Kenneth L. Lewis

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

Dennis J. Clark is an attorney with a rich legacy of community involvement. Presently, Mr. Clark operates his own law practice, Clark Law Firm, PLLC.  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 National President 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 Johnstown, Pennsylvania.