Winning Futures, an award-winning non-profit organization that empowers young people to succeed through mentoring and strategic planning, today announced the election of new board members. Kristina Marshall, president and CEO of Winning Futures, made the announcement.
“We have a tremendous amount of new talent on the Winning Futures Board of Directors, representing key Michigan industries,” Marshall said. “Our board is a critical part of our organization’s ability to be successful, providing leadership, connections and resources that create more opportunity for our young people.”
Winning Futures’ mentoring programs help young people become self-reliant and personally successful through trusting relationships, energizing experiences, and unforgettable life lessons.
Elected to serve in the beginning of January 2014 are: Ellyn Davidson, managing partner for Brogan & Partners; John Erwin, vice president of Purchasing and Environmental Health and Safety for SRG Global, Inc.; Lisa Gandelot, owner of Gandelot & Associates; Cynthia Grubbs, vice president of Public Affairs for Mavin Global; Theresa Hilborn, program purchasing director for General Motors Truck, Sport-Utility, Cross-Overs and Van vehicle platforms; Trevor Pawl, director of Pure Michigan Business Connect; and Chuck Schmidt, partner at Seizert Capital Partners, LLC.
Ellyn Davidson is the managing partner for Brogan & Partners, a 30-year-old marketing communications agency in Birmingham. Davidson is also a Breast Cancer 3-Day Team Captain, Director of Ta Ta Breast Cancer, Outreach Coordinator for FORCE and a Breast Cancer speaker. She received a Bachelor in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an International Business Specialization from the London School of Economics. Davidson lives in Huntington Woods with her husband, Jon and their children.
John Erwin is vice president of Purchasing and Environmental Health and Safety for SRG Global Inc., a Guardian company. Before joining Guardian, he held various positions of increasing responsibility within the supply chain management organizations of TI Automotive, General Motors Corp. and Reitter Schefenacker, now SMR-Automotive. Erwin received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Bryant University in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Lisa Gandelot is the director of Projects and Special Events for Gandelot & Associates, a estate planning and wealth preservation law firm based in Grosse Pointe Farms. Gandelot has an extensive history of nonprofit service, having worked for the Michigan Women’s Foundation and Children’s Home of Detroit, and volunteering with the Junior League of Detroit, Tau Beta, and the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, among others. Gandelot earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and has undertaken graduate studies at Wayne State University.
Cynthia Grubbs is vice president of Public Affairs for Mavin Global, a software development firm in Southfield. Grubbs has been a small business liaison for the State of Michigan Economic Development Corporation for more than 12 years, providing consultative services pertaining to business growth strategies. She is certified with the Economic Development Finance Professional National Development Council and was honored as the SBA’s Minority Business Advocate in 2011.
Theresa Hilborn is a program purchasing director for General Motors Truck, Sport-Utility, Cross-Oversand Van vehicle platforms in Warren. She began her career with Ford Motor Company, working in Manufacturing and holding various leadership positions in fields of Quality/Reliability and Engineering. She holds a BS degree in Mathematics, MBA, Masters in Education and Engineering. Hillborn resides in Northville, with her husband and three children.
Trevor Pawl is the director of Pure Michigan Business Connect, a Michigan Economic Development Corporation initiative to connect Michigan companies with innovative growth opportunities. Pawl founded Connection Point, an economic development program within the Detroit Regional Chamber that uncovered millions in procurement opportunities for Michigan companies. He has advised the White House Business Council and the U.S. Department of Commerce on supplier diversity and matchmaking initiatives. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy, a Bachelor of Arts from Grand Valley State University, and Certificate in Global Affairs from New York University.
Chuck Schmidt is a partner at Seizert Capital Partners, LLC, where he co-manages the Large Cap Value and Core disciplines of the firm. He also assists both private and institutional clients with individualized investment portfolios. Schmidt previously worked for Loomis Sayles & Co., L.P., as portfolio manager and co-manager of the Investment Counsel Group. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in economics and finance from Lake Superior State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Western Michigan University.
Frank Orsini is Senior Vice President of Lear Corporation and President of Lear’s Electrical Segment. In this position, he is responsible for implementing global initiatives to further grow and diversify sales for the electrical and electronics division, accelerate product innovation efforts, improve financial results and sustain world-class competiveness. Orsini earned a Bachelor’s degree from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan and an executive Master of Business Administration degree from Michigan State University.
About Winning Futures
Winning Futures is an award-winning non-profit organization that empowers youth to succeed through mentoring and strategic planning. We partner with high schools in metro Detroit to facilitate weekly innovative mentoring sessions in the school where we engage youth through trusting relationships with mentors, energizing experiences, and unforgettable life lessons. This weekly program is unique in that it has a fun, structured curriculum where mentors teach students though hands-on activities, written exercises, and group discussions. We focus on character value development, self-exploration, goal setting, job readiness skills, overcoming obstacles, and strategic planning. Over 95% of students continue their education past high school and we have awarded over $1.7M in scholarships to local youth. Since 1994, 30,000 students have been impacted by Winning Futures.