Board of Directors

 Kerry is a determined parent of a young adult son with intellectual and developmental disability. She knows hundreds of families facing the same challenges and knows how profoundly important the work is needed. Kerry is using her University of Michigan Business School degree in marketing to champion the innovative Lifesharing model of care. Kerry began working on a Lifesharing community for her son in 2005. Member of Michigan Legislative Disability Caucus, Autism Alliance of Michigan committee of Severe Autism and National Council of Severe Autism Michigan Chapter. She was President of Growing Hope’s Board from 2018-2021. When not working on Many Hands you can find her in the garden.

Stacy is a strategic leader with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, coaching, and organizational development. As the former VP of Community Giving & Public Relations at Gleaners Community Food Bank, she led a team of 15, managed multimillion-dollar fundraising and marketing efforts, and played a key role in executive strategy. Now the owner of Averill Coaching & Consulting, she partners with nonprofits to drive impact through leadership development, strategic planning, fundraising, and collaborative partnerships. She has worked with organizations such as United Dairy Industry of Michigan, The Skillman Foundation, and United Community Housing Coalition to facilitate strategic initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and large-scale symposiums. A certified leadership coach and experienced facilitator, she is passionate about fostering strong, mission-driven teams and sustainable organizational growth. With expertise in governance, marketing, and nonprofit operations, she brings a strategic, people-centered approach to board leadership, ensuring organizations thrive in service to their communities.

Steve Hinz was the Vocal Music Director for Chelsea School District for 30 years prior to his retirement in 2020. During his tenure, he consistently created artistic, relevant and innovative programming with compelling performances in a variety of genres that garnered strong local support and state-wide recognition.  

With his wife, Lisa Hinz-Johnson, and a team of educators and key community leaders, he founded the Chelsea Center for the Arts. This community non-profit offered visual and musical arts programs to the community for 20 years. Early program success led to the donation of a historic school building to house the Center. Steve and Lisa received a Special Tribute from the State House of Representatives and Governor Granholm for innovative creativity in developing community arts programs in 2003.

In addition to his classroom work, he volunteered for the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) for 23 years. Steve established a strong understanding of MSVMA from diverse vantage points through service in multiple roles which included serving as board president, the Michigan Music Conference Executive Board Chair, and strategic planning coach. He demonstrated a long-term passion for the mission of the association and received wide praise for leading a transformative vision. Steve was awarded the MSVMA Teacher of the Year in 2014.

Steve serves as Director of Music Ministry and Liturgy for St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dexter. Both of his children give him much joy. His youngest daughter is studying Special Education at Western Michigan University. His oldest daughter with intellectual and developmental disabilities is a senior at Chelsea High School. In his leisure time, you’ll find Steve competing on the pickleball court, running on occasion, or quietly carving in his woodshop.

Barbara and her husband, Howard Bunsis, had two adult children on the autism spectrum, Josh, 27, and Sam (deceased), who also had intellectual and developmental disabilities. Barb's background is in accounting and finance, with a CPA and an MBA in Finance. Barb has spent the last 20+ years advocating for her sons in the disability and autism communities, on federal, state, and local levels, including in special education, health care, and now for lifelong disability services and supports.

Jessica is a licensed MSW with 6 years experience at Washtenaw County Community Mental Health working with adults with disabilities. Jessica is a master gardener and brings elements of horticulture therapy to her practice. She currently works in social research at the University of Michigan and runs horticulturally based therapeutic workshops and groups as well as consulting with individuals with disabilities on benefits and entitlements. Jessica has worked with a variety of people with disabilities and is passionate about helping everyone to live their best life. 

David brings to the board work experience in global senior Finance roles for both for-profit and nonprofit enterprises across six continents, as well as life experience with a sibling and an adult child who have developmental disabilities.

David's current role is Senior Finance Director at Million Dollar Round Table, an international trade association of insurance professionals and financial planners. David's other nonprofit experience includes Shelter Association of Washtenaw County locally and while based overseas, David was Chief Financial Officer at International Care Ministries, an organization focused on changing the life trajectory of people living in ultrapoverty.

David has for profit experience with multinational companies of various sizes in high tech, manufacturing and service businesses in the US, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. He and his family relocated to Ann Arbor in 2018.

In his spare time you will likely find David outside doing yard or garden work, at Zumba class with his daughter or riding somewhere on his bicycle.

Julie has been a Member of the Board of Directors of the Autism Alliance of Michigan for over 10 years. She was instrumental in the creation of AAoM’s Young Professionals Board and continues to mentor them.

Julie has an English and Communications double degree from the University of Michigan and earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in 1989. She received her Teaching Certificate from Eastern Michigan University with a concentration in Speech & Communications. Additional academic work focused on School Psychology and Career Counseling. This background created a strong base for Julie to educate, counsel and advocate for families with autistic members in the physical, developmental, emotional, and behavioral aspects of children and their growth throughout the life span.

She lives in Plymouth with her 20 year old son with high needs autism and her beloved dog, Blue. She has two older children who are exceptional caretakers for their sibling, and who have encouraged Julie to be a voice for siblings of special needs individuals, a group sometimes forgotten in this journey.

She is thankful for the opportunity to help the dream of Many Hands come to fruition. 

Marco Bruzzano is the senior vice president of Corporate Strategy & Regulatory Affairs for DTE Energy. In his role, Bruzzano is focused on working across DTE's executive team to shape company strategy and identifying and evaluating growth opportunities. Bruzzano is also responsible for developing and managing DTE Gas and DTE Electric's regulatory initiatives before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and plays a key role in developing DTE's long-term state and federal regulatory policy strategy. Prior to his current role, Bruzzano was vice president of Distribution Engineering & Construction for DTE Energy, where he was responsible for overseeing the company’s engineering, grid modernization and construction activities, and for driving improvements in asset management and work management practices. Bruzzano earned Bachelor of Science, with honors, and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Duke University, where he graduated with distinction as a Fuqua Scholar. In 2018 Bruzzano was nominated by Governor Rick Snyder to serve on the Michigan Infrastructure Council. He is a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Electric Power Research Institute and serves on the boards of the University Musical Society and NextEnergy.

Jan is Senior Principal of A3C Collaborative Architecture. Jan continues to work and serve in the community she loves. Her roles include Leadership Council Chair for the Ann Arbor 2030 District and as a member of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Sustainability Advisory Committee. Jan is active in Scio Township serving as Vice-Chair of the Scio Township Zoning Board of Appeals and as a member of the Scio Township Planning Commission. Jan advocates at the state and national level for the architectural profession and the environment as the Co-Chair of AIA Michigan’s Government Advocacy Committee. FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, GGA

Rob is the University of Michigan’s chief health officer and associate vice president of student life for health and wellness.  As chief health officer, he serves as a key advisor to the president on matters related to the health and wellness of the university community, including the promotion of health and well-being, disease management, and public health preparedness on all three campuses. He has considerable experience and expertise in the areas of campus health, interprofessional team-based care and clinical practice design.  He has previously served as executive director and medical director at University Health Service and as senior associate division chief of general internal medicine and assistant chair for primary care in the Department of Internal Medicine at Michigan Medicine.  He is a clinical assistant professor at the U-M Medical School and he has been a practicing primary care physician at U-M since 1995.  Ernst is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.

 Ron brings practical expertise to legal transactions involving large-scale real estate and construction projects. His track record also includes representing corporations on major economic development incentive projects throughout North America. Ron has worked on more than $14 billion worth of real estate and construction projects for both US and international clients.  Ron's commercial real estate skills include procurement, negotiation and consulting on state and local economic development incentives and tax abatements. For the construction industry, his expertise includes construction law, construction risk management, construction contracts, architect agreements, construction claims, bonding, insurance and bidding issues.  Chambers USA reports that Ron has an active practice representing businesses in major development projects and can provide expertise on a range of tax and infrastructure incentives.

Kyle is Area Manager of Local Government & Community Affairs, ITC Holdings.  He is tasked with handling local government and community relations activities across a 10-county, Mid-Michigan, portion of ITC’s Lower Peninsula service area.  Kyle came to ITC from Comcast, where he did substantially similar work for nearly 12 years as one of Comcast’s local government and community relations managers.  Before that, Kyle was with the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he served as Vice President of Government Affairs.  Kyle holds a B.A in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – and a J.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law.  He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.  Kyle and his wife Megan just recently relocated from Ann Arbor to Dexter – where they spend far too much of their free time cheering on U-M Athletics.

Jeff is the Director of Operations and Development and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for Sunfield Center for Autism, ADHD and Behavioral Health. He is also a partner at the Sunfield Institute and Sprouted Sage Full Circle Intervention Center. At the Sunfield Institute, a professional development organization dedicated to providing gold standard training for mental health providers, as well as at the Sprouted Sage Full Circle Intervention Center, an early intervention center for young children diagnosed with autisms.

He also has experience working at the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center (UMACC), He obtained his Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. He received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Albion College. He also serves on the Board of Directors for LightUp, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals with special needs.

Steve began as 5 Healthy Towns Foundation CEO in July 2021 following a 15-year career with the Ann Arbor YMCA, where he most recently served as the Vice President of Healthy Living & Social Responsibility.

Steve graduated from the University of Manchester (UK) with a degree in Media & Cultural Studies and holds graduate certificates in Business Strategy and Media Content Strategy. Through his work in advocacy and public policy, Steve seeks to enhance the physical and social environments our children and families experience every day.

Steve recently served as a member of Washtenaw County’s Public Health Steering Committee, and currently serves on several boards as a Community Member of the Michigan Medicine Adolescent Brain & Cognitive Development study; as a Board Member for the Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Initiative; as a Community Representative on the Steering Committee of Washtenaw Health Initiative; and as the Board Chair for Silver Maples of Chelsea Retirement Neighborhood.

He lives in Dexter with his wife, Gemma and their two young children, Lochlan and Georgiana.

Nancie shares her many years experience with the nonprofit community including board services. Her involvement ranges from multiple EMU women’s groups to roles in Women in Philanthropy, serving as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Junior League of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, Ypsilanti’s Corner Health Center and Ypsilanti Ladies Literary Club— all while working as a Social Worker at Dearborn Schools and raising two children.

Doug is Chief for the Dexter Area Fire Department. He has a diverse background that includes being a nurse and serving in multiple capacities at the University of Michigan for 35 years. Doug is the Founder of North Star Reach and was Executive Director for 14 years till Aug 2021. North Star Reach provides a life-changing camp experience for children with serious health challenges and their families.

Amy founded Cell Talent in 2015 to help provide affordable recruiting and HR services to small businesses. We have since grown to provide a wide range of creative solutions to employers and communities. She honed her approach based on experiences in talent attraction, retention, and development work at Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).  Amy is a triple-header wolverine BBA, MBA, and current U-Michigan faculty.

State Rep. Felicia Brabec is serving her second term. As a practicing psychologist, including past work with the University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services, she sees up close how decisions made by our state government affects peoples’ everyday lives. Dr. Brabec had served on the Washtenaw Board of Commissioners for nine years, Rep Brabec understands the importance of working with others to create a community we all want to live in. She has served with the board of Food Gatherers, Garrett's Space, and Washtenaw Psychology Society.

Susan is a Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and

Gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School and

Chief of Gynecology at the University Health Service. She is

also the faculty for the Center for Disability Health and

Wellness at UM.

She has run a reproductive health clinic for adolescents and

women with disabilities, and part of the faculty group

awarded a multi-center grant application for a LEND program

– Leadership in Education for Neurodevelopmental

Disabilities for the state of Michigan.

Tom resides in Plymouth with Pam, his wife of 36 years, and their 26 year old daughter who has special needs.  Tom is a board member of Community Opportunity Center (COC), which is committed to enriching the lives of individuals IDD through quality housing and support in Wayne County.   He is also the Treasurer of Living and Learning Enrichment Center, which provides day and evening programming for persons with special needs.   Tom has been employed for 20 years with PNC Bank where he is currently a Regional Credit Executive in the commercial real estate business.  Tom earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan. 

Susan and her husband, Dan have two children, including a son age 28 with intellectual and developmental disabilities who lives at home.  He works part time and has a job coach.

Susan’s entire career was in the field of business communications.  Including work at the Oakland Steiner School, assisting with parent communication, fundraising and public relations.

Susan helped found SAIL, Solutions for Adult Interdependent Living, and has served on the Board of Directors throughout.  She also joined Rochester Housing Solutions (RHS), a spinoff from SAIL, which is collaborating with Bill Godfrey to build three integrated neighborhoods of people with IDD and the neurotypical population in Rochester Hills.  As a member of RHS, Susan leads the team researching direct care agencies and is a member of the marketing committee, as well.

Susan graduated from Wayne State University with a BS in Journalism with a focus on public relations and advertising.

Mike is President & CEO of Michael R. Tyson & Assoc serving nonprofits and providing them with executive consultation to diversify revenue and improve an organization's sustainability.  He was CEO & President at NEW (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work) for 9 year and was successful in improving the impact and performance of fellow nonprofits by working alongside leaders to create high-quality strategic solutions that advanced their missions in our communities. Prior to NEW he spent 20 years in the financial sector with J.P. Morgan Chase. Mike graduated from Eastern Michigan University and recently continued his education after being awarded a fellowship to Harvard Business School's Strategic Perspectives in a Non Profit Management program. 

Deb and Richard are Co-Owners of Tantr’e Farm, Ann Arbor Food Hub and Honey Bee U-pick.  They have developed one of the largest and most successful Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Michigan with over 300 members.  Richard has grown Tantr’s Farm to 115 acres that are organic certified on 115 acres. Deb is a board member of The Agrarian Adventure, a non-profit organization which partners with K-12 schools to enrich students’ connection between the foods they eat, their health, the health of their communities and the environment.