Staff & Board

Our Staff

Milinda Ysasi

Chief Executive Officer

Kelli Smith

Chief Operating Officer

Maximiliano Velasco

Intake Specialist

Paola Mendivil​

Business Development Officer

John Hendershot

Business Advisor

Karen Benson

Portfolio Manager/Business Development Officer

Trevor Sisk

Grants and Finance Manager

Stephanie Suero

Office Support Specialist

2022 Board of Directors

Deborah Phillips, Immediate Past Chair

Consultant and Chief People Strategist, Deborah Phillips & Associates, LLC

LaChaun A. Steverson, Board Chair

Owner, Fibrenew Grand Rapids

Julie Westra, Vice Chair

Steelcase Assistant General Counsel Legal Strategies Team

Debra Van Hevele, Secretary

Senior Vice President, Comerica Bank

Shannon Cohen

Principal/Founder, Tough Skin Soft Heart by Shannon Cohen

Zara Smith

Senior Project Manager, Emergent Holdings, Inc.

Veverly Austin

Owner/Founder, Confidentwear Boutique / Rock the Runway GR / Veverly Austin Enterprises

Floriza Genautis

CEO, Management Business Solutions

Damian Ciavattone

Branch Manager, Assistant Vice President, PNC Bank

Janis Petrini

Owner and Operator, Express Employment Professionals

Tracey Burke

President, Burke Professional Consultants, LLC

Catherine Kloska

Retired CFO, Muskegon Public Schools

Kim Suarez

Community Member

McKenzie Jackson

Good Food Systems Program Manager, Access of West Michigan