peach mango pie. In addition, it features the Palabok Fiesta, a Filipino noodle dish. The property is owned by an entity called Sterling Heights Retail Management III LLC, which is registered to Gabe Schuchman, who is managing director of Bingham Farms-based landlord and developer Alrig USA LLC and a broker with Mid-America Real Estate Michigan Inc. Schuchman said in an email that the $4 million development, which is being built by Alright USA Construction, is expected to start in either January or February. He said Jollibee picked the location because of “regionality” and “exposure,” and because “Hall Road is an amazing first-to-the-market location for a new concept.” The Planning Commission documents say Jollibee, which has 1,300 restaurants worldwide, has been expanding in the U.S. in recent years, with more than three dozen restaurants across the country. There are locations in California, Hawaii, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

A variance was granted in July to allow the fast-food restaurant to operate within 500 feet of another fastfood restaurant, the Planning Commission document says. Hours would be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and there would be approximately 15 employees in the restaurant at any given time. According to the Wall Street Journal, Jollibee Food Corp. had the equivalent of about $2.56 billion in revenue last year, down from $3.55 billion in 2019. In the second quarter, it reported the equivalent of $726.1 million in sales, up from $686.3 million in the first quarter. Forbes reported earlier this year that, based on revenue, it is the largest fast-food chain in the Philippines. QSR Magazine, which covers the quick service and fast-casual dining industry, reported this summer that Jollibee plans to have 300 locations in North America by 2024; locations in downtown Chicago, New York City and Vancouver are all set to open this year alone. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate One gets new Southfield HQ BY KIRK PINHO

Real Estate One is moving into a new Southfield headquarters. The residential real estate brokerage firm is taking the first and fifth floors of the 151,000-square-foot Evergreen Atrium office building at 26261 Evergreen Rd. Under the deal announced this week, the Real Estate One Academy is occupying the first floor as a training space for new real estate agents while the building’s fifth floor would house Real Estate One and its affiliated companies like John Adams Mortgage, Capital Title, Insurance One, Rental Management One, Investments One and Relocation America International, according to a press release by Royal Oak-based developer and landlord Etkin LLC, which owns the building. Dan Elsea, president of brokerage services for Real Estate One, said Tuesday afternoon that the company’s space needs changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the firm taking only about 21,000 square feet in Evergreen Atrium compared to about 40,000 square feet in its existing building. “We were on two floors and we can

Real Estate One is expected to open its new, smaller headquarters space in the Evergreen Atrium office building in Southfield in April. | COSTAR GROUP INC.

consolidate into one,” Elsea said, noting that the same amount of staff can occupy a substantially smaller footprint because of work-from-home and hoteling office practices made more common during the pandemic. Currently, the Real Estate One Academy and Real Estate One and its affiliated companies are in the former Maccabees Center building (now known as The Century), also in Southfield at 25800 Northwestern Highway. That 308,000-square-foot building, which features prominent Real Estate One signage at the top, is owned by Livonia-based Schostak Bros. & Co. Signage also plays a key role in the Evergreen Atrium deal, Elsea said. “We were able to get good signage

on the building,” he said. Although Real Estate One could have put all of its employees on one floor in The Century, reducing its footprint like that would jeopardize its signage (“rightfully so,” Elsea said) agreement in favor of a larger tenant. Construction on the new space is expected to cost less than $1 million and start early next year, with the build out complete by April, Elsea said. About 140 people are expected to work out of the space, although Real Estate One employs some 3,000 around the region, the large majority of whom work as real estate agents. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FORUM

SPONSORED BY LOCKTON

HOW 2022 WILL CREATE ALL-NEW COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Lawmakers have released a barrage of new compliance issues for employers — the likes of which we haven’t seen since the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). COVID-19-related issues, new employer health plan requirements and changes proposed by Congress as part of Jon Snead, AHIC, the Build Back Better Act LIC, Sr. Vice President (BBBA) are all on deck. at Lockton with over 30 years of employee Let’s take a quick look benefits and human at some of the issues resources experience. employers will be facing. Vaccine and Testing Mandates The Biden administration has already announced that employers with 100 or more employees will be required either to implement a vaccine mandate or provide proof of regular testing. OSHA has developed guidance on this issue that has not yet been released. While these rules are still being reviewed, many employers have already begun creating their own response. Here are some examples: • Mandate the vaccine. Employers who mandate the vaccine must provide accommodations for employees with medical or religious objections. Some employers are requiring frequent testing as an accommodation. A copy of a vaccine card serves as proof.

• Offer an incentive as part of the health plan. Some employers are offering vaccinated employees a premium discount or adding a premium surcharge for unvaccinated employees.

language with vendors - Broker and consultant fee disclosures • Section 125 plan accommodations • COBRA outbreak period administration and reporting to claim subsidies • Mental health parity nonquantitative limits comparative analysis

• Offer an incentive outside of the health plan. Other employers are offering incentives, such as extra paid time off, a gift card, or even a bonus.

BBBA

ERISA Compliance

As the calendar flips to 2022, employers and insurers alike face a litany of compliance challenges, including: • Surprise medical billing ban - New plan disclosures including an advance EOB - Arbitration process - New processes for calculating deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums • Transparency - Reporting of details about the plan including costs for in-network, out of network, and (eventually) pharmacy - Development of a cost comparison tool - Accurate network directories - Updated ID cards - Prohibitions on certain contractual

Debate continues on the BBBA. Although still a moving target, changes may include: • ACA employer mandate changes − Reduces affordability to 8.5% without inflation adjustment − Makes expanded exchange subsidies permanent • Additional enforcement for mental health parity On the bright side, Congress may lower prescription drug costs for employer health plan sponsors and extend the short-term rule allowing first dollar coverage for telemedicine without jeopardizing HSA eligibility. To learn more, please contact Jon Snead at jsnead@lockton.com.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 15

Terry Barclay President and CEO | Inforum

From the governor’s office to the halls of Congress, from the board rooms of Fortune 500 companies to corner offices at Michigan’s biggest businesses, on front lines and production lines and on the ground in their communities, these 100 women reach across generations to draw inspiration from those who came before and lift up tomorrow’s leaders as they climb. Every five years since 1997, Crain’s has named a list of Michigan’s most influential women in business, public policy, entrepreneurship, nonprofits and higher education who have used their power to make measurable differences in their field, their companies, their communities and the region and state. Nominations came from these women’s peers, from past honorees, from our readers, and from Crain’s reporters and editors. The final list was selected by top newsroom leadership based on the significance of their contributions and specific stories of real influence and impact. Meet them: Join us for a keynote conversation with some of this year’s influential women and an awards presentation, followed by a networking happy hour, on the evening of Nov. 18 at The Fillmore in Detroit. For more information or to register, visit crainsdetroit.com/events.

Colleen Allen

PRESIDENT & CEO | AUTISM ALLIANCE OF MICHIGAN

Career trajectory: With a degree from the University of Michigan in psychology, a master’s degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University in speech language pathology, Colleen Allen started her career with a two-year clinical fellowship at Henry Ford Health System. Allen, 54, has a cousin with autism and witnessed the challenges that he and his family faced. Her work as a speech pathologist at HFHS not only reinforced the difficulties children and their families have accessing care, funding care and finding much-needed support, but it enhanced her interest in children with autism. While she loved her work, about 15 years into her career she realized she was increasingly frustrated with the system. While children with autism would see a speech pathologist, neurologist, psychologist and physical therapist, no one was coordinating their overall care.

“I wanted to change that. So, I appreciate Henry Ford for helping create what’s now called the Henry Ford Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities,” said Allen, who was the Center’s first director. “It was one of the most rewarding times of my career.” Soon, she understood that more needed to be done. She was trying to create a program, but families had no way to pay for the care there because they weren’t covered by insurance or Medicaid. Allen then became a diligent advocate for legislative change. She joined the Autism Alliance, “a third-party, unbiased entity that can guide a family to the resources that meet their needs.” Gov. Rick Snyder appointed her the inaugural chair of the Michigan Autism Council. Power metrics and job highlights: Under Allen’s leadership, the Autism Alliance directly serves more than 8,000 families yearly in Michigan. The nonprofit’s community and

family trainings reach another 40,000 families. She manages a budget of more than $3.8 million a year. Biggest win: In 2012, after advocating with multiple stakeholders, including families, universities and business leaders, Allen and her team were successful in getting legislators to mandate health insurers cover evidence-based autism interventions. In 2014, she worked with state department leadership to add Medicaid coverage for similar treatments. Surprising fact about herself: “I worked in a factory on an assembly line the summer before my freshman year at college. I think about the people I met who labored every day to provide for their families, earning the same pay that supported my college tuition. I have such deep respect for these workers and am grateful every day for the opportunities I've been afforded.” Biggest influence on her career: “My husband, David. He is my constant motivator. He is always giving me the best advice about how to elevate myself.” — Leslie D. Green

accomplishment to date, but she’s hopeful that her current venture, Fifth Eye, a University of Michigan spinout company, could hit another home run. The startup has gotten some early approvals from federal regulators and a commercial rollout is underway. “The reason behind the company is that we can detect early signs of human dynamic instability in hospital patients,” said Baird. “And that is kind of new information that doctors and nurses didn’t previously have on a continuous basis. There’s a really exciting opportunity to provide a tool that can make a difference on some of the biggest problems that hospitals face, which is undetected patient deterioration.”

How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “There’s been steady progress over the course of my career in terms of women moving into bigger and stronger leadership roles. Across the board, there’s been a greater embracing of women in those roles.” Advice to younger women in the industry: “I have two daughters who are both in graduate school — one medical student and another in forensic science — and a son-in-law becoming a teacher. So I have three young people in the earliest stages of their careers. And the biggest thing I’m always talking to them about, and I would say to myself if I were back in their shoes, is just follow the path where it makes your heart sing,” Baird said. “It’s tremendously important for people to find the place that fits them personally, because that’s where they’re going to both be passionate about what they’re doing, and probably make the greatest contribution.” — Nick Manes

Jen Baird CEO | FIFTH EYE INC.

Career trajectory: Jen Baird, 54, has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University. Before becoming a serial entrepreneur and finding successful exits with a handful of ventures, most notably Ann Arbor-based Accuri Cytometers Inc. for $205 million in 2011, she did stints in banking and management consulting. Baird is now the CEO of Fifth Eye, a health care technology company. Power metrics: The sale of Accuri Cytometers to health care conglomerate Becton Dickinson & Co. returned over five times the money investors had put into the startup. Each of the four startups that Baird has been part of has received venture capital funding. Biggest win: The sale of Accuri Cytometers stands as Baird’s most notable professional

Career trajectory: Terry Barclay understood at a young age that older adults were often perceived as frail and in need of a lot of support. But she saw their potential and believed they could play an important role in the business community. Her interest in that potential led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from the College of Wooster and a master’s in social work from the University of Michigan. While working at the Area Agency on Aging after college, Barclay began researching best practice programs and learned about Charles Stewart Mott Foundation’s Operation Able model of helping adults remain employable. After successfully advocating for the foundation to bring that model to Detroit, she became president and CEO. “It was a powerful lesson,” she said. “I learned that if it’s going to happen, it’s up to you to make it happen. You can’t point a finger and say, ‘Oh, this outside event happened.’ It’s up to you to figure out how to make it work no matter what’s happening in the environment.” Barclay went on to earn an MBA from the University of Michigan, and left Operation Able after nine years. She then worked as executive director of Alumni Relations at Oakland University and then senior vice president and chief external officer of Hospice of Michigan. In 2001, she joined Inforum because, she said, “I’m passionate about the business community, from entrepreneurs and startups to Fortune 500 companies. And I have a deep commitment to advancing women’s participation in the economy.” Power metrics: Inforum has a $2.5 million budget, 5,000 members, 25,500 members and friends around the world and 236 corporate partners. There are 12 employees and more than 350 active volunteers. In the past year, Inforum hosted 13,485 participants at 288 virtual events. Surprising fact: Barclay, 64, is the co-author of two books, “The Road to the Top is Not on the Map” and “The Road Forward.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone who is willing to fearlessly elevate her voice while authentically joining with others to achieve their goals. Biggest influence: Her maternal grandmother, an entrepreneur with a hairdressing business in Syracuse, New York. “She was the breadwinner in the family.” Advice to women just starting out: “It’s never too early to begin building your network. Hard skills are necessary, but networks are what propel your career and your dreams.” — Leslie D. Green

“IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO BEGIN BUILDING YOUR NETWORK. HARD SKILLS ARE NECESSARY, BUT NETWORKS ARE WHAT PROPEL YOUR CAREER AND YOUR DREAMS.”

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Innovator • Mother • Manager • Granddaughter • Scientist • Colleague • Motivator • Nurturer • Friend • Doctor • Visionary • Confidant • Entrepreneur • Pioneer • Coach • Grandmother • Thinker • Developer • Guide • Companion • Torchbearer • Specialist • Partner • Advisor • Trendsetter • Teammate • Nurse • Sister • Inventor • Wife • Ally •

LEADER. Administrator • Guide • Pacesetter • Guru • Discoverer • Scholar • Hero • Caregiver • Researcher • Initiator • Aunt • Ground Breaker • Mentor • Executive • Trailblazer • Collaborator • Lecturer • Daughter • Organizer • Niece • Teacher • Originator • Counselor • Dreamer • Supervisor

Henry Ford Health System celebrates the incredible accomplishments of the thousands of women who work on our team. This year, two of our team members were honored as part of the 100 Most Influential Women Awards by Crain’s Detroit Business – an award given every five years to women throughout Michigan whose work has had a significant impact on the state and region. Congratulations to Denise Brooks-Williams and Robin Damschroder on their impressive achievement.

DENISE BROOKS-WILLIAMS Senior Vice President and CEO North Market

ROBIN DAMSCHRODER, MHSA, FACHE

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Mary Barra

Najah Bazzy

CHAIR AND CEO | GENERAL MOTORS CO.

FOUNDER AND CEO | ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL

SEC

Career trajectory: Mary Barra, 59, began her career at the Detroit-based automaker in 1980 as a co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division. From there, she rose through a series of leadership positions, becoming plant manager of Detroit Hamtramck Assembly in 2003. A year later, Barra was promoted to vice president of vehicle manufacturing engineering and assumed a series of executive roles before ascending to CEO in 2014 and adding the board chair role in 2016. Barra earned her bachelor’s degree in engineering from General Motors Institute, now Kettering University, and her MBA from Stanford University. Power metrics: Barra helms Michigan’s largest employer and one of the world’s largest automakers. GM saw revenue of $122 billion in 2020, down from $137 billion in 2019 due to pandemic-related supply chain stresses, including the global microchip shortage. GM is the top employer in the state with 47,940 employees in Michigan and 154,854 employees worldwide. Barra is one of just 41 women leading Fortune 500 companies. Biggest win: “Most recently I am so proud of the GM team for stepping up to help during the global pandemic,” Barra said. “In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our teams used their expertise to source, manufacture and deliver more than 30,000 criti-

Career trajectory: Najah Bazzy is a critical care nurse in open heart surgery and palliative care and a clinical transcultural specialist. She earned her nursing degree from Madonna University and an honorary doctorate from Oakland University. Starting a nonprofit, let alone one with global reach, was not part of her plan. While working as a nurse at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, then called Oakwood Hospital, Bazzy was caring for a baby that was dying. Shortly after the child was discharged to go home, she visited the family and saw that the baby was in a laundry basket because the family didn’t have a crib or much of anything else. Though she knew the baby was going to die, Bazzy rented a U-Haul so she, her children and her mother could outfit the house with everything the baby could possibly need. Later, Bazzy paid for the funeral. It wasn’t the first time she’d buried another family’s child. Many people, she knew, didn’t have the money to care for their children in life or in death. In 1996, Bazzy started holding food, clothing and backpack drives to help the community. In 2005, Zaman officially became a nonprofit. CNN has recognized her as a Top 10 Hero and People Magazine recognized her in its Women Changing the World issue. Power metrics and job highlights: Through

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cal-care ventilators in just 154 days. I’m very proud of our team’s agility and commitment to serve the greater good.” Biggest challenge: Climate change. “It is on all of us to implement solutions, and ensure we’re not leaving anyone behind. That is what is driving our all-electric, zero-emission future, and why we committed to equitable climate action as we transition to this future.” How the role of women in the industry has changed: “When I became CEO of General Motors in 2014, I was taken aback that so much attention was paid to my being the first female CEO of an automaker and I came to the conclusion that perceptions of the auto industry were outdated and, in some cases, inaccurate. There were certainly obstacles, but I also received an immense amount of support from leaders who many years ago saw the benefits of a diverse workforce.” Community connections: Barra serves on the board of directors for Walt Disney Co. and the Detroit Economic Club, as well as the board of trustees at Duke University. She is a member of the Washington, D.C.-based Business Council and board member of the Business Roundtable, chairing the Education and Workforce Committee and a subcommittee for the Special Board Committee on Racial Equity and Justice. — Kurt Nagl

Zaman, Bazzy, 61, strives to break the cycle of extreme poverty by providing basic needs and support to families, mostly single mothers, in Southeast Michigan. Since 2010, it has distributed more than 2 million pounds of food in the region. The nonprofit, which has served more than 2.6 million people worldwide, also works with international NGO partners to provide water wells, disaster relief and other urgent aid in 20 countries. The company operates on a $2.1 million annual budget and has about 30 employees. Surprising fact: “I always wanted to be a part of the University of Michigan marching band.” Bazzy, who played saxophone in a marching band as a kid, said she is in awe of the coordination of a marching band and the diversity of multiple instruments to create something amazing. “I probably run much of my life in the same order. I love being the director of things. I also love when the drum major in the band goes to the back to push people forward. That’s how I live life,” she said. Advice for other women: The key, she said, is finding an equation that works. “My equation has been and continues to be that I never compromise the order of my belief system. God is first for me, my family is next and everything else finds a place.” — Leslie D. Green

LEADING WHAT’S NEXT Grand Valley State University congratulates President Philomena V. Mantella on being named one of Michigan’s most influential women by Crain’s Detroit Business. Since becoming Grand Valley’s fifth president in 2019, she has established a dynamic vision and energized the Grand Valley community to shape the university as a leader, elevating student equity and innovation in education. Her many initiatives include introducing the Grand Valley Pledge tuition-free program for students from low-income backgrounds; launching an accelerated online degree completion program to help adults complete their bachelor’s degrees; creating pathway programs with high schools and other universities to help underserved students come to GVSU; and founding REP4, a national alliance of six colleges and universities formed to support student-designed solutions for addressing equity and access in higher education. We celebrate President Mantella’s impact and accomplishments so far and look forward to what’s next under her leadership.

gvsu.edu 18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 8, 2021

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Jocelyn Benson

Fay Beydoun

SECRETARY OF STATE | STATE OF MICHIGAN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARAB AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | CEO, TEJARA

Career trajectory: Jocelyn Benson has come a long way since working in a Pittsburgh Blockbuster in high school. Because her parents, special education teachers, had instilled in her the importance of ensuring everyone could reach their full potential, she thought she might build her career around education. She attended Wellesley College to earn her bachelor’s degree in political science. However, the day the verdict came down in the O.J. Simpson trial, Benson recalled hearing some women cheering and others voicing outrage over the result. The divergent feelings made her question equity as it related to race, class and other stratifications. So, she also pursued a minor in African American Studies and tried to learn all she could about the history of the civil rights movement and the laws that have been used to create and ameliorate inequality. Benson later drove her grandparent’s old Buick down to the Southern Poverty Law Center, in Montgomery, Alabama, to work as a journalist investigating hate crimes. She also visited Selma. “It was there that I came to realize the right to vote is how civilization grows,” she said. “I was instilled with inspiration and the responsibility to protect democracy for all.” Benson earned her degree in civil rights and election law from Harvard and then clerked for Judge Damon Keith while teaching at Wayne

State University. She founded the Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration in 2011, became dean of WSU’s law school in 2012 and became CEO of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality in 2016. Power metrics and job highlights: As Michigan Secretary of State, Benson, 43, oversees a vast network of branch offices and is Michigan’s top election official. There are 1,800 people under her leadership. Biggest win: “It is, without a doubt, the 2020 election,” she said. In 2020, 5.5 million people voted, the most the state has ever seen. Of those, 3.3 million voted by mail. “That work began the moment I took office working to ensure implement new voter rights, with the right to vote by mail being one of those rights, and ensuring the security and integrity of our election,” Benson said. Community connections: Previously the CEO, Benson sits on the board of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. She also chairs the Michigan Task Force on Women in Sports. Special skill: “Endurance. I am a long-distance runner and run two marathons a year. Being an endurance athlete spills over into other areas of your life.” Surprising fact about yourself: “My favorite movie is ‘Inglourious Basterds.’” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Fay Beydoun’s parents hoped she would become a doctor, but she had her eye on being an attorney. After she shadowed a lawyer, however, she decided to pursue a career in business. She started at Eastern Michigan University but left for Egypt after getting married. Upon returning to Michigan, Beydoun coordinated health care programs for the Arab American Chaldean Council. Later, she took a job organizing events for the U.S. Arab Economic Forum, which is part of Tejara, the nonprofit arm of the Arab American Chamber of Commerce. Power metrics: The Arab American Chamber of Commerce has more than 1,500 members. Through Tejara, Beydoun has organized and participated in more than 25 inbound and outbound international delegations with multinational corporations, manufacturers, CEOs, foreign diplomats and elected officials. Biggest career wins: “My greatest accomplishment is achieved by the confidence, empowerment and trust I instill in … staff, board members, elected officials or our young professionals looking for guidance. … Another accomplishment would be having an extensive, strong network of people across all ethnicities and political landscapes.”

Community connections: The U.S. Secretary of Commerce appointed Beydoun, 55, chair of the East Michigan District Export Council. She also serves on numerous boards, including the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Michigan Economic Center and the Henry Ford College Foundation. Surprising fact: “I love skydiving and being adventurous.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “The role of women in the workplace has evolved tremendously. … Being one of the very first Arab American leaders in my community has helped other women to have the confidence to pursue their dreams. I was able to accomplish this not only by my efforts but also with the support of other male leaders in the community that understood the evolving role of women as they supported me. Men need to do more to ensure that the future woman in the workplace is not only equal but also respected.” Biggest career influences: “My father instilled in me the confidence and the love of people along with the skills for collaboration. My two wonderful grown sons continue to teach me lessons in life daily as they keep me grounded.” — Leslie D. Green

“True influence is the ability to make connections. In what I do, it’s the ability to make connections to improve communities.”

Congratulations Wendy Lewis Jackson Managing Director, Kresge Detroit Program Crain’s 100 Most Influential Women 2021

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 19

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Julie Booth

Cynthia Bowman

CFO AND TREASURER | ROCKET COMPANIES INC.

CHIEF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND TALENT ACQUISITION OFFICER | BANK OF AMERICA

Age: 52 Career ladder: Julie Booth has been at Rocket — previously known as Quicken Loans — since 2003, having previously been a vice president of finance before being named CFO in 2010. Previously, Booth worked in the audit practice at Ernst & Young in Detroit, with Quicken Loans as a client. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Michigan and is a Certified Public Accountant. Community connections: Booth is a board member for Make-A-Wish Michigan and previously served as chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association financial management committee. Booth also serves on the board of the Rocket Community Fund, the philanthropic arm of Rocket Companies. Power metrics: When Booth joined the mortgage lending giant in 2003, the company had just 1,500 employees. Today the company employs more than 26,000 people. “Just being part of a company that’s grown that much, and growing our accounting, finance, treasury, tax, all of that has just been fabulous,” Booth said. “(Now) we’ve got a company that did $16 billion in revenue last year, and $9.5 billion in net income. So growing a team to support a company like that has really been the highlight of my world here.”

“I WAS SO ABSOLUTELY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO STEP UP AND FIGURE THINGS OUT.” Biggest win: Helping lead Rocket Mortgage and its affiliated companies through the process of going public, which occurred last summer. “Going through an IPO of that size, in the middle of a pandemic — we had to figure out a lot of things along the way. Not only ... how to become a public company, and go through all of that, but do it in a pandemic environment. And man, I’ll tell you, our team stepped up. I was so absolutely impressed with the way our team was able to step up and figure things out.” Something recently learned: Over the last few years, she has taken up mountain biking. Lessons learned on the trail can also translate over to business. “If I focus on the obstacles — the tree, the rock, the root — whatever it is that’s in my way, I tend to find it and fall or whatever happens,” Booth said. “If I focus 10, 20 or 30 feet beyond it, that’s where I want to go. Figuring out how to ignore the obstacles and focus on the path forward.” — Nick Manes

Age: 52 Career trajectory: Talented at math and science, Cynthia Bowman wanted to be an engineer. So, she pursued a dual-degree program and earned a degree in computer science from Spelman College in Atlanta and another in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. “I went to Spelman because I wanted to be in an environment with people who excelled and looked like me, people who told me I could be anything I wanted in the world,” said Bowman, who grew up in Camden, N.J., and Denver. The schools provided her an opportunity to intern at a different AT&T Bell Laboratories location each summer. After graduation, AT&T hired her to work in a technical capacity. Later, she was invited to join the leadership development program where she learned more elements of the business. Working with a consultant on a cultural change project piqued Bowman’s interest in human resources and organizational behavior. She earned an MBA in organizational behavior from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management outside Chicago. She then worked her way up at Anderson Consulting, now called Accenture.

Bowman joined Bank of America as senior vice president of leadership development in 2007. Power metrics and job highlights: “We have more than 200,000 people, and in some way shape or form I somehow touch all of them,” she said. Bowman also helps lead the Diversity and Inclusion council and oversees the bank’s more than 300 employee resource groups. Biggest win: Bowman is proud of being able to make a mark in an industry where you hear about the lack of progress, but as a company it’s seeing data-driven results, she said. On a personal level, she said it’s the contribution she is able to make to her four children, family structure and husband to instill values in them to contribute to society. Biggest influence on career: Her mother. “She would say to me, ‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been.’ And ‘Don’t let the past dictate your future.’ She worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, to raise us as children. She now is an educator, who founded a school and still goes into work every day. She is my inspiration. If I can resemble one ounce of her dedication and commitment, I know I’m going to be OK.” — Leslie D. Green

Congratulations

DIANNE BYRUM on being named one of Crain’s 2021 100 Most Influential Women The Spartan community thanks you for your work as chair of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees and for all you do for the state of Michigan.

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Congratulations

Tricia Keith EVP, and President of Emerging Markets at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Every day, Tricia Keith demonstrates powerful vision, creativity and leadership as president of Emerging Markets at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. In this role, Tricia leads a diversified growth enterprise that has expanded our company’s ability to serve customers in commercial and specialty insurance, along with Medicaid and Medicare Advantage markets. The result is the financial growth and strength necessary for us to continue to fulfill our mission of providing affordable health care coverage to the people and communities of Michigan. Tricia’s longstanding leadership also contributes to our company’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity, which helped Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan garner 12 Corporation of the Year awards from the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. In the community, she has engaged important strategic partnerships with the city of Detroit, the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Parade Company to contribute to ever-stronger and healthier neighborhoods and workplaces while seeking to enhance our cultural impact. Finally, Tricia is helping empower the next generation of female leaders through her work with Michigan Women Forward and the International Women’s Forum. From all of us at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, our congratulations and thanks to 2021 Crain’s Detroit Business 100 Most Influential Women honoree Tricia Keith.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Bold. Brilliant. Elizabeth Krear Stellantis Class of 2013 READ HER STORY broad.msu.edu/boss

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congratulates

Linda Little, BSN, MBA, RN, CCM, our President and CEO for being recognized as one of Crain’s 2021 Most Influential Women. We commend Linda on her exemplary leadership and for being a driving force in health equity and population health management.

Bridging the gaps in housing, health and well-being. For more information about our services, please contact us. www.nso-mi.org | 1-888-360-WELL

Meredith Bronk

PRESIDENT & CEO | OPEN SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES INC. Career trajectory: After taking high school accounting, Meredith Bronk, an avid softball player, hoped one day to coach and teach accounting and business at the high school level. However, Alma College, where she continued to play ball, didn’t offer the education degree she wanted. After graduating with a degree in business administration, she moved to Arizona and became an accounts payable clerk at a drug and grocery retailer. Within a short period, she became a supervisor and then a manager and learned she enjoyed having a business leadership role. At 25, Bronk moved back to Michigan and took a job at a temp agency in West Michigan, where she met someone who took a job at Open Systems Technologies. In 1998, she became project manager for the company. Founded in Grand Rapids in 1997, OST is a custom software development company that helps manufacturers, such as Bissell and Herman Miller, make their products “smart and connected.” In 2003, Bronk and six of her colleagues bought the company. In 2014, she became president. Power metrics: OST is a $130 million organization with global clients and 300 employees in offices in Grand Rapids, Southfield and Minneapolis. Biggest career win: “I’m most proud the business model transformation that I’ve had the opportunity to lead over the last five years and being able to do that while retaining very high employee satisfaction. We

built an organization that puts employees first while totally transforming our business. That’s not an easy thing to do.” Community connections: Bronk, 50, chairs the board of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids board and sits on the board of directors for United Bank of Michigan. Special skill: “I am a highly empathetic leader who is able to make tough decisions, have hard conversations and engage in a way that puts others at ease.” Surprising fact: “I am married to a man who has been a stay-at-home dad for our kids for 14 years. He started when they were 3, 5 and 7.” Something you recently learned: “Bringing your whole self to work is risky. When we asked people recently to bring that vulnerability to work, I was reminded of that truth. There’s still great risk in that for people.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: Creativity and the importance of inclusion in technology has ramped up with more women joining the industry, she said. However, women still are significantly underrepresented, particularly in software development. Advice to other women: “We get so busy pursuing and driving and going and leading and changing the world, it’s easy to lose sight of the fun and the joy. Take a deep breath. Have some fun along the way.” — Leslie D. Green

“WE GET SO BUSY PURSUING AND DRIVING AND GOING AND LEADING AND CHANGING THE WORLD, IT’S EASY TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FUN AND THE JOY. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. HAVE SOME FUN ALONG THE WAY.”

Denise Brooks-Williams SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NORTH MARKET | HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM Career trajectory: Denise Brooks-Williams, 54, studied science and math in high school, hoping to become a physician. When she had an opportunity in college to spend time around patients, however, she decided a medical career might not be right for her. In college, she was able to participate in a University of Michigan program focused on getting African American students interested in degrees in public health administration. That program opened her eyes to new possibilities. After earning bachelor's degrees in psychology and Afro and African American Studies from UM, Brooks-Williams went on to acquire a master’s degree in health services administration. Then a fellowship at Mercy Health Services, now Trinity Health, allowed her to work on system-level projects in the health care environment in which she’d always wanted to make an impact. Brooks-Williams later became vice president of operations for St. Joseph Mercy Oakland hospital in Pontiac and president and CEO of Kalamazoo-based Bronson Healthcare. Brooks-Williams became president and CEO of Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital in 2013 and senior vice president and CEO of the Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System's north market in 2019. She’s responsible for strategic planning and implementation, meeting a variety of metrics and supporting new health center sites. Under her leadership, the north market is investing about $320 million in a new tower

and campus renovations at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township. Power metrics: Brooks-Williams is responsible for 8,000 employees, the West Bloomfield and Macomb hospitals and north market ambulatory and post-acute services, which includes 41 medical centers and Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital in Ferndale. Combined revenue is $1.3 billion. Biggest career win: In addition to helping her team throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooks-Williams said it was a privilege to serve on the governor’s task force for racial disparities related to COVID. The task force, she said, helped curb death rates among African Americans in Michigan. Community connections: In addition to being treasurer of the Authority Health board, she serves on the boards of New Detroit, Teach for America and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Surprising fact: “I used to sing in my church choir, but I don’t sing well.” She sang with the choir at the funeral of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Something recently learned: How to use every virtual platform, i.e., WebEx, Teams and Zoom. How the of women in the workplace has changed: “More women are represented in the C-suite than previously.” However, she said, there should be more women in represented in enterprise positions and operations roles. — Leslie D. Green

BROOKS-WILLIAMS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 8,000 EMPLOYEES, THE WEST BLOOMFIELD AND MACOMB HOSPITALS AND NORTH MARKET AMBULATORY AND POST-ACUTE SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES 41 MEDICAL CENTERS AND HENRY FORD KINGSWOOD HOSPITAL IN FERNDALE. COMBINED REVENUE IS $1.3 BILLION. 22 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | NOVEMBER 8, 2021

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Dianne Byrum

Victoria Burton-Harris

PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER | BYRUM & FISK ADVOCACY COMMUNICATIONS

CHIEF ASSISTANT PROSECUTING ATTORNEY | WASHTENAW COUNTY

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Career trajectory: Dianne Byrum’s path into political communications started in the national spotlight of a congressional race that she lost by 88 votes in a recount in 2000. After Byrum’s razor-thin loss to Republican Mike Rogers — cast against the backdrop of the presidential recount that year — the longtime Democratic politician could no longer seek re-election in the Michigan Senate because of term limits. As a veteran legislator, Byrum had four years of eligibility to serve in the House. In 2002, she won an Ingham County seat in the House and became the minority party leader, helping Democrats flip the House in 2006. Byrum used her four years in the House to hone leadership and communications skills that led her to start a public relations firm with her political strategist, Mark Fisk. Fifteen years later, Byrum & Fisk is one of Lansing’s leading political communications firms. In many ways, losing the 2000 congressional race opened new doors. “I would say my biggest win is losing the congressional seat,” Byrum said. “In all honesty, I think I really dodged a bullet there.” Dianne’s political career began in 1980 when she was elected to the Ingham County commission. In 1990, she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, serving two terms before winning a seat in the state Senate in 1994. Community connections: Byrum is chair of

Career trajectory: Victoria Burton-Harris grew up in a close-knit Flint community that believed in the saying “It takes a village.” When her mother wanted to send her to Junior State of America at Yale University, the church helped raise the funds to make it so. As she studied political science and African American studies at the University of Michigan, Burton-Harris learned quickly about the “nexus that exists between Black folks in America and the political system.” So, she was an avid participant and leader while studying law at Wayne State University. She led the Black Law Students Association and was a firm believer in the Charles Hamilton Houston statement that “A lawyer’s either a social engineer or he’s a parasite on society.” “I really had a good childhood, because I had so many resources poured into me by my village. I wanted to take that and spread it through my law school. I encouraged Black law students to use their voices for the voiceless,” she said. At first, Burton-Harris, 34, planned to work in corporate law and volunteer for the causes she believed on the weekends. Then she met then congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who told her there are two sides to the system: the right side and the wrong side. In 2019, Burton-Harris ran for Wayne County prosecutor, gaining endorsements from Sen.

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the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. She was elected to the board in 2008. In 1983, Byrum opened her family’s first hardware store in her hometown of Leslie. Today, Byrum and her family own six Ace hardware stores in Eaton, Ingham and Livingston counties. Biggest public policy wins: Byrum, 67, is the original author of Michigan’s 1992 law making stalking a crime. In the Michigan Senate, Byrum authored a law that allowed parents to take their minor children into the voting booth while they voted. The legislation was spurred by Meridian Township officials in Ingham County attempting to separate mothers from their children while they filled out ballots. “It got as crazy as even an infant,” Byrum said. Surprising fact: Her first job out of college was in sales at Life Savers Candy Co. How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “You see women in the highest levels of business. You see them owning the business, you see them at the table, making decisions, negotiating the deals. You didn’t used to see that much of that. Women were in the background. But anymore, they’re very much front and center.” Advice to women in politics: “I’ve always believed that you need to take risks that create opportunities. If you don’t take that risk, you’ll never know what lies ahead.” — Chad Livengood

Bernie Sanders and other notable figures. Although she didn’t win the race, she gained the respect of her peers, specifically of Eli Savit who had just won his race for Washtenaw prosecutor. Power metrics: As chief assistant prosecuting attorney, Burton-Harris oversees a budget of about $7.1 million and about 30 prosecutors and 20 support staff. Biggest win: Eliminating policies that require prosecutors to seek permission before dismissing a case or offering a plea deal; eliminating cash bail; and prohibiting prosecutors from objecting to Michigan’s Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which allows offenders, ages 17-23, to keep criminal offenses off their records. Surprising fact about yourself: “I am a stickler for folks drinking out of the right glasses. I was a debutante.” Biggest influence on your career: Her grandmother, who taught her to be confident in who she is and to speak up for herself and others. Advice to other women: “I have three rules that I play by: Do something with your life so that when you wake up in the morning, you like who you look at in the mirror; and when you go to bed, you’re able to sleep at night. And do something between those moments that sets your soul on fire. That to me is the definition of success.” — Leslie D. Green

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Carolyn Cassin PRESIDENT AND CEO | MICHIGAN WOMEN FORWARD, GENERAL PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER | BELLE MICHIGAN IMPACT FUND LP Career trajectory: Growing up, Carolyn Cassin wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a ballet dancer or dance on Broadway. But growing up in Ohio during the tumult of the 1960s put gender and racial equality and the ability to protest to accomplish common goals at the forefront of her development. She wound up earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami of Ohio and a master’s in public administration from Western Michigan University. “My whole view was based on what can you do to resolve something? How can you make the world a better place?” she said. Cassin landed a three-year fellowship at the Kellogg Foundation. She credited that experience for teaching her to analyze, giving her the tools to think of herself as a leader, and empowering her to practice making social

change. When her father died unexpectedly and her baby died, she became interested in the hospice movement and how to deliver hospice care in a systematic, widespread way. During her 30-year career in health care, she started the Good Samaritan Hospice in Battle Creek, was key to turning around Hospice of Southeastern Michigan, helped get Medicare hospice legislation passed and started a for-profit organization that she sold in 2009. She joined the floundering Michigan Women’s Foundation in 2012 and turned it around. In 2018, the nonprofit rebranded to Michigan Women Forward. At the same time, Cassin, now 70, was looking at ways to invest in women, though she had no experience as a personal investor. Her

first try was Belle Capital. Three years ago, she co-founded the successful Belle Impact Fund, which has 67 women investors. Power metrics: Belle has made equity investments of $2.5 million-$3 million in 13 women-owned companies. Michigan Women Forward employs 17 people in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit. When Cassin joined it had a budget of about $250,000 but was spending about $400,000. Now, she said, the budget is about $3.1 million. Michigan Women Forward has loaned $4.1 million in microloan capital to women-owned businesses that can’t get banking capital. Biggest win: Being part of a group that changed the world by helping patients die with dignity. Advice to women in business: Every problem is solvable if you put the time and hard work into it. Enter the spaces where nobody else is trying to solve a problem. — Leslie D. Green

Mamatha Chamarthi HEAD OF SOFTWARE BUSINESS AND PRODUCT MANAGEMENT — GLOBAL, AMERICAS AND ASIA | STELLANTIS Career trajectory: After earning an undergraduate degree in psychology, sociology and English and a master’s in English literature, Mamatha Chamarthi taught for a while. But she found the work mundane and acquired an MBA from S.V. University in India. Afterward, she became a market research analyst. Since she was also learning computer programming, she collected data and also built the company’s first computer using a Visual Basic frontend and an Oracle backend to make analyzing data and making business decisions more efficient and effective. Shortly after immigrating to the U.S. at age 24, Chamarthi earned a master’s degree in computer science and software engineering from Oakland University. Five years later, in 2008, she attained another MBA, this time from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. While in school, she worked for Chrysler LLC, Daimler-

Chrysler and Daimler Financial. Between 1998 and 2010, she earned four promotions. In 2013, Chamarthi left to become vice president and chief information officer for Consumers Energy/CMS Energy, where she developed and implemented digital transformation strategies. Afterward, she headed up digital for ZF Friedrichshafen AG. In 2019, she returned to FCA (formerly DaimlerChrysler) and was promoted to her current role with Stellantis earlier this year. In 2020, Automotive News named her one of its 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry and MichiganCIO named her CIO of the Year. Power metrics: Stellantis is starting a new software entity that Chamarthi, 51, will lead. She said it will have more than 4,000 employees and will contribute significantly to the company’s revenue. “Every vehicle is becoming software defined,”

she said, adding that Stellantis expects profit margins from the business unit to be in line with software profit margins of 20 to 40 percent, considerably higher than automotive profit margins that are between 9 and 12 percent. Biggest win: Going from a tier-one automotive company to a much smaller utility company to drive strategy and transformation. She was also on the hiring committee that selected Patti Poppe as vice president of customer experience. Poppe went on to become president and CEO. Community connections: Chamarthi serves on several boards, including ChampionX Public Board, Health Alliance Plan of Michigan and Gartner Research. Special skill: Looking at the big picture, understanding macro trends regarding how the world is moving and shaping and transforming companies. Definition of an influential woman: An influential woman brings her authentic, complete self to the table, is bold and not quiet about sharing her thoughts and ideas. — Leslie D. Green

JoAnn Chávez SVP AND CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER | DTE ENERGY Career trajectory: More than anything, JoAnn Chávez knew failure was not an option. Her parents hadn’t been college educated and her father died just as she was graduating from high school. She wanted to be economically stable, maximize her potential and become a leader. She pursued a degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and then took a job as a financial analyst at Chase. After law school at Notre Dame, she joined the international tax practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York. Chávez moved around the country and then began a rotation to Mexico City. “I thought I was going to live all over the world,” she said. However, she returned to Michigan when she learned her mother and sister needed help rais-

ing her sister’s three children. Chávez joined KPMG and became an international tax partner in 2000. Within a few months, she had not only built a house, but she had become single parent to her sister’s kids, ages 4 to 6 years old. She resigned her position to focus on the children. In 2007, when the children were more settled, Chávez joined DTE as vice president and chief tax officer. She has been promoted three times since 2016. Power metrics: About 100 people in legal, tax, ethics, compliance, corporate emergency management and corporate security report to Chávez at DTE, which has more than $12 billion in revenue and operations in more than 25 states and Canada. Biggest win: Her biggest win was raising three “incredibly adjusted kids that are productive

members of society,” she said. Another win was this year, when she led her transaction execution team in spinning off the $5 billion to $7 billion DT Midstream business. Community connections: In 2016, she founded the board of the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, which empowers Hispanic students to attend and complete college. She also serves on the boards of Cristo Rey Network, U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute and others. Surprising fact about herself: As a self-proclaimed feminist, Chávez doesn’t cook or clean, but she does knit and sew, thanks to her grandmother. “My grandmother taught me, and I’ve carried those skills with me,” she said. Definition of an influential women: A resilient person with a heightened sense of integrity. “You have to be able to get back up, time after time, when you are knocked down or when you fall down,” Chávez said. “You have to be able to pull yourself up because no one else is going to do it.” — Leslie D. Green

Melanca Clark PRESIDENT & CEO | HUDSON-WEBBER FOUNDATION Career trajectory: Melanca Clark wasn’t thinking about a career in philanthropy or of living in Michigan when she was planning her future. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Brown, her law degree from Harvard. Her interest in public interest law took her to Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law where she worked as a counselor. In 2010, during the Obama Administration, she landed a role in the U.S. Department of Justice, where she worked as senior policy adviser for the White House Domestic Policy Council, chief of staff for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and chief of staff for President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. (She also served on the Biden/Harris transition team last year, providing counsel to Department of Justice appointments.) When Clark’s husband got a job opportunity in Detroit, she knew she wanted her next job to be a part of the “exciting things” happening in the city. Since joining Hudson-Webber in 2016, Clark has expanded the organizational mission from its focus on arts and culture to also placing emphasis on creating a safe and just community. “I took our foundation through a strategic refresh that focuses on an inclusive recovery and being intentional about addressing racial inequity and structural barriers to opportunity,” she said. Power metrics: Hudson-Webber, which distributes about $8 million annually, has six employees and about $200 million in assets. Biggest career win: Founding the Michigan Justice Fund, a collaborative of 14 organizations administered by the Community Foundation of Michigan that has so far raised about $17 million. The fund’s purpose is to decrease crime, create racial equity in Michigan’s justice systems, enhance the health of the community and improve outcomes for youth and at-risk adults. Community connections: Clark’s board service includes the Downtown Detroit Partnership, Center for Employment Opportunities, Council of Michigan Foundations, Michigan Future and the Michigan Center for Youth Justice. Special skill: “I’m a collaborative leader who successfully brings others to the table to advance a shared vision and agenda.” Surprising fact: Clark, 46, says she is a bad cook but would love to be better. She also loves to travel and has been to more than 20 countries. Something recently learned: “I’m continually impressed and humbled by the organizations we work with and their abilities to reinvent themselves and pivot to meet the moment.” Biggest influence on her career: “My husband. He is a true partner. If you don’t have a champion, equal partner at home, you can’t move as far as we have moved.” — Leslie D. Green

“I’M A COLLABORATIVE LEADER WHO SUCCESSFULLY BRINGS OTHERS TO THE TABLE TO ADVANCE A SHARED VISION AND AGENDA.” NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 25

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Wanda Cook-Robinson

Mary Culler

SUPERINTENDENT | OAKLAND SCHOOLS

PRESIDENT, FORD MOTOR CO. FUND; CHIEF OF STAFF | OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE CHAIR; DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR | FORD MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION, FORD MOTOR CO.

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Career trajectory: Wanda Cook-Robinson always knew she’d be an educator. As a child, she even taught her dolls. A proud graduate of Detroit Public Schools, Cook-Robinson won a scholarship and earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Michigan State University. Over the years, she also obtained a master’s degree in curriculum development and supervision from the University of Michigan, an education specialist degree in educational leadership from Wayne State University and a Ph.D. in instructional technology, also from WSU. Her first job was teaching severely impaired adolescents in the Macomb Intermediate School District. After 10, years she took a job at Oakland Schools where she progressed through a variety of positions before becoming superintendent at Southfield Public Schools. In 2014, she returned to Oakland Schools as superintendent. Power metrics: Oakland Schools is an intermediate school district with a more than $300 million budget. Cook-Robinson oversees 28 school districts, 20 public service academies (charter schools), about 20,000 teachers and 240,000 students. Biggest win: Cook-Robinson is proud of Oakland’s new STEMi Mobile Innovation Station, a 1,000-square-foot mobile lab operated by two teachers and an engineer. The semi-trailer contains innovative equipment

and holds six different stations. In one station, for example, students can hold a virtual 3D human heart in their hands. Community connections: Cook-Robinson is a member or board officer for numerous organizations. Roles include being president of the Urban Superintendents of America Association, first African American president of the Association of Educational Service Agencies, vice president of Oakland Schools Education Foundation and a member of the Wayne State University education advisory board. Surprising fact: She is a former violinist. Something recently relearned: “You have to build and maintain relationships (with parents, staff, boards and other stakeholders) across the K-12 continuum. Those relationships can help you support, create and maintain an environment where students learn. Once you have those relationships, you’re able to do things you thought were impossible.” Definition of an influential woman: “An influential woman is one who is involved, takes action and makes things happen.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “I don’t know that it has changed. It’s changing.” She said that of the 400 superintendents in Michigan, only 22 are people of color and only half of those people of color are women. — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: After earning bachelor’s degrees in journalism and French from Indiana University Bloomington, Culler, 56, joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she played a key role in creating the national brownfield redevelopment program to spur redevelopment of contaminated, industrial properties. She went on to earn a master’s in public administration from Harvard University and was overseeing industrial development for the city under former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley when Ford Motor Co. lured her away to lead its Global Public Policy office in Dearborn. She later managed Ford’s North Central Region’s Government Relations Office in Chicago before returning to Michigan to serve as director, Ford U.S. State and Local Government Relations, managing engagement with policymakers nationwide and negotiating investment and job creation incentives in plant states. Bill Ford Jr. asked her to be his chief of staff in 2014-15. As an extension of that, she took on project management of the Michigan Central Station project for Ford before taking the helm of the Ford Motor Co. Fund in 2019. Community connections: Culler serves on the boards of many organizations, including

Business Leaders for Michigan, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Detroit Economic Club, Downtown Detroit Partnership, Detroit Institute of Arts and Motown Museum. Power metrics: Oversees $50 million in annual philanthropic investments for Ford Motor Co. Fund and employee engagement in more than 50 countries. As chief of staff for Bill Ford Jr., Culler is helping shape the company’s sustainability, smart mobility, autonomous driving and corporate citizenship efforts and running Ford’s Michigan Central Station project in Detroit. In the latter role she is overseeing the investment of about $800 million to fund redevelopment of the historic train station and other Ford properties in Corktown. Surprising fact: “I was born in Buenos Aires and lived in eight countries growing up, in great cities like Paris, Rome, London and Sydney, Australia. That gave me a real appreciation for different cultures and different ideas.” Something you recently learned: “I don’t work well virtually. I love being in person. I think it’s really important for collaboration, team-building and creativity of thinking.” — Sherri Welch

A WINNING WOMAN OF EXCELLENCE The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi would like to congratulate Kathy George, CEO of FireKeepers Casino Hotel, for being recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Business by Crain’s Detroit Business. Kathy’s dedication and work ethic are a constant source of inspiration for each one of FireKeepers’ 1,800+ team members, providing an unwavering foundation for success and advancement. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in every accomplishment, from our award-winning customer service to the recently completed property expansion featuring an awe-inspiring second hotel tower, elevated high-limit gaming area, and all-new signature restaurant, Nibi.

We are honored to have Kathy George as our CEO and proud to recognize all her outstanding achievements.

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Robin Damschroder

Kiko Davis Snoddy

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CFO | HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT | DON DAVIS LEGACY FOUNDATION; MANAGING DIRECTOR | GROOVESVILLE PRODUCTIONS & PUBLISHING LLC; CHAIR AND FOUNDER | REPARATION GENERATION

Career trajectory: Robin Damschroder landed her dream job as a certified public accountant shortly after graduating from the University of Michigan. She worked as a staff auditor for Deloitte & Touche, which was actively hiring and training women. Auditors had primary clients and “the clients you sort of did in the summer,” Damschroder said. Her primary client was Chrysler and secondary was Saratoga Community Hospital. “After 18 months, I wanted to go into health care,” said Damschroder 53, who eventually became senior manager of Deloitte’s health care practice. She worked briefly as associate controller of Henry Ford Health System before taking increasingly higher leadership positions at St. Joseph Mercy Health System and the University of Michigan Health System. In 2015, she launched a consulting company, called CatalyticFOCUS. In 2018, Damschroder, who was inspired by HFHS President and CEO Wright Lassiter, returned to HFHS as executive vice president and CFO. Power metrics: Damschroder oversees $6.5 billion in net revenue and manages 1,500 of the organization’s 33,000 employees and physicians. Her team is responsible for revenue cycle, supply chain and finance. “My team is help-

ing support the growth of programs and helping leadership and front-line team members shine,” she said. Biggest win: “I’ve mentored and coached a lot of people. Big wins are watching some of my leaders get their first executive roles … and seeing the strides we’re making in communities.” Community connections: She sits on the impact committee for the United Way and is a mentor for Women of Tomorrow. This year, she led the Detroit Heart Walk, which raised about $1 million for the American Heart Association. She also sits on the boards of Iodine Software, a revenue cycle company, and Truveta, a data analytics company developed in partnership with HFHS and 13 other health systems. Something she recently learned: Damschroder has spent the past year working to understand — through books, movies, webinars, community conversations, blogs and dialogue — how individuals contribute to systemic racism and how she can turn her understanding into critical and pivotal action. Biggest influence on her career: In addition to support from her husband and two sons, Damschroder credits a former COO at St. Joe’s who told her that silence is part of the music and underscored the need to listen to people and find common interests. — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: A news junkie by nature, Kiko Davis Snoddy once thought she would become a journalist. She studied business and communications in college before turning to real estate development and investment. Her projects included facilitating the building and rehabilitation of affordable single-family homes and commercial real estate projects around the country. Now she is trustee of the Donald Davis Living Trust, which holds the majority stake in First Independence Bank, one of the largest Black-owned banks in the country, and Groovesville Productions. Her late husband Donald Davis, a three-time Grammy Award winner and founder of Groovesville Productions, took over First Independence in the early 1980s. As managing director of Groovesville, Davis Snoddy issues the licensing rights of a catalog of more than 200 music titles, including ’70s hits “Disco Lady” and “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (to Be in My Show).” In 2016, Davis Snoddy launched the philanthropic Don Davis Legacy Foundation. It provides high school students with college tuition and book stipends and holds a youth investor camp. Named one of Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 in 2018, she is frequently called upon to discuss and empower women

in leadership. On Nov. 1, she and her co-founders launched the national nonprofit Reparation Generation. “It provides reparative transfers to Black Americans, specifically for wealth-building pursuits, by redistributing wealth from those individuals, businesses and foundations that acknowledge the history that has prevented Black Americans from reaching their full economic potential,” Davis Snoddy said. Power metrics: In 2020, First Independence Bank recorded assets of $265 million. Reparation Generation’s first initiative is homeownership. The group plans to provide $25,000 payments to Black Americans purchasing a primary residence in Detroit. The national organization has 18 founders, and they are a multi-ethnic, multicultural group of individuals. Community connections: Davis Snoddy, 51, chairs Reparation Generation and cochairs the board of trustees for the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts with husband Anthony Snoddy. Special skill: “Courage. I have the ability to take adversity and challenges and use them to fuel and power past obstacles.” — Leslie D. Green

Congratulations

Gail Perry-Mason Director – Investments

For being recognized as one of Michigan’s MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN and your commitment to the Detroit community.

Let’s Talk FutureTM www.oppenheimer.com @ 2021 Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Transacts Business on All Principal Exchanges and Member SIPC. 3894695.1

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Alicia Davis

Charity Dean

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER | LEAR CORP.

PRESIDENT AND CEO | METRO DETROIT BLACK BUSINESS ALLIANCE

Career trajectory: Alicia Davis just knew she was going to be a lawyer. However, the career surveys she took placed business as her No. 1 interest and law as No. 2. So, she majored in business at Florida A&M University, an HBCU. FAMU afforded Davis the opportunity to attain an investment banking internship with Goldman, Sachs & Co. “I didn’t even know what investment banking was at the time,” said Davis, who was raised in Apopka, Fla. “My first transaction ended up in the front page of the Wall Street Journal.” Later, Davis earned a joint JD-MBA degree from Yale Law School and Harvard Business School, respectively. From there, her career took off. She practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., before becoming a University of Michigan Law School professor and associate dean for Strategic Initiatives. There, she launched the Law School’s Problem Solving Initiative, which brings together students from the law school and most of the university’s other schools and colleges to teach students to collaboratively develop solutions to difficult and urgent issues in business and society. In 2018, after 14 years at UM, Davis joined Lear as vice president of investor relations, reporting directly to the CEO. In 2021, she was named to her current role. Davis is the

Career trajectory: Charity Dean has Detroit and its residents in mind in everything she does. Dean, 37, owns Dean Law and Consulting, established in 2018. Prior to establishing her own firm, Dean served as the director of civil rights, inclusion and opportunity for the city of Detroit, where she investigated civil rights violations in the city and oversaw compliance for major development projects while working with small and minority-owned businesses in the city. Dean, with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Oakland University and Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit-Mercy, also worked as sales and program manager for the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Dean previously was appointed by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to design, craft and implement the Bridging Neighborhoods program based on a $32 million community benefits agreement for residents in the Delray and Southwest Detroit areas. The Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance was created and Dean chosen to lead it in 2020. Community connections: Dean serves on the Michigan Women’s Commission by appointment of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She serves on the boards of the Wolverine Bar Association, Neighborhood Legal Services, the Oakland University Alumni Association, and is a trustee of the Michigan Citizens Research Council. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Power metrics: The Metro Detroit Black Busi-

most senior woman executive at Lear. Power metrics and job highlights: Davis, 50, is responsible for working in partnership with both of Lear’s business segments to help Lear advance and implement its longterm growth strategy. She manages a team responsible for corporate strategic initiatives, mergers and acquisitions activity, Industry 4.0 and early-stage investments at Lear. Biggest win: “Over the last three years at Lear, I used my past experiences in law, investment banking and academia to ultimately become chief strategy officer. It’s a dream job because I have an even greater opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the strategic direction of the company and work alongside incredible people every day during this transformative time for the automotive industry.” Special skill: Good judgment — The ability to read a situation and make an unbiased decision based on the facts. Definition of an influential women: “You can’t just tell people what to do. You have to be able to build relationships with people to inspire them and to persuade them. They need to know you are genuine and empathetic. Letting people know you value their perspective will also give you influence.” — Leslie D. Green

ness Alliance within its first six months brought on 250 members, according to Dean. The organization also launched the largest-known database of Black businesses in the Midwest, with about 1,000 listed. The organization, Dean said, also opened the region’s largest co-working space dedicated to Black entrepreneurs. Special skill: “I love to brainstorm,” Dean said. “I have new ideas almost every hour, and for almost every problem.” Surprising fact: “I love Karaoke. It is perhaps one of life’s greatest joys.” Something recently learned: “The median white household has a net worth close to 10 times that of similarly situated median Black households,” she said. “If we all worked together to close the gap, the United States should gain over $10 trillion. This startling statistic is the result of intentional policies and discrimination for centuries. It is the thing that motivates me every day to make real change for Black businesses and Black people.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “We have made progress but we actually have so far to go. Since the pandemic, women have left the workplace in devastating numbers. I would like to see our society accept more balanced households, so that in emergencies like the (coronavirus) pandemic, the impacts affect men and women similarly.” Advice to other women: “Nevertheless, persist.” — Jay Davis

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Congratulations

WKKF President and CEO

La June Montgomery Tabron and Director of Michigan Programs

Faye Alexander Nelson Recognized as

2021 Most Influential Women

By Crain’s Detroit Business Both exude leadership, commitment and care in their work to help children thrive, families succeed and communities become more equitable places of opportunity.

wkkf.org

@KelloggFoundation

Twitter: @WK_Kellogg_Fdn

kelloggfoundation

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Debbie Dingell U.S. REPRESENTATIVE | 12TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Career trajectory: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell was fond of politics and the auto industry. In high school, Dingell, who was a Republican at the time, started a nonprofit to get 18-year-olds to vote, despite the fact that her parents hated politics. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign services and a master’s in liberal studies from Georgetown University. However, she said, there was no place for women in the Foreign Service at the time. She worked for more than 30 years at General Motors Co., eventually becoming president of the GM Foundation and leading public affairs. At the same time, she avidly served the community. She is past chair of the American Automotive Policy Council’s Manufacturing Initiative, and a fierce advocate for health care initiatives. She founded and chaired of the National Women’s Health Resource Center and the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health, chaired the Michigan Infant Mortality Task Force and served by gubernatorial appointment on the Early Childhood Investment Corp. She was also chair of the Wayne State University board of governors and co-founded the first Race for the Cures in Michigan and Washington, D.C. Dingell’s husband, John Dingell, was the longest-serving member of Congress until his last term ended in 2015. Before his death in 2019, people encouraged Debbie Dingell to fill the gap and run for a U.S. Senate seat. “I made a decision not to run for public office before I made a decision to run,” Dingell said “Polling showed I would have made a strong candidate, but I made a strong decision to spend time with (John) and not to campaign. “When I did make the decision to run, I thought I had a voice at the table because I had been involved in business and because of my experience working for the things that I care about.” Dingell is serving her third term in Congress. Power metrics: She is on the House Budget, Energy and Commerce, and Natural Resources committees. She also co-chairs the Great Lakes Task Force. Biggest win: “One of the most important pieces of work I’ve done this year is bring labor unions and environmentalists to the table. The discussions that I’ve led have been really important to this country. They will keep the auto industry at forefront and protect the environment.” Community connections: Dingell, 67, said remaining on boards in the community helps keep her effective. “The higher you go, the more people like to filter the information you get. You have to fight really hard to keep up with what’s really happening and what people are really thinking. I don’t want it from a poll or from a staff person. I want it unfiltered from people in the community or my worksite.” She chairs the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, which she helped create, and serves on the board of The Parade Co. Special skill: Dingell said her experience as a businesswoman allows her to effectively bring people with different perspectives to the table and help them find common ground. Something recently learned: Don’t just get flood insurance, get sewage back-up insurance, too. Advice to women: “Listen to other people’s perspectives but don’t let their words stop you. Stay focused on your mission.” — Leslie D. Green

Lynette Dowler PRESIDENT | DTE ENERGY FOUNDATION; VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS | DTE Career trajectory: Shortly after earning her MBA from the University of Toledo, Lynette Dowler embarked on her nearly 25year career at DTE Energy Co. Dowler began in 1997 as director of nuclear supply chain management, became chief of staff of DTE Gas, then fossil generation plant director and continued working her way up the ladder. Last year, Dowler was promoted to her current positions. Leading the foundation just made sense. Dowler, 58, and her husband have spent considerable time giving back to the community and going overseas on mission trips. “I’ve spent a fair bit of discretionary energy outside the company with our communities, and I just wanted to …work with the community through the company. So, I just shared my aspiration with the leadership

team and, as time went on, an opportunity arose,” she said. “I had 30-plus years in operations — bringing the strength that I have in organizational development, and continuous improvement and operational excellence. Bringing those skills in to support our community was part of what they were looking for at the time.” Power metrics: DTE Energy Foundation works with about 300 nonprofits across the state on issues from food insecurity and economic development to energy assistance. Dowler manages a team of about 42 people and a budget of about $20 million. “It’s really about understanding what the community needs and how we can step in as a corporate leader to make a difference, to truly listen to our communities and understand

ways that we can help them grow and prosper.” Community connections: Dowler is chair of the Monroe County Community College board of trustees and serves on the boards of the Sphinx Organization and The Parade Co. Special skill: Investing in people. “I often say, ‘I want the best of you, and I want the best for you.’” Something recently learned: The resilience and flexibility of mankind — in the midst of the COVID pandemic. How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “The role has changed drastically but not nearly enough. Women today can achieve levels and compensation that were almost unheard of when I began my career. But women still make 15-25 cents an hour less than men, and Black women make 9 cents less than white women.” Advice to her younger self: “Don’t be so critical. Give yourself a break.” — Leslie D. Green

Marla Drutz VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER | WDIV-TV CHANNEL 4 Career trajectory: Louisville, Kentucky, native Marla Drutz loved television so much as a child that her parents told her she needed to get a job in television. Being the obedient daughter, she pursued a communication and media studies degree from Ohio University where she happily met students and professors with a similar passion. But jobs were scarce when she graduated, so she went on to pursue a master’s degree from Cleveland State University. That’s when her dad suggested she put her name in at the school’s job placement office. And to her surprise, she found a job at WJW in Cleveland. Eventually, her career took her to CBS affiliate WJBK-TV (then Channel 2) in Detroit, where she worked as marketing director. She then worked in various roles at E.W. Scripps WXYZ-TV Channel 7 for nearly 20 years.

In 2008, she got a call from WDIV-TV Channel 4. “It was my dream job to be a general manager, and in Detroit. I left Channel 7 with mixed emotions but certainly elation and just celebrated my 13th anniversary,” Drutz said. Drutz plans to retire at the end of the year. Power metrics: Drutz is responsible for 175 employees. Under her leadership, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters has named WDIV station of the year five times. It is the 15th largest station in the country and No. 1 NBC affiliate in the top 10 markets. WDIV has received 11 Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Biggest career win: “Having the respect of the room.” Having built a reputation that

suggests she is fair, intelligent, creative, compassionate, and that she can make work “a joyous opportunity.” Community connections: She is chair of the Detroit Metro Conventions & Visitors Bureau, an executive board member for New Detroit and a member of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan board. Surprising fact: “I have a keen knowledge and appreciation of college basketball.” Something recently learned: The country’s recent “racial reckoning” has given Drutz a “much greater appreciation of how much inequity is baked into the system.” During COVID, she said, she learned how important leadership is. How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “When I first started in television, women that were in managerial roles, or on their way, were few and far between.” However, she said, the number of women general managers is still low, at around 3035 percent. — Leslie D. Green

Byna Elliott MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEAD OF ADVANCING BLACK PATHWAYS | JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. Career trajectory: Although Byna Elliott ations, compliance and loan reviews. “REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A few years later, in 2001, Elliott became wanted to help people as a social worker, she studied accounting at Eastern Michigan vice president of regulatory compliance and NOT IN COMPETITION. THERE’S risk management at Fifth University. ENOUGH ROOM AT THE TABLE Third Bank. In 2018, she “I knew it was important to pick launched its multibil- FOR BOTH OF US.” something that had longevity,” said Elliott, who was raised by a single mother in a multigenerational home and was the first in her family to attend college. In 1993, Elliott landed a job as an auditor for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a bureau within the U.S. Department of Treasury that regulates banks. She worked with bank presidents and CEOs as she looked at their business strategies and determined if they were putting undue risk on their banks. One of the banks she audited was First Independence Bank in Detroit, a Black-owned business. “At the time, they were having a lot of challenging problems, and I thought I could be of service (as an employee),” Elliott said. She was 28 years old when she joined First Independence as a vice president over oper-

lion-dollar community commitment initiative in partnership with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. “When I pulled the data that I had by race, I realized that while we had made some significant impacts, we had not done enough for Black and brown communities,” she said. In December 2020, Elliott joined JPMorgan Chase. Power metrics: Elliott, 52, leads 20 employees in Advancing Black Pathways and oversees JPMorgan’s $30 billion commitment to intentionally close the racial wealth gap. She also works to support Black talent in the company. Biggest win: Though Fifth Third’s fiveyear community commitment was for $32

billion, Elliott successfully invested $41 billion in poor communities in nine states and 14 markets. Biggest influence on her career: Elliott’s grandmother, a homeowner who raised nine kids as a single mom on an eighth-grade education: “My grandmother defines who I am.” Louise Guyton, a former executive at Comerica Bank: “When I started my career at Fifth Third, she took me under her wing even though we were at competing banks. I wouldn’t be where I am in my professional career without her support and training.” Advice to women in the industry: “Remember that we are not in competition. There’s enough room at the table for both of us.” — Leslie D. Green

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

BEAUMONT CONGRATULATES CRAIN’S

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL

WOMEN OF 2021. THANK YOU FOR YOUR

LEADERSHIP AND ALL YOU DO TO KEEP METRO DETROIT AND MICHIGAN

MOVING FORWARD.

We salute Carolyn Cassin who has dedicated her career to lifting up women.

Lilly Epstein Stotland

PRESIDENT AND CEO | VESCO OIL CORP.

Career trajectory: Lilly Epstein Stotland earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard and became an investment banker at Goldman Sachs & Co. She had a good career working on Wall Street until the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the course of her life. That day, Stotland witnessed the second plane as it flew very near her building and into the World Trade Center. Like others nearby, she ran for her life through the dust cloud made by the destruction. “I learned a lot from that experience. It forced me to stop, reexamine what I was doing and led me to come home,” said Stotland, who earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. She joined the family business and became the third generation, along with her sister Lena, to help run the company. Stotland’s grandfather, Eugene Epstein, created Vesco Oil Corp. in 1947. The company was then handed to her uncle and then to her father in the 1990s. In 2020, Donald Epstein passed the torch and named Stotland CEO. Vesco distributes automotive and industrial lubricants and other products, such as flush chemicals, to car dealerships, fleets, construction and manufacturing companies and others. The company also collects and recycles used oil and other fluids. Power metrics: Vesco Oil has about 233 employees. In 2019, the company boasted $195 million in revenue.

Impacted by the pandemic, the company generated $164 million in revenue in 2020. Biggest career win: When Stotland took over as CEO, Vesco operated in a few places in Michigan and in Toledo, Ohio. Since then, she and her team expanded throughout Michigan and Ohio and opened facilities Pennsylvania, Indiana and Chicago. “It became clear to me that to maintain our independence for the long term, we needed to scale,” she said. “But we don’t do anything alone. I couldn’t do it without the amazing group of people I’m blessed to work with every day.” Community connections: Stotland, 43, serves on the boards of the Harvard Club of Detroit and YPO Motor City Chapter Special skill: Building an exclusive work culture. Surprising fact: In high school, she was the goalie on the men’s ice hockey team and deejay with her mother for student-run station WBFH-FM. Biggest career influence: “My late Dad showed me a model and style of leadership I always respected and admired. My mother encouraged me professionally and personally.” Advice to her younger self: Take more risks and don’t be afraid to fail. — Leslie D. Green

Pam Fletcher VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL INNOVATION | GENERAL MOTORS CO.

Denise Christy, Chief Marketing Officer-Michigan, MMA; Carolyn Cassin, President & CEO, MWF; Rebecca McLaughlan, President & CEO, Health & Benefits-Michigan, MMA

HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM CONGRATULATES

Career trajectory: Pam Fletcher has always had a passion for cars and knew she wanted to work in the auto industry. With Fisher Guide as a corporate sponsor, she attended the General Motors Institute of Technology, now Kettering University, in Flint and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. During the advent of electronic controls, Fletcher worked on powertrains, engines and transmissions at McLaren Automotive. She also worked briefly at Ford Motor Co. and General Motors’ proving grounds. “I’ve had a career where I’ve been able to pursue my passions. Each job was a learning experience whether at the stamping plant, getting exposed to technology at McLaren or electrification, autonomous vehicles and innovation at GM,” Fletcher said. While working for more than a decade in electric and autonomous vehicle-related leadership positions, Fletcher became even more fascinated with creating growth opportunities outside of GM’s core business. In 2018, she was named to her current position. Power metrics: GM’s innovation team is working on $1.3 trillion in opportunities, launching nearly 20 incubator startups each week, Fletcher said. Startups include OnStar Guardian, OnStar vehicle insights, GM defense and BrightDrop. Biggest win: Fletcher is most proud of building a talented team, especially when she looks at the work

done through two generations of Chevy Volts, the automated driving capabilities of the Super Cruise and other products and experiences her team has delivered. Community connections: Fletcher serves on the boards of Coherent Inc. and the College of Data Science at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She also serves on the board of advisors for UNC’s College of Engineering. Special skill: Seeing through ambiguity and enabling the art of the possible, particularly in spaces where there’s so much unknown. Surprising fact: She used to run the 800-meter relay and still plays the French horn. Definition of an influential woman: “There’s incredible power in sponsorship. We should all be doing that. There’s also great power in inspiring and building confidence.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “More women are speaking up and sharing their points of view regardless of rank. That’s something we need to encourage … as it will more quickly advance an environment where not only women but also people of diverse backgrounds feel included.” Advice to other women: “Find professionals you want to emulate, reach out and learn what motivates them. You never know what that will spur in you.” — Leslie Green

Crain’s Most Influential Women 2021

ALL FOR YOU

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Sheila Ford Hamp PRINCIPAL OWNER AND CHAIR | DETROIT LIONS Career trajectory: Sheila Ford Hamp grew up playing tennis in an era when playing sports was unusual for a girl. She played in tournaments, qualified for the Nationals and won the Michigan State Singles title at age 17. Tennis was her passion and hope for the future. Not only did it help build confidence, she said, but it helped her escape the fishbowl that comes with growing up in a prominent family. Hamp was in the first class of women to attend Yale University in 1969. There were 4,000 men, 250 women and very little for a woman to do outside of attending class. So, the women started their own varsity sports. She graduated in 1973. While Hamp earned a degree in art history, what she really wanted to do was work in the NFL. She took a sports writing seminar from Red Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist for the New York Times. She was one of two women in a class of 15 students. Hamp was obsessed with football and grew up with the Detroit Lions; her father William Clay Ford Sr. bought the team in 1963. But as with most things she pursued, the NFL was a male-dominated business, and her father couldn’t find anything Hamp could do for the Lions. Shifting gears, Hamp earned a master’s de“I TRY TO BE A gree in early child education and taught for a VERY GOOD few years before becoming a stay-at-home mother to her three sons. LISTENER. I’M When William Clay Ford Sr. died in 2014, ALSO GOOD AT Hamp’s mother Martha Firestone Ford took over the franchise at age 88. LAUGHING AT “I had the opportunity to be by her side for MYSELF RATHER six years while she was in charge,” Hamp said. went to NFL league meetings and was THAN WRINGING She asked to be on an NFL committee. MY HANDS AND Biggest career win: Hamp, 70, took over as principal owner and chair of the Lions in June GNASHING MY 2020. The Thanksgiving game did not go well. TEETH.” “I thought it was definitely time to make a change,” she said. “I had to let go of our general manager and head coach.” In the midst of an exhaustive national search, quarterback Matthew Stafford asked to be traded, making the hole in critical staffing even larger. Still, Hamp found “two amazing people” to replace the GM and head coach and began the process of making changes to organizational culture, all of which she considers a huge win. Community connections: Hamp co-chairs the board of the Purple Rose Theatre with her husband. She’s also vice chair of the board of The Henry Ford, chair of the Detroit Lions Foundation and a member of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House board. Special skills: “I try to be a very good listener. I’m also good at laughing at myself rather than wringing my hands and gnashing my teeth.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: While there weren’t any roles for women in football when Hamp graduated from college, there are now many women in the NFL and in other jobs not traditionally held by women. Advice to her younger self: Stay confident and follow your dreams. — Leslie D. Green

Congratulations Colleen Allen! Thank you for your inspiring & unwavering leadership.

CRAIN’S

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT WITH JAY DAVIS

NEWS AND RESOURCES TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES THRIVE crainsdetroit.com/small-business-spotlight

SHEroes Congratulations to all 100 women in the 2021 Crain’s Detroit Business 100 Most Influential Women honorees. You are role models for so many and tremendous leaders in our community. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 33

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Faith Fowler

Julie Fream

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | CASS COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES

PRESIDENT & CEO | ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION

Career trajectory: By the time the Rev. Faith Fowler reached junior high school, she knew she’d be a minister. After studying religion and English at Albion College, she took two jobs. One was a full-time job working with abused and neglected kids at Children’s Village. The other was a part-time job working in a youth program at a church. Once she had saved enough money, she earned a Master of Divinity degree from Boston University. Her hope was to work in a city church. After eight years of pastoring a church on Detroit’s west side, the United Methodist Church sent Fowler to Cass Community Social Services, where she has worked for 28 years. Power metrics: The annual CCSS budget is about $7 million a year. The nonprofit serves 700,000 meals a year and about 300 homeless men, women and children a night. It also operates a day program for the developmentally disabled, two free medical clinics and a job training and placement center. Biggest win: Coming up with a "tiny home" community concept that puts previously homeless people on a path to owning their own homes. Using only privately raised funds, Cass has completed 20 tiny homes so far and five more are under construction. Organizations around the country are work-

Career trajectory: After graduating high school at age 16, Julie Fream went on to earn a chemical engineering degree from Michigan Technological University. Her first job was as a manufacturing development engineer for General Motors, where she worked on advanced concepts for seats. During her seven years at GM, she moved to an inhouse sales job in a division that eventually became Delphi. She also won a fellowship and earned her MBA from Harvard. After GM, Fream worked in vehicle program management at Ford Motor Co. While both jobs were tremendous learning experiences, she said, she wanted a broader set of responsibilities. She worked in marketing and strategy for TRW’s electronics and seat belt groups and was part of Visteon’s first sales group. After Visteon's spinoff from Ford, Fream took over global marketing and became a corporate officer. After nearly 30 years in the industry, Fream took some time off. After a year, she looked for ways to give back her community. “This particular role came along, and it was so well in line with my experience and gave me the opportunity to look at the industry and work to make it better. So, here I am eight years later,” she said. Power metrics: Original Equipment Suppliers Association champions the business inter-

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ing to replicate her model. “There’s been a real learning curve involved with everything tiny home-related, from permitting and construction to fundraising and property management. It’s a good solution for people who are poor not to be poor anymore. People who make very small amounts of money eventually gain an asset worth $60,000 to $80,000, which is huge.” Special skill: “Where other people see obstacles, I see opportunities. And sometimes I can convince others to believe in them, too.” Something recently learned: Fowler, 62, been educating herself about more forms of homeownership, including condominiums. Biggest career influence: “There isn’t one person. I know we’re all flawed. I look for the best in everybody. I’m always reading biographies or watching movies about great people (like Eleanor Roosevelt) to see what I can glean about how they get through tough times.” Advice to her younger self: “It’s OK to fail. It’s OK to be less than perfect,” she said. “Women in particular hold themselves to this impossible yardstick and consequently don’t take some risks that could pay off emotionally, socially and academically.” — Leslie D. Green

ests of automotive suppliers. It has 500 member companies, a staff of 17 and an annual budget of about $7 million. Biggest win: The most rewarding part of Fream’s career so far has been working with team members, helping guide them along their paths and seeing them succeed, she said. Community connections: Fream chairs the Beaumont Health board of directors, a position in which she has helped guide the health system's merger plans with Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health. Special skill: The ability to bring groups together, listen and then work toward a common goal. Surprising fact: “I love puzzles, particularly jigsaw puzzles. I’ve had a lot of opportunity to do them over the past 18 months or so.” Something recently learned: Fream, 58, has two adult children who recently graduated from college. “I have had to learn how to parent them in a different way. It’s been a learning curve trying to figure out what they need.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: Women are more willing to challenge situations than in the 1980s. That makes the entire business environment different, she said. “It calls out the growing need for diversity, equity and inclusion — for young women who might not fit the traditional corporate mold.” — Leslie D. Green

Congratulations

DENISE ILITCH & MARIAN ILITCH (MOM AND BABA!) 2021 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN MICHIGAN! We Love You, Brooke Lites and Sam, Isabella, James & Theo Lites

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Tina Freese Decker

Maha Freij

PRESIDENT AND CEO | SPECTRUM HEALTH

PRESIDENT AND CEO | ACCESS

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Career trajectory: Tina Freese Decker knew what she wanted to do and had a plan for getting there. “My goal was to be in health care. But I wanted to really make sure that I was making an impact on the health of individuals in the community — making it easier for people to provide the care and for people to get the care they needed to be healthier,” she said. She earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from Iowa State University and dual master’s degrees in health management and industrial engineering from the University of Iowa. Shortly after graduation, in 2002, Freese Decker became an administrative fellow for Spectrum Health. The one-year position, much like an apprenticeship or internship, allowed her to work on a variety of projects. Spectrum later hired her as director of strategic planning. Less than 10 years later, she had worked her way up to president of Spectrum Health United & Kelsey Hospitals. She was promoted to president and CEO of Spectrum Health in 2018. In June, Spectrum and Beaumont Health announced plans to merge in a deal that would create Michigan’s largest health care company — with Freese Decker as top executive.

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Power metrics: Freese Decker leads an $8.3 billion enterprise with 31,000 employees, 4,700 physicians and advance practice providers, 14 hospitals and Priority Health. In 2020, Spectrum Health dedicated $100 million over 10 years in health equity funding. The Beaumont-Spectrum merger deal, which the health systems say should be complete this year, would create a $12 billion health care company operating 22 hospitals and 305 outpatient locations with more than 64,000 employees and 7,500 independent physicians. Community connections: Freese Decker, 43, is chair of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association Board and immediate past chair of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, among other board roles. Something recently learned: “There’s a significant mental health crisis that’s going on across our country and in our state, and it is heartbreaking to learn how this crisis is particularly acute for children, adolescents and young adults. Everyone has experienced some sort of trauma during this pandemic ... This is an area in which all of us — health systems, providers, businesses, schools and individuals — must invest to help each person be mentally and physically well.” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Maha Freij grew up in a small village in Palestine. Her parents, she said, were simple workers, her mother the breadwinner. Raised a Muslim woman in a Jewish state, she recognized inequities in and outside of her community. She knew boys were treated better than girls and that Arabs and Jews lived very different lives. While justice was important to her, she hadn’t thought of it as a career. Instead, she listened to her mother, who advised that education was the only way out. As a result, Freij was the first woman in her village to get a university degree (from The Hebrew University) and the first Arab woman to earn a CPA license in Israel. After immigrating to Michigan from Palestine at age 26, Freij took a job as a senior accountant at public accounting firm Laventhol & Horwath. In 1991, Freij, 58, became fiscal officer at the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS). She pursued the job because it closely aligned with her values. Power metrics: ACCESS has about 500 employees and serves more than 70,000 people a year. The human service provider also partners with 27 Arab American organizations around the country. It also makes $1.5 million to $2 million a year in grants to between 200 to 300 organizations through the

Center for Arab American Philanthropy. Biggest career win: Making ACCESS a national organization with the Center for Arab American Philanthropy, National Network for Arab American Communities and the Arab American National Museum, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate. Community connections: Freij serves on the boards of Detroit Future City and was appointed by the governor to the Michigan State Board of Ethics, by gubernatorial appointment. Special skill: “I am very patient and have the focus and the tenacity required to develop the steps and build something difficult, which requires clear vision.” Definition of an influential woman: A woman with humility, vision, focus and authenticity. Biggest career influence: “My mother and my grandmother are the biggest influence on my career. Although they are not career people, they made me who I am.” Advice to her younger self: “Take a deep breath. One day you will look back and thank God for going through what you went through, because it was important to making the future you. Instead of wasting time being upset about something, get up and build strength from that experience.” — Leslie D. Green

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN HONOREES: JoAnn Chávez and Anita I. Martínez

The Michigan Hispanic Collaborative is proud to invest in La Próxima Generación (the next generation) and provide them with the support, education, and opportunities they deserve. Through our work, we are revitalizing the college-going culture in the Hispanic community.

Anita I. Martínez Executive Director

JoAnn Chávez

Founder and Secretary

Learn more about our organization or donate today! mihc.org

NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 35

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Jan Garfinkle

Jennifer Gilbert

FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER | ARBORETUM VENTURES

FOUNDER | AMBER ENGINE; FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR | POPHOUSE; DIRECTOR | ROCKET COMPANIES; FOUNDER | GILBERT FAMILY FOUNDATION

Career trajectory: Jan Garfinkle has always been fascinated with medical devices. She attended University of California – Berkeley and earned a degree in bioengineering. But the industry was new and there were few jobs. Her choices were to move to Texas and learn how to make oil or take a job at Proctor & Gamble and learn how to make Pampers. P&G was a wonderful learning experience, she said. Though only in her 20s, she managed 40 technicians, many of them much older than she was. Still, Garfinkle wanted to be more involved in health care. She took an internship in acquisitions at Eli Lilly and Co. where she identified a startup angioplasty company Eli Lilly could acquire. She stopped working in the midst of due diligence to earn an MBA from The Wharton School but ended up with a job at the startup. When Eli Lilly bought the company, the founder started a new company and hired Garfinkle. Eli Lilly bought that and several other companies as well. In 2002, Garfinkle launched Arboretum so she could invest in medical device companies that would drive down health care costs while improving care. Power metrics: With 16 employees, Arboretum Ventures has raised about $700 million out of five funds and invested in 60 companies. Almost a third of them have been acquired or

WITH 16 EMPLOYEES, ARBORETUM VENTURES HAS RAISED ABOUT $700 MILLION OUT OF FIVE FUNDS AND INVESTED IN 60 COMPANIES. have gone public. Biggest career wins: Garfinkle’s biggest wins are the partnerships she made in her love life and career life. Her husband Mike, she said, is phenomenal and extremely supportive. Her business partner Tim Petersen is “brilliant.” Community connections: Garfinkle, 63, is immediate past chair of the National Venture Capital Association and a member of the boards of Trinity Health System (regional) and Bank of Ann Arbor. Something recently learned: “My three daughters are absolutely amazing women. It’s so fun to see them taking on new projects themselves that will change the world.” Definition of an influential woman: Women who use their voices and their skills to make decisions that improve mankind. Advice to other women: Advocate for yourself when there’s an opportunity you really want. — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Jennifer Gilbert enjoys solving puzzles and creating inspirational environments. As a child, she put her skills to use creating fanciful habitats for Barbie, Ken and their friends. Gilbert considered pursuing architecture but later decided to earn her bachelor’s degree in interior design from Michigan State University. Graduating during a recession didn’t help Gilbert land the type of work she wanted, so she pivoted and took a job at Rock Financial selling mortgages in 1992. Three years later, she married Rock founder Dan Gilbert. Shortly afterward, Jennifer Gilbert became “vice president of household operations” as a stay-at-home mom. Once her youngest child went off to school, however, she got the itch to do something creative outside her home. When she started doing design work for friends, she realized there was no central source for product information. So, in 2013, she founded Pophouse, a commercial design firm that puts data and industry research to work for its clients. In 2015, Gilbert launched Amber Engine, a cloud-based, software-as-a-service focused on helping home furnishings sellers with e-commerce. At the same time, philanthropy that positively impacts the world was important to Gilbert and her husband. In 2015, they founded the Gilbert

Family Foundation. In part, the foundation invests in organizations seeking cures to vision loss from diseases such as neurofibromatosis (NF), which affects their oldest son. Power metrics: Amber Engine has 20 team members and Pophouse has 28. The Gilbert Family Foundation, which has nine employees, has contributed nearly $70 million. Biggest career win: “I feel like I’m just getting started. But what was significant and extremely impactful is our recent $500 million pledge to the city of Detroit.” Community connections: Gilbert, 53, is president of NF Forward, chair of the Cranbrook Academy of Art board of governors and a member of the Detroit Institute of Arts board. Surprising fact: “I love karaoke. You can’t get the microphone out of my hand.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone with a clarity of purpose that extends across every area of her world. How the role of women in the workforce has changed: “During this pandemic, we have lost far too many women in the workforce. We need to get them back.” Biggest career influence: “My husband, Dan, supports my crazy ideas and teaches me what to do and what not to do.” — Leslie D. Green

CRAIN’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN 2021

Donna Murray-Brown On behalf of everyone's lives you’ve touched — we congratulate you on this prestigious honor.

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10/29/21 10:59 AM

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Kathy George

Patti Glaza

CEO | FIREKEEPERS CASINO HOTEL

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | INVEST DETROIT MANAGING DIRECTOR | ID VENTURES

CEO

Career trajectory: Kathy George’s parents — her mother was Mohawk from a reservation in Canada and father was Seneca from Irving, New York — made it clear that she and her siblings had two choices, join the military or go to college. George, who thought she would pursue a job in catering, attended Cornell University. During an internship, she quickly learned she wanted to be in hospitality. “I loved the front desk. I loved food and beverage. I worked in sales. I did a little bit of everything and knew this was my calling,” she said. Prior to running FireKeepers, George was general manager for Wyndham Worldwide, and vice president of resort operations for Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and general manager for Hilton Worldwide. Power metrics: FireKeepers, owned by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Council, employs about 1,800 people and serves about 1.3 million patrons in the casino each year. The hotel just opened a new tower, bringing the number of rooms from 243 to 446. Biggest career win: Operating FireKeepers, which directly affects not only the staff but also 1,700 members of the Potawatomi tribe. “We get to do so much work in the community. We run the Kendall Street Food Pantry out of a restaurant we built, and our green-

houses provide salad bars to students in the local school districts. It’s definitely the most rewarding position I’ve been in.” Community connections: George, 52, serves on the board of the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. Her term on the board of the American Gaming Association recently ended. Special skill: “I’m genuine. I am who I am and that’s who people will always see or get. Sometimes that’s difficult to maintain in a leadership position.” Something recently learned: How dependent people are on technology. “Some people would prefer to only communicate via text on their phone or by emailing as opposed to ever speaking to someone or coming on the property.” Biggest career influence: Giuseppe Pezzotti, a lecturer at Cornell University. “He has been a great mentor, and I still speak with him. The things he taught me when I was starting my career helped build my confidence. He taught me perseverance and inner strength and helped it shine and develop. Without him, I wouldn’t be as strong of a leader.” Advice to other women: “Remember that when people tell you you can’t do something that’s more of a reflection on their beliefs than your abilities. Don’t let people hold you back.” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Patti Glaza earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and economics. But after interning one summer in Washington, D.C., she scrapped her dreams of being a diplomat for the State Department. Glaza started her career in computer programming at Anderson Consulting, now Accenture, where she learned about supply chain management. She loved the work, the chance to become an expert in a variety of topics and the exposure she gained to Fortune 500 companies. So, she pursued an MBA at the University of Michigan. Over her career, Glaza has worked large and small roles in health care technology, nanotechnology, energy and environmental technology. The last was with a nonprofit she founded that’s now called Climate Technologies. In 2014, she was asked to lead the venture team at Invest Detroit. “The mission of inclusion (and) equity has always been important to me, so that aligned from a mission perspective, and the ability to have a platform to create my own vision of improving access to venture capital in the state was appealing,” Glaza said. Power metrics: Invest Detroit is investing $3 million in about 15 high-tech and high-growth companies a year and making follow-on invest-

ments in about 10 companies. About half of the investments are to underserved entrepreneurs — women, minorities and immigrants. “We have launched three new funds since I started, and we’re getting ready to launch a fourth fund. We have really expanded from being able to write a $50,000 check when we started to being able to write a $250,000 check now.” Biggest win: When ID had invested in 100 companies. “Seeing the breadth of people and teams and companies we had an impact on was very powerful.” Community connections: Glaza, 51, is an adviser and/or board member for numerous organizations, including TechTown, Michigan Venture Capital Association, GreenLight Detroit and University of Michigan’s M-TRAC — Advanced Transportation Oversight Committee. Special skills: “I can rapidly understand how different innovations impact different industries. … And I’m empathetic. I understand the stress of being a founder and CEO of a startup.” Something she learned recently: “I learn something every day, whether it’s a new industry or about people or how we would do something different the next time. It’s the type of job where if you stop learning, you have to stop doing the job.” — Leslie D. Green

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CONGRATULATIONS

Regent Denise Ilitch ONE OF MICHIGAN’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN 2021 A tireless advocate and thought leader dedicated to creating opportunities and improving lives wherever she goes. Thank you for making U-M, Detroit and our state better for all.

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Anika Goss

Jennifer Guarino

CEO | DETROIT FUTURE CITY

CO-FOUNDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO | ISAIC — INDUSTRIAL SEWING AND INNOVATION CENTER

Career trajectory: Goss came to DFC five years ago after 16 years with the Local Initiatives Support Corp. Titles there included Detroit office executive director, vice president of sustainable communities and vice president of the Midwest region. She was also the city of Detroit’s philanthropic affairs director and executive director of its Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and African American Studies from Purdue University and master of social work in Community Organizing from the University of Michigan. Power metrics: Since taking the helm at DFC, Goss has focused on moving the city toward a future of equity in economic development, land use and sustainability. She launched DFC’s Center for Equity, Engagement and Research and has led studies of Detroit’s Black middle class, the state of equity in the city and a real-time data dashboard. The organization has grown from working off quarterly grants from the Kresge Foundation to an annual budget of $3 million. Biggest win: “I’ve created a career of trying to redirect capital to urban centers where the most vulnerable people of color live ... So when we wrote the ‘Growing Detroit’s African-American Middle Class’

report (in 2019), for me it was the first time where I really felt like we had the freedom to do that — to be able to say in Detroit, the African American middle class is a valued demographic that can change the entire trajectory for African Americans not only here in Detroit but all across the country.” Special skill: “I’m a social worker by training, I’m not sure a lot of people know that ... What I bring to the table is all of that training. The listening skills, the understanding of systems and how systems impact families and people in neighborhoods, and how complicated systems are, especially in urban centers.” Surprising fact about yourself: “Until I was maybe 20, 21, I was dead-set on being an actress, and studied theater. I was very serious about that for a really long time.” Advice for her younger self: Don’t assume that you don’t know as much or have as much to offer as other people at the table. “Being in the room and ... not being afraid to share what you know and stand up for what is right ... is something I would encourage more young people and I would have encouraged myself to do.” — Annalise Frank

Career trajectory: Jennifer Guarino was born in Oakland, Calif., and went on to earn a fine arts degree in fashion illustration from the University of Oklahoma. She illustrated for designers and worked a multitude of other jobs. In 2003, she became co-owner and CEO of J.W. Hulme Co., a more than 100-year-old leather goods manufacturer in St. Paul, Minn. “That’s when I started to realize that there were generations of skills that had atrophied and a gap in how we valued the people who make the products,” she said. Nearly 10 years later, Shinola founder Tom Kartsotis recruited her to help open Shinola’s Detroit design studio. After three years, she became vice president of manufacturing. “There, I learned there was more opportunity to attract more fashion to Detroit and more opportunity for Detroiters to be trained in this industry,” Guarino said. That led her to founding ISAIC, which she developed with the assistance of industry peers Carhartt, Detroit Denim, the Council of Fashion Designers and others. The nonprofit focuses on training and innovation through apprenticeship programs and other resources and opportunities. It launched in April 2020, just as the pandemic was taking off. Power metrics: Guarino, 59, manages a staff of 35 and, so far, has run four cohorts of the ISAIC certificate course. ISAIC also licenses its curricu-

lum in five different states. She hopes to train 50 people next year. Biggest win: “Creating new factory environments and treating people differently. What we’re doing is human-centric. I’m bringing industry sensibility to social missions.” Surprising fact about yourself: “The easiest way to make me laugh and smile is to show me primate videos. Jane Goodall is my hero.” Something recently learned: “We were faced with a choice of whether to mothball the launch (of ISAIC, because of the pandemic) or use our expertise and help. We had machines. We had people. We had a facility. So, we partnered with the Detroit Medical Center to design a gown. We cut the parts, kit them and distributed the kits. “What we’ve done here is the result of many years in the making. I donated my time to elevating the industry here. I showed up. And when we opened in the midst of the pandemic, the community came together to make the gowns. Every day, we received gowns that were made locally from the kits, and we sold them to the Detroit Medical Center and the city of Detroit.” Advice to women in the industry: Dispose of the word “competition.” Look for commonalities. Be curious about other people. — Leslie D. Green

Congratulations to

TRICIA KEITH Crain’s 2021 100 Most Influential Women

A pioneer in business, a leader in the community and a true Agent of Change.

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Mona Hanna-Attisha

Tamy Harms

DIRECTOR | PEDIATRIC PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY and HURLEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL; ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

PRESIDENT | DETROIT MRM

SEN

Career trajectory: Mona Hanna-Attisha wanted to be a journalist in high school. She also loved advocacy and worked with other youth to shut down an incinerator near a school in Madison Heights. That’s when she learned she had the power to protect people. She earned a degree in resource ecology and management with a focus on environmental health at the University of Michigan and her medical degree from Michigan State University. She fell in love with pediatrics while training in Flint and later became chief resident at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, where she worked for about nine years. Hanna-Attisha said that while she loves taking care of patients, she tired quickly of treating kids with asthma without taking care of root causes like pollution. So she returned to UM to earn a master’s in public health, focusing on health management and policy. In 2015, Hanna-Attisha’s research into her patients’ medical records helped her expose dangerous levels of lead in Flint’s drinking water and launched the ongoing recovery process. “I was the right person at the right time with the right team with the right training,” she said.

Hanna-Attisha, 44, has testified four times before Congress, including this past summer about the national infrastructure bill. PEN America awarded her the Freedom of Expression Courage Award, Time magazine listed her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World and USA Today named her one of its Women of the Century. Power metrics: In 2016, Hanna-Attisha helped launched the Pediatric Public Health Initiative that started with a staff of two and now has 60 employees. The initiative has brought in $30 million in grant-funded projects. Biggest win: The ability to be a role model and inspire future generations, especially of brown and Black girls. “It’s not about me. It’s about the doors I’ve been able to open for others.” Biggest influence: Alice Hamilton (18691970), a University of Michigan Medical School graduate and mother of the field of occupational medicine. “She was our nation’s first lead activist and fought for children, immigrants and workers.” Advice to women: Find your passion. Find your people — “your village of sisters.” Be persistent and be prepared. — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Tamy Harms earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and advertising from Illinois State University thinking she would pursue a career in TV production. She even had a job lined up. But then, she walked into a bright, beautiful and energetic advertising agency in downtown Chicago. “I decided I wanted to be in advertising,” she laughed. “I’ve made much more thoughtful decisions since then. … But I’m doing what I love and wouldn’t change that for the world.” Harms’ first job in advertising was at Leo Burnett in Chicago, where she worked on the United Airlines and McDonald’s accounts. She’s held a variety of roles at a variety of companies since then, including being managing director of Digitas in Detroit. She joined MRM in 2014. Power metrics: Harms is responsible for more than 600 employees and about 15 direct reports. When she joined the company, General Motors Co. was the primary client. But Harms has worked to diversify MRM Detroit’s portfolio. Now the client list also includes Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, Cleveland Clinic, US Bank, Tyson and Navy Federal Credit Union. Biggest win: “The fact that … we have a really strong culture here and that we’ve been able to maintain it throughout the pandemic,

which has not been an easy task.” Special skill: Building a strong culture and inspiring people. “Diversity, equity and inclusion has been a huge focus for us, as we have a blueprint we’ve been following since 2017.” Something she recently learned: Harms, 61, said people often talk about leaders mentoring people. However, she also believes in reverse mentoring, where she gets to learn from young people in her office. She talks to them about what they are doing and learns from the phone apps they show her. “The fastest way to learn something is to talk to people.” Definition of an influential woman in business: Being a great leader and a great salesperson isn’t enough, Harms said. An influential woman needs to be able to bring different cultures together, think differently and be adaptable. Biggest influence on her career: “My husband, who has been my strongest supporter. He’s my strongest PR person. He has taught me a lot about myself.” Advice to her younger self: “Try not to compare yourself to others. That’s a really hard one, especially for young people coming up. I think all of those comparisons can get you mucked up and twisted around your own success.” — Leslie D. Green

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

Congratulations to Lynette Dowler Dowler, VP of Public Affairs & president of the DTE Foundation, oAnn Chavez, Chavez, sr. VP & chief legal officer, for and JoAnn being honored in the 2021 Crain’s Detroit Business 100 Most Influential Women honorees. Lynette and JoAnn are inspiring leaders at DTE and in the community. Thank you for your passion and leadership.

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Susan Harvey

Linglong He

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT | ASHLEY CAPITAL LLC

PRESIDENT AND COO | ROCK CENTRAL

Career trajectory: Harvey recently celebrated her 25th year at Ashley Capital, the New York City-based industrial and warehouse developer with its local office in Canton Township. She has a degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University in 1982 and, in 1999, received her law degree from Wayne State University. After graduating from MSU, she spent three years with Lockwood Management in East Lansing, followed by a two-year stint at Johnstown Properties in Southfield. From 1987 to 1989, she was with Cushman & Wakefield in Atlanta, followed by time with PM Realty Group from 1989 to 1992, then from 1992-93 with Colliers International Inc. in Melbourne, Australia before rejoining PM Realty Group from 1993-1996. Power metrics: With Harvey at the helm, Ashley Capital has emerged as a dominant force in the industrial and warehouse development landscape in Southeast Michigan. When she started, the firm had three Michigan properties in its portfolio. Today, it has 22 million square feet and 30 people. Community connections: Harvey started an organization called Adopt-A-Family over 25 years ago to provide food, clothing and gifts for children. Organizations such as Alternatives for Girls, Boys and Girls Clubs, Goodfellows and Focus Hope have come to rely on Adopt-A-Family during the holiday season. Last year, the group raised over $50,000 and

Career trajectory: He joined what is now Rocket Companies Inc. in 1996 after working at First Bank in Minnesota, where she earned a master’s degree in software engineering from the University of St. Thomas in 1994. A native of China, He also earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Hohai University and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Wuhan University. She taught university engineering for seven years before coming to the U.S. in 1991. She became Quicken’s CIO in 2010 and president and COO of Rock Central last year. Community connections: He, 56, is a board member for the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce and one of the founders of ExperienceIT, an IT training program for students. She also founded the Marilyn Bailey Foundation, which helps immigrant students and families, and the Detroit advisory board for the International Leadership Foundation. Power metrics: Her company, Rock Central, helped Rocket Companies achieve a 162 percent increase in adjusted revenue, grew new revenue 277 percent year-over-year and increased adjusted net income 350 percent, the company says. Biggest win: Growing the Rock Central team since becoming CIO 11 years ago. At that time, there were 350 people and today there are 2,200, she said. Special skill: Although she is trained in tech-

provided hundreds of people with food and gifts purchased to meet their particular needs. Harvey, 61, also gets involved in political campaigns. Prior to the 2020 election, Harvey raised funds to install over 35 billboards throughout the Detroit area aimed at increasing voter turnout. Biggest win: Finding balance between her professional and family life. “Not all women have that opportunity that I’ve had without having to make big compromises,” Harvey said. Special skill: Being able to sort through layers of information and parse out important details, disregarding minutae and getting to the heart of the matter. Surprising fact: In college she worked as an “undercover store detective” to catch shoplifters. How the role of women in the workplace changed: “In my own profession, it has not changed very much at all,” she says. “But when I look out to the greater world, I see all kinds of changes to benefit structures, maternity leaves, increasing female participation, and college is now more women going than men.” Advice to other women in the industry: Broaden your base of talents so they are more valuable on the broader scale. “Being successful in real estate depends on having a very broad base of interests and skills, and the beauty of the job is that you don't have to be pigeonholded to a particular skillset.” — Kirk Pinho

nology and data, she has been practicing her business leadership skills. In addition, as an immigrant, she pays keen attention to diversity issues within the company. Something recently learned: Alignment at any organization is a key to success, He said. While there are smart people — both intellectually and emotionally — everywhere, making sure they are aligned is paramount. Definition of an influential woman: Confidence, competency and driving results. Also, having trust and empathy. How the role of women in the workplace changed: It is continually evolving, He said, but it is not a 180-degree shift. “Sometimes women need to be more careful,” she said. “If a man raises his voice, he’s considered passionate; if a woman raises her voice, she’s considered intense. It has evolved and improved,” but more needs to be done, He said. Biggest influence on her career: Her mother, who passed away in February. “She always told me to be who I am and be upright,” He said. “She told me to be upright, kind and have courage and generosity. She told me to believe in myself. She was very strong but also very soft.” Advice to women in the industry: Believe in yourself. Be proud of yourself and influence others. If your company is unfair to you because of your gender, speak up and raise awareness. — Kirk Pinho

Congratulations! ns! ns NICOLE SHERARD-FREEMAN

City of Detroit Group Executive | Jobs, Economy & Detroit at Work

Nicole Sherard-Freeman is a tireless advocate, passionate supporter, and visionary leader who ensures that Opportunity is Rising for Detroit residents. From all the staff at Detroit at Work and the City of Detroit, congratulations on being named one of Crain’s 100 Most Influential Women.

#OpportunityRising NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 41

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Ellen Hill Zeringue VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING | DETROIT TIGERS Career trajectory: Ellen Hill Zeringue had every intention of becoming a physician or medical attorney when she enrolled at Spelman College. A few weeks into the term, however, a professor suggested she try something else. So, she earned a degree in English. While participating in a monthlong program on public relations management at New York University, Hill Zeringue discovered her passion. She began working as a marketing consultant for Jackie Vaughn’s boutique agency Vaughn Marketing whose clients included the Motown Museum, Miller Brewing Company and the city of Detroit. “Jackie took me on as a mentee and taught me special events promotion and public relations,” Hill Zeringue said. Later, Verna Green, then general manager of WJLB-FM, offered Hill Zeringue a position as director of promotions for WMXD-FM, which it was acquiring. There, she learned how to connect with and engage audiences. Although Hill Zeringue knew little about baseball, she applied, at Vaughn’s suggestion, for a job as marketing manager for the Detroit Tigers. In the dawn of entertainment sports facilities, Hill Zeringue led the team behind Comerica Park’s popular carousel, Ferris wheel and dining experiences. Biggest career wins: The five seasons at Comerica Park — 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013 — when the Detroit Tigers sold 3 million tickets, and seeing how much the team means to the city. “I’ve had the opportunity to work in the entertainment and sports industry my entire career. I’m inspired by being able to deliver entertainment to people and to help create lasting memories.” Community connections: Hill Zeringue is on the board of trustees for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre and Sparky Anderson Catch boards. Special skill: “I never say ‘no.’ I just figure out how to get it done.” Surprising fact: She was the last baby born in Harper Hospital before the Detroit Medical Center closed the maternity wing. Definition of an influential woman: Women who provide opportunities for other women to follow behind them. Women who use their voices authentically. “Women get tripped up. We think when we have a seat at the table (it’s) because we’re supposed to mirror or channel someone else. We have a seat at the table because our voices are valuable, because our perspective is valuable.” Biggest influences on her career: Jackie Vaughan and Verna Green, African American women who gave Hill Zeringue a chance, served as role models and allowed her to learn under their wings. — Leslie D. Green

“I’M INSPIRED BY BEING ABLE TO DELIVER ENTERTAINMENT TO PEOPLE AND TO HELP CREATE LASTING MEMORIES.”

Ora Hirsch Pescovitz PRESIDENT | OAKLAND UNIVERSITY Career trajectory: Taking a research and development class in ninth grade put Ora Hirsch Pescovitz on a rewarding career path. She studied piano, her first love, at Northwestern University while also pursuing a medical degree. When medical school’s demands increased, she decided to give up the piano. Pescovitz became a pediatric endocrinologist and followed her new husband, a fellow student and transplant surgeon, to the University of Minnesota for her residency and fellowship. She also worked at the National Institutes of Health. Eventually, she and her husband landed at Indiana University. Pescovitz became president and CEO of Riley Hospital for Children and then returned to IU as interim vice president for research administration. In 2009, Pescovitz became CEO of the University of Michigan Health System,

where she was responsible for more than $3.3 billion in revenue and $490 million in research funding. Unfortunately, in 2010, her husband died in a car accident while commuting from Indiana to Ann Arbor. Pescovitz finished her five-year term and returned to Indiana, where she became senior vice president and U.S. medical leader for Eli Lilly and Co. Power metrics: Pescovitz, 65, joined Oakland University in 2017. She is responsible for a budget of $347 million and about 18,500 students in 146 bachelor’s degree programs and 134 certificate, master’s degree and doctoral programs. Biggest career win: “I was successful as a physician scientist, a health system administrator, a pharmaceutical executive and now as a university president. I don’t mean to say I was the best at any one

PESCOVITZ IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A BUDGET OF $347 MILLION AND ABOUT 18,500 STUDENTS. of those things. But I managed to reach the top at each of those industries, and yet they’re all diverse.” Community connections: Pescovitz serves on numerous boards: In part, she is chair of the Michigan Association of State Universities and serves on the boards or board of governors of the Detroit Economic Club, the Gift of Life, the United Way of Southeastern Michigan and the Innovation Ventures advisory board for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Special skill: Motivating others to do their best. Surprising fact: “I really like driving race cars.” Advice to other women: Set ambitious goals but be flexible and adaptable. Keep reinventing yourself. — Leslie D. Green

Marian Ilitch

FOUNDER AND CHAIRWOMAN | ILITCH HOLDINGS INC.

Career trajectory: Marian Ilitch helped grow a small restaurant in Garden City into a global pizza behemoth that would eventually give rise to an entertainment empire in metro Detroit. She began her career in food service as a young girl stocking napkin containers in her father’s restaurant before she and her husband, Mike, founded Little Caesars Pizza in 1959. Little Caesars is now the third-largest pizza chain in the world, with locations in every U.S. state and 27 countries and territories around the world, according to its website. In 1987, the couple purchased and restored the Fox Theatre, a move seen as pivotal to the resurgence of downtown Detroit. Marian Ilitch was also among the original investors in MotorCity Casino in 1999 and became sole owner in 2005. Power metrics: Marian Ilitch is the matriarch of a multibillion-dollar family business

that is among the largest private companies in Michigan. Ilitch Holdings has around 7,000 employees in metro Detroit and 25,000 worldwide, according to Crain's 2021 Book of Lists. Little Caesars had an estimated revenue of $3.85 billion in 2019. Additionally, the family portfolio includes the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers and control over Comerica Park, Little Caesars Arena and the District Detroit, as well as management of major entertainment venues in the region through 313 Presents. Marian Ilitch’s son Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, oversees day-to-day operations of the business. Biggest win: Marian Ilitch told Crain’s a decade ago that key to her success has been her willingness to take risks. She took a big

one when she decided to buy out fellow MotorCity shareholders. Following a $300 million expansion and renovation completed in 2008, the casino has become the second-largest in Detroit in terms of market share. Ilitch Holdings moved earlier this year to expand its gambling holdings, a longtime goal for Marian Ilitch. The family was approved in October to take an ownership stake in Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. Board/community connections: Marian Ilitch, 89, and her family have founded a host of programs aimed at benefiting the community, including the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey Program, Little Caesars Love Kitchen, Ilitch Charities, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, Detroit Tigers Foundation and the Little Caesars Veterans Program. The family has given $220 million in charitable grants since 2000, according to the company’s website. — Kurt Nagl

Denise Ilitch PRESIDENT | ILITCH ENTERPRISES INC.; CHAIR | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BOARD OF REGENTS Career trajectory: In high school, Denise Ilitch hoped to become a lawyer and work with her dad Mike Ilitch at Little Caesars Pizza. Ilitch made it a point to include his family in the business he founded and grew into a multinational conglomerate. “I always wanted to be in his orbit,” Denise Ilitch said. “He would come home with possible promotions — activities, toys, kites — and we would say we liked the kites. Next thing you know, he’s introducing a promotion.” Ilitch worked at the family business each summer. One summer she was a receptionist, another an assistant. After graduating with a law degree from University of Detroit Mercy, she joined the company’s legal department. “One of my responsibilities was trademarks. So the marketing department would come over with advertisements so I could sign off on the trademark applications,” she said. When Ilitch heard them discussing how to in-

crease sales on slower pizza days, she suggested a 25-cent slice promotion. The plan worked, spurring her move to the marketing department. She was previously president of Ilitch Holdings, which manages Little Caesar Enterprises, the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and Olympia Entertainment. She’s now president of Ilitch Enterprises, launched in 2004 to handle public and private investments and real estate holdings, and operates Denise Ilitch Designs, a custom-made jewelry company. Much of Ilitch’s time is spent as chair of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. Elected in 2008 and reelected in 2016, she sets the agenda and represents the board in public and private settings. Power metrics: As chair of the UM board of regents, Ilitch represents one of the top four employers in the state. UM has more than 30,000 employees, $8.7 million in revenue and

a $10.4 billion impact on the state’s economy. Community connections: Ilitch, 66, is a member of the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program advisory board and the FUEL Leadership board. She also serves as a trustee for the Skillman Foundation and is chair of the Skillman External Relations & Partnerships Committee. Surprising fact: “I don’t eat a lot of pizza. I love fried chicken and will eat any fried chicken anyone puts in front of me.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “Change has been very, very slow. There’s great awareness of the contributions that women make and the importance of reflecting your customers. But we have a long way to go when it comes to the presence of women. Look at how many women are on boards.” Advice to women just starting their careers: “Don’t let anyone deter you or tear you down. Don’t allow anyone to make you feel as if you cannot accomplish what you want to accomplish. When a door shuts and a window closes, go find another window or kick the window in.” — Leslie D. Green

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Tricia Keith

Carrie Leahy

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT; PRESIDENT OF EMERGING MARKETS | BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN

MEMBER AND CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE| BODMAN PLC

Career ladder: Keith earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and an MBA from Michigan State. She was director of business operations with the state House of Representatives and a vice president of community relations at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. before joining Detroit-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in 2006 to support newly appointed CEO Daniel Loepp. For the past 15 years, she’s worked up the ladder at BCBSM from corporate secretary to chief of staff to chief administrative officer to her current role leading the Blues market expansion efforts. Power metrics: Keith’s emerging markets division continues to become a larger presence in the BCBSM enterprise, generating $9.5 billion of its $30.1 billion in revenue last year.

The division now serves 6.4 million people in the U.S. under 14 brands. She’s also led the expansion of BCBSM’s growing Medicare Advantage market, which offers Medicare plans to retirees. Biggest win: Achieving year-over-year significant improvement in performance ratings for BCBSM and BCN Medicare Advantage products as measured by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Special skill: “Aligning self-interests to reach optimal outcomes.” Surprising fact: “I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.” Something she recently learned: “How much I miss the office environment.” Definition of an influential woman: “Un-

derstanding the value of the power of influence versus the power of position and the impact a person can make using either power.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “Many women previously felt they had to separate and compartmentalize ‘home and work’ while still ‘doing it all.’ COVID intertwined these worlds and made it more acceptable for women to ask for and receive accommodation from their employers while still delivering expected results. Employers should note these achievements and continue this flexibility.” Biggest influence on her career: BCBSM President and CEO Dan Loepp. Advice to women in her industry: “Don’t be afraid to jump. Meaning, take a risk, leave a bad job or seek opportunities in which you can succeed even if your experience doesn’t match up 100 percent.” — Dustin Walsh

Angie Kelly AUDIT PARTNER, OFFICE MANAGING PARTNER-DETROIT | EY Career trajectory: High school accounting class just clicked for Angie Kelly. She decided to pursue a degree in finance at Michigan State University, but her accounting class swayed her to follow her passion. Kelly interned with EY during her junior year of college and has been growing within the company ever since. She started as a staff person in 1998 and was appointed to the highest role in the Detroit office in 2018. “I am one of those rare people that, especially in this day and age, have been with the same company my entire career,” she said. “I never thought that would be the case, but this has just been a fantastic place to build a career and see the world.” Kelly’s job has exposed her to thousands of entrepreneurs and allowed her to help them through some of their biggest business challenges, she said. Power metrics: Kelly,45, is responsible for

the Detroit office and its 750 assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transaction professionals. She also personally audits private and public companies of all sizes. Biggest career wins: Growing the office from eighth-largest to third-largest in Michigan and maintaining EY’s culture during that growth. She’s also proud of recognizing the lack of diversity in the CEO’s being recognized and starting Entrepreneurs Access Network, which helps Black- and Latinx-owned companies get the resources they need to scale. Community connections: She serves on the boards of the Detroit Economic Club, Detroit Regional Chamber, Hill Nature Preserve and Teach, Empower, Achieve. Special skill: Having an attitude of grati-

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU’RE DOING AND YOUR EFFORTS TO HELP YOUR CAREER GROW.” tude and a calming presence. Surprising fact: “The first time I met my husband, I was 8 years old.” Biggest career influence: Kelly’s mom was a nurse and her dad an executive at General Motors. Although her family moved every two or three years, they were a calming presence. Advice to other women: Be open to opportunities. “I think women tend to be headsdown workers and then hope our efforts are noticed. It’s important to make sure to shine a spotlight on the important work you’re doing and your efforts to help your career grow.” — Leslie D. Green

Joneigh Khaldun VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF HEALTH EQUITY OFFICER | CVS HEALTH Career trajectory: At a young age, Joneigh Khaldun saw how health challenges affected members of her own family and felt a drive to change the trajectory of health. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and then her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. During her residency, she was elected chief resident of emergency medicine at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. After the birth of her first child, Khaldun had a life-threatening illness and almost died. That’s when she committed herself to doing what she was put on Earth to do, she said. She applied for a fellowship and earned a master’s in health policy from George Washington University. Khaldun found an opportunity working with the Obama administration in the Office of Health Reform on health care policy. That’s when she realized how much physicians could do outside of hospital walls, she said. Afterward, Khaldun became chief medical

officer for the Baltimore City Health Department. She also taught and led a fellowship at the University of Maryland. At the request of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, she returned to Detroit where she eventually became chief medical executive. Khaldun was named to Michigan’s chief medical executive in 2019. In 2020, President Joe Biden appointed her to the national COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. Last month, Khaldun announced she had taken a job as vice president and chief health equity officer at drugstore chain and health care company CVS Health. She’s remaining in Michigan but the role has a national focus. Power metrics: Khaldun, 41, leads the strategy to advance health equity for patients, members, providers, customers and communities across CVS, which has nearly 10,000 drugstores and handles coverage for more

than 39 million people through its Aetna unit. As chief medical executive for Michigan, Khaldun was one of Michigan’s primary faces of pandemic response and public education and responsible for more than 3,000 employees in state government. Biggest win: She is proud of being able to stand her ground with public health recommendations regarding COVID-19. “Because of the great leadership in the state, I know we've been able to save 10s of 1,000s of lives.” Surprising fact: Khaldun lettered in track and field at U-M. She also plays the cello. Definition of an influential woman: It’s beyond having a title. It’s about integrity and the respect people earn. Biggest influence: “My high school track and field coach taught me what it means to work hard, what it means to fail or lose and get up again. He taught me how to dig deep when things get hard.” Advice to women: “Life is not about chasing titles and getting degrees. It’s about getting involved in things and learning things. Focus on what you are passionate about.” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Carrie Leahy earned a history degree from the University of Michigan before heading to the Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology. She landed a job at Rudnick & Wolfe in Chicago, now DLA Piper, right out of school. There, she worked in the corporate group on mergers and acquisitions. When she started, the firm had about 500 lawyers. It had about 2,000 by the time she left in 2004, she said. Leahy returned to Michigan and joined Bodman as an associate where she could still do quality work but in a smaller environment, she said. Bodman appointed her as a member in 2007, while she was pregnant with twins and on bedrest. Ten years later, she became managing partner of the Ann Arbor office and joined the office of the executive. She became chair in 2020. Throughout, Leahy continued practicing as an M&A attorney. Power metrics: Bodman has about 280 people on staff, about half of whom are lawyers. In addition to running the firm, Leahy handles M&A matters of all sizes from small transactions to high-value transactions. Biggest win: In December, she helped close a more than $1 billion deal for Byte, a clear dental aligner company. “From an M&A perspective, working on the largest transaction in the firm’s history while still remote was a huge win. The team just came together on the phone, on Zoom. It was as if we were all together in the office.” Community connections: Leahy serves on the boards of Inforum, the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Council for the Business Law Section of the State Bar and the Local Development Finance Authority. Surprising fact: “I try to balance out the very stressful practice of law by competing in strenuous competitions.” She has raced in several half Ironmans, half marathons and full marathons. “I like sticking my head in the water. Nobody can call me then, and I have time to think.” Something recently learned: “As hard as it was to get lawyers to go remote, it’s even harder to get people to come back to the office. People’s perception of being in the office has changed.” Biggest career influence: A partner who hired her at Rudnick & Wolf, who spent a “tremendous” amount of time training her in the corporate world, walking her through documents and setting her on a path to do “great” work. Advice to women in her industry: “It’s very important to gain contacts in the business world … making sure you are out there developing clients. It’s important to your growth, your success … and in some ways helps you control your own destiny.” — Leslie D. Green

“I TRY TO BALANCE OUT THE VERY STRESSFUL PRACTICE OF LAW BY COMPETING IN STRENUOUS COMPETITIONS.”

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Grace Lee

Kate Levin Markel

PRESIDENT AND CEO | ASHFORD CONNEX LLC MANAGING DIRECTOR | ARBOR CAPITAL MARKETS

PRESIDENT | MCGREGOR FUND

MA |K

Career trajectory: Grace Lee grew up in Taiwan where baseball and basketball were important parts of the culture and wanted to be a play-by-play broadcaster. Her family immigrated to southern California when she was a senior in high school. Language and cultural differences were a huge challenge. “I took the safe route by majoring in economics at UCLA,” Lee said. After college, Lee worked in corporate accounting. She moved to Michigan after getting married and earned an MBA from Eastern Michigan University. In 1995, when the internet was still a fantasy to many people, she and some of her husband’s classmates started IT consulting firm Logic Solutions. In 2010, the Michigan Small Business Association named Logic Solutions one of the 50 fastest growing companies. In 2020, Lee left Logic to start Ashford Connex, a workforce solutions company, and began helping Arbor with inbound investment opportunities. In addition, former Gov. Rick Snyder, appointed Lee to serve on the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission. She most recently served as vice chair, communicating between Asian Pacific American com-

munities and the government on the impact of legislation and possible resolutions to issues. She served as a commissioner on the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders until May 2021. Biggest career wins: Connecting mainstream and API communities and American culture. Community connection: Lee, 62, serves as treasurer of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C. Special skill: “I am a collaborator, a bridge.” Surprising fact: “I’m a diehard Raiders fan. There are a lot of challenges as an immigrant. I might be identifying with that me against the world mentality.” Biggest career influence: “My dad. He’s an electrical engineer and came here when he was 50 years old. He is very conscientious about his work, meticulous and full of integrity, and I think that was engraved on me.” Advice to other women: “Don’t let other people stop you, and don’t let you stop yourself. A lot of times, we say we can’t do a job because we think we can’t check all of the boxes. Men don’t do that. A lot of times we stop ourselves from achieving more.” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: After earning a bachelor’s degree in U.S. history from the University of California Berkley, Kate Levin Markel, 58, returned to Detroit with entrepreneurial aspirations and immersed herself in learning about real estate through a project manager position with then Coopers and Lybrand. She moved to New York City and did real estate consulting for eight years. Through a chance encounter in 1994, Mayor Dennis Archer recruited her to come home to Detroit to manage the city’s $100 million, federal Empowerment Plan grant awards initiative. After two years, she moved on to serve an independent consultant for community development initiatives in Detroit. She joined the McGregor Fund in 2001, rising from program officer to COO and then president in 2014. Community connections: “As a rule, I don’t serve on boards to convey my neutrality and my openness,” but she does serve on Council of Michigan Foundations advisory boards and the Citizen Research Council board. Power metrics: Levin Markel leads a $232 million foundation focused primarily on supporting efforts to alleviate poverty among Detroiters. Biggest win: “Our work is a series of really important, small wins. It’s not a singular time. It’s any time one of our grant partners or public sector partners tells me that I really made a dif-

ference for them, helped make this possible, changed the way (they) thought about this, every time that happens, I feel like that’s the biggest win.” Special skill: Quiet influencer who asks key questions to get to the heart of the issue and on what needs to change. “I am able to help people untangle their thinking, raise questions and to connect people.” Surprising fact about yourself: “I like to have the same thing for lunch every day. It changes every few years. Currently it’s goat cheese on gluten-free toast.” Something you recently learned: “I recently learned how to do something I’m very excited about: how to stand up paddle board. It’s so great. It’s the closest thing to walking on water, which is this really profound feeling. ” Definition of an influential woman: “I’d like to think it’s the same whether you’re a man or a woman. I think being influential means being able to lead others to do, act and be different. People need to know that you care about what you do, know what you’re talking about and that you have integrity and can make a strong case.” Advice: “I actually think people my age need to be getting advice from younger people in our industry. I think the younger professionals have fresh ideas and clear ways of seeing how our work can be better.” — Sherri Welch

Congratulations to MEA President Paula Herbart for being named one of Crain’s 100 Most Influential Women! The Michigan Education Association is proud to protect, advocate, and advance the rights of all education professionals to promote quality public education for all students. Paula J. Herbart MEA PRESIDENT

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Wendy Lewis Jackson MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR THE DETROIT PROGRAM | KRESGE FOUNDATION Career trajectory: A Grand Rapids native, Lewis Jackson, 56, earned a bachelor's degree in political science and communications and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. After college, she became program director for children and family initiatives and executive director for education initiatives at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. She joined Kresge in 2008 as a program officer for the Detroit program and rose through the ranks to now serve as managing director of the Detroit program, overseeing grantmaking to organizations providing economic opportunity for low-income people and addressing the needs of vulnerable children and families. She serves on the boards of organizations including: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Live6 Alliance and Marygrove Conservancy. Power metrics: Oversees Kresge’s $33 million in annual grants made in support of Detroit initiatives and has worked with Kresge’s Social Investment Practice on $101.9 million in loans, guarantees and other investments over the past 13 years. Biggest win: Overseeing the transformation of the former Marygrove College into the first cradle-to-career campus through the design of public-private partnerships and a $50 million investment by Kresge to support the plan.

Special skill: A self-described “quiet storm.” “I can garner the forces necessary to get something done but do it under the radar. One of the things my grandmother would always say is ‘There’s no such thing as can’t.’ I really do internalize that. I’m pretty tenacious about getting things done.” Surprising fact: “I like photography; I’m whatever below amateur is. I kind of mix it with my interest in genealogy. I’m the de facto family photographer and keeper of the photos. But I also just like to take interesting shots of life in Detroit neighborhoods, everyday life.” Something recently learned: “When a crisis happens, the thing I’ve learned is it creates an opportunity for you to be who you truly are and what you are truly meant to be. I’ve seen so many great examples of people who have stepped up to support the community during this time as a reminder of how a crisis can help sharpen your focus.” Biggest influence on her career: “Hands down, the biggest influence was I grew up in a single-parent household, (with) my mom and grandmother. I was surrounded by strong women. That has been the single biggest influence not just on my career but on everything I do and everything I am.” — Sherri Welch

Linda Alexander Little

PRESIDENT AND CEO | NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE ORGANIZATION

Career trajectory: Linda Alexander Little considered going into medicine and was accepted to the School of Medicine at Wayne State University, but she realized after she started studying there that she wanted to be far more hands-on with patients. While attending University of Detroit Mercy School of Nursing, she participated in an intense internship through the Veteran’s Affairs VALOR (VA Learning Opportunities Residency) program. Afterward, the VA offered her a job. At that time, however, there was an overage of nurses, and her position was cut. She worked in critical care at Emory University Hospital for a few years before returning to Detroit to earn an MBA in organizational development and human resources at Wayne State. Little, 48, has worked in every area of health care during her career, including founding and running MedCoor Solutions and being chief clinical officer at Total Health Care. When the CEO of Neighborhood Service Organization was preparing to retire, the nonprofit reached out to Little to see if she would consider succeeding her. “I call this my love job because I love the agency, I love the work it does in the community, the people and the dedication and passion of the employees,” said Little, who joined NSO in 2019. Little works toward integrating primary

care into the behavioral health services NSO provides. Power metrics: NSO, founded 66 years ago, has about 300 employees. In 2020, it provided care to 12,000 unique individuals and fed more than 40,000 people. It serves about 2,000 homeless people a year with 300 units of permanent and temporary housing, emergency shelters and its Healthy Housing Center that works with hospitals that are transferring homeless people out of care. Biggest career win: “My personal mission has been to use the talents and skills that I have been gifted to benefit others. And I feel like I’ve done that in every role throughout my career.” Something recently learned: The perspectives of underserved populations — people who have not typically had a voice in society — are unique. Lifting those perspectives and voices benefits everyone. “Keeping those people at the core of your decision making has to be at the heart of everything you do. That is what grounds you.” Advice to her younger self: “To give myself more grace. I was very focused, very passionate about the work I was doing. I would say to stop and smell the roses because being focused and grinding doesn’t necessarily lead to better outcomes.” — Leslie D. Green

When you spend your days making a difference, people notice. Huntington congratulates Sandy Pierce for being named one of Michigan's Most Influential Women. Thank you for inspiring us to look out for each other, our customers, and our communities, every day.

Member FDIC. ⬢®, Huntington® and ⬢ Huntington. Welcome.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2021 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 45

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Lisa Lunsford

CEO, CO-FOUNDER | GLOBAL STRATEGIC SUPPLY SOLUTIONS (GS3) Career trajectory: As a child growing up in North Carolina, Lisa Lunsford toyed with the idea of being a writer. She decided instead to pursue a more lucrative degree in medicine from Bennett College, a historically Black women’s college in North Carolina. When she learned she had greater aptitude for and a love of chemistry, she switched tracks. When meeting with a recruiter from Ford Motor Co., Lunsford fell in love with the hum of the plant, she said. She started as a research and development engineer in the plastics division and was program manager in the F150 design center when she left nine years later. With her brother, she started i-Thinc LLC, an ISOQ organization and warehousing software company. Eventually, she pivoted and began doing more network design and architecture development software for companies. Then she met Robert Gruschow, president of both the Deshler Group and Feblo International, and everything changed. The pair launched GS3 Global in 2010, offering supply chain management and integrated logistics services. In 2011, GS3 won an assembly project with FCA. By 2012, the company was officially a tier-one supplier. Power metrics: GS3 has about 15 direct employees and shares another 25 to 35 people with its sister companies. Biggest career win: “Stepping away from Ford and becoming an entrepreneur. That developed me more because I didn’t have the safety net in knowing where my pay was coming from. It showed me what I could do.” Community connections: Lunsford, 58, serves on the boards of the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Detroit Children’s Center, and on the advisory board for the Mike Ilitch School of Business Global Supply Chain Management program. She is also board chair of MICHauto. Definition of an influential woman: “Our influence is felt when we’re building better teams and better leaders, when everyone feels that they have a stake in the result, and we do that by always operating in a way that ensures that everyone’s contribution is valued.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “It’s no longer a surprise that women are in charge in these spaces, on the manufacturing floor, in high-tech careers, and in leadership, so the challenge is for us to live up to the promise of the struggle that came before.” Advice to other women: “Don’t confuse the cultural momentum of this moment for your own drive, because the only one who can put you where you want to be is you.” — Leslie D. Green

“DON’T CONFUSE THE CULTURAL MOMENTUM OF THIS MOMENT FOR YOUR OWN DRIVE, BECAUSE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN PUT YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IS YOU.”

Jill Maiorano

MANAGING DIRECTOR — STRATEGIC HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND PLANS | MICROSOFT Career trajectory: Jill Maiorano knew Life Sciences in 2019 and was promoted to “I’VE ALWAYS KNOWN I’M while growing up that she would embark on managing director of the billion-dollar busisome kind of career in sales. Every member of ness in September. Her division sells products STRONG, BUT THERE’S A and services that support major her family worked in sales or DIFFERENCE BETWEEN hospitals, hospital systems and sales leadership, teaching her that you had to sell yourself if health insurers. STRENGTH, GRIT, TALENT AND you wanted to get an idea across. Biggest win: Successfully getShe earned a bachelor’s deting her children to early adult- CAPABILITY. I’M FINALLY COMING hood and thriving in their own TO TERMS WITH MY ABILITY TO gree in organizational commulives. nications with a minor in busiCommunity connection: BE IMPACTFUL AND TO DO ness. When she graduated, Maiorano, 53, recently was elect- IMPORTANT THINGS, AND TO DO Maiorano sold encyclopedias ed 2022 vice president of the door to door. Michigan Council of Women in THEM WELL.” “That was rough. The economy wasn’t great, and I found myself in telecommunications after the early divestiture of AT&T.” That was her entrée into technology. Maiorano held sales leadership roles at Qwest and Sprint before taking a job at Cisco and rising to chief of staff and senior director of Strategic Engagements, Americas Division. She’s now pursuing a master’s degree in strategy, leadership and management at Michigan State University, Power metrics: Maiorano joined Microsoft as senior director of National Healthcare and

Technology and will ascend to the presidency in 2023. Special skill: Deeply connecting with people at an individual level with the goal of helping them however she can. Surprising fact: “I have had people say they can’t tell if I grew up with a silver spoon or in the school of hard knocks. ... It was the school of hard knocks that taught me my worth and motivated me to succeed. My young adult children ask me to share some of my ‘war stories’ with their friends to show how much someone can overcome, and it

makes my heart happy that they are proud of me and my life’s journey.” Something recently learned: “I’ve always known I’m strong, but there’s a difference between strength, grit, talent and capability. I’m finally coming to terms with my ability to be impactful and to do important things, and to do them well.” Advice to other professional women: “Make every effort possible to connect with people and open your mind and heart to learn from them.” — Leslie D. Green

Allison Maki SVP ADMINISTRATION AND CFO | THE DETROIT LIONS Career trajectory: Allison Maki just knew she was going to be an engineer one day. She loved math and physics. But when a professor at Albion College suggested accounting, Maki pursued a different track. She earned a bachelor’s in economics and management and joined the audit practice at Ernst & Young in Detroit. Her clients ranged from health care systems to auto suppliers and the Detroit Lions. After EY acquired Arthur Anderson, Maki wanted to try something different. In 2004, she joined the Detroit Lions as finance director. She became CFO in 2015. Power metrics: As CFO, Maki oversees about 25 direct employees in finance, treasury, IT and facilities. According to Forbes, the Lions generate about $330 million in revenue. Biggest career win: “When I realized I needed to let go of some of the details and a little bit of the control and let the staff I work

with run with their areas while I focus on the bigger picture. I think I became a better leader and a better asset to the club.” Community connections: Maki, 46, is an Albion College board trustee and sits on the NFL Club’s technology advisory board. Special skill: Building relationships. “I really put a lot of importance on that. I think at the end of my career, I’m going to remember more about the relationships that I’ve made along the way more than the technical accounting, debit and credit side of things.” Something recently learned: “Working from home was much harder than I realized. I’m incredibly impressed by colleagues who were able to successfully pull off a full and safe season last year.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone really confident in her abilities who also takes the time to develop her staff.

“I THOUGHT WHEN I FIRST JOINED THAT I WAS EXPECTED TO KNOW EVERYTHING. THE BIGGEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE IS TO ASK QUESTIONS. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE LEARNING AND ALWAYS BE GROWING.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “When I was starting to have a family, we were constantly bombarded with hearing about work-life balance. It’s really hard to have those two things constantly in balance.” Women now are less focused on the balance and more focused on understanding when they need to shift priorities, Maki said. Advice to other women: “I thought when I first joined that I was expected to know everything. The biggest advice I can give is to ask questions. You should always be learning and always be growing.” — Leslie D. Green

Philomena Mantella PRESIDENT | GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY Career trajectory: Philomena Mantella knew she wanted to work with people. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in college and university administration from Michigan State University. While working with college students from disadvantaged financial backgrounds, Mantella realized that being able to influence the system was “sort of a magic bullet” way of supporting individuals in need. Mantella worked her way up from an assistant dean at Ferris State University to vice president of student affairs at SUNY College of Optometry to senior vice president and CEO of Northeastern University’s Lifelong Learning Network.

She became president of Grand Valley State University in 2019. Power metrics: Mantella, 65, is responsible for about 24,000 students, 3,000 faculty and staff members and a budget of $400 million. Biggest career win: Under her leadership, the university added seven campuses in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, built corporate relationships with several hundred new companies and expanded the university’s brand. Community connections: Mantella serves on the boards of Spectrum Health System, the Citizens Research Council, Grand Action 2.0, the Michigan Education Trust and others. Special skill: Understanding shifting winds

and markets, seeing opportunities and executing on them. Something recently learned: You cannot overcommunicate, she said. Communicate intent and presume positive intent of others. How the role of women in the workplace has changed: Women are more comfortable bringing their full selves to work, Mantella said. Biggest career influence: “My dad was a self-made man, and he only graduated eighth grade. He found success by experimenting in a variety of workplaces and ended up owning his own business. Eventually, he became vice president of sales in the Northeast for Molson Brewery.” Advice to women in her industry: Find great people, men and women, to surround yourself with. People who are thought partners and who will challenge and push you as you move into higher levels of leadership. — Leslie D. Green

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Jennifer Gilbert, Congratulations for being chosen as one of Crain’s Most Influential Women! Thank you for being an amazing leader and role model. Your talent and passion shine through ineverything you do. We are honored to work with you!

—The Pophouse Team

TOGETHER WE ARE

Leading Ch ange FOR A

Lasting Impact . Congratulations to Mariam Noland and Michigan’s Most Influential Women Honorees. Together, we can create lasting impact to improve life in our community. Learn how partnering with the Community Foundation can make an impact at cfsem.org.

cfsem.org

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Anita Martinez

Ronna McDaniel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | MICHIGAN HISPANIC COLLABORATIVE

CHAIRWOMAN | REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Career trajectory: Anita Martinez knew from a young age that her Southwest Detroit community didn’t have the benefits and amenities available in others. And though her working-class parents struggled to provide, they still sent their children to private school. Martinez earned a degree in organizational studies from the University of Michigan and went on to become an insurance broker. After a few years, she took a job as a relationship banker at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Later, she got her real estate license. However, Martinez wanted to do something that would make an impact in the community in which she was raised. She became a financial coach for Southwest Economic Solutions’ Centers for Working Families program before taking a job as manager of the tri-county region for the program at United Way for Southeastern Michigan. By the time she left United Way in 2018, she was director of community impact. In 2020, Martinez earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. Power metrics: In 2018, Martinez became the first executive director of Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, where she works toward eradicating poverty through educational attainment. It has a $1.2 million annual operating budget. Through La Próxima Generación (Próx Gen) program, which helps Hispanic

Career trajectory: Ronna McDaniel has redefined the job of leading the Republican National Committee. Once the nearly exclusive provenance of men, McDaniel has led the RNC for five years — longer than any previous chair in over a century. She’s only the second woman to chair the RNC and the first in a generation. Under McDaniel’s leadership, the RNC has launched a fundraising platform called WinRed that was designed to compete for smaller donations with the Democratic Party’s ActBlue micro-fundraising platform. The granddaughter of Michigan Gov. George Romney and niece of 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Ronna got her start in politics at the grassroots level. As a stay-athome mom, Ronna started out as a precinct delegate for Northville at state GOP conventions and served as secretary of the 11th Congressional District Committee. In 2012, she worked on her uncle’s presidential campaign. In 2014, GOP activists voted to make McDaniel Michigan’s female representative on the RNC. The following year, she was elected chair of the Michigan Republican Party, a full-time job that largely involves a lot of fundraising. She oversaw the party’s campaign strategy in 2016 as Donald Trump became the first Republican since 1988 to win Michigan’s electoral votes in a narrow 10,704-vote victory. Trump’s Michigan victory spring-boarded McDaniel into the

students navigate from high school, through college and into their post-college careers, the collaborative has positively impacted about 1,500 families, 125 high school scholars and 125 college scholars. Biggest career win: Being able to do work she loves and that gives back to the community. Community connection: Martinez, 44, is chair of the University of Michigan Latino Alumni Association. Special skill: “I have a strong sense of who I am as a woman, as a mother, and as a wife. And I carry that confidence into everything I do.” Surprising fact: “I have a strong appreciation for history.” Her grandfather emigrated with his nine children from Puerto Rico to Detroit. Pursuing the American dream, he picked apples, earning 50 cents a day, until he was able to own his own business in Corktown. “History is an accelerator to me to reflect upon the past of my ancestors, informs who I am today and helps inform my future.” Biggest career influence: Her husband, who is her politically astute adviser and sounding board. Advice to her younger self: Get a mentor and start networking sooner. It’s important for professionals to get different perspectives. There’s always room to have that networking breakfast. — Leslie D. Green

RNC chair’s seat in 2017. Power metrics: Under Ronna’s watch, the RNC has raised $1.33 billion for Republican candidates and causes. Biggest wins: Despite Trump losing the White House in 2020, Republicans picked up 15 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and flipped 135 seats in state legislatures in their column. Republican politicians won 13 million more votes in 2020 than they did in 2016. Special skill: “I think a superpower all women have is the ability to multi-task. I can be dropping my son off at carpool at talking to the president of the United States at the exact same time or folding laundry and doing a radio interview. That has served me very well in this job.” Surprising fact about yourself: Born in Texas, Ronna had a Spanish-speaking caretaker who taught her the language before she was in elementary school in Michigan. “I can understand it much better than I can speak it.” Biggest influence on their career: “It’s my kids and my husband (Pat). I would say my husband more than anybody ... In a job like this where you face a lot of criticism and social media is not always the nicest and there’s some really bad days, to have a spouse that believes in you sometimes more than you believe in yourself makes a big difference.” — Chad Livengood

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Barbara McQuade

Alycia Meriweather

PROFESSOR FROM PRACTICE | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL; LEGAL ANALYST | MSNBC

DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS, ENROLLMENT AND INNOVATION | DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY DISTRICT

Career trajectory: Barbara McQuade’s “first defining memory of the world” was the 1972 Watergate scandal surrounding President Richard Nixon and his administration. The investigations Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein conducted not only exposed the abuses of power and resulted in the resignation of the president, but they also put McQuade on an impressive career path. Desiring to be a like-minded journalist, McQuade earned bachelor’s degrees in communications and economics from the University of Michigan. She also worked as a sports reporter and editor at the Michigan Daily while Jim Harbaugh was quarterback and Bo Schembechler was coach. After college, she worked as a sportswriter for a newspaper in Rochester, N.Y. While she enjoyed the field, she was more interested in holding corrupt people accountable and making life better for other people. Her goal when she enrolled at University of Michigan Law School was to gain a better understanding of the social utility of journalism. Instead, she learned she loved law. Her first job was as a clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman at the Eastern District of Michigan, where she became fascinated with public corruption work.

While she hoped to get a job with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they don’t typically hire recent graduates. However, after four years at Butzel Long, McQuade’s dream came true. U.S. Attorney Saul Green hired her as Assistant U.S. Attorney. Twelve years later, during the Obama Administration, she broke the glass ceiling when she was the first woman appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She served until March 2017. Power metrics: As legal analyst for MSNBC, most often appearing on the Rachel Maddow Show, McQuade, 56, educates millions of viewers on the law, particularly as it relates to politics. “I see it as a public service,” she said. “In a complicated time when people use disinformation to confuse and misdirect people, I explain legal points so people can form their own opinions based on facts.” Community connections: McQuade is a member of the boards of Safe House Center, Crime Stoppers, Huntington Bank, the Hudson-Webber Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Surprising fact: “I’m an avid sports fan, a sports junkie. If I could be anything at all in the world, I would be a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers.” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: Alycia Meriweather was previously the school system’s interim superintendent, appointed in March 2016. Before that, her various roles include serving as executive director for the office of curriculum; executive director for the office of science education for Detroit Public Schools, which preceded DPSCD; and director of the Detroit Mathematics and Science Center. She has also been a middle school science teacher, and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from Wayne State University. Power metrics: Meriweather supervises DPSCD’s external partnerships with around 200 organizations, as well as in-kind and financial donations. Projects include creating a family resource portal to connect students in need to organizations that can help them, the $23 million Connected Futures project to give students their own online devices and bringing in hydration stations after DPSCD water was found with higher than acceptable lead levels. Among her other duties is overseeing the school’s health and wellness office, including nurses in each school, tracking COVID-19 cases, enforcing protocol and vaccination clinics. Meriweather also oversees adult education and skilled trades training. Biggest win: “It’s interesting. I’ve been with

the district since I was 4 years old. I attended DPS for K-12 with one exception — my family lived overseas for one year — and graduated from Renaissance High School, graduated from the University of Michigan. I always knew I was coming back to Detroit and always knew I was going to be involved in making children’s lives better. So to me it’s hard to pick one thing ... For me, in complete honesty, every day that I get to do this work, that I get the opportunity to make lives better for kids in the city, is a win.” Surprising fact about yourself: “A lot of people are surprised that I met my husband when we were 8 years old. (We met) at church, actually. We were both in a Sunday School class ...” How has the role of women in the workplace changed: “In a lot of ways you can see that change has happened. But in just as many ways you can see there’s a long way to go ... We’re still talking about equal pay for equal work. I happened to choose education as my vocation, but there was a time in this country where that was really all women could do. And what’s interesting, even in education, is the higher you go in terms of leadership, even though the majority of the teachers are women ... It’s still very rare to see a female superintendent.” — Annalise Frank

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Candice Miller

PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSIONER | MACOMB COUNTY

Career trajectory: In 1979, Candice Miller was working in her father’s marina business on the Clinton River when the Harrison Township board tried to impose a special tax on marinas. “I remember telling my dad it was just so outrageous, we weren’t going to be able to afford this,” Miller recalled. The tax hike, which was eventually nixed, sparked a recall election — and Miller got on the ballot and won a seat on the township board. The next year, Miller was elected Harrison Township supervisor. She served in that post for 12 years before winning the Macomb County treasurer’s post in 1992, becoming the first Republican in six decades to win that office. Two years later, she ran for Secretary of State and unseated six-term Democratic incumbent Richard Austin. She was re-elected in 1998 with a landslide 1 million-vote margin of victory, the largest margin ever in state history. In 2002, Miller ran for Congress in the newly drawn 10th Congressional District of northern Macomb County and the Thumb counties. She held the seat for seven terms, rising to chair of the House Administration Committee. In 2016, Miller opted to retire from Congress and run for Macomb County public works commissioner, toppling yet another longtime incumbent, Anthony Marrocco. Biggest win: “I was never supposed to win any of these races,” she said. Power metrics: As Secretary of State, Miller con-

vinced lawmakers to pass Michigan’s Graduated Drivers Licensing law for teenage drivers. “I feel very confident in saying thousands of lives have been saved,” she said. Special skill: Recruiting and assembling a good team that can execute. Surprising fact about yourself: A lifelong Great Lakes sailor, Miller has raced sailboats in 29 Port Huron-to-Mackinac races and a dozen Chicago-to-Mackinac races. In 1970, she was on the first all-women Port Huron-to-Mackinac race. Definition of an influential woman in today’s political world: “A woman who has a lot of vision, is not afraid to act on the vision (and) is able to coalesce the vision to push it forward.” How has the role of women in the workplace changed: “It’s changed rather dramatically. One of the things we’re finding out because of the pandemic is how important women in the workplace actually are. Right? All of a sudden many of them had to stay home with their children during the pandemic or elderly parents or whatever it was, that’s part of what has happened here with the labor shortage. A lot of women left the workplace.” Advice to women in politics: “I always tell them, ‘The most important thing for women in politics is honesty, integrity. You’re going to make mistakes. You’re not going to always do everything right. But people have to recognize that you have integrity. We have to do it for the sisters who are going to follow.’” — Chad Livengood

“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS IS HONESTY, INTEGRITY. YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING RIGHT. BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE INTEGRITY. WE HAVE TO DO IT FOR THE SISTERS WHO ARE GOING TO FOLLOW.’”

Kylee Mitchell Wells FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | BALLMER GROUP – SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN OFFICE Career trajectory: As a young child, Kylee Mitchell Wells struggled with math. Rather than give up on her, Wells’ parents made her the family house manager, which required her to help write out the bills and handle the ledger. By the time she was a teenager, she was helping her dad do the taxes. Wells earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Davenport University and started her career in the finance department at the Detroit Regional Chamber. She worked briefly at General Motors before joining the international finance department at Bosch, which allowed her to work in Germany and France. In 2009, Wells was selected for the competitive National Urban Fellows program, allowing her to earn a master’s degree in public administration from New York University’s Baruch College. In 2010, she ran a financial inclusion program for then-Washington, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty. When she returned to Detroit, she led talent development and workforce issues for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Then she turned to municipal work, managing the financial restructuring of several city of Detroit departments during the bankruptcy and then handling allocations for economic development for city’s emergency manager. In 2017, she became the inaugural executive director for the local office of the Ballmer Group, a nonprof-

it that supports organizations such as the United Way and the Wayne Metro Community Action Agency. Power metrics: Wells , 42, leads four staff members. The organization, which doesn’t “limit” itself with a budget, has given $95 million. Biggest career win: “Investing in Detroit Public Schools Community District (in 2019), where we provided $7 million to support remote learning to make sure that their technology and their infrastructure was in place.” Community connections: Wells is on the Michigan State Land Bank board and the regional Huntington National Bank advisory board. She is also a board member for the Detroit Regional Partnership. Special skill: The ability to meet people and find common interests. Definition of an influential woman: Her ability “to be dynamic, to wear many hats, to do good in communities, to be a good daughter, sister, friend and professional. It’s holistic.” Biggest career influences: Her parents. “Taking me as a 9-year-old and helping me understand how money works in the world. They are my first mentors and empower me to be great. I know every kid doesn’t have that.” Advice to other women: Get outside of your comfort zone. Have a conversation with people you wouldn’t think of talking to. — Leslie D. Green

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Tamy Harms MRM and McCann Worldgroup are extending a big congratulations to our president for being named one of the 100 Most Influential Women of 2021 by Crain’s Detroit. Thank you for setting the standard on the golf course and in the virtual boardroom this past year. We love you, Tamy Harms.

100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

La June Montgomery Tabron PRESIDENT AND CEO | W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION Career trajectory: After earning an accounting degree from the University of Michigan, La June Montgomery Tabron became a CPA and kicked off her career at Plante Moran. She joined the Kellogg Foundation in 1987. “I went from controller to assistant vice president for finance and then vice president for accounting and finance and then added human resources and technology. And it just kept expanding to the point where I had done almost every function in the organization,” Tabron said. She was named president and CEO in 2013 and became a Bynum Tudor fellow in 2020. Power metrics: Tabron leads 210 employees and manages an $8.2 billion endowment. The nonprofit, which has about 1,200 active grantees “at any point in time,” donated $370 million in traditional grants in 2020. Biggest career win: “When I led my board to approve an additional $300 million in addition to our normal payout to get money on the ground for the grantees and the families in the community who were struggling through this pandemic. I think that was unprecedented for us at the Kellogg Foundation. Leading through crisis has been very rewarding for me.”

Community connections: Tabron serves on the Bronson Hospital, Kellogg Foundation Trust, the Detroit Workforce Development and Battle Creek Community Health Partners boards among others. Something recently learned: “I’ve learned so much this past year about human beings and how to build unity with people through crisis. … How the well-being of people is critical to the success of an organization. ... We can’t just compartmentalize a workday now and ask people to do so.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “It’s changed a lot, actually. Women have taken the agency during this time period to really name what it is they need as far as accommodations. To stand up and say, ‘If I’m going to multitask and be a mother and an employee and a leader and a wife and a community member, then I need some accommodations.’ I think those accommodations are going to become given and permanent as we move forward.” Advice to other women: “You are capable. You have characteristics that are needed and complimentary in a work environment. Never doubt your capability.” — Leslie D. Green

Christine Moore EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL AUDITOR, INTERNAL AUDIT AND ASSET QUALITY REVIEW DEPARTMENT | COMERICA INC. Career trajectory: Christine Moore studied graphic arts for two years at Western Michigan University before taking a job in the field. After a couple of years, she decided to go back to school and earned an accounting degree from Marygrove College in Detroit. Moore also earned an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy. After briefly working for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Moore joined Comerica Bank in 1991 as a senior auditor. Shortly after Comerica merged with Manufacturer’s Bank, she was promoted, and began to climb the ranks. Moore loved learning and continually pursued certifications. “I studied at the Cannon Financial Institute,” Moore said. “That helped me rise.” Power metrics: The team of 85 people working under Moore audits Comerica’s $82 billion in assets. Biggest career win: “I don’t have big wins. I have to make sure we don’t have big losses or big regulatory concerns. As long as things stay quiet, I’m doing my job.” Community connection: Moore, 59, is board chair for Alternatives for Girls in Detroit and serves on the Cooper Standard Automotive Inc. board. Special skill: Collaboration. “My role in-

“MY ROLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE COMPANY IS TO HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS AND COORDINATE AND CONNECT PEOPLE.” — Christine Moore

side and outside the company is to help solve problems and coordinate and connect people.” Surprising fact: “People are shocked to find that I camp out. This year, I went on a beach camping trip in Maryland where there are wild horses.” Something recently learned: “I’m a member of the Executive Leadership Council and on a cohort for board membership. So, I’m learning a lot about being a board director.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone who continues to learn about and understand their industry and the world around them, who continues to be flexible and continues to grow. Biggest career influence: “My mother has been the biggest influence on my career. She’s the one I talked to about moves I was making.” Advice to other women: Do your job well and continue to learn and gather experiences inside and outside of your current situation. — Leslie D. Green

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O

KYLEE MITCHELL WELLS AND ALL OF

MICHIGAN’S MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

KYLEE MITCHELL WELLS ballmergroup.org

E X ECUTI VE DI RECTO R O F SO UTHEAST M I CHI G AN

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Susan Mosey

Donna Murray-Brown

DIRECTOR | MIDTOWN DETROIT INC.

PRESIDENT AND CEO | MICHIGAN NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION; MEMBER | TRANSFORMING SOLIDARITY COLLECTIVE

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Career trajectory: Mosey, 67, has been leading Midtown Detroit Inc. and its precursor organization, the University Cultural Center Association, since the late 1980s after earning a degree in urban planning from Wayne State University. Prior to the UCCA/Midtown Detroit Inc., she spent four years as the director of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority and worked in the 1970s for the Michigan Avenue Community Organization in Southwest Detroit. Community connections: Mosey serves on the M1 Rail board of directors as well as the Invest Detroit advisory board. Power metrics: Sometimes referred to as the “mayor of Midtown,” Mosey is a powerhouse in Detroit real estate and economic development. Her organization has often been cited as one of the catalysts for much of the development and business activity in the areas both east and west of Woodward Avenue stretching from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard north into the New Center area. Among the projects she and her team completed was the Inn on Ferry Street, the redevelopment of buildings at Woodward and Grand Boulevard, 14 new eco homes on Fourth Street and a redevelopment of a stretch of buildings on Selden Street. Since 2000, the organization has raised over $100 million for a variety of projects and initiatives, and it is responsible for events like Noel Night and Dlectricity, among others.

Biggest win: Increasing the population of Midtown and New Center between 2014 to 2019 by 21.5 percent. Special skill: Leveraging relationships to assist local nonprofits, small businesses, developers and anchors, Mosey said. Something recently learned: “The importance of checking in early and often with a broad set of stakeholders as the community development landscape continues to evolve in urban centers.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone who connects opportunities and resources around a common vision and provides the supports necessary for a shared win. How the role of women in the workplace changed: “Thankfully more leadership roles now include women, and I am happy to see more women in senior positions at commercial real estate firms and in real estate partnerships.” Biggest influence on her career: “My strong partnership with Dave Blaskiewicz at Invest Detroit around the deployment of capital as a catalyst for neighborhood regeneration.” Advice to women in your industry: Build partnerships and strong relationships early and get behind as many collaborative efforts as possible to accelerate change, Mosey said. — Kirk Pinho

HAIL

Career trajectory: Donna Murray-Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central State University in Ohio, an HBCU, because a successful neighbor was a graduate. She was the first in her family to graduate with a four-year degree. Murray-Brown had an aunt with a seemingly glamorous career in banking; so, she went to the neighborhood bank, National Bank of Detroit, and told the manager she wanted a job. Though there wasn’t an opening, she secured an interview and landed a position as a teller. Within six months, Murray-Brown was promoted to senior assistant manager. A couple of years later, she became manager and was sent to Columbus, Ohio, to run a failing savings and loan. The start was rough. The team initially resigned upon learning they would work for a Black woman. After discussions with the regional manager, the team decided to give Murray-Brown a try. “I felt like I really had to perform. I felt like I had to go into overdrive,” she said. “There are many people now who only got a chance because they came into contact with me, and I paved the way.” She became vice president and community development director of Charter One Bank in 2004. While serving on the advisory board for

the United Way of Southeastern Michigan, someone suggested she take a job in the nonprofit sector. In 2009, after 22 years in banking, Murray-Brown joined the Michigan Nonprofit Association as director of the Metro Detroit Partnership. She has resigned as MNA CEO, effective at the end of the year. Power metrics: Murray-Brown, 55, is responsible for 21 employees who collaborate with 300 community partners. The partnerships, she said, allowed MNA to embark on census work that is making a difference in underrepresented communities. “We got people to participate in the census and to vote for the first time.” Biggest career win: Taking a job at MNA and being able to intentionally focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Something recently learned: “I learned I like to be engaged in systems change and large-scale projects and that relationships are the most important things to be successful.” Advice to women in the industry: “Don’t underestimate your faith, your instincts, your gut. It’s there for a reason, to protect you and to guide you. Leadership is less about self and more about other people. You know how to step out of the way and support others.” — Leslie D. Green

to the front line to the discoverers to the learners to the caregivers

To all of our health care heroes, including Most Influential Women designee

LUANNE EWALD, FACHE Thank you for your service to our communities.

UofMHealth.org

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Dana Nessel

DIRECTOR, MICHIGAN PROGRAMS | W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION

ATTORNEY GENERAL | STATE OF MICHIGAN

Career trajectory: Faye Nelson earned a degree in political science from Mercy College before going on to get her law degree from the University of Detroit. While she went on to work in corporate settings, Nelson knew she wanted positively to give back to the community just as her mother did. Her first post-graduate job was as an attorney on Kmart Corp.’s legal team, where she specialized in antitrust and trade regulation. She then worked her way up to director of national and international relations for the retailer. Afterward, Wayne State University recruited her to be vice president of government and civic affairs where she secured significant funding from Lansing, handled Washington, D.C.-related affairs that supported faculty research and with external leaders to establish the research and technology park now known as TechTown Detroit. Nelson was the inaugural president and CEO of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, which raised $160 million that supports three miles of public space and produced more than $1 billion in public and private investment. Prior to joining Kellogg in 2018, Nelson was corporate vice president of DTE Energy and chair and president of the DTE Energy Foundation. Power metrics: In 2020-21, Kellogg donated about $80 million to about 360 grantees. In

Career trajectory: Reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” as a child fueled Dana Nessel’s desire to become a lawyer and help people treated unjustly by the system. While earning her law degree from Wayne State University, Nessel clerked at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. “There was a really good internship program at Wayne State that allowed you to do really significant things as a law school student. There’s a special court rule that allows a second- or third-year student that has met certain requirements to practice under a supervised attorney. I tried a double homicide before graduating from law school,” she said. In 2005, after an 11-year career at the prosecutor’s office, she launched a boutique firm and specialized in family law, criminal defense and civil rights. Nessel dramatically changed her career path in 2017, when she decided to run for office. “I was not a fan of Donald Trump or his administration. I felt the best way I could fight back against what the federal government was doing to the state was if I could sue the federal government. I knew I could do that as A.G. (attorney general),” she said. Power metrics: Nessel, 52, is responsible for about 500 employees in 25 divisions. She recently brought in an $800 million litigation

January 2021, the nonprofit invested $3 million in the Early Childhood Investment Corporation to support a Child Care Innovation Fund. Community connections: Nelson is finance committee chair for the Michigan Women’s Commission and a member of the executive committee and board of directors for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She also serves on the boards of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Workforce Development for the City of Detroit, and the Council of Michigan Foundations. On women in the workplace: “There has been slow progress. There should be more women in senior executive positions, more women business owners, more women on public boards. And this doesn’t address issues women are challenged with today that were exacerbated by the pandemic. “Women, especially women of color, have been laid off or furloughed in astronomical numbers. Their careers have stalled, financial security has been jeopardized and they don’t have access to quality child care. “This is an opportunity for the workplace to pay attention and understand the critical issues… to take a step back and think about how they can better support women and treat them more equitably.” — Leslie D. Green

settlement against opioid distributors and manufacturers. Biggest career win: Successfully challenging Michigan’s bans on adoption and same-sex marriage in DeBoer v. Snyder. “Because of that case, we have marriage equality nationwide.” Special skill: “I like to think that even though I oversee all these attorneys, I am still a good attorney. Rather than just being a politician with a law degree, I can analyze and participate in cases from a more meaningful way.” Surprising fact: “I love Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday. I love haunted houses. We basically turn our offices into a giant haunted house and give a prize for whoever has the best décor.” Something recently learned: “Having a strong law enforcement presence helps businesses that are good actors succeed.” Biggest career influence: “My wife. She’s been incredibly supportive all the times I’ve had to be away from our family. She’s been a wonderful spouse and parent and is my closest advisor.” — Leslie D. Green

Siebert Williams Shank congratulates our President & CEO Suzanne Shank for being named Crain’s Detroit 2021 100 Most Influential Women

Managing public and corporate financings nationally Siebert Williams Shank & Co., L.L.C. (SWS), a full-service investment banking and financial services company, works with a broad range of issuer clients nationally, including corporations, institutions and governments, providing comprehensive strategic advice, capital raising and risk management guidance. We provide corporate and municipal investment banking, fixed-income sales and trading, corporate share repurchase and equity execution services. Our mission is to contribute a unique, comprehensive and value-added platform for our clients’ investment banking needs. In 2020, SWS ranked as the #1 co-manager for national investment grade transactions and as the #4 comanager for national equity transactions. For municipal securities transactions, the firm ranked as the #1 M/ WBE firm for national negotiated municipal transactions. Additionally, the firm ranked as #13 nationally for negotiated senior-managed municipal transactions and #4 nationally for negotiated co-managed municipal transactions.

Rankings Source: SDC

100 Wall Street, 18th Floor New York, New York 10005 (646) 775-4850 www.siebertwilliams.com NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 55

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Mariam Noland PRESIDENT | COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN Career trajectory: When Mariam Noland got to Case Western Reserve University, she wasn’t sure what career track to pursue. She earned a bachelor’s degree in science and nutrition and went on to work in the admissions department at a small liberal arts college. That work spurred an interest in academia, so she went to Harvard University and earned a master’s degree in education. Noland then interned at the Cleveland Foundation and later landed a job at the St. Paul Foundation in Minnesota. When Joseph L. Hudson Jr. launched a national search for someone to head up a similar foundation in Metro Detroit, Noland was asked to interview. Power metrics: Since helping to establish the Community Foundation in 1985, Noland, now 74, has grown the organization from $2 million in assets to $1.2 billion in assets. The community foundation has about 48 employees and supports organizations in seven counties. Last year, it gave $121 million through more than 5,000 grants. The organization, so far, has given away more than $1 billion. Biggest career win: Helping people who want to leave money for the community make that transaction. Helping groups receive the funds they need to help others. Community connections: Noland serves on the boards of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Downtown Detroit Partnership and Bipartisan Policy Center. Special skill: “I’m pretty well-organized. People say I am demanding, and I probably am. I think particularly for an organization that is judging others that are asking for money, we better be excellent or even better. We are one of the largest community foundations in the country because of our staff and our great board.” Surprising fact: “I like speed. I’ve done a little race car driving. I was also a very serious classical ballet student and a drummer.” Something recently learned: “The pandemic has taught us that one has to be flexible. Not everything is predictable.” Biggest career influences: The four Community Foundation board chairs — Joseph Hudson Jr., Eugene Miller, Allan Gilmour and James Nicholson. “Each person is someone who invests in other people. They are smart and experienced.” Advice to other women: Listen, learn, build networks and always collaborate. “I haven’t done anything well that hasn’t been in collaboration with others.” — Leslie D. Green

“I LIKE SPEED. I’VE DONE A LITTLE RACE CAR DRIVING. I WAS ALSO A VERY SERIOUS CLASSICAL BALLET STUDENT AND A DRUMMER.”

Megan Norris

CEO | MILLER, CANFIELD, PADDOCK AND STONE PLC

SEN

Career trajectory: Megan Norris was going to be a musician. Her first instrument was piano. Later, she picked up marimba and played the timpani in her high school orchestra. She learned West African drumming at Wesleyan University and even worked as a teaching assistant. Realizing she needed to focus on getting a job, Norris pursued her law degree from the University of Michigan. “I gave being a serious musician consideration because I really liked it, but I didn’t see it as a way to support myself,” Norris said. “Law is a really good job for me. It requires that you be reasonably intelligent, which I think I am. It requires that you deal with people and that you can handle public speaking.” She joined Miller Canfield in 1986.

For the first couple of years on the job, Norris questioned whether she could make it as an attorney. But then she was assigned to learn about the then-brand new Americans with Disabilities Act. Her knowledge of the new law landed her on the speaker’s circuit. She made partner in 1994. Power metrics: Norris became Miller Canfield’s first female CEO in February 2021. She is responsible for a $60 million budget, about 190 attorneys and several hundred additional staff members. Biggest win: “I have been married for 32 years. I have a kid, and she likes to be with her parents. That I managed to do that and have a career is a big win.” Community connections: Norris, a past chair of both the Detroit Hearing and Speech

Center and the Detroit Police Commission, is on the board of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce. Special skill: Her inability to be disingenuous when communicating with people. “There are times when people wish that were not the case. But sometimes you have to explain things, sometimes you have to deliver bad news.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: There weren’t a lot of women at Miller Canfield when Norris, now 60, started her career. “The women who were successful, to my mind, played the men’s game. They wore the same suits. They fought the same fights. Many of them sacrificed a lot personally because that’s what they thought they had to do. I think that’s different now. People don’t think of me as a woman. I’m just an employee. We’re very different in how we work, in how we dress, in how we balance home and work.” — Leslie D. Green

Anne Parsons PRESIDENT AND CEO | DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Career trajectory: Anne Parsons was certain of a few things: She wanted a career that wouldn’t require graduate school, and she wanted to be self-sufficient. She settled on becoming a banker and even worked as a teller each summer between terms at Smith College. Her goals changed when a recruiting committee for the first class of the American Symphony League Fellows asked to talk with someone involved in management at the Smith College Orchestra. A flutist since fourth grade, Parsons handled all the preparations for Smith Orchestra performances — putting up posters, getting the music and helping the conductor with the program. Parsons, 64, has since worked in management for the National Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Ballet, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Biggest career wins: Collaborating with

employees and external consultants to develop the organization’s current culture, values and ongoing efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion. “It takes 100 percent participation for certain things. It can’t be top down, even though you have to lead from the top. A consultant, the board, the orchestra and the staff have all been engaged.” Another big win was working collaboratively to search for and hire music director Jader Bignamini. Special skill: Relationship building. “It’s so important and so rewarding to really know people.” Surprising fact: “I don’t cook. My family says I can’t boil water. I’m good at designing a menu, at cutting, washing and cleaning up, I’ve also been terrible about creating boundaries for myself. I always want to say yes because I always see opportunity in almost every conversation and overcommit as a result.”

“HISTORICALLY WOMEN HAD TO PRETEND. WE NOT ONLY DON’T HAVE TO PRETEND ANY MORE BUT WE DON’T GET AWAY WITH PRETENDING.” Something recently learned: “The fragility of our world is something I’ve come to understand because of my health. We just take for granted that we’re going to be healthy and one day we’re not. We take for granted someone is going to be a strong leader. When that doesn’t happen, it causes you to wake up every day and be grateful for the positive things.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone who is authentic. “Historically women had to pretend. We not only don’t have to pretend any more, but we don’t get away with pretending.” Biggest career influence: “My husband is the person I talk through everything with. He’s my constant. We have the first conversation before I talk to anyone else.” — Leslie D. Green

Gail Perry-Mason teaches children financial awareness and literacy. Other camps require children to have at least $10,000 to invest. The 200 adolescents a year that attend Money Matters for Youth need only $50. Perry-Mason, 58, also authored “Money Matters for Families.” Though geared toward families, the book also has served as a manual on managing finances for DaimlerChrysler employees. She later co-authored “Girl, Make Your Money Grow.” Power metrics: Gail Perry-Mason, whose clients invest anywhere from $500 to $500,000 at a time, deals with millions of dollars daily. Biggest career win: Perry-Mason strongly believes in sharing experiences and opportunities. She shared and purchased Class B Berkshire Hathaway stock for 35 of her youth camp participants and then took them to meet Warren Buffett. He then in-

vited them to attend a shareholders meeting. They were the only people of color in attendance, she said. When she was invited to attend Black Wall Street earlier this month, Perry-Mason tapped a teen from Cody High School to be her plus-one. Community connections: She sits on the boards of the Detroit Development Fund and the Detroit Medical Center. Surprising fact: Perry-Mason, whose father is Jamaican and mother white, never met her biological parents. When she was a baby, her mother left her at the Detroit Medical Center because of her race. She later served on the hospital's board. Something recently learned: How to run a marathon and to kickbox. “I’m learning how to take time to take care of myself.” Biggest career influences: “My children. I want to make them proud. And then I want to make my mother proud. She was in her 50s when she adopted me. She was strong in her father, strong in her work ethic, and strong in her beliefs. She helped me raise my sons." — Leslie D. Green

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SENIOR DIRECTOR OF INVESTMENTS | OPPENHEIMER & CO. INC. FOUNDER | MONEY MATTERS FOR YOUTH; AUTHOR Career trajectory: Gail Perry-Mason always wanted to help children and considered becoming a child psychiatrist. In her second year of college, she had a child. Knowing she needed a job, she sent out her resume and caught the attention of a brokerage firm. While on her first job as a receptionist, Perry-Mason watched as people came in with money to invest. None of them looked like her. She then asked to become a secretary so she could learn more about the business. At the same time, she attended school at night, earning a degree in finance and financial management services from the University of Detroit Mercy. She was working at First of Michigan when Oppenheimer acquired it and has been there more than 26 years. In 1996, Perry-Mason decided to do something about the lack of Black investors by founding Money Matters for Youth, which

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Mary Petrovich SENIOR OPERATING EXECUTIVE | THE CARLYLE GROUP; EXECUTIVE CHAIR | DEALERSHOP Career trajectory: Mary Petrovich understands what it means to go “from rags to riches.” Her mother was 30 when she was widowed with eight children between the ages of eight months and seven years old. “Going to school was like a vacation for me. It was a chance to get away and get positive reinforcement,” said Petrovich, who thrived on academics and athletics. At age 13, she became the first female caddie at Franklin Hills Country Club where she received valuable insight from “well-heeled” people like Max Fisher and Al Taubman. That experience allowed her to receive a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where she earned an engineering degree. After two years at General Motors, Petrovich decided to get her MBA from Harvard. Afterward, she took a job at Chrysler, working for Lee Iacocca, where she learned how to turn

around a business. She has also led automotive and industrial businesses for AlliedSignal and served as president of Dura Automotive’s $1 billion Driver Controls unit. She was CEO of AxleTech International, a Carlyle portfolio company, when General Dynamics purchased the company. In addition to her leadership role at several Carlyle portfolio companies, Petrovich is chair of DealerShop, a buying group for car dealers and collision centers Power metrics: DealerShop has more than 3,000 member dealerships and collision centers and about $20 million in revenue. For Carlyle, Petrovich routinely makes multimillion-dollar industrial and technology deals. Biggest career win: Being the first person called when male-dominated businesses need someone to turn around dying industrial companies. Community connections: Petrovich, 58,

serves on the University of Michigan’s Health System advisory council, President’s Advisory Group, and Engineering Dean’s advisory board. She is also co-chair of the national Evans Scholars Promise Campaign and a member of the Nikola board. Special skill: “I am someone who knows how to win. People enjoy my drive, competitiveness and energy.” Surprising fact: “I won 35 club championships and nine holes-in-one and played in three U.S. amateur events though I didn’t start playing golf until after age 30.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone who doesn’t think of themselves as a woman but as someone who is the best at what they do and knows how to rally a team. Biggest career influences: The founders of Carlyle and her mother. “She was an uneducated woman who could have just hung it up. But she refused to go on food stamps and welfare and persevered through a ton of adversity. The things that make you successful in life are the things you can’t buy.” — Leslie D. Green

Sandy Pierce CHAIR OF MICHIGAN | HUNTINGTON BANK Career trajectory: Pierce, 63, is a Detroit native and veteran banking executive who went to Huntington Bank following its acquisition of FirstMerit Bank in 2016. In her role leading Columbus-based Huntington, Pierce leads the Huntington Private Bank, Huntington Insurance, Huntington Auto Finance and the RV/Marine books of business, while also managing the bank’s community development initiatives, regional presidents across the 12-state footprint, and leading all activities for the bank within Michigan. Pierce chairs the board of Henry Ford Health System, and sits on the boards of Penske Automotive Group and American Axle, while also serving board duties on a variety of nonprofits. Power metrics: “At Huntington, I wear several hats because I’m responsible for several of

our sectors across our 12 states. But I have never not resided in the state of Michigan. And so all of my board work is in the state of Michigan, both the nonprofit and the public (companies). And what I will tell you is we happen to be fortunate enough to be with a company (where) part of our purpose ... is serving the communities, and strengthening the communities. And it’s not Sandy Pierce. It really is all of us that work at Huntington. I just happen to be in a leadership role, so I maybe get more attention than I deserve.” Biggest win: “(Personally), I grew up the only one of 10 (kids) to be able to go to college. I realized when I progressed in my career so quickly that it was because of my background, not despite it. And so my personal defining moment was to make sure that I understood that everybody has a story just like I do. And that we

should be proud of our story because we are who we are because of how we grew up.” Special skill: For many years Pierce made homemade, from-scratch pies for Thanksgiving with her mom, who died in the 1990s. Pierce has kept up the tradition and every year, two days before Thanksgiving, she’s helped by a whole host of metro Detroit business and philanthropic leaders, with the pies being donated to community groups and others. How the role of women in banking has changed: “When I was starting out in the business, there were even fewer women in (banking). I was in the commercial lending side of the house, and there were even fewer women. And I think that women competed with each other. And today, what I see is women helping each other. So ... you used to have to rely on the men in the business to advocate for you. Today, the women are really gathering together to help each other, to advocate for each other and to mentor each other.” — Nick Manes

Marlo Rencher DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY-BASED PROGRAMS AND INTERIM MANAGING DIRECTOR, ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES | TECHTOWN DETROIT Career trajectory: Marlo Rencher for the majority of her career has been a jack of all trades. She has more than 25 years of professional experience in coaching, researching and running startup companies. Rencher spent four years as the vice president of innovation, entrepreneurship and diversity for Cleary University. Rencher currently serves as director of technology-based programs for TechTown Detroit. It’s her second stint with TechTown following a nearly five-year run as the company’s managing director from November 2004 to May 2009. Rencher, who has a bachelor’s in marketing from Michigan State University, an MBA from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in business anthropology from Wayne State University, has also developed entrepreneurial programs focused on inclusion, innovation and tech-based entrepreneurship. Community connections: Rencher is a

co-founder and board member of Commune Angels, an angel investing community launched in 2020 that aims to expand access to angel investing and capital. She is also a regional advisory board member for NPower Michigan; a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (Southfield Alumnae Chapter); and a member of the Oakland County chapter of Jack and Jill of America. Power metrics: Rencher, 51, has founded or co-founded three tech startups and spoken at TedXDetroit, Princeton University and SXSW. She has authored and co-authored several research studies, including “Radical Inclusion in Tech,” a study published by TechTown in 2019, and the book “Hard Reset: Framing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the New Normal,” with Marlin Williams, published earlier this year. Rencher has supported 50 Black women tech

founders through the National Science Foundation-funded STEEP program. Special skill: Rencher applies her training as an anthropologist to her work in tech. “I’ve gained deep insight into tech entrepreneurship by applying the observational skills I’ve honed through the study of culture. Combining this insight with my focus on inclusion and entrepreneurial education allows me to be uniquely innovative in my approach to my work.” Surprising fact: Rencher loves to play racquetball, listen to house music, and read sci-fi and fantasy books, “particularly those in the Afrofuturism genre.” How the role of women in the workplace changed: “The role of women in the workplace has certainly expanded over the past few decades and I celebrate that. I’m more excited about our ability to be valued as our authentic selves in those roles, without trying to imitate anyone else. When we are truly ourselves, we can redefine these roles and change the game being played.” — Jay Davis

Portia Roberson CEO | FOCUS: HOPE Career trajectory: Portia Roberson had no doubt that she would become an attorney one day, just like her dad. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Wayne State University. With encouragement from her dad, a judge at what was then Recorder’s Court in Detroit, Roberson began her career in private practice specializing in criminal defense and probate work. After seven years, she became an assistant Wayne County prosecutor, under Mike Duggan, and then pivoted to transactional work as associate general counsel for the Detroit Medical Center. Roberson was Wayne County po- “I’M WILLING TO litical director for Barack Obama's JUMP IN AND DO presidential cam- WHATEVER NEEDS paign in 2008. The next year, she was TO BE DONE.” appointed director of Intergovernmental Affairs and public liaison for the U.S. Department of Justice. “I went to the White House Domestic Policy Council thinking I was going to just be the Justice person. And they were like, ‘We’re going to have a team in Detroit. We think it should be somebody from Detroit. Are you comfortable going back to lead?’ And so, I did,” she said. From there, Roberson worked as corporation counsel under then-Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, then head of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity under Mayor Duggan. The passing of her mother in 2018 led Roberson to seek a new challenge. The thought of running Focus: Hope initially seemed unrealistic. “(I thought) I'm a lawyer. ‘What do I know about running a nonprofit?' But nonprofits are like small businesses, right? And some of the stuff that I had already done gave me a good understanding about what needed to be done.” Power metrics: Roberson, 51, oversees a budget of about $28 million and a staff of about 180. The Detroit-based nonprofit, which serves Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, feeds 42,000 seniors each month and provides workforce training for 500-1,000 people yearly. Biggest career win: “Getting a call saying you’ve been appointed by President Barack Obama to be the director of governmental affairs at the Department of Justice is still the highlight so far of my professional career.” Community connections: Roberson is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s advisory council on Agriculture, Small Business and Labor and a member of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. She was the first Black woman to serve on the city of Detroit’s Police and Fire Pension board. Special skill: “I’m willing to jump in and do whatever needs to be done.” Surprising fact: While traveling with her parents to Miami when she was just 3 years old, the plane was hijacked. The federal government caught the offenders while Roberson was working at the Justice Department. Definition of an influential woman: Someone who helps the next generation of women and is open to learning from them. — Leslie D. Green NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 57

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Paula Salerno Herbart

PRESIDENT | MICHIGAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Career trajectory: Paula Salerno Herbart considered becoming a professional musician and singer but realized that could be a lonely job. “I had a real affinity for working with and making connections with other people. I need people, and my dad wanted me to be able to pay my bills,” she said. Herbart earned a degree in music education from the University of Michigan and began teaching at Fraser public schools in 1992. She immediately became actively involved in her Local MEA union and sought “SPEAKING UP leadership roles. WILL NEVER BE In 2012, she was elected president THE WRONG of the MEA/ DECISION IN THE NEA-Local 1, which allowed her FACE OF to work with the INJUSTICE.” National Education Association to determine policy and procedure. Part of her charge was to lobby national leaders, such as U.S. Reps. Sander Levin and John Dingell. “As I was seeing what was happening nationally in other organizations and seeing what MEA could be and should be, I felt very passionately about making sure (the union) had a voice,” said Herbart. . Power metrics: Under Herbart’s leadership, MEA represents about 120,000 student, active and retired members and supports 1,100 MEA Locals and 550 school districts, including higher education. “I work with Michigan Department of Education, the governor’s office and legislators to make sure they understand the needs of our students and members.” Biggest win: Working to get a $17 billion bipartisan school education budget passed that, for the first time, will provide equal funding for every student in the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the landmark education bill in July 2021. “The MEA had a voice. We leveraged our relationships and partnerships with them so they could hear our cries. I couldn’t be prouder of that.” Community connection: She is a steering committee co-chair and founding member of Launch Michigan, an alliance of business, civic and philanthropic leaders focused on improving K-12 education outcomes in the state. Surprising fact: Girl Scouts played a significant role in Herbart’s life from second grade through her first two years of high school. “That’s where I learned about parliamentary procedure and whipping your votes.” Biggest influence on her career: Herbart , 58, credits her parents, who were both educators, and her siblings. “I owe a debt of gratitude to them for being so supportive of me my entire life.” Advice to her younger self: “Speaking up will never be the wrong decision in the face of injustice.” — Leslie D. Green

Jeanette Schneider

PRESIDENT | RE/MAX OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN

Career trajectory: Jeanette Schneider considered becoming a nurse, police detective or copy editor. While trying to figure out her path, she took what she considered a temporary administrative job at Re/Max. However, the job, she said, opened up numerous opportunities. “I ultimately got my bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Central Michigan University and began working on everything from the reporting and analytical side of the business to marketing and sales,” she said. “There are so many skill sets and paths you can take.” Power metrics: Schneider, who was promoted in May 2021, handles a more than $1

million budget and the daily operations for Re/Max. She is responsible for 900 real estate agents in 56 offices through the franchises Re/Max sells. “In 2020, our affiliates closed 13,268 transactions, which represented $2.8 billion in closed volume.” Biggest career win: “Taking the promotion. I developed a coaching program for our franchisees to help them understand coaching from a true perspective.” Community connection: Schneider, 56, serves on the board of directors for the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan. Special skill: “Listening. I’m a big believer that you need to listen to what people say and let them share what’s on their minds. If you

don’t, they aren’t going to let you share what you have to say.” Surprising fact: “I have been playing the organ at church on Sunday for close to 30 years.” Something recently learned: “I just bought a boat and learned how to drive it. I feel like I have to watch everything. My head is swiveling in all directions at all times.” Biggest career influence: “I’ve been lucky to have pretty much the same leadership for the past 25 years. They are the ones who have pushed me out of my comfort zone. Allowed me to learn, stumble and get back up.” Advice to other women: “Trust in yourself. Don’t be afraid to have a voice and use it. Maybe you think you’re too new or too low in rank, but you deserve to be heard just because of what you do and who you interact with.” — Leslie D. Green

Kelly Boatright Sexton

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PARTNERSHIPS | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

U.S

Career trajectory: Kelly Sexton had no idea what career track to pursue. The only professionals in her small Georgia town were doctors and lawyers. Her mother told her that if she took the hardest classes she could, particularly those in math and science, she’d figure out what she wanted. Once she stepped into a research lab, Sexton’s path was clear. She earned bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Georgia and her Ph.D. in molecular pathology from the University of California, San Diego. Sexton has since worked at the Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing and in the office of Technology Transfer at North Carolina State University. In North Carolina, she rose through the ranks from senior licensing associate to assistant vice chancellor for Technology Commercialization and New Ventures. While she and her husband were unpacking

at their new house, Sexton was asked to apply to the University of Michigan. She joined UM’s Department of Technology Transfer in 2018 (newly rebranded as the Office of Innovation Partnerships) and works toward amplifying the impact of university research, in part, by connecting the projects to the private sector through commercialization. Power metrics: Sexton, 44, is responsible for more than 50 employees. As of August, her team produced 502 invention reports, launched 23 startup companies, executed 297 licenses and options and generated revenue of $42.9 million. Biggest career win: Launching the Accelerate Blue Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund launched in October 2019 that will invest in high-tech startups. Special skill: Preparation and hard work. Surprising fact: “I speak Portuguese poorly.” Something recently learned: “I’m reading a book about France at the onset of World

“READ BOOKS ON IMPOSTER SYNDROME. I THINK IT’S GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE IMPOSTER SYNDROME AS A CULTURAL PHENOMENON AND NOT LET IT CONSUME THEM.” War II. I like immersing myself in the history of another turbulent time. I find it reassuring to see all the times that we've faced big challenges and have been able to come back.” Biggest career influence: “It’s the questions my kids ask me about the environment, our planet in global warming and our future. A lot of the solutions to our problems are being created in university research laboratories. So, for me, just having to have these dinnertime conversations with my kids helps me to have a sense of purpose about our work.” Advice to other women: “Read books on imposter syndrome. I think it’s good for people to recognize imposter syndrome as a cultural phenomenon and not let it consume them.” — Leslie D. Green

Suzanne Shank PRESIDENT & CEO | SIEBERT WILLIAMS SHANK & CO. LLC Career trajectory: Suzanne Shank considered going into social work until a high school counselor convinced her to leverage her math and science skills and pursue a career in civil engineering. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology Tech and took a job at General Dynamics. After a couple of years, Shank decided to earn her MBA in finance from the Wharton School. Investment banking seemed intriguing. “Many of my peers worked on Wall Street before going to business school. It was the hot job at the time,” she said. In 1987, Shank joined a boutique firm and worked her way up through several firms. In 1996, Muriel Siebert asked her to help establish Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co. LLC. The investment bank is the first Minority & Women Owned Business

Enterprise to rank as a top 10 municipal debt underwriter. Power metrics: As president and CEO, Shank is responsible for about 135 staff members. The firm, which mostly handles principal amount municipal and corporate transactions, has participated in more than $2 trillion in financing. Seventy of the Fortune 100 companies are SWS clients. Biggest career win: Growing the firm through mergers, acquisitions and recapitalizations; surviving three major market downturns in her career; and working with tremendous partners and a tremendous workforce. Community connections: Shank is a member of several boards, including Rocket Companies, CMS Energy, the Skillman Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Invest De-

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SEN troit, Wharton School’s Graduate Executive board and Spelman College’s board of trustees. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum. Special skill: Hard work. “I am constantly working around the clock to be better. To make sure the firm is better. To make sure client coverage is better. The fact that we have so much repeat business is a testament to the hard work and focus on performance.” Definition of an influential woman: Someone who is fair and provides opportunities for others. “I’ve been worrying about ESG (environmental, social and governance) long before it became en vogue. An influential woman helps other women achieve their goals.” Biggest career influence: “Muriel Siebert, who really invested in me being a co-founder of the firm and pushing me toward a leadership position though she didn’t know me very well. She was a trailblazer on Wall Street. She didn’t take no for answer, but she worked within the system.” — Leslie D. Green

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Nicole Sherard-Freeman GROUP EXECUTIVE OF JOBS, ECONOMY AND DETROIT AT WORK | CITY OF DETROIT Career trajectory: Sherard-Freeman was hired into the Detroit government in August 2019 as executive director of workforce development. Mayor Mike Duggan promoted her to her current role in late 2020 and she started in January. She came to the city from a job as president and CEO of contracted agency Detroit Employment Solutions Corp. Sherard-Freeman has a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Organization Management and Development from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif. Power metrics: She oversees employment initiative Detroit at Work, which has grown from a $37 million organization to nearly $80

million and has offered 50,000 summer jobs through Grow Detroit’s Young Talent. Sherard-Freeman is also tasked with aligning Detroit’s economic development work, big projects like Amazon.com Inc.’s facility and the Stellantis plant expansions, commercial corridor development and small business assistance. Biggest win: “Certainly, Stellantis, formerly FCA, (expanding and hiring in Detroit). Followed closely by remaking the Detroit workforce system. And it is too soon to claim victory, but both of those outcomes will be overshadowed by aligning economic development and workforce development for Detroiters so that they are seen as the engine for opportunity.”

Definition of an influential woman: “I believe that in our current context, women and men, frankly, who are of influence are those who have figured out how to use their drive and their passion for whatever your mission is to achieve outcomes for the greater good that far supersede whatever their own individual goal lines were.” Biggest influence on your career: “I think what has influenced my career most is the sort of hardscrabble way that my professional life unfolded ... I’m an unconventional story. I am, except for the grace of God, one of the many people in this city, in this region, in the state, in this country, for whom I'm trying to create opportunity. There's no silver spoon in my background, there's no reason I should be in this seat except for people who afforded me opportunity for reasons that I don't understand ...” — Annalise Frank

Debbie Stabenow U.S. SENATOR Career trajectory: Debbie Stabenow’s mother was director of nursing at a small hospital in Clare, where she grew up. Many thought she’d follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her dad, who aspired for his daughter to reach even greater heights, said she would be a doctor. All Stabenow knew, however, was that she was going to help people. She earned a three-part bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, psychology and sociology at Michigan State University before getting her master’s degree in social work. In 1971, Stabenow, who was one of many young women recruited by the Democratic Party, learned about the county’s plan to close a large nursing home for low-income seniors. “One thing led to another, and I ended up leading the effort to save the nursing home,” she said. Stabenow didn’t know much about politics, but the 24-year-old did know she was angry with the Ingham County commissioner for his plan

to close the home. Two years later she was Board of Commissioners chair. She was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1979, to the state senate in 1990, the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and the U.S. Senate in 2000. Power metrics: In her 20 years in the Senate, Stabenow, now 71, successfully introduced a bill to ban oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes and championed the Great Lakes restoration initiative. She co-chairs the Great Lakes Task Force. She led the 2009 auto industry rescue and authored the “Cash for Clunkers” initiative that “brought customers back to showrooms.” As chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry committee, she co-authored the successful 2018 Farm Bill. Biggest wins: Professionally, beating incumbent Spencer Abraham in 2000 to become the first Michigan woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first woman to beat an incumbent U.S.

“YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES AND NOT DEFER TO OTHER PEOPLE WHEN YOU HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.” senator. “Even more important to me is my family, my son and daughter, their two wonderful spouses and my five beautiful grandchildren.” Special skill: “I have a dogged sense of determination. I’m persistent and patient and willing to wait people out.” Surprising fact: Plays piano, clarinet and acoustic guitar. “My whole life is involved in music. It’s a wonderful way to connect with people.” While her friends were waitressing to get through school, she worked as an acoustic guitarist. Advice to other women: “You need to believe in your own ideas and perspectives and not defer to other people when you have a difference of opinion. It’s important to claim your own achievements without making it about ego. When you’re willing to share credit, you can get more done.” — Leslie D. Green

Lashinda Stair SENIOR CONSULTANT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SOFTWARE ENTERPRISE | MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS Career trajectory: Lashinda Stair not only had two uncles in the police force, her best friend’s parents also were police officers. As a result, she spent a lot of time at the department. While studying psychology and sociology at Wayne State University, Stair applied for and was accepted in the Detroit Police Department. When she applied for a position in Vice, an officer she’d known since high school told her that if she had time to work the streets in the middle of the night and go to court in the morning, then she had time to go back and get her bachelor’s degree. Stair later acquired a master’s degree with a concentration on policing from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA from Wayne State University. At the same time, she rose through the ranks of the DPD — from sergeant to inspector (head of the Detroit police academy) to deputy chief in charge of all 12 Detroit precincts. In

2014, Chief James Craig appointed her first assistant chief, a new position. Stair, who ran day-to-day operations, is the first woman to earn the No. 2 rank in the department. She retired after 25 years in the force in May 2021. Motorola recruited Stair to bridge the communications gap between the engineers that create its safety technology and the salespeople that sell its products. “In my second week, we went to (one client) that was considering buying body-worn cameras. My partner talked about the technology, and I talked about why the technology matters,” she said. Power metrics: At the Detroit Police Department, Stair, 48, was responsible for more than 3,000 employees and a budget of more than $320 million. Now she works in regions that include Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, North and South Dakotas, Iowa and Canada. Biggest career win: “The opportunity to better educate myself and to mentor and sup-

port other members of the police department.” Community connections: Stair is member of numerous associations and sits on many boards, including the Michigan Chapter of the International Women’s Forum, Wayne State Alumni Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Board of Executives for the FBI National Executive Institute, the Board of Directors for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Greater Detroit Area, the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Classical Roots steering committee. Something recently learned: “Take time to enjoy the space you’re in and be mindful of what’s happening around you.” Biggest career influence: “My mother had me at age 15. She robbed Peter to pay Paul to make sure me and my siblings and I had whatever we needed. She always believed in me and supported me when nobody else did.” Advice to her younger self: “Take advantage of educational opportunities earlier.” — Leslie D. Green

Maximiliane Straub PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SERVICES | BOSCH GROUP Career trajectory: Maximiliane Straub joined Bosch in 1993 as part of its chassis systems trainee program in Blaichach, Germany. Since then, she’s done everything “from cradle to grave” for the auto and appliance manufacturer, from launching new business units and overseeing M&A to steering a global company restructuring. The latter was her most recent task, assigned just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic upended the manufacturing sector. Accustomed to regularly rotating to and from 10 different countries throughout the year, Straub was forced to undertake the corporate overhaul remotely. The company completed its restructuring, which involved combining finance, logistics and purchasing functions as well as human resources and data security, in six months — on time and within budget. To overcome the challenge, Straub employed a philosophy that has propelled her career from trainee to the C-suite. “I think what brought me there is actually my openness to do new things,” Straub said. “I always say ‘yes’ first and get scared later.” Power metrics: As president of global services, Straub oversees more than 10,000 employees globally with a budget of about $2.2 billion. Biggest win: “That’s really hard for me. I don’t think that way. I enjoy these challenges … I would say it was the whole year 2020. Regardless of the COVID situation, (it) was the year where I could bring everything to the table which I had learned all my professional life.” Board/community connections: Straub, 57, serves as an adviser to various startup companies and is active with the nonprofit Inforum, having served as chair of the board from 2017 to 2020. Advice to women in the industry: “Be more courageous ... I still do see that women have the tendency to be 150 percent ready for the next position instead of saying, ‘OK, I am 80 percent there, so I will try.’” What’s next: Straub wants to lead a major digital transformation of the whole organization. “We want to have a completely different reputation, like a service provider ... I have big goals — Amazon-like, Starbucks-like within our big company.” — Kurt Nagl

“I THINK WHAT BROUGHT ME THERE IS ACTUALLY MY OPENNESS TO DO NEW THINGS. I ALWAYS SAY ‘YES’ FIRST AND GET SCARED LATER.”

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Nancy Susick PRESIDENT | BEAUMONT HOSPITAL, ROYAL OAK Career trajectory: Nancy Susick earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mercy College and joined Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. She later obtained a master’s in nursing from Oakland University. She joined Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak in 1986 and worked her way up the ladder, serving in a variety of leadership positions — from assistant nurse manager to director to president of Beaumont Hospital in Troy. Concurrently, Susick also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. She retired as a captain in 2012 after 24 years of service. Power metrics: Susick, 58, is responsible for 8,000 employees, 2,000 physicians and 500 “I WAS IN THE volunteers. The NAVY RESERVE hospital, which adFOR MORE THAN mits 16,000 patients each year 20 YEARS. and sees 125,000 in the emergency BECAUSE OF room, has 1,131 WHAT OTHERS beds and 44 residency programs. HAVE DONE FOR Biggest career ME, IT’S win: “Seeing others I was in IMPORTANT FOR succeed. the Navy Reserve ME TO GIVE BACK. for more than 20 years. Because of I’M VERY what others have done for me, it’s PASSIONATE important for me to ABOUT give back. I’m very MENTORING AND passionate about mentoring and COACHING coaching individuals.” INDIVIDUALS.” Community connections: Susick serves on several boards, including the University of Detroit Mercy, the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, the American Hospital Association Regional Hospital boards. Surprising fact: “Most of my colleagues know I was in the military but thought I did more hospital work. I did a lot of field training at Camp Pendleton. Some of it was very challenging, but it helped build strength and courage, and knowing I had to lean on my buddy to have my back taught me teamwork.” Something recently learned: “I learned about the resiliency of our health care staff day in and day out as I have rounded the halls during the pandemic. Our physicians, nurses and staff were there touching patients and reaching out to family and friends who could not be there. They came back day after day. The power of the human spirit is amazing.” Definition of an influential woman: Those who have a passion for what they do and are unafraid to take risks or rely on others. Biggest career influences: “My family has supported me through many things I wanted to do in my civilian and military careers.” Advice to your younger self: “Be authentic. Be true to yourself. Be passionate about yourself. Try to have a plan in your career. Own your career. Take care of yourself. Never compromise.” — Leslie D. Green

Robin Terry

CHAIRWOMAN AND CEO | MOTOWN MUSEUM

Career trajectory: Robin Terry wanted to be everything from a veterinarian to a psychologist to a news anchor when she was younger. She studied telecommunications and film at Eastern Michigan University and learned through internships that she much preferred producing — creating memorable moments for other people. After graduating, she became public relations director for Motown Museum and handled PR for General Motors through its agency before becoming PR director for the College for Creative Studies. “I love storytelling. I love problem-solving. Through my career as a PR professional, I was helping people tell their stories.” She then handled fundraising for Focus: Hope, which, paired with her PR experience, prepared her for her current role. In 2002, Terry’s role at the museum expanded to board

chair after her grandmother, Esther Gordy Edwards, had heart surgery. She became CEO in 2014. Power metrics: “We see about 100,000 people a year through Hitsville U.S.A., the birthplace of Motown. We are taking what is currently a nearly 14,000-squarefoot experience and transforming that into a nearly 50,000-square-foot campus.” Terry has raised more than $34 million toward the $50 million campaign goal. Biggest career win: “The biggest win in my career has undoubtedly been being able to bring my grandmother’s vision for the Motown Museum to fruition, to be able to build on her intentions for that space and ensure that the greater story of Motown and the stories of all those alumni are told for generations to come.” Community connections: Terry is a mem-

ber of the Motown Museum board of trustees, a member of the International Women’s Forum of Michigan and treasurer of the EGBE Foundation. Surprising fact: “My friends call me Dr. Dolittle because I just love animals and nature. I’m a nature girl.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “The world is paying long overdue attention and respect for women and what we bring to the workplace and leadership. However, there’s still a lot of room for growth and action.” Biggest career influence: “My grandmother, Esther Gordy Edwards. She is the epitome of woman power, woman strength and woman intellect. She is absolutely the most compassionate and yet fierce businesswoman I’ve ever known.” Advice to other women: “Own your seat at the table, in leadership. In so many instances, we’re not accustomed to being there. Then, when we get there, we shrink. Get comfortable and know that you are there because you earned that seat.” — Leslie D. Green

Luanne Thomas Ewald COO | C.S. MOTT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AND VON VOIGTLANDER WOMEN’S HOSPITAL, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH Career trajectory: Luanne Thomas Ewald knew she wanted to work in health care and was fascinated by the children’s hospital near her dorm, but science classes in her first year at Marquette University just didn’t hold her interest. She enrolled in business school, in hopes of figuring things out later. But a plan didn’t coalesce until her junior year when she met with the assistant dean. He suggested she explore the hospital administration master’s program at Xavier University. After a visit, she solidified a plan. Thomas Ewald began her career as an administrative fellow at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in 1993. When she left at the end of 2019, she was CEO. Under her leadership, Children’s Hospital opened 10 specialty centers in Southeast Michigan and a new $175 million in patient

tower downtown. She joined the University of Michigan Health System in 2020. Power metrics: Thomas Ewald, 51, oversees 2,800 employees and 400 physicians, manages 350 beds between the two hospitals and operating revenue of $609 million. Nearly 32,000 people visit the hospitals’ emergency rooms each year. Biggest career win: “I think my biggest point of pride was really in 2020 when the team here separated the first set of conjoined twins in the state of Michigan. Every single person in this hospital was involved with that case.” Community connections: Thomas Ewald, a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, serves on the boards of directors for the Children’s Foundation, United Way of Southeast Michigan

and March of Dimes. She also is chair of the Michigan Hospital Association Council on Children’s Health. Special skill: Being a connector of people, organizations and ideas. Surprising fact: “I’ve seen the movie ‘Rocky III’ 151 times. When Rocky became starstruck of himself, he lost focus of his purpose and passion. He had to figure out how to get that back.” Biggest career influence: In addition to her parents, she said Sister Nancy Thompson, principal of Mercy High School, constantly pushed her out of her comfort zone and has been her mentor since she was 14 years old. Advice to other women: “Make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people you aspire to be like and organizations you aspire to be at. It’s very important to have your own personal board of directors to bounce ideas off of and to understand how different business cultures may work within different organizations.” — Leslie D. Green

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE | 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT A few months after taking the job, Tobocman, who was “term-limited out,” suggested Tlaib run for his seat. She was the first Muslim woman to serve in Michigan’s Legislature. When U.S. Rep. John Conyers retired in the middle of his term, Tlaib took another chance. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019. Power metrics: Tlaib, 45, serves on the House Oversight, Financial Services, and National Resources committees. She successfully wrote the Payee Fraud Prevention Act to protect vulnerable seniors and retirees from fraud and legislation to keep medically necessary debt from appearing on credit reports. Biggest career win: “Raising the bar of what’s expected from Congress. We have three neighborhood service centers that are getting people through everyday challenges.” Special skill: “My lived experience. I’m a

“YOU HAVE TO OUTWORK THE HATE, OUTWORK THE MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE BECAUSE YOU’RE DIFFERENT.” child of immigrants and the eldest of 14. I was my mother’s translator until I was 12. I grew up in the most beautiful, Black city in the country and know what poverty feels like.” Surprising fact: “I am very funny. I have a good sense of humor and when my guard comes down you won’t stop laughing.” Biggest career influence: “My grandmother. She never went to school and couldn’t read or write in Arabic or English… She never took no for answer. She just pushed back.” Advice to her younger self: “With hardship comes ease. Difficulties and challenges will let up. It’s in the Quran. You have to outwork the hate, outwork the misconceptions people have because you’re different.” — Leslie D. Green

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Rashida Tlaib Career trajectory: From middle school, Rashida Tlaib planned a career focused on justice, one that would help free people from oppression. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Wayne State University and a law degree from Western Michigan University’s Cooley Law School. Tlaib was the first in her family to graduate from college. After graduating, she specialized in immigrants’ rights at the International Institute of Metro Detroit and then helped families get necessary resources through ACCESS. In 2006, former State Rep. Steve Tobocman asked Tlaib to come work for him. “He said, ‘Come and learn how to kill a bill’ while he was monitoring the anti-immigrant bills going through the state Legislature,” she said.

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Career trajectory: A career in business was always in Deborah Wahl’s future. Her father was an entrepreneur auto supplier who owned a stamping plant and press repair. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley and went straight into banking after graduation. “My dad always told me, ‘No matter what, you have to know the numbers.’ So, I started with a career at Chase Manhattan Bank and went to Wall Street,” Wahl said. She worked in credit audit, which allowed her to perform economic and risk audits on businesses around the world. After four years, she earned master’s degrees in marketing from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and international studies from U-Penn’s Lauder Institute. From there, she took a job with a Paris company that created a product for people with allergies. “We were able to launch the product,

and we got some success. I became an expert in dust mites,” she said. Since then, Wahl has worked in increasingly higher advertising and marketing leadership roles at Ford Motor Company, Lincoln Mercury, Mazda, Toyota and Chrysler. She was also senior vice president and CMO at PulteGroup and CMO of McDonald’s. Wahl joined General Motors in 2019. Power metrics: Wahl is responsible for nine departments, 10 brands and 294 employees. “My job is to drive growth for the company overall.” Biggest career win: “The biggest win in my career has been the transformation we’re driving at General Motors. We launched the ‘Everybody In’ campaign last year… followed by ‘No Way Norway’ with Will Ferrell. …We showed how fun electric driving is.” Community connections: Wahl is chair of the Mobile Marketing Association and is a member of the Cranbrook educational com-

munity board of trustees and the Groupon board. Special skill: “Getting people excited about transformation, change and growth and then finding the ways that we can actually execute on that.” Surprising fact: She speaks French and Portuguese, in addition to English. Something recently learned: “The murder of George Floyd has been a full journey for me personally on how we address systemic racism and create …the most inclusive company in the world. That meant I had to really think about my own approach, my own beliefs … (and) the kind of business processes we have so we can really address that.” Biggest career influence: “I had a great mentor named Richard Beatty when I worked for Mazda. He said, ‘There are only a few moments in life where you can really make a difference and transform something completely. When that opportunity comes, you have to be willing to go all in, because anything big and important is hard, and it takes all of you.’” — Leslie D. Green

Carla Walker-Miller

FOUNDER & CEO | WALKER-MILLER ENERGY SERVICES

Career trajectory: Walker-Miller spent 18 years in corporate engineering sales after earning a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee State University. In 2000, she founded Walker-Miller Energy Services, selling electrical equipment, and successfully pivoted it to an energy waste-reduction business in the recession. Board and community connections: American Association of Blacks in Energy — Michigan chapter, Autism Alliance of Michigan, BasBlue, Building Performance Association, Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, Detroit Regional Chamber, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, TechTown Detroit, The Henry Ford, The Erb Institute, The National Defender Service National Board, Water Access Volunteer Effort Fund, Wayne State University the High Program.

Power metrics: In 2019, Walker-Miller Energy Services served more than 20,000 homes. The company has amassed $30 million in sales, said Walker-Miller, 63. The company has 150 team members and operates in five states Biggest win: “Clearly my biggest win is the privilege of leading a profitable business that supports people I love in the industry that I love — energy waste reduction.” Special skill: “By nature, I am very intentional about offering insights that would be missed were I not in the room. I am committed to amplifying the voices of Black business owners, and specifically Black women.” Surprising fact: “I am a hypersensitive introvert who happens to be the ninth of 12 siblings.” Something you recently learned: “I have always known relationships were important. In the last few years, I have experienced how critical they are to true and sus-

tainable business success. I am a believer in the power of relationships.” Definition of an influential woman: “Every woman can be influential in her own environment. Having the social capital to make a difference for others with purpose and without apology is a blessing.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “Women are recognized as natural leaders. Character traits that were once dismissed as weak, such as empathy and humility, are now recognized as good business skills.” Biggest influence on her career: “I am an entrepreneur because, 21 years ago, I realized I was not an ideal candidate for anything in corporate America. That realization drove me to start my own business. Without question, that decision has had the biggest influence on my career.” Advice she’d give her younger self: “I would tell myself to focus more on mental health by one: investing in deep relationships in business, and two: being careful not to internalize the crazy part.” — Jay Davis

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Monica Wheat FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | VENTURE CATALYSTS MANAGING DIRECTOR | TECHSTARS EQUITECH Career trajectory: Monica Wheat was studying to be a doctor when she decided to switch gears and study biomed engineering at the University of Michigan. At the same time, she was working full time as a commodities trader. Those jobs took on more of a corporate engineering focus when she began evaluating startups that wanted to work with General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. “I hadn’t known anything really about venture capital or startups or tech innovation or anything like that before,” Wheat said. “I had a lot of different roles within the automotive space before I went to this this side of the world.” Some of Wheat’s work included putting on large-scale events — with hundreds of

sponsors, partners and volunteers — that attracted upward of 10,000 people. As she traveled the country, she learned startup ecosystems in other cities had stronger foundations and greater access to resources. So, she founded Venture Catalysts, which provides programming, strategy and business development and funding for entrepreneurs. Wheat, 43, is also a managing director for Techstars. Before leading the business accelerator’s global startup programs, she led Detroit Startup Week. Power metrics: Wheat leads a team of five people at Venture Catalysts and works with 200 different partners. Since its founding in 2016, about 45,000 people have gone through its programs. Techstars invests a total of $1.2 million in 10 companies each

year. Biggest career win: “Starting from absolutely zero to creating really wide-reaching partnerships. The work that I've done with venture capitalists opened doors to the work that I'm doing with Techstars.” Special skill: “I’m a strategist, always thinking two or three steps ahead.” Something recently learned: “I’ve run a few entities and thrive on adrenaline. I’ve learned the value of understanding more of what I want. I learned peacefulness … That came from the pandemic slowing me down to not be on two or three planes a week.” In the process, she said she’s learned to work smarter rather than harder. Definition of an influential woman: “The lives that she impacts. Women who not only walked in the door but opened it up for other folks.” Advice to other women: Go harder. Take the risk. — Leslie D. Green

Gretchen Whitmer GOVERNOR | STATE OF MICHIGAN Career ladder: Whitmer, 50, was elected Michigan's 49th governor — and second female governor — in November 2018 on a platform of vowing to “fix the damn roads.” Ironically, Whitmer’s career in public service started in transportation policy. Before being elected to the Michigan House in 2000, Whitmer was an appointed member of East Lansing’s transportation commission, where she helped shape traffic policies for the home of Michigan State University. “It was very intense,” Whitmer recalls with a laugh. “We would have very long, thoughtful debates about changing how many lanes were on a road. Because, of course, as a university community, we would get lots of professors with different thoughts and applications of math. It was never dull, which was a little surprising to me to be honest.” Two decades later, Whitmer’s salty campaign catchphrase helped her defeat Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette and fend off two Democratic primary challengers. In the mid-1990s, she was a legislative aide to the late House Speaker Curtis Hertel Sr. during a term when Hertel shared power with Republican Paul Hillegonds because the House was evenly split, 55 Democrats and 55 Republicans. “It was when the Legislature was the most functional even though it was a really unique and unprecedented time,” Whitmer said. “That being where I cut my teeth has kind of helped me keep perspective over the years.” Power metrics: Michigan has added 15,000 jobs in the automotive sector since Whitmer took office in January 2019. This summer, with help from federal government’s stimulus programs, Whitmer signed a record-setting $17 billion school aid budget. She points to academic studies by Imperial College London, Oxford University and the University of Michigan School of Public Health that concluded thousands of lives were saved as a result of her stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. “We’ll never know who among us is here who wouldn’t have been if we just let COVID run out of control, not doing everything we could to bring the numbers down,” she said. Special skill: Being inquisitive, asking questions and listening. Surprising fact about yourself: Her favorite time of the day is from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. “And I love Ted Lasso,” she said of the Apple TV+ sports comedy series staring actor Jason Sudeikis. Something you recently learned: She’s come to value having close professional relationships with other governors. Definition of an influential woman in politics: “Perspective. For a long time, women — and, frankly, women of color — were left out of the tables where decisions were made.” How the role of women in the workplace has changed: “There are more women at the table,” she said. “It’s changed for the better because we’re seeing women give voice to causes that impact more people.” Biggest influences on her career: Her late mother, Sherry, an assistant attorney general who passed away in 2002; and her father, Richard Whitmer, the longtime CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “I was fortunate to get raised by these two people who had very different skill sets that taught me a lot of important lessons — lessons I use every single day in this job." Advice she’d give her younger self: Trust your instincts, ask questions and gather facts. — Chad Livengood NOVEMBER 8, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 61

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100 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Alexis Wiley

Kym Worthy

PRINCIPAL | MOMENT STRATEGIES PR; CAMPAIGN MANAGER | MIKE DUGGAN FOR DETROIT

PROSECUTOR | WAYNE COUNTY

Career trajectory: Alexis Wiley planned to be a TV news reporter. She earned a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and minored in African American studies. Wiley was covering “Wheel of Fortune” in Shreveport, Louisiana, when Hurricane Katrina hit. Her beat responsibilities quickly became investigative. She wrote stories surrounding FEMA trailers, shady landlords and city rental codes before becoming an investigative reporter for the ABC and FOX affiliates in Columbus, Ohio. In 2010, she joined WJBK-TV in Detroit as a fill-in anchor. She loved the city and decided to stay. Shortly after covering the mayoral campaign in 2013, Mayor Mike Duggan called her. “I thought he was going to give me a story idea,” Wiley said. Instead, he offered her a job. Wiley was Detroit director of community engagement for four months before being appointed Duggan’s chief of staff. She ran his successful re-election campaign and now has her own public relations firm. “Turned out he wanted to know if I’d be his spokesperson. It was such an amazing opportunity to make an impact and then see the impact we were making in people’s lives.” Power metrics: As campaign manager, Wiley has

been responsible for a staff of about 12 people. As of Oct. 22, the campaign had raised $2.6 million. Biggest career win: Wiley, 38, is particularly proud of transitioning form media to politics and launching Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, a citywide summer jobs program for 14- to 24-year-old Detroit residents. Community connections: She serves on the boards of Jefferson East Inc. and the TCF Center. Special skill: Connecting with people. Communicating and developing an authentic and effective message. Definition of an influential woman: “A woman who sees challenges, who faces fear, faces uncertainty and the possibility of failure and moves forward anyway.” Biggest career influence: “My mother started her own business at age 29. She was a speech pathologist in the schools in the 1970s and started her own speech and language pathology center. When I wasn’t at school, I was answering phone calls for her. Mom grew that business from just her to having 100 employees and centers throughout the (Los Angeles) region. She did that all while being a single mom. She’s the ultimate role model.” Advice to her younger self: “Lean on your faith, and trust that at the end of the day it will be OK. You have everything you need to tackle this moment.” — Leslie D. Green

“LEAN ON YOUR FAITH, AND TRUST THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WILL BE OK. YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO TACKLE THIS MOMENT.”

Nia Winston LOCAL PRESIDENT | UNITEHERE; GENERAL VICE PRESIDENT | UNITEHERE Career trajectory: Nia Winston worked two or three “LOVE YOURSELF FIRST. CHALLENGE jobs at a time to help support her mother and younger brothers. YOUR FEARS. STAY TRUE TO YOU. YOUR She was working at MotorCity Casino Hotel as a cashier in 1999 and envisioned herself growing with the GUT IS THERE FOR A REASON. SO MANY company. Then, in 2000, she and the other workers met MISTAKES I MADE IN THE PAST WERE the union. “It was amazing. I learned my employer wasn’t as BECAUSE I IGNORED MY GUT.” great as I thought they were. And I was excited and intrigued by the fact that workers had an opportunity to have a say in their futures,” Winston said. “Prior to that, we thought that whatever the boss says or offers is what we get. Take it or leave it. But workers had power at the negotiating table. My eyes were opened.” Winston soon became a shop steward. In 2005, she resigned from the casino to do more work for the union and hospitality workers. In 2016, she was elected local president of UniteHere, which represents hospitality and service workers, such as those who work in food service, hotels, airports and gaming. Two years later, she became general vice president of UniteHere. Power metrics: Winston, 47, represents 7,000 workers locally and 300,000 workers internationally. At the height of the pandemic, she said, 98 percent of the union’s membership was unemployed. Biggest career win: “In October 2018, we had a very important strike at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel. I was negotiating the contract and ultimately led the workers

out on a strike for 28 days. The workers deserved more.” At the same time, she said, strikes broke out at other Marriott hotels across the country. “We were able to get the best contract that they have ever had in the history of the hotel market.” Community connections: Winston serves on the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau board, State of Michigan AFL-CIO executive committee, the national AFL-CIO racial justice task force and with other organizations. Definition of an influential woman: A woman who can be herself, be passionate, compassionate and determined and still get things done. Biggest career influence: Her mentor Joe Daugherty looked for ways she could show up and lead. He provided the support she needed. Advice to her younger self: “Love yourself first. Challenge your fears. Stay true to you. Your gut is there for a reason. So many mistakes I made in the past were because I ignored my gut.” — Leslie D. Green

Career trajectory: As a child of a U.S. Army officer, Kym Worthy moved every year, living all over the country and in numerous places overseas. Her father, who kept his residency in Michigan, gave her the option of applying to the University of Michigan or Michigan State. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan and her law degree from the University of Notre Dame. Working in the prosecutor’s office never crossed Worthy’s mind. She wanted to become a lawyer and work in the juvenile justice system. “My view of practice at the time was very unflattering. And that was because I was ignorant as to what they really did. I thought that all they did was lock up people of color. Which wasn’t true.” She began working in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 1984, was elected to be a judge at what’s now called Wayne County Circuit Court in 1994 and became prosecutor in 2004. Power metrics: Kym Worthy leads 165 attorneys. “We have hundreds of mandated functions that include anything from traffic offenses to misdemeanors to lower-level felonies to felonies.” Worthy also sits on the apportionment board that handles redistricting after a census. “We have many functions outside of trying cases.” Biggest career win: “I don’t look at them as wins, but there have been cases that have gained attention, both national and international.” Cases include the trial of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the discovery of 11,341 unprocessed rape kits in a Detroit Police Department storage facility. She also cited the exoneration of 19,000 people because of the work done through her Conviction Integrity Unit. Community connections: Worthy is chair of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Surprising fact: “I’m a huge fan of ’60s and ’70s TV — the ‘Dick Van Dyke Show,’ ‘Mary Tyler Moore,’ ‘Colombo’ — though I don’t have a lot of time to watch them.” Biggest career influences: “My mother and father grew up in the South and suffered overwhelming discrimination but still gave me the unshakeable belief that I could do what I wanted to do as a woman of color.” Advice to other women: “Be a person that’s kind and has character and integrity. If you have those qualities, you’re going to be successful.” — Leslie D. Green

Advertising Section

CLASSIFIEDS To place your listing, contact Suzanne Janik at 313-446-0455 / sjanik@crain.com

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From Page 3

The effort goes beyond providing money. In Detroit, the nonprofit is working with Greater Detroit Realtist Association to provide homebuyer education; Alan J. Young and Associates, which is doing pro bono auditing of applications to ensure compliance with requirements; social marketing firm The Guerrilla Politic and Advantage Marketing for public relations and marketing assistance. Black families have median wealth of $24,100, less than 13 percent of the $188,200 median wealth of white families, according to the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances released last fall by the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System. Hispanic families also trail with median wealth of $36,100. “The American truism that hard work equals reward ignores the social inequities that slavery and ongoing structural racism have created

for Black Americans,” Mayer said in a statement. Government-sanctioned discriminatory practices such as “redlining” and racial covenants denied Blacks the same home-buying, and thus wealth-building opportunities, enjoyed by whites, he said. “Even today, a vast number of Americans wrongly believe that their ancestors simply reaped the benefits of their hard work. However, through a more careful reading of our hard history, it becomes clear that the same hard work by Black Americans more often than not resulted in little success in getting ahead,” Mayer said. Homeownership is among the top ways to help families build wealth and to spur business development in the surrounding areas, Reparation Generation said. Davis Snoddy and Mayer lead a board of 16 other founding board members from cities including Berkley, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville and metro Detroit, where half of the directors live. Local board

members include:  Pamela Alexander, director of community development, Ford Motor Company Fund  Denise Brooks Williams, senior vice president and CEO, Henry Ford Health System’s North Market.  Ian Conyers, business consultant to startups and former Michigan state senator for District 4.  Byna Elliott, managing director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.  Kenneth Harris, president and CEO, National Business League Inc.  Vivian Pickard, president and CEO, the Pickard Group LLC and former president, General Motors Foundation  Xylinda Smith, Detroit-based sales representative, Meyer Laboratories  Meagan Ward, principal and founder, Creatively Flawless media and communications company. Reparation Generation will continue to seek contributions to expand the reparations, Davis Snoddy said. Contributions to the group are tax-deductible given that it is a

LIVENGOOD

From Page 8

“It still has a healthy balance,” Whitmer said of the MCCA fund. The Insurance Alliance of Michigan, the industry’s lobbying arm in Lansing, has said the surplus in the MCCA fund is tied directly to cost-containment measures baked into the 2019 law, including a 45 percent cut in payments to certain medical providers and a cap of 200 percent of Medicaid rates for most hospitals that treat injured drivers. Republicans in the Legislature who have long been aligned with insurers in the yearslong battle over auto nofault reform staked out new positions last week to counter Whitmer’s move, which came almost one year before she’ll appear on the November 2022 ballot seeking a second term. “We should not be trying to buy votes and buy favor by getting ahead of this train,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said Tuesday morning on the “Paul W. Smith

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association to refund a $5 billion “surplus” | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Show” on WJR 760 AM. Senate GOP Floor Leader Dan Lauwers of St. Clair County said Whitmer’s move was “premature” given that the surplus in the catastrophic fund is based on projected savings from reducing medical costs — cuts that just took effect July 2. “We’re still in the phase of learning about the impacts of the changes we made to auto no-fault coverage,” Lauwers told Crain’s after the Senate adjourned Tuesday. The wait-and-see approach the Legislature has taken is wearing thin for auto accident victims whose

steady level of care to remain independent and living at home was upended by the new law this summer. Starting in July, the 2019 law entitled auto insurers to pay as little as 55 percent of what home health care companies normally charge to send nurses, therapists and aides into the homes of injured motorists. AdvisaCare Home Care is Springsteen’s home care agency. The Grand Rapids-based company is among a handful of larger home health care agencies that have continued to provide care to auto accident victims since July 2 because they have differ-

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

501(c)3 charitable nonprofit, which has been a “hot-debated issue,” she said. Reparations are not typically considered donations but rather reparative justice for something that was taken away, denied or stolen. The model is enabling Reparation Generation to attract both donations and grants. Many foundations and corporations have money set aside for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and are looking for partners, Davis Snoddy said. Pickard said she was “enthusiastically impressed that this idea of founding this organization came from white founders.” “They wanted to put up the money and have the Black founders make decisions about how the money was disbursed,” she said. “What we’re trying to develop is a model that other institutions, including governments, nonprofits and others, can utilize for reparations.” Those same founders are leading the fundraising for Reparation Generation, Pickard said, noting most of

the money collected so far has come from West Coast individuals. Harris says the program is taking a step toward overcoming the disadvantages created by generations of anti-Black racism, discrimination and exploitation. “The failed historic promises of Reconstruction, the New Deal and even civil rights have led to systematic inequalities in lending and housing discrimination, entrepreneurship marginalization, unequal education, police brutality, benign neglect policies, mass incarceration, employment discrimination and massive wealth and significant economic opportunity gaps,” Harris said in an email. “Reparation Generation is more than just empty promises, rhetoric-driven press conferences and platitudes. It is about healing this country with a stark assessment of the intergenerational effects of white supremacy on the Black economic well-being of today and the future.”

ent lines of business to offset the 45 percent rate cut. But the small-business owners of home care agencies like AdvisaCare have warned legislators for months that they cannot sustain the 45 percent rate cuts forever. Like a lot of paralyzed drivers, Springsteen also gets daily care from family members who are paid for the work. The new law limits her husband and aunt to splitting 56 hours a week, though her insurer, State Farm Insurance, has offered to pay for more hours to fill gaps AdvisaCare can’t staff. Family-provided attendant care is typically above minimum wage, but far less costly than agency-provided care. The new law has forced injured motorists to consider new contracts for their long-term care, often at reduced hourly rates for family members who perform attendant care and home care agencies. Springsteen said she’s still in negotiation with her insurance company. More than 28 years after being paralyzed as a teenager, Springsteen said

the new law makes her feel like “a burden” for the state. “I did nothing wrong, even back then — I was a passenger, seatbelt on, and I lost so much of my life,” she said. “And I had to create a new life. And now I’m losing that life that I worked so hard to create.” Springsteen credits her caregivers at AdvisaCare with saving her life last year when she had to be flown from Grand Rapids to the Michigan Medicine hospital in Ann Arbor for surgery for a perforated bladder, a rare complication for people with spinal cord injuries. She started to choke up when talking about her unstable life circumstances and fear of being unable to live at home with her family. “I’m not ready to die,” Springsteen said. “I’m not ready to go to the nursing home. I just had a grandbaby. There’s just so much more for me to do and be a part of. And I’m scared that I won’t be able to do that.”

Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

Contact: clivengood@crain.com; (313) 446-1654; @ChadLivengood

Advertising Section To place your listing, visit crainsdetroit.com/people-on-the-move or, for more information, contact Debora Stein at 917.226.5470 / dstein@crain.com

ARCHITECTURE

CONSTRUCTION

DISTRIBUTION

FINANCE

Quinn Evans

F.H. Paschen

National Food Group

Michigan CFO Associates

Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, NOMA, a principal and director of diversity and inclusion with Quinn Evans, has been recognized with Lawrence Technological University’s 2021 Distinguished Architecture Alumni Award. An award-winning architect, Little is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and has designed many notable projects throughout Detroit and the Midwest. She is a founding member of the National Association of Minority Architects’ (NOMA) Detroit chapter.

F.H. Paschen, a national general contractor, construction manager, and design-builder has expanded their Midwestern footprint and opened an office in downtown Detroit. As the Regional General Manager, Ken Swartz will oversee the operations of the new office. Ken brings 40 years of experience in the construction industry and has been part of the Detroit Metropolitan business community for over 28 years.

National Food Group, a leading provider of innovative wholesale and retail food solutions, welcomes Todd Loiselle as Chief Information Officer. Loiselle will provide strategic IT leadership and direction for the company’s business units and deliver technology solutions that will continue to drive innovation and operational excellence throughout the organization. Loiselle joins National Food Group after serving as CIO at Mastronardi Produce.

Lauren Pecoraro joins Michigan CFO Associates as a Consulting CFO. Lauren started her career in the public accounting sector, servicing publicly traded & privately held businesses. Lauren gained experience working in various sectors, including manufacturing & distribution, financial services, and non-profits. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Oakland University and a Master’s Degree in Business Management from Walsh College. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. Welcome Lauren!

NEW GIG? Preserve your career change for years to come.

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Laura Picariello Reprints Sales Manager lpicariello@crain.com (732) 723-0569

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FINANCE

Rocket, Home Point post strong Q3 in ‘challenging’ climate After a record year last year, the mortgage industry is preparing for a time of contraction, according to trade group data BY NICK MANES

At least two of metro Detroit’s big mortgage companies continued posting healthy profits last quarter as the home-lending sector continues on an overall downward trajectory. Ann Arbor-based Home Point Capital Inc. (NASDAQ: HMPT) and Rocket Companies Inc. (NYSE: RKT) in Detroit each reported third quarter earnings Thursday, while Pontiac-based UWM Corp. (NYSE: UWMC) is scheduled to report its figures early this week. Home Point, the smallest of the three lenders, for the quarter that ended Sept. 30, reported a profit of $71.2 million on total revenue of $274.6 million, a profit margin of roughly 26 percent. The numbers made for a lofty rebound from the previous quarter when the company reported a loss of $73 million. Additionally, Home Point announced total mortgage origination volume of about $20.8 billion for the last quarter, compared to more than $18 billion for the same period last year and about $25 billion in the second quarter of 2021. As part of Thursday’s earnings report, the company announced a 4 cents dividend for common shareholders to be paid later this month. “Our financial and operating results for the third quarter demonstrate the flexibility of Home Point Capital’s business model and team, particularly as we navigate through a challenging and competitive environment,” Willie Newman, president and CEO of Home Point, said in a news release. “We executed on a number of priorities during the third quarter including expanding our broker partner network, continuing to roll out productivity and efficiency initiatives, enhancing Homepoint’s partner and customer experience, and diversifying our capital markets execution alternatives. We remain focused on optimizing our business to create sustainable long-term value for our stakeholders.” Rocket Companies, the parent or-

EXECUTIVE

From Page 1

“Every person we put in front of a client has two other offers,” Hohauser said. “(The Great Resignation) is definitely hitting the executive ranks. Gone are the days where employers can say, ‘You’re lucky to work for me.’ We have to manage the candidates effectively because right now they are definitely all in the process of receiving or considering other offers.” In fact, midcareer and late-career employees, those most likely to be in management positions, are leading the resignation trend, according to an analysis published in September by the Harvard Business Review. The analysis, which studied 9 million employee records from more than 4,000 companies, found that workers age 30 to 45 had the highest resignation rates this year with an average increase of 20 percent over 2021. And they were followed by those 45 years and older. The Harvard Business Review suspects the demand for more experi-

At least two of metro Detroit’s big mortgage companies continued posting healthy profits last quarter. | GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Companies, said in a release. “We also announced our exciting partnership with Salesforce to provide ‘Mortgage as a Service’ to financial institutions, leveraging Rocket Mortgage’s transformational platform powered by Rocket technology. Looking ahead to 2022, we expect to exceed 10% share in a purchase-heavy mortgage market and continue to leverage our platform to grow and scale the other businesses in our ecosystem, including real es-

tate, auto, personal loans and solar.” After a record year last year, the mortgage industry is preparing for a time of contraction, according to data from trade group Mortgage Bankers Association. After $4.1 trillion in total origination volume last year, volume is projected around $3.8 trillion this year and just more than $2.5 trillion for the next three years.

tor writ large compared with 2020, according to the Harvard Business Review analysis. Employees capable of working from home during the pandemic largely want to retain that flexibility, according to a study from three University of Massachusetts researchers published in The Conversation of roughly 3,000 employees working from home. “ ... many of these workers WHEN YOU’RE WORKING AND were moving on COMMUTING YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE the assumption TIME TO REFLECT ABOUT ARE WHETHER — or promise — that they’d be YOU ARE HAPPY OR UNHAPPY.” able to keep working remotely — Kevin Browett at least some of This is a big departure from its the time after the pandemic endusual work, which is 80 percent au- ed,” the study read. “Or they seemed tomotive in typical years, he said. willing to quit if their employer Hohauser has fielded an executive didn’t oblige.” Many employees have already search for one automotive client in abandoned congested metro areas 2021. “Automotive is dead,” Hohauser in hopes of working from home unsaid. “They only need people on the til they retire. A March 2021 survey by PwC found that 25 percent of plant floor right now.” Resignations in 2021 actually de- those surveyed were planning to creased in the manufacturing sec- move more than 50 miles from their

current office. An additional 12 percent already had moved during the pandemic. It seems the executive-level jobs candidates have nearly the same basic demands as lower-ranking employees on the market. “Most of my clients understand people need a 5 percent to 20 percent pay bump to change jobs, so that’s a given,” Hohauser said. “But what the executives also want is a hybrid work environment and the flexibility to work from home one day or five days a week.” The companies willing to meet those demands from executive-level candidates are the ones receiving the “best of the best,” said Hohauser. For Browett, the work is now meaningful, a result of COVID and a new work culture. “I am in the perfect place now,” he said. “I am so excited to go to work every day. Talk to my wife, she says I am a different person. I have a purpose in my life again.”

ganization of Rocket Mortgage and several other consumer financing companies, reported an overall profit margin of about 45 percent, with about $1.4 billion in profit on $3.1 billion in revenue, according to its third quarter earnings released Thursday afternoon. That’s compared to the second quarter when the company reported total profit of just more than $1 billion on more than $2.7 billion in revenue, representing a profit margin of

more than 38 percent. The company, for the third quarter, reported about $88 billion in closed loan origination volume. “We had an excellent third quarter, as we executed on our mission to remove friction from life’s complex moments. Our core mortgage business exceeded the high end of guidance for closed loan volume and gain-on-sale margin, while achieving record purchase volume,” Jay Farner, vice chairman and CEO of Rocket

enced workers is a result of employers believing inexperienced workers are more difficult to onboard during a pandemic where many jobs are being done from home. On the other side, the employees may have been eager to move before the pandemic but delayed doing so, and now pent-up resignations are following. According to an August poll by LinkedIn, 74 percent of those surveyed said time spent working from home during the pandemic caused them to rethink their current work situation, like Browett. “With COVID, there was a lot of time to think about these things,” Browett said. “Seeing your family pictures on your wall at home, looking at my wife and my daughter, seeing the pictures of my parents and my older children. When you’re working and commuting you really don’t have time to reflect about are whether you are happy or unhappy. You have a job to do running a business and making decisions. That extra time refreshed my mind about how important those things are. I knew I had to find something else, I had to get back to my roots.”

Browett contacted Hohauser & Associates, who works to secure employment for directors, vice presidents and C-suite executives who are paid $200,000 and more, generally. The firm’s executive searches so far this year have been dominated by advisory firms, financial services firms and construction companies, Hohauser said.

Contact: nmanes@crain.com; (313) 446-1626; @nickrmanes

Contact: dwalsh@crain.com; (313) 446-6042; @dustinpwalsh

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FAQ

Breaking down the Labor Department vaccine, testing rules BY DUSTIN WALSH

The U.S. Department of Labor released the final emergency rules Nov. 4 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to force employers to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 testing programs. The long-expected rules cover millions of Americans at companies with 100 or more employees or health centers that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. The 490-page document from the Labor Department is dense but spells out the rules relatively coherently. Below you’ll find answers to the basics of the rules and common questions.

 Do employers have to cover the cost of COVID testing? That depends. The OSHA rules allow companies to pass that cost on to employees. While vaccinations remain free, most private insurers do not cover testing at employer facilities. Sources confirmed to Crain’s that testing programs can cost as much as $100 per test to administer from a third-party vendor. That said, many employers will likely choose to cover those costs in order to maintain their workforce in a competitive labor market.

includes public employees in that enforcement. So the rules do apply to government employees and others in the public sector.  My company is a federal contractor. Can I implement a testing regimen for my unvaccinated employees? No. Federal contractors are covered under a previously announced rule requiring all employees be vaccinated. The previous announcement installed a Dec. 8 deadline but moved that back to align with the CMS and OSHA date of Jan. 4.

 Are public employees covered under the vaccine and testing rules? In Michigan, yes. The state oversees OSHA compliance for the feds and

 My company has offices in states where vaccine mandates have been banned by gubernatorial executive order. Does the federal rule still apply? Yes. According to the Labor Department “new rules preempt any inconsistent state or local laws, including laws that ban or limit an employer’s authority to require vaccination, masks, or testing.” It’s likely the OSHA rule will be challenged in the courts.

OSHA drafted the rules under emergency authority meant to protect workers from an imminent health hazard. Senior administration officials said the rules preempt conflicting state laws or orders, including those that ban employers from requiring vaccinations, testing or the wearing of face masks. The administration will face an immediate challenge from Republican state officials who are eager to fight Biden in court. More than two dozen Republicans serving as state attorneys general have indicated they plan to sue, arguing that only Congress can enact such sweeping requirements under emergency authority. Last week, 19 states sued to stop Biden’s narrower mandate that employees of federal contractors be vaccinated. That requirement was scheduled to take effect Dec. 8, but the administration said Thursday it will be delayed until Jan. 4 to match the requirements on other large employers and health care providers. Locally, Michigan Chamber President and CEO Rich Studley said the White House made a “serious mistake” by not including businesses in the decision-making process, and he called the order “one of the most intrusive federal mandates in U.S. history.” “Now, after a process shrouded in secrecy, job providers already in a labor shortage entering the busy holiday season are left to wade through hun-

dreds of pages of regulations and figure out how they will comply under the threat of steep financial penalties,” he said. Deborah Brouwer, co-managing partner of Detroit management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Law, P.C., says private employers have some work to do as they make plans to comply with the mandate. “Even with the January deadline for full compliance, employers should begin preparing now,” Brouwer said. “The (Emergency Temporary Standard) requires that employers prepare written policies that address the ETS requirements, and also requires that employers maintain records tracking the vaccine status of employees. For these reasons, it might make sense for employers to designate a compliance officer to track the many details involved with the mandate and its recordkeeping requirements.” Workers will need to receive either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Jan. 4. Unvaccinated employees must submit a verified negative test to the company at least once a week and wear face masks on the job. Employees who test positive must be removed from the workplace. OSHA will require businesses to provide paid time off for employees to

 Do the vaccine and testing rules apply to employees who work from home? No, not if the employees work from home exclusively. The rule does apply to those working from home temporarily. However, it does not apply to employees who work outdoors exclusively or work in an environment where no other employees or customers are present.  If my company begins COVID testing weekly, are masks required? Yes, masks are required for unvaccinated workers beginning on Dec. 5. Vaccinated employees are not required to wear masks in the workplace.  What options are left if employees refuse testing or won’t get the vaccine? The employer is in charge of mandating the policy. If the employer chooses not to terminate an employee who refuses or if the employer refuses to uphold the mandate, OSHA can fine the organization up to $13,600 per violation per day per employee.

 Does the mandate apply to employers with multiple locations but with fewer than 100 workers at each location? Yes, the rule applies to an employer’s overall workforce, not individual locations.  Does the temporary emergency rule have an expiration date? As of now, there is no timeline for when the rule expires. It remains unclear whether the Labor Department would terminate the rule if transmission rates dip to more acceptable levels or a certain number of Americans are vaccinated.  Do employers have to provide time during work hours for vaccinations? Yes. Employers must provide up to 4 hours of paid time for employees to get vaccinated. Employers must also provide appropriate sick leave for employees to recover from any side effects experienced from the vaccine. Contact: dwalsh@crain.com; (313) 446-6042; @dustinpwalsh

BLOOMBERG

 When do OSHA’s vaccine and testing rules go into effect? Companies with 100 or more employees must be in compliance with the rules — meaning companies must have written documentation of all who

are vaccinated or put protocols in place for a weekly testing program by Jan. 4. However, companies must have their plan finalized by Dec. 5, according to the OSHA rule. Health centers must have all employees vaccinated or terminate unvaccinated employees by Jan. 4.

MANDATE

From Page 3

“As always, we are committed to providing a safe work environment to all our employees,” a spokeswoman told Crain’s. “We aren’t providing details of our plan externally until our employees have been informed.” Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan said in a statement to Crain’s that it does not cover workplace screening for employers. Tougher rules will apply to another 17 million people who work in nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities that receive money from Medicare and Medicaid. Those workers will not have an option for testing and will need to be vaccinated. It was unclear how OSHA planned to enforce the rules. A senior administration official said the agency would target companies if it gets complaints. Workers will be able to ask for exemptions on medical or religious grounds. The release of the rules followed weeks of regulatory review and meetings with business groups, labor unions and others. The regulations form the cornerstone of Biden’s most aggressive effort yet to combat the spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 740,000 people in the U.S.

get vaccines and sick leave to recover from side effects that prevent them from working. The requirements for masks and paid time off for shots will take effect Dec. 5. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a rule requiring vaccination for workers in 76,000 health facilities and home health care providers that get funding from the government health programs. A senior administration official said that several large private health care organizations imposed their own mandates and achieved high vaccination rates — 96 percent or higher — without widespread resignations. The White House sees the new requirements as a potent tool to winnow down the ranks of the tens of millions of Americans who have thus far refused to get a shot. For weeks, Biden has encouraged businesses not to wait for the OSHA rule to take effect. He has touted businesses that have already announced their own vaccine mandates and urged other companies to follow their lead. Administration officials say those efforts are paying off, with about 70 percent of the nation’s adults now fully vaccinated. However, some companies have expressed fear that some vaccine-hesitant workers might quit, leaving their workforces even thinner in what is already a tight labor market.

Several large business groups complained about the timing of the mandate. Retail groups worried that the requirement could disrupt their operations during the critical Christmas shopping period. Retailers and others also said it could worsen supply chain disruptions. The mandate on federal contractors led to demonstrations by opponents, including workers at a NASA rocket engine test site in Mississippi. Some said they are immune because they contracted COVID-19. Others said vaccines violated their religious beliefs and constitutional rights. “No one should be forced to take a medical treatment just to keep their job,” said Nyla Trumbach, an engineer at the site. “There’s years and years of experience and skill out here, and I just want anyone who’s watching to see what we stand to lose here if these people don’t keep their jobs.” Dozens of groups sought meetings with administration officials to air their concerns and objections to likely provisions of the OSHA rule, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the AFL-CIO and anti-vaccine organizations. — Crain’s Detroit Business Staff Writers Dustin Walsh and Kurt Nagl and Associated Press Writer Stacey Plaisance-Jenkins contributed to this report.

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DALE G. YOUNG FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is pictured at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island during the Mackinac Policy Conference in September.

DUGGAN

From Page 3

The mayor went on to list plans, from continuing to demolish and secure homes through his $250 million Proposal N blight initiative to beautification of parks like the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park west of downtown. He also maintained, as he has in previous terms, that new jobs will be a major focus. “When we replace those outdated factories with the jobs of the future we’re going to make sure, this is our vision the next four years, that Detroiters get those jobs,” he said. Before the pandemic, Detroit’s unemployment rate had dropped from the heights seen with the Great Recession, upward of 28 percent in 2009, to a low 8.8 percent average in 2019. In spring 2020, as the coronavirus crisis took hold, that dramatic increase returned, with the jobless figure spiking to 38 percent and averaging 22 percent for 2020 as a whole. Unemployment rate recovery is on the horizon: It’s expected to drop to pre-pandemic levels in the latter half of 2022, according to an economic forecast the University of Michigan produces with Michigan State University and Wayne State University, dubbed the city of Detroit University Economic Analysis Partnership. The data was presented at Detroit’s revenue estimating conference in September. But job count doesn’t fix the poverty issue: Detroiters need at least $49,568 annually to earn a middle-class income for a family of three and just more than 28 percent met that threshold in 2019, according to the UM report. “The (economic) issues we face now are the issues that we faced for three, four, five decades,” said Peter Hammer, director of Wayne State University’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.

“So while the numbers may change a little bit, the underlying fundamentals are, sadly, the same.” Building back Detroit’s Black middle class hurt by decades of disinvestment, redlining, flight to the suburbs and more is seen as a vital foundation for an equitable economic future. So can the Duggan administration do it? The mayor and his allies maintain the city is making progress growing its employment base, investing in strategic sectors in the neighborhoods and helping Detroiters out of poverty. “This whole myth — and it happens with every single mayor since Coleman Young — that ‘Oh my God, you’re investing in downtown and not putting anything in the neighborhoods.’ And that’s totally untrue in the Duggan administration,” said Mario Morrow, a political consultant who has recently served as spokesman for the Duggan-aligned political action committee Detroit Forward. Yet, observers have some of the same concerns from the start of Duggan’s tenure. The city’s revitalization has failed to extend meaningfully beyond greater downtown, some argue, and poor schools and aging infrastructure continue to depress opportunity. While the streetlights have been fixed and alleys have been cleaned, problems with flooding persist. “It flows from Detroit inheriting, for decades, an intense isolation from the region,” Hammer said, with suburban residents nabbing high-paying jobs and many Detroiters traveling outside the city for jobs that are typically lower-paid. “... Downtown Detroit is part of an economically integrated regional market, the neighborhoods are not.”

Indicators mixed Duggan’s success on employment also depends on the economy, of course. And the UM partnership’s job predictors look, comparatively, good:

The city’s unemployment rate is predicted to reach 6.9 percent in 2026, Detroit’s second lowest rate since 1990. But that’s still years away. The UM forecast cites big development projects that have come to fruition under Duggan or are slated to in his next term as part of why jobs will continue to recover. Those mega projects include the Stellantis (formerly FCA US LLC) plant on Mack Avenue on the city’s east side; the Gordie Howe International Bridge in southwest Detroit; Ford Motor Co.’s renovation of Michigan Central Station in Corktown; Bedrock LLC’s skyscraper project on the old Hudson’s site downtown; and Amazon.com Inc.’s distribution center on the former Michigan State Fairgrounds at the city’s northern border. However, UM forecasts job growth in the next five years to rely heavily on low-wage, blue-collar jobs like in manufacturing, construction and warehousing. Those are expected to rise to 23 percent over pre-pandemic levels. It’s light on higher-paying jobs for those with degrees, with those rising to 2.5 percent over pre-pandemic levels in the next five years. Higher-paying jobs for those without degrees, a crucial group of jobs in Detroit, will not recover to pre-pandemic levels in that time period. Duggan touts manufacturing jobs as a route to middle class. While there is an argument to be made there, UM’s report also shows that while 57 percent of Detroiters in public administration — as an example — earn a middle-class income, just 35 percent in manufacturing do, and just more than 20 percent in trade, transportation and warehousing. As well as sector disparities there are also racial disparities in income: Black Detroiters’ incomes have grown 8 percent in the last decade compared with white residents’ 60 percent, a recent Detroit Future City report found. As a

whole, Detroit residents’ wage and/or salary income averaged $36,100 in 2020, buoyed to an extent by federal stimulus payments, according to the UM report. The figure is expected to rise to $40,700 by 2026. Dave Meador, vice chairman of DTE Energy Co. and co-chair of the mayor’s workforce development board, said Duggan needs to focus on attracting more businesses with middle-wage “stepping stone” jobs. Meador points to the expansion of warehouse jobs like those servicing the retooled General Motors Co. Poletown plant — now called Factory Zero — and Stellantis plants as examples of jobs “that could give someone a point of entry” into the skilled workforce. “There’s nothing wrong with the Ph.D. jobs, but we need to focus on the breadth and depth of all jobs,” Meador said. “Amazon warehouses are a great example. Whether you’re in the warehouse or a driver, it might not be the job you do forever, but it’s a great job and could be a stepping stone to something else.” There’s a gap between how economic exchange occurs in historically abandoned areas of Detroit and downtown or the suburbs and it has created “profoundly difficult economic questions” to answer that go beyond the unemployment rate, Hammer said. Policies in place under Duggan can help individuals but do not “disrupt the cycles” creating inequity. “If we want to rebuild the economy, we are facing some interesting, probably novel national challenges about how to deal with people that are abandoned in economic markets, how to reintegrate those people over time while still meeting their immediate needs ...” he said. “(Duggan’s) first two terms have been great at developing the part of the economy that relates to the region, which has very minimal benefits for the average Detroiter. If we do the same thing in the third term, if

you plant the same crop, you get the same harvest.”

Connecting residents with jobs The mayor and other officials say they are, in fact, already working to tackle intergenerational poverty. Two big planks toward those ends, as described by officials over the last two years, are Detroit at Work and the People Plan. Detroit at Work started as an employment and training website and evolved into a machine connecting residents who need jobs with companies hiring in Detroit. More than 40,000 Detroiters joined the website while the city was working to recruit talent for the Stellantis plants, according to a Detroit at Work report submitted to City Council. Duggan rolled out the $50 million People Plan in December alongside his re-election campaign, calling it the “vision for the future of the city.” The public-private collaboration combines various programs including a paid high school completion program and paid trade education in a bid to carve individual pathways out of poverty for 10,000 Detroit residents in five years. Crain’s also asked Duggan about building up middle-class jobs in September at the Mackinac Policy Conference. “At the moment, our issue is just the opposite,” he said. “We’ve got more good jobs than we have people to fill them, and that’s what (Nicole Sherard-Freeman, group executive of jobs, economy and Detroit at Work) and Detroit at Work are doing right now ... the complaint I’m getting is not so much ‘I can’t find a good job,’ it’s from businesses saying ‘I need to fill my jobs today.’” — Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood contributed to this report.

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THE CONVERSATION

Warren lab founder on mergers, mistakes and moving forward ABKO LABS LLC: Amy Brown, founder and CEO of the cannabis testing and safety compliance company and a Birmingham native, crossed over from the financial services sector to the marijuana industry before Michigan legalized recreational use. As consolidation continues in the cannabis industry, Warren-based ABKO has agreed to be purchased by Madison, Wis.-based Premium CBD Labs, which was looking to expand into Michigan, to form a larger company testing cannabis and hemp. | BY ANNALISE FRANK How did you get into the cannabis business? So I had spent almost 30 years in financial services and have a law degree. I really was just ready for a new chapter. The (2016 medical marijuana law) had just passed in Michigan. My boyfriend was a caregiver under the (previous rules from 2008) and my dad was a chemist. So the three of us, over a beer, discussed, well, maybe we should do a lab. So we started looking into it. At the time there were very few labs and being that it’s focused on the safety and health issues, it was very appealing to me. So at that point I kind of started a whole new education. Where were you in the financial services industry, what were you doing? I did financial planning for high-net-worth and ultra-high net-worth families. So a lot of estate planning, a lot of corporate benefit reviews and things like that. I did that in Cleveland and then also in Chicago. What did ABKO look like when it started out, and can you talk about the transition to recreational? The story of getting it going, there’s a few complex pieces to it. The way Michigan works is that the state approves you, but you also have to have a municipality approve you. As a lab, one of my challenges was the buffer zones to residential (areas). Because a lab property isn’t an industrial property, those are definitely different needs for the real estate. So I worked with the city of Warren and we were able to get the buffer zone removed. In the beginning, we had a team of employees, I had some setbacks when I first started. You’re drinking from a fire hose. I had to at one point voluntarily stop taking in samples and retool my team and retool my operations, which was rough, and it actually happened just as COVID started.

Can you talk about what that will look like for you moving forward? The pros are that we have access to the lab director from Wisconsin. He brings a deep knowledge base. So it really allowed us to kind of elevate what we’re able to do in the lab. And on the other side of things, (Premium CEO) Jeff Hagen is another one of the partners and he’s going to be able to take a lot of the CEO-type responsibilities off my plate so I’ll be able to focus more on continuing to grow the business and it frees me up to do some of the other things I like to do. For example, the sales side of it, I enjoy that, meeting the cultivators and seeing what they’re doing. And we really want to try to have a more robust role in the business cycle (between growers and retailers).

When I was bringing in samples again, the adult use (approval) happened so much quicker than initially anticipated and my city had not yet opted in. It took another 14 months for me to get my adult-use license.  What has it been like adding adult use? Has it changed how you operate at all? What it did is it allowed me to reach out to some clients that had primarily switched. It’s exactly the same testing with some minor differences. For example, you can have more total yeast and mold in recreational product than in medical ... Operationally, for us it really didn’t change.  Can you talk about how the business has grown? We definitely were the most busy when we very first opened because we were the first lab (licensed under the 2016 medical marijuana law). ... At that point, caregivers were still allowed to sell into the licensed market so that was a whole other revenue stream and whole other group of people to serve. Since then, a lot more labs have opened so the growth has been very sporadic. When I couldn’t do adult use I had some very lean times. Now ... we’re ramping back up and one of the things I ran into where I was spread too thin and the problem is the stuff I needed help with, none of it was a full-time job. So I talked to my lawyer and he was working with a group (Premium CBD Labs) looking to start a lab in Michigan. We met each other, clicked and decided that we’re just going to work together. They’re going to come on board as part owners of ABKO. So it did not go the way I expected at any point in time. But no, it’s great, they’re a fantastic group ...

Anything else about your experience in cannabis you want to share? I think the biggest thing to understand about starting a business in cannabis is that you literally don’t have a rule book. There’s no easy way. (In other industries) there are approved methods out there you can look up that you can find, there’s a manual. In cannabis, you have to build it from scratch.

Amy Brown founder and CEO ABKO Labs LLC

If you could go back, would you still build the plane while you’re flying? If I had to do it over again I would have found a lab director and just given them ownership. Somebody that had some cannabis experience. I see the value of that. In my mind I envisioned it as a role somebody could grow into. It’s just that growth takes a long time. So I would do that differently. I would have a lab director as a partner from day one. I was stubborn about taking investor money because I felt like it was critical for me to be the first lab approved (under the 2016 law) and for that, I felt that any investors would be an anchor holding me back on that. I would do that differently; I would get investors.

READ ALL THE CONVERSATIONS AT CRAINSDETROIT.COM/THECONVERSATION

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RUMBLINGS

The Platform’s former Detroit Big Boy site up for grabs THE FORMER SITE OF THE CITY’S only Big Boy restaurant is up for sale after its owner backed away from plans to build hundreds of new apartments there. The one-acre site, located at the northwest corner of East Jefferson Avenue and East Grand Boulevard and cleared four years ago, is being marketed by Southfield-based brokerage house Farbman Group for an undisclosed price. It is owned by an affiliate of Detroit-based developer and landlord The Platform LLC, which is run by Executive Chairman Peter Cummings. He told Crain’s in August that he intended to sell off the site in the Islandview neighborhood across from the Douglas MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle. The affiliate is Grand Jefferson

The former Big Boy restaurant site across from Belle Isle is up for sale after Detroit-based developer The Platform LLC scrapped its plans to build more than 200 apartments on the property. | COSTAR GROUP INC.

LLC, which city land records say paid BB164 LLC $1.5 million for the property in March 2017. BB164 is an affiliate of Detroit developer and restaurateur Michael Curis Sr.. “The Platform remains committed to our work in Detroit and to the

belief that this location will play a key role in Islandview’s ongoing revival,” Dan Austin, a spokesperson for The Platform, said in an emailed statement Thursday. “However, we also believe that the neighborhood would best be served

by new stewards who are able to act on a more immediate development timeline than The Platform can commit to at this time. Therefore, we have decided to market the property for sale and will be seeking a respectful caretaker who understands the importance of this corner to the community.” The Platform had envisioned putting up an eight- to 10-story apartment building with 240 studio, one- and two-bedroom units in a $50 million development with about 11,000 square feet of retail space on the site. However, the developer’s plans largely were put on the back burner after its former president and CEO, Dietrich Knoer, left the firm in October 2019. Knoer had championed that area during his time with The Platform.

Single copy purchases, publication information, or membership inquiries: (877) 824-9374 or customerservice@crainsdetroit.com Reprints: Laura Picariello (732) 723-0569 or lpicariello@crain.com Crain’s Detroit Business is published by Crain Communications Inc.

Chairman Keith E. Crain Vice Chairman Mary Kay Crain CEO KC Crain Senior Executive Vice President Chris Crain Secretary Lexie Crain Armstrong Chief Financial Officer Robert Recchia G.D. Crain Jr. Founder (1885-1973) Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. Chairman (1911-1996) Editorial & Business Offices 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732; (313) 446-6000 Cable address: TWX 248-221-5122 AUTNEW DET CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ISSN # 0882-1992 is published weekly, except no issues on 1/4/21, 7/5/21 nor 12/27/21, combined issues on 5/24/21 and 5/31/21, 11/15/21 and 11/22/21, by Crain Communications Inc. at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732. Periodicals postage paid at Detroit, MI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 07925, Detroit, MI 48207-9732. GST # 136760444. Printed in U.S.A. Contents copyright 2021 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content in any manner without permission is prohibited.

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Creating Inclusive Workplaces JPMorgan Chase is committed to building a more equitable and representative workforce, in the United States and across the globe. We’re taking actions to support solutions and training to advance racial equity in the workforce, including: • Holding executives accountable toward achieving diversity representation goals • Providing financial coaching services for all U.S. employees to further invest in their own financial wellbeing • Building on partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to increase the pipeline of HBCU students entering the financial planning profession To learn more, visit jpmorganchase.com/diversity

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