Board of Directors

Kenneth L. Lewis
Partner
Plunkett Cooney

Kenneth L. Lewis is a partner in the law firm Plunkett Cooney, which he joined in 1993 after successfully working in the law departments of the City of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan. Mr. Lewis has held leadership positions in various legal organizations, including the State Bar of Michigan, the National Bar Association, the Conference of Black Lawyers, the Wolverine Bar Association, the Detroit Metropolitan Police Academy and Institute for Continuing Legal Education, and the Attorney Discipline Board. He has been honored with Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating-AV and Crain’s Black Business Leadership award. Mr. Lewis received his Juris Doctorate from Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. and his Bachelors degree from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Carol Goss
President & CEO
The Skillman Foundation

Carol A. Goss is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Skillman Foundation in Detroit, Michigan. Prior to joining the foundation, she served as a Program Officer at The Stuart Foundation in San Francisco, California and as Program Director at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan.Ms. Goss has more than 27 years experience in the human services field as a social worker, social work supervisor, and agency administrator with the Detroit Department of Public Welfare, Oakland County Family and Children’s Services, and The Children’s Home Society in Oakland, California. A native Detroiter, Ms. Goss began her career in her youth and has continued to be active with numerous area and national service, advocacy and philanthropic organizations, including: Grantmakers for Children Youth and Families; Association of Black Foundation Executives; Women in Philanthropy; Detroit Area Grantmakers; Detroit Parent Network; Michigan’s Children; Council of Michigan Foundations; Court Appointed Special Advocates Advisory Committee; Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee; The Links, Inc., Oakland Chapter; McKinley Foundation; Michigan Aids Fund; Michigan Task Force on the Overrepresentation of Minority Children in Foster Care; Minerva Educational Development Foundation; NAACP; New Detroit, Inc.; Skillman Center for Children; Tomorrow’s Child Michigan SIDS, Inc. and the Wayne County Task Force on Foster Care Youth. Ms. Goss is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, earning both a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work.

Roderick K. Rickman
President and CEO
Rickman Enterprise

Roderick K. Rickman is President and CEO of Rickman Enterprises in Detroit and the Founder and Chairman of MPS Group, a waste management and environmental consulting firm. Mr. Rickman is a also a veteran, who used what he learned in the U.S. military to grow a series of successful enterprises in Detroit.

Walter C. Watkins, Jr.
President
WCW Enterprises, LLC

Walter C. Watkins, Jr., is a community economic development specialist and retired banker. Mr. Watkins is currently President of WCW Enterprises, LLC, through which he provides economic consulting to Detroit-area companies. Recently, he served as the Interim CEO of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, a body created by the Michigan legislature to oversee management of the Cobo Conference Center. Prior to this work, Mr. Watkins was the Chief Development Officer for the City of Detroit. In that role, he led the transfer of Detroit’s Eastern Market from the city to a new private non-profit corporation he helped establish. Before coming to work for the city, Mr. Watkins had a storied career in banking. He served in a variety of roles during his 32 year banking career, including as President of Bank One, Michigan. Mr. Watkins is a member of the board of many local organizations, including the Detroit Downtown Development Authority, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, and the Eastern Market Corporation. He has received many awards for his work, including the March of Dimes Humanitarian of the Year award, the Wayne State University Distinguished Corporate Alumnus and Distinguished Black Alumnus awards, and the Michigan Minority Business Development Council Lifetime Achievement Award, among others. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Mr. Watkins holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and a Bachelors of Arts degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dierk L. Hall
President & CEO
City Connect Detroit

Dierk L. Hall is President and CEO of City Connect Detroit. Mr. Hall joined City Connect Detroit in 2002 and has since served the organization in a variety of progressive capacities, including Program Officer and Vice President. Prior to joining City Connect Detroit, Mr. Hall worked as a Program Officer for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. He is currently a member of the board of Adult Well-Being Services and the Homeless Action Network of Detroit. Mr. Hall holds a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Bachelors degree from Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Penny Bailer
Executive Director
City Year Detroit

Penny Bailer is the Executive Director of City Year Detroit, a position she has held since 2001. Prior to joining City Year, she served for 17 years as the Executive Director of the Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council in Detroit. Ms. Bailer served on the Detroit Board of Education from 1990-1994 and is presently a member of the board of several local community organizations, including the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, New Detroit, Communities in Schools, Detroit Urban League, ARISE Detroit and the Detroit Community/Union Leaders Collaborative. She holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia. Ms. Bailer originally hails from near Atlanta, Georgia.

Kimberly Burton
Vice President of Corporate Services
Council of Michigan Foundations

Kimberly Burton is Vice President of Corporate Services and Director of Diversity and Inclusive Practices for the Council of Michigan Foundations. Prior to joining The Council, she served as the Vice President of Community Affairs for Charter One Bank. Burton serves on a number of community initiatives, including the United Way Community Capital Resources Contributions Committee and the Business Committee and several Detroit-area social service boards. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, though she is proud to call metro Detroit home today.

Nancy Cappola
Community Volunteer

Nancy Cappola is the Director of the Soft Landings program for the Techtown business incubator and also Chief Development Officer and Director of International Soft Landings for the Wayne State University Research and Technology Park.

Dennis J. Clark
Attorney
Clark & Associates

Dennis J. Clark is an attorney with a rich legacy of community involvement. Presently, Mr. Clark operates his own law firm, Clark and Associates. Prior to this experience, he served as the Vice President of Compliance and Ethics for the Auto Club Group. Mr. Clark was also formerly an attorney and shareholder for Plunkett Cooney, P.C., where he practiced compliance, criminal law, civil rights, and personal injury law. He remains affiliated with several legal organizations. Mr. Clark is a past president of the Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and currently serves on the national Board of Directors and as Treasurer of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association. He is also a Trustee and Treasurer of the Federal Bar Foundation of Detroit and is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Bar Association. Mr. Clark has been honored with the Outstanding Service Award from the Catholic Youth Organization and received the Distinguished Service and Commitment award from the University of Notre Dame. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Boston University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Clark is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Rodney E. Cole, Sr.
Manager Human Relations
DTE Energy Company

Rodney E. Cole, Sr., is a Manager in Human Resources with DTE Energy Company. Mr. Cole joined DTE Energy in 2006, after serving as a Human Resources Consultant with the Capital H Group. Prior to that experience, he served as the Assistant Director of Career Services at Wayne State University in Detroit. Mr. Cole is generous with his time, serving as a mentor in the DTE Energy Emerging Leaders Network. He holds Masters and Bachelors of Science degrees from Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Martin Manna
Executive Director
Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce

Martin Manna is a business leader with strong ties to Michigan’s Chaldean American community. He is one of the organizers and current Executive Director of The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, which represents Michigan’s 8,000 Chaldean-owned businesses. Mr. Manna is also one of the founders and publishers of The Chaldean News, a newspaper distributed regularly to over 10,000 Chaldean households. In addition, he serves on the boards of numerous local organizations, including New Detroit and The Bank of Michigan, and as an advisor to others, such as the Chaldean Cultural Center, The Chaldean Federation of American, and the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Council of America. For his work, Mr. Manna has received the Volunteer Service Award from the Greater West Bloomfield Michigan Week Committee and was recognized by the Detroit News as a Michiganian of the year in 2004. Mr. Manna holds a Masters in Business Administration Degree and a Bachelors of Science Degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. He resides in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with his wife Tamara and their four children.

Alyssa R. Martina
President and Publisher
Metro Parent Publishing Group

Alyssa Martina is a publisher of family-oriented magazines with a background in law. She started Metro Parent Magazine in 1986, after serving for five years as a legal counsel to the Wayne County Circuit Court. Her publishing company has expanded throughout the years to include Ann Arbor Parent Magazine, African American Family Magazine, Metro Baby Magazine, and a host of related publications. In addition, her company produces a series of annual events, including the Education Expo and a Distinguished Speakers Series that has hosted talks by renowned leaders like Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, and others. For her work, Ms. Martina has received numerous awards, including the top marketing award for the ‘Best Family Event’ from Parenting Publications of America’s annual marketing awards competition for three consecutive years. Ms. Martina is generous with her time; she serves on the boards of numerous community organizations, including ARISE Detroit!, the Detroit Regional Chamber, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and many others. She is currently enrolled in the Executive MBA program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Tanisha A. Sanders
Director, Government Relations
Kellogg Company

Tanisha Sanders is a public policy specialist with a background in government relations. She has served as Chief of Staff to Michigan State Representative Virgil Smith and as Senior Manager of State Government Relations for Covanta Energy, where she oversaw a five state region including Michigan. Ms. Sanders joined Kellogg Company in 2009 as the Associate Director of State and Local Government Relations. She was soon promoted to Director of Government Relations with Kellogg, a position she retains today. Ms. Sanders holds a Masters of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University in East Lansing. She is a Detroit native with a strong love for the city.

Kimberly Trent
Student Recruitment Manager
Michigan Future, Inc.

Kimberly Trent is an accomplished journalist with extensive experience managing Congressional and gubernatorial offices. She began her career as a city hall reporter for the Detroit News, covering a beat that included the Detroit Housing Department and the administrations of Detroit mayors Coleman A. Young and Dennis W. Archer. Subsequently, Ms. Trent served as the Communications Director for Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick; regional manager for Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow; and, most recently, as Director of Michigan Governor Granholm’s Southeast Michigan office. Today, she serves as the Student Recruitment Manager for Michigan Future, Inc. Ms. Trent is very active in the community, having served on the boards of the Wayne State University Organization of Black Alumni and the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friends of African and African American Art, among other local causes. For her work she has received numerous awards, including the State Bar of Michigan’s Liberty Bell Award and the National Organization of Women’s Harriet Tubman Award. Kimberly Trent lives in downtown Detroit with her husband, Kenneth Coleman.