Board

We all learn a few things in each decade of our lives….

I received my bachelors degree in Psychology from Cornell in 1978 and came to Ann Arbor to get a MSW in Social Work and my Ph.D in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1988. After a decade doing family therapy in private practice, in 1998 I became an executive coach author and motivational speaker. I met my wife Jan in graduate school and raised our twin sons. In 2008 we opened the Black Pearl restaurant. In 2018, I published my second book Be the Sun, Not the Salt, based on my Tedx talk, Heliotropic Leadership.

I’m attracted to what works…empirically. When I met Duncan Campbell, the founder of Friends of the Children, at the Detroit airport in 2017, I was looking for a way to make a difference. It was clear to me that he was the real deal. As a founding Board member of Friends of the Children, Detroit, I hope to be around for the next decade and more as our young first graders graduate high school.

Dr. Rema Reynolds is a former K-12 public school teacher, counselor, and administrator. She currently organizes parents for the improvement of student achievement and teaches Educational Leadership to aspiring school administrators. Dr. Rema’s research is centered in schools serving culturally diverse students and families.

Committed to every student learning, Dr. Rema works as a consultant for school districts across the country, equipping educators with reflexive practices that allow them to take deliberate action and increase equity and access for all students. With a focus on developing servant leaders committed to radical hope and love, she has also taught and presented at professional conferences throughout the United States and in over 20 countries.

Dr. Rema believes in the power of Education to change the world. Consistently building with communities, Dr. Rema brings authenticity to every space and is known for her love for the people and her desire to actualize the collective power of the people. Knowledge is power. Power is freedom. Dr. Rema wants us all to get free.

I am founding Friend Detroit board member. I have a long history of public service and volunteer work. I retired from Ford in 2017 with my last assignment as the Retirement Operations Manager in the Compensation and Benefit Office. My assignments have taken me throughout the world, setting up operations in Asia Pacific and India, centralizing accounting work throughout the globe. Fun fact #1: in 1998, I was #16 in the world flying with Northwest Airlines (Delta).

Concurrent with my tenure at Ford Motor Company, I served on the City of Riverview’s Zoning Board of Appeals, elected to Riverview city council (twelve years), and later with the Grosse Ile Airport Commission and Brownfield Authority. During the last decade, I have been a board member of two outstanding not-for-profit organizations: (1) The Guidance Center and (2) Bridgeway Services serving in various non-executive positions (Chairperson & Treasurer; Finance & Audit Committees).

I completed my MBA studies at the University of Detroit and received my Bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting from Western Michigan University. Fun fact #2: Harry Wilson (another Friends Detroit board member!) and I were Assistant Directors at the Draper/Siedschlag dormitories in the late 70’s.

I am married to my best friend Judi, and we have three adult children and four grandchildren. Our Havanese dog “Hiccup” continues to remind me the importance of dog pampering. I “retired” from amateur hockey in 2017 and have turned my attention and passion to golf.

Friends of the Children – Detroit is a constant reminder that we all must be part of a bigger universe, to give opportunities to those most in need and to help the succeeding generations provide a better place to live, love, work and pray.

Teresa St. Andre is a board member and secretary for Friends of the Children: Detroit. She is a former elementary educator with a Masters Degree in children’s literature. Teresa has taught elementary school children in Williamston, Mi, Midlothian, IL, Hayward, CA, and Farmington Hills, MI. She loves spending time with her husband and 4 children. When she finds herself with free time, she enjoys taking cooking classes, reading, walking her dog and training for marathons. Teresa has a passion for children and deeply cares for their well being.

Dré Clemons is a renowned designer, entrepreneur, and inventor with over 25 years of experience. He is recognized globally as an early pioneer and leader in 3D virtual design. Dré advises top automotive, aeronautics, fashion, consumer, and packaged goods brands looking to gain an advantage in today’s competitive marketplace. Many of his innovative methods have become standards. He has worked with companies such as Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Boeing, Nasa and Nike. Known for sharing his knowledge and educating others Dré has trained and mentored hundreds of designers and engineers.

Dré is a Detroit native, Cass Tech and University of Michigan graduate. Passionate about the importance of education and mentoring, he has been working with kids & mentoring for over 30 years. Dré is an Adjunct Professor teaching 3D Transportation Design at the College for Creative Studies and serves as a member of the CCS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion board. He has stayed focused on empowering the youth in underserved communities and teaches them how to overcome adversity and leverage it as an advantage. Often visible at Detroit Public Schools, Dré is a member of the Lawrence Technological University Blue Devils board with creates a path for Detroit students to gain entry to the higher levels of education through STEM. He also mentors many extremely successful professionals wishing to grow beyond their public identity.

Not resting on his past accomplishments Dré is an avid entrepreneur and owns multiple exciting businesses. He started Dré Clemons Inc. a creative thinking design consultancy and producer of sport luxury lifestyle accessories. Cofounded Grantston, they are a premier luxury outerwear brand where every piece is custom made to fit the discerning taste of their clientele. Dré has Partnered with the legendary Fab Five basketball players, that shocked the world and changed the game of basketball forever, to create an unique sports brand that is focused on promoting unity through athletics. Alaine Seri, created to develop a platform to promote and feature emerging women in the forefront of design.

Dré is the married and the father of three and one grandchild. He enjoys spending time with his family, music, dancing, traveling, and reading.

Education: University of Michigan, 1994.

During a fulfilling 30-year marketing and sales career at Ford Motor Company, I was fortunate enough to hold a wide variety of positions in the U.S. and Canada some of which especially filled my soul. I am proud to have led award-winning “cause- marketing” platforms that are still thriving within the Company. That type of work led me to, after retirement, becoming Principal of Be-Cause Consulting, enabling me to dedicate even more of my time to serving where it would make a difference in peoples’ lives.

In 2018, I co-founded and led the launch of Be the Sun, Not the Salt, an organization dedicated to providing content and tools designed to promote the power each of us has, when we are our best-selves, to energize and uplift ourselves and those around us. I am so thankful this work put Duncan Campbell and his amazing team at the national office of Friends of the Children in my path. I am blessed to serve as a founding member of our Detroit Chapter’s Board of Directors and so very proud to work alongside my fellow board members and the incredible team that has successfully launched our Detroit Chapter. Together, we are enabling new stories to be written for the future of the Children whom we serve.

David Kelly, CFP®, Managing Director and First Vice President, Investments, enters his eleventh year with Raymond James, after making a commitment in 2011 to the Flint area and clients, in order to improve what was already a high standard of client service.

Joining Raymond James in March of 2011, with four prior years of experience in the investment business in Chicago, he has continued the Kelly family tradition of assisting Flint-area clients into a third generation, following in the footsteps of R.J. Kelly, III., and Ray Kelly.

In the years since joining Raymond James, he has continued his professional development to better serve his clients. In March 2014, he successfully completed the process of becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. The CFP® certification is an extended training and examination in investments, tax planning, retirement, estate planning, insurance, employee benefit planning, fundamentals, and ethical consideration.

Through his work with his clients, David was recognized by firm and named to the Raymond James President's Council* in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Both recognitions are based on a combination of assets under management, professional training, and production. Nationally, David has received recognition, and was named to the Forbes list of “Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors” in 2018, 2021 & 2022**. He is also on the Forbes list of “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” in 2019 & 2022, and recently he was named to the “Financial Planning’s Top 40 Regional Advisors under 40” for 2022.

In addition to his own practice, he added an additional role of leadership within the firm, becoming the branch manager of the Grand Blanc location in April of 2019. In this role, he works with the current financial advisors in the branch to help grow their businesses, with the staff to continue to provide the highest level of client service, and with adding outside financial advisors to the firm in the future.

Dave, a graduate of Powers Catholic High School in Flint, was awarded a B.A. in Economics and Business at Kalamazoo College and played defensive end for four years on their football team. Following graduation, he worked in the Chicago area, as a financial advisor for Edward Jones and for Fifth Third Bank. He and his wife, Becky Thomson, Ph.D., were married in July 2016. Along with their dog, Chance, they reside in Royal Oak, where Dave is an active member of Shrine Catholic Church. When not working, he is an avid runner, having completed three marathons, and enjoys travelling, reading, exercising, and following the Detroit Pistons, Lions, and Tigers and Notre Dame football. He is also committed to improving the lives of youth in Detroit and Flint.

Yolanda Lyles Johnson is Program Manager for the WK Kellogg Foundation-Detroit Team. She began her career in philanthropy after working in nonprofit management and fund development for almost 20 years at various anchor organizations in Detroit including: Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Sphinx Organization and Marygrove College. Prior to her nonprofit career, Yolanda worked at the University of Michigan in the areas of program design and management and student recruitment and counseling. She has a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Business both from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The joy of Yolanda’s life is her daughter, Imani, who just graduated in 2020 from Western Michigan University. She has a strong affinity for the work of Friends Detroit as she was considered a youth at risk after she lost her sole parent at the age of 14, and thus has dedicated her professional career to working for and with vulnerable children and youth.

Brittany Merritt is a champion for children, and as Chief Development Officer for Friends of the Children, she brings all of her passion, experience, and leadership in mission-driven work to bear for the organization and those we serve. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, her commitment to improving and elevating the whole-life well-being of today’s youth is evidenced by the work she has done throughout her career, as well as her involvement in the community.

A recipient of the Michigan Chronicle Women of Excellence Award in 2017, Brittany joined Friends of the Children after serving as the Founding Midwest Executive Director for Springboard Collaborative, where she secured funding and fostered strong partnerships with stakeholders to support children’s literacy initiatives. Prior to this role, Brittany held leadership positions at the American Heart Association (AHA), among them Director of Youth Market Fundraising for the Greater Southeast and Midwest regions, and Regional Vice President, Michigan Youth Market – roles in which she and her teams consistently ranked within the AHA’s Midwest Top 5 for their millions of dollars raised. And as the first Black woman to hold the position of Vice President, Metro Executive Director for the greater Detroit area of the AHA, she and her team secured the single largest gift donation in Detroit’s history – a milestone in her long list of fundraising accomplishments.

Brittany is also an ambassador for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. During her tenure at the AHA, she served on the CEO Diversity Advisory Cabinet, representing 400 people in the organization’s Midwest Affiliate.

In 2021 Brittany served as a member of the Michigan Student Academic Recovery subcommittee under Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She brought her demonstrated experience to the committee’s important charge in recommending policies for reopening schools in Michigan due to the pandemic.

A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Brittany, a Dean’s List student, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Technology. She is the Vice President of Programs for the Michigan Renaissance chapter of the international non-profit organization The Links, Incorporated, and serves on the Health and Social Welfare Committees of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Jason Strayhorn is a Licensed Real Estate Broker, Realtor®, Real Estate Developer, Entrepreneur and Consultant. Whether in an executive boardroom, as a former captain of the Michigan State University (MSU) football team, or broadcasting MSU football games to millions of listeners, Jason credits his success to his public education. His family instilled in him that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. That is his motivation for serving on Michigan’s State Board of Education (SBE) – to give back to his community and his state. Jason knows that a quality education will be with children for the rest of their lives. It is the bedrock of a child’s future success and how society will measure that child. He is on the SBE to ensure every child in Michigan has the necessary tools for a solid education. As Board Member for Friends of the Children- Detroit, Jason will be a staunch advocate for our youth, ensuring they have the resources and supports needed to achieve success in school and life!

As President of Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and Corporate Officer, Frederiek Toney has leveraged years of exceeding business objectives, customer demands and profit goals. His experience of managing complex organizations within Caterpillar, American Honda and Ford Motor Company has positioned him to develop an extraordinary business acumen.

He presently leads a global business with over 10k employees who generate $15B in revenue. He is responsible for the P&L of this complex enterprise which consists of Parts Sales, Extended Service Contracts, wholly owned subsidiary, Ford Component Sales, Rotunda Service Equipment, Vehicle accessory sales. On the product and services support side of the business he oversees, Parts Supply and Logistics, Service Engineering Operations, Technical Assistance Call Centers, Warranty Administration, and Recall activity. Key accomplishments include reducing daily operating inventory by $3B over a 24-month period, while serving as the Executive Director of Material Planning and Logistics. He established a revamped Parts Distribution Network of 22 facilities in the United States, introducing new Global Business Technology systems, and achieved record profits in 8 of 11 years. His team also started Quicklane franchises in Europe, China and Thailand and launched the first new FORD parts brand, Omnicraft All-Makes, in over 50 years.

Toney has extensive board experience, including his current role as Chairman of the Board for The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME); he is a board member for City Year-Detroit, Developments Centers of Detroit, Percepta LLC and Henry Ford Health Systems (HFHS) where he serves on the Quality and Safety and Finance committees. Toney has received numerous awards, including the following: 2020 recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA); 2019 Rainbow Push Coalition “Living Legends”; 2007 World Trade Magazine 50+1 decision makers in global logistics; 2012 and 2017 Black Enterprise list of 100 most powerful executives in Corporate America. Automotive News named Frederiek an industry All-Star for Customer Service and Aftersales in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, Toney was inducted into the Huntsville, Alabama-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, and received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH) in 2015.

Toney possesses a passion for first-generation, early-career development and for providing financial support to marginalized college students. He serves as the Ford executive champion for the United Negro College Fund and participates on the UAH Business School’s External Advisory Board. In 2015, Toney created a $60K Ford Scholarship for financially disadvantaged students at Wayne State University. In 2011 he established an annual Ford Customer Service Golf Event, thus far resulting in contributions of over $1.5M.

He and his wife have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

After spending many years living around the world and across the country, Deborah and her family returned to Detroit when she was appointed as General Motors Global Chief Marketing Officer with a personal mission to contribute to her hometown. In joining the board of Friends of the Children she aspires to help 100 children and families a year break the cycle of generational poverty.

Prior to joining General Motors, Deborah served as the Senior Vice President and CMO for McDonald’s from 2014 to 2017, where she played a key role in the brand’s turnaround, proudly bringing All Day Breakfast to McD consumers. In addition to McDonald’s, Deborah has held a number of CMO and marketing leadership positions, including at PulteGroup, Chrysler and Lexus.

Deborah has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Wellesley College and an MBA from The Wharton School. She also has a master’s degree from The Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania.

Deborah is an active business leader who serves on the boards of Groupon and SGM China as well as several marketing industry boards. She is also very engaged in education, serving on the Board of Trustees of Cranbrook Educational Community, as the lead of the Development Committee for Cranbrook Schools, on the Business Leadership Council at Wellesley College and as an active alumna for The Lauder Institute. In Michigan, she is also involved with International Womens Forum (IWF) and Michigan Women Forward.

Harry Wilson has more than 40 years of experience working with vulnerable children, youth, and families.

As the Dean of Students, at a youth treatment facility, Harry helped create innovative programs for court administrators, and led a school for youth experiencing mental health and conduct disorders.

In the federal government, Harry led the Family and Youth Services Bureau annually serving millions of homeless children and families, including those affected by domestic violence and trafficking. Harry led several White House initiatives including a Presidential initiative on mentoring children with incarcerated parents. He directed four National Youth Summits, co-founded the Federal Mentoring Council, www.youth.gov and convened eight regional White House conferences on Helping America’s Youth with the First Lady. Internationally, he served on the Economic and Social Council representing US Youth health issues at the United Nations.

Harry currently works nationally to disseminate highly effective Social Emotional Learning and Professional Development initiatives for school systems and youth serving organizations at no cost. This resulted in partnerships with the many national youth organizations and over 50,000 schools across the nation. As a preventionist, Harry is helping colleges and universities implement SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and promote mental health with their students.

Harry started helping Friends of the Children expand to Detroit five years ago. The expansion team raised the initial funding that welcomed FOTC to Detroit. Harry grew up in Detroit. Helping a proven mentoring strategy for children, come to fruition in one of the hardest hit cities in the nation has been more than gratifying.

Harry lives in Jackson County, Michigan with his wife Michele a retired special educator, track and cross-country coach. He is active in county government, state government and his local church.