Our Board

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Kate is Co-founder and President of Human Resource Partners, Kate has focused on talent acquisition, employee engagement, coaching, and development of leaders in the organizations and clients she supports. Throughout her career, Kate has been an active member of the community serving on numerous boards including the Traverse Area Human Resources Association (Past President), the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, the Community Reconciliation Service, and the Michigan State Human Resources Association. She currently serves on the HR Committees of TART Trails and Norte. She was recently appointed to the City of Traverse City Local Officers Compensation Commission. Kate lives in Traverse City with her husband, Matthew Schmidt, daughter and twin sons. 

Alison grew up in Northern Michigan and is a graduate of NMC and Western Michigan University. She joined the staff of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation in 2005. In her role at the Community Foundation, Alison enjoys working with generous individuals to create long-term funding resources to support the important work of nonprofits across our region that are building healthy, resilient, thriving communities. In addition to the Generations Ahead board, Alison is part of the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities Advisory Council and provides leadership for the Central Lake Early Experiences and Opportunities early childhood network. Alison and her husband, John, live in Traverse City with their three children.

Bob serves as Judge for the 86th District Court. He was elected Judge in 2018 after serving as elected Prosecuting Attorney for Grand Traverse County and as Civil Counsel and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. Bob is a former Pre-Hearing Attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals, and worked for 5 years as an engineer for the U.S. Army.  Bob and his wife Karin have three children Katie, Jack and Maggie.  The Cooneys reside on Old Mission Peninsula with their Duck-Tolling Retriever, Bonnie, and English Golden Retriever Yosie.  Bob and his family are members of Central United Methodist Church.  In his free time, Bob enjoys cross-country skiing, backpacking, kayaking and, most of all, spending time with his family.

Camille is Director of Strategic Projects at Traverse Connect where she leads the charge on talent attraction initiatives, the Scale Up North Awards, and efforts to enhance the creative and cultural economy. Prior to joining Traverse Connect she worked on programs for startups at 20Fathoms and Boomerang Catapult. Camille grew her career in New York City, where she was at the forefront of the growth of the startup scene in Brooklyn.  Camille has a B.A. in Natural Science and a M.Litt in Geography from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Camille is passionate about supporting new parents as they transition into a new stage of joy in their lives. She lives in Traverse City with her spouse and young daughter.

Breanna, a client at Generations Ahead, and mother of 3 young boys, leads a busy life. She has taken advantage of many opportunities available to her through Generations Ahead. She has a close  relationship with her mentor who helped her navigate her first year at NMC. She also participated in the GA Summer Career Internship program, interning at MI Works. She's been employed at Best Buy for almost three years. In her limited free time, Breanna and her husband, Erek, and their boys love camping and hiking. Breanna eagerly joined the Board to "support an organization that supported me and my family through the challenging early years of being a young mom!"

Lauren currently is enjoying her position in the Admissions department of Davenport University, helping NMC students find their path to their educational goals.  Lauren has lived in Traverse City for the past 16 years, raising her two daughters.  With experience in real estate, hospitality, and education she has found a strong connection to the TC community.  She loves playing the local golf courses in the summer months and dining at the wonderful local restaurants throughout the area, but any chance she gets she travels to see family located across the US and abroad. 

Sara is the founder and president of Strategic Policy Consultants. Sara has dedicated her career to developing and delivering meaningful policy solutions that can positively impact the lives of those around her. She is particularly passionate about policy that supports children and families, criminal justice reform and collaborative economic development models. Prior to founding Strategic Policy Consultants, Sara spent five years serving Governor Rick Snyder (R-MI) as his senior strategic policy advisor.  A native of Metro-Detroit, she holds a B.A. in political science from Albion College and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Sara and her husband, Matt, live in Traverse City with their two sons. In her free time, Sara looks for any excuse to be outside, be with her family and eat good food.

Homer has spent most of his life serving his community. He was the Senior Pastor of The Presbyterian Church of Traverse City for thirty-three years. Homer was co-founder of Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan. He currently serves as the moderator of the Omena Presbyterian Church. As a member of the Rotary Club for 35 years, Homer served on the board of trustees for the past nine years, and was president in 2019-20.  Homer also served as a trustee for Munson Health Center Foundation for nine years, and he has been a trustee of the Carls Foundation since 1995. He earned his BS in chemistry at Ohio University and his MDiv and Doctorate in Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Homer lives in Traverse City with his wife, Becky Mang. 

 Miaya currently works as a program manager at Grand Traverse Industries, assisting adults with disabilities. She enjoys helping her clients become everything they are capable of. She hopes to return to college in the near future to continue her studies in Social Work.  Miaya is a busy mother of three young children, two boys and a baby girl. Together with her partner, Hason, and their children, they enjoy spending time as a family outdoors and at amusement parks whenever they can get away.  Miaya is excited to serve as a client representative on the board of Generations Ahead. She believes that her personal experience as a young mother will allow her to be a great advocate at the board level. 

Marsha spent almost her entire career actively working in the nonprofit sector. The first half of her career was spent primarily in fundraising capacities for social service, health care, arts and educational institutions in Northwest Michigan. She spent the last 25 years at Rotary Charities, 22 of those as the Executive Director. Marsha has served on numerous volunteer boards, including: the Michigan Community Service Commission; the Council of Michigan Foundations; Networks Northwest; and Munson Medical Center. She was also founding mother of the Women’s Resource Center. Marsha lives in Traverse City with her husband, Tom. In her free time, she enjoys spending time at their cabin, socializing with friends, and visiting her grandchildren.

You may contact any of the board members through our email address:

info@generationsahead.org