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Susan Banks, Ph.D.
Susan is a Regulatory Affairs professional, with over 20 years of experience in drug development, working with both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, Maryland and later for several pharmaceutical companies in New Jersey and most recently in Detroit, Michigan. She was born and raised in Detroit and returned to share her education and experience in making Detroit a better place.
But as the adage goes, we work for a living, but we serve the community to make living worthwhile. While working for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Susan joined the Howard University Asthma Project assisting in the genetic testing of high risk families with asthma to determine the impact of nature versus environment. She also found time to work as the Parks and Recreation Director for the summer camp program for children ages 6-13 at the Kenilworth-Parkside Community Center in northeast Washington, D.C.
She worked faithfully for 5 years with the Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science & Technology (now the Siemens Westinghouse Competition) to encourage diversity in the award program. At this time she had her first experience with "Environmental Justice" working with attorneys who were working to gain recognition and reparations for the damage done by United States nuclear testing to the victims living on the Bikini Atoll.
When her career took her to New Jersey, she joined the Metuchen-Edison Branch of the NAACP where she directed the largest Health Fair in the area's history bringing together caregivers, health care agencies and government services to address the health care issues of minorities including: diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and AIDS. She also worked with the Fundraising Committee to raise funds to offer scholarships to local minority students.
Upon returning to Detroit, she became involved with young people on a one-to-one basis by mentoring students interested in careers in science and medicine.
Susan has a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Meharry Medical College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Wayne State University. Currently she is attending law school at the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law and intends to use her degree to fight for just causes such as Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice.
Diane Jones
A senior professional with more than 20 years of diverse experience in multiple industries; including Outsourcing Resource Technology, Higher Education, Insurance, Food Manufacturing, Financial and Technology Sales industries. Diane has been effective and successful in IT management governance, financial development and analysis, strategic and tactical planning, project management, business process improvement, and methodology development activities.
She currently serves as a Center Manager who is responsible for managing a consultant business model, outsourcing an IT operation as a Preferred Provider for ongoing IT services to Ford Motor Company, a contract valued at $100 million annually for Compuware Corporation
Previously Diane was the Business Relations Manager at the Application Management Center and in that role was responsible for managing business function requirements and processes relative to the Compuware contract within the Ford AMC. This center consisted of over 1200 employees from Ford and Compuware and had an annual budget of $150 million.
Prior to coming to Compuware Diane was Associate Director, Office of University Budget at Wayne State University and was responsible for the planning and implementation of major operational activities. She also served on a task force overseeing the requirements and implementation of the Finance, Budget and Human Resource systems.
In her role as Manager, Financial Planning Department at AAA Michigan Diane was responsible for managing the planning, collecting, analyzing and reporting processes relative to budget, forecast, strategic performance measures, and capital acquisitions. Also during her tenure at AAA she directed a number of cross-functional team efforts in the analysis and subsequent recommendations for re-alignment of departments, improved business processes and post implementation measures.
Diane has a Master of Science in Finance and Certified Project Manager from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Davenport University.
In addition to Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Diane is involved in several other volunteer roles in the community. These include the Detroit Women's Economic Club, Women in Leadership Community Practice and Women in Technology.
Tonya L. Myers, Esq.
Tonya L. Myers, Esq. is the President and Founder of Vision Legal Services PLLC, a law firm specializing in small business, nonprofit organizations, and estate planning.Ms. Myers founded Vision Legal Services in 2004 with a determination to use her knowledge of the law and corporate background to help grow strong, vibrant, businesses in the Detroit area.“I realized that entrepreneurship would play a vital role in the revitalization of our region, and there was a growing population of aspiring and small business owners that were not being served.I wanted to provide legal counsel to business owners where they're at now and provide the legal tools to help them get to where they want to be.”Ms. Myers considers the key to her firm's success its commitment to exemplary service in areas such as incorporation and corporate structuring, drafting and review of contracts and agreements, intellectual property matters such as trademarks and copyrights, third party correspondence such as communications with vendors, sub-contractors, creditors and debtors, and affordable rates.
Ms. Myers received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and also received her bachelor's degree with honors from the University of Michigan.Ms. Myers is a Detroit native and also an honors graduate from Renaissance High School. Ms. Myer's professional affiliations include: the State Bar of Michigan, Wolverine Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. In addition to her law practice, Ms. Myers has a strong civic commitment.She is the Secretary of the Coleman A. Young Foundation Alumni Association, sits on the Board of Directors for Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Pittman Memorial Nonprofit Housing Corporation, and is an active member of the Detroit Branch NAACP.
Marisa Rinkus
Ms. Rinkus is the Population & Environment Outreach Coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Natural Resource Center, in Ann Arbor, MI. Marisa is responsible for regional coalition building and program outreach and advocacy, along with special projects that focus on the linkages between population and the environment. Prior to joining NWF in 2002, Ms. Rinkus worked for two years as a Community Environmental Extension Agent with the Peace Corps in Guatemala. While there, she worked with local teachers to integrate environmental issues into existing curriculum in order to raise awareness of deforestation, erosion, water contamination, and the sustainable use of natural resources. In addition, Ms. Rinkus developed and facilitated an experiential learning seminar for CARE extension agents on environmental education for adults. Her secondary projects involved working with the local government, community leaders, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in assessing the potential for ecotourism in the region and a community-based solid waste management plan. Ms. Rinkus holds a degree in Wildlife Science from Purdue University.
Donele Wilkins
Donele Wilkins has over two decades of experience in occupational and environmental health as an educator, consultant, trainer, administrator and advocate. In 1994, she co-founded and currently serves as the Executive Director of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, a non-profit organization addressing urban environmental issues in the City of Detroit. Ms. Wilkins is sought after as a public speaker addressing local and national audiences on topics of community driven sustainable development, environmental justice, and occupational and environmental health advocacy. She has coordinated and organized several conferences and gatherings to highlight the plight of her community. As a consultant, Ms. Wilkins has assisted several community organizations and put them on the correct path toward increasing their capacity to transform their communities. She is a mom of two, which motivates her to change conditions in her community so that they can have a brighter future. With her leadership, DWEJ was able to shut down the Henry Ford Hospital Medical Waste Incinerator.
Donele sits on The Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments- transportation advisory committee, Founder and Co-Chair of the National Black Environmental Justice Network, Colin Powell Academy board of education and many other committees and forums. She is the recipient of several awards, fellowships and special recognition for her contribution on behalf of the community.
Guy O. Williams
Guy Williams is a Principal in the firm G. O. Williams & Associates, L.L.C. The firm provides business and project development support for developers, non-profit organizations and local units of government. Guy is formerly of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) where he was serving as the Senior Director, Community Development and Relations. Williams received his B.S. from Bucknell University and is well known nationally for his work as a developer of community programming and advocate for environmental justice. Guy has twenty years of experience in creating effective collaborations among business, government, and community interests, as well as, non-profit program creation and direction. Other recent positions held by Guy at NWF include Director of the Great Lakes office, Urban Ecosystems Program Manager, and Pollution Prevention Specialist. In each of these roles, Guy's success at guiding a program's strategic development, supporting its funding, and directing its implementation was a hallmark. He is recognized as an accomplished facilitator and collaborator.
Guy has a broad background in working at the community level in positions of leadership. For example, he is a founding board member and Chair of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice; he has served as Chair of the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, served as a Trustee on the Great Lakes Fishery Trust and serves on the national board of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Formerly a member of U.S. EPA's Common Sense Initiative, a federal advisory committee on pollution prevention; he remains a member of the Michigan People and Land Advisory Task Force; the External Advisory Committee of the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems; and the Facility Reporting Project of CERES.
In his new role with G.O. Williams and Associates, he is a member of the National Brownfield Association, the S.E Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, and the S.W. Detroit Contaminated Sites Task Force. Guy is also the former president of the Ecology Center's Board of Directors. Guy, an Aspen Scholar, is the author of Mercury Pollution Prevention in Healthcare: A Prescription for Success and Mercury Pollution Prevention for City Wastewater Plants: A Guide for Great Lakes Communities.
Rebecca Salminen Witt
As President of The Greening of Detroit, a non-profit organization devoted to the reforestation of the City of Detroit, Rebecca develops and oversees the implementation of all current and prospective programming, supervises staff, ensures the fiscal integrity of the organization through budgeting and development work, and serves as the primary advocate and spokesperson for the organization. The Greening of Detroit works with groups ranging from the City government to high school students and neighborhood block clubs.Developing and maintaining positive relationships with this diverse constituency is an important part of her job.
Prior to accepting her position with The Greening of Detroit, Rebecca practiced law in the city of Detroit. She worked for five years in the areas of corporate transactions, employment law, and environmental law. Her legal experience has given her valuable insight into many of the issues facing groups working in the city, from employment and liability issues to contract negotiations. Earlier in her career Rebecca worked as a Summer Ranger for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for four years. In this position she gained first hand experience with the kind of hands-on work that volunteers and student interns do at The Greening.
Rebecca also serves with other local organizations, the Michigan Urban & Community Forestry Council as an Advisory Committee member, on the Advisory Board for The Detroit Studio, an urban design studio devoted to service learning projects for Architectural and Urban Design students at Lawrence Tech. She is also a founding Board Member of City Year Detroit, a National Youth Service Organization devoted to developing idealism in today's youth. |
