ACLU of Michigan 2020 Board Election Ballot

The ACLU of Michigan is conducting an election of members to its State Board. This year we elect all 20 at-large candidates to the Board of Directors. Read the candidate’s biographies below and then cast your ballot.

You, as an ACLU member, may vote Yes or No for each candidate by filling out our online ballot.

You will need your eight-digit membership number to vote, which is featured either on the address label of the recent election postcard you received or in the email you received on the same subject. If the word “joint” follows your membership number, both members are eligible to vote separately using the same membership number.

Can’t find your member number? Contact us at membership@aclumich.org.

While this election is uncontested, it is our duty to present it to you, our membership, for a vote. Through your “Yes” vote, these individuals can take their seats on the Board with the confidence of knowing the ACLU’s membership is behind them.

ACLU of Michigan 2020 Board Election
Nominee Biographies


The nominees to the Board all share a strong commitment to the mission of the ACLU and the qualities needed to serve as trustees of our organization which include, in some combination, issue expertise, important representation from a diverse group of communities, and skill sets that will enrich the organization’s financial and long-term health and sustainability. The Board of Directors works to ensure that the ACLU is committed to its nonpartisan mission and maintains its values of readiness, reliability, respect and strategic action.

Each of these excellent candidates has expressed a commitment to active participation in the stewardship of the ACLU of Michigan. Cast your ballot in support of the nominees for the 2020 Board election.

Johnell Allen-Bey describes himself as a leader amongst men. He is a Son, Father, and Grandfather of 12. He served 29 years in prison, but he never allowed incarceration to diminish his ability to improve himself and the ability to serve others. While incarcerated he founded the first college dormitory in the “Jackson Cooper Street facility” for inmates attending college in prison and created mentor tutoring programs for inmates seeking their GED. He became a Scholar Writer for the State of Michigan through Jackson College. Upon his release from prison in March of 2018, Johnell has continued to passionately serve others while creating successful businesses within his communities. Johnell is the coordinator and chair for Flint Chapter of Nation Outside, CEO and Owner of Johnell’s Transportation, Co-Owner of J & J Home improvements and partner of WJZZ a radio station in Metro Detroit. Jonell is a graduate of Spring Arbor University with a B.S in Behavioral Science. He received an Associates Degree from Jackson College. He enjoys Michigan Football, loves music, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Gary Boren received a B.S. degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan and a J.D. in 1979 from the University of Michigan Law School. He is in private practice specializing in bankruptcy law. He is a member of the Michigan Bar Association and admitted to practice in Michigan state courts, as well as the Federal District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern District of Michigan and the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Gary is a former member of the board of directors of the Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Association. He is currently on the board of the Minerva Project, Inc., the Washtenaw Area Housing Coalition and the Packard Community Clinic.

Michael Carter is a supervising attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit (NDS). He is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and the University of Michigan where he received a B.A. in English.  Prior to joining NDS he worked as a Deputy Defender at the Federal Defender Office of the Eastern District of Michigan and as a Staff Attorney with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.  Michael sits on the board of directors for the Detroit Justice Center and the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan.    

Laura Champagne’s undergraduate degree is in journalism and her graduate degree is in law. While she served in both the Milliken and Granholm administrations the bulk of Laura’s career was with the International Union, UAW where she was involved in contract negotiations, including auto, aerospace and the public sector, and policy development, primarily related to health care and pensions. Laura has also been involved in advocacy for long-term-care consumers both at the state and local levels and was the Managing Director for Citizens for Better Care until it ceased operations in 2012. Laura served as Board Chair for Gay Elders of Southeast Michigan which has evolved into Metro Detroit SAGE. Laura currently serves on the Board of the Ruth Ellis Center, Metro Health Foundation, her Homeowners Association, and is a member of the Farmington Commission on Aging.

Melissa Cragg is the retired Chief Investment Officer of The Fisher Group.  Prior to working with the Fisher Group Melissa was the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer at The Detroit Medical Center and a corporate banker with Comerica Bank. Melissa’s board experience includes Baystate Health Corporation, Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation, The Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit and Women’s Caring Program. Melissa has also served on the Investment Committees of a number of charities including Trinity Health Corporation, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. Melissa earned both her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Washington University in St. Louis.

Carmen Garcia serves as the Associate Director of Philanthropy for WDET, Detroit Public Radio. Carmen is responsible for increasing annual operating support for WDET by aligning fundraising efforts and securing leadership level annual gifts. Her public media experience includes fundraising for WRCJ and DPTV and she has also raised funds for Affirmations, City Year Detroit and Community Health and Social Services (CHASS). Carmen’s long history with WDET began as a volunteer on the weekly radio program El Grito de Mi Raza when she was a student at Wayne State University studying the art and science of radio and television broadcast.  In addition to raising money for WDET, Carmen serves as a volunteer reader for the Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS) which provides news and information for people with impaired vision.

Peter Hammer is the director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School which is dedicated to promoting the educational, economic and political empowerment of under-represented communities in urban areas and to ensuring that the phrase equal justice under law applies to all members of society. Professor Hammer was instrumental in editing and compiling Judge Damon J. Keith’s new biography, Crusader for Justice: Federal Judge Damon J. Keith (2013). He has become a leading voice on the economic and social issues impacting the city of Detroit. Professor Hammer has expertise in the fields of domestic health law and policy, as well as international public health and economic development. Professor Hammer received his undergraduate education at Gonzaga University and completed his professional and graduate education at the University of Michigan, where he received a J.D. and a Ph.D. (economics). Before entering private practice, he clerked for the Hon. Alfred T. Goodwin, former chief judge of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Ponsella Hardaway is the Executive Director of MOSES (Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength) and a native Detroiter. MOSES, a group of diverse congregations, organizes communities, develops leaders and builds relationships to advocate for social justice. Ponsella is also a National Trainer with the Gamaliel Foundation. She has trained congregation members in South Africa, Swaziland and in the United Kingdom. Ponsella has traveled to Brazil and Mali to study NGO’s work on political and social issues.

Katherine Humphrey is a longtime advocate for women, children and families with a passionate commitment to social justice and human rights for all people. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Duke University and a Master of Science Degree in Counseling from Indiana University and served as President/CEO of Planned Parenthood in West and Northern Michigan for 27 years. Prior to that, she worked as a therapist and administrator in the community mental health sector and as a hospital social worker serving terminally ill children and their families. Kathy was co-founder of the Progressive Women’s Alliance PAC and co-founder of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. She is currently a Vice President of the Board of the ACLU of Michigan and serves on multiple regional community boards and steering committees.

Jessica Lieberman is a 2003 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School where she served on the Michigan Journal of Race and Law and where her primary academic interests were in race and gender discrimination, civil rights and poverty law. Upon completing her J.D., she stayed at home to raise her children for several years. Jessica now works for the law firm Salvatore Prescott Porter & Porter, a plaintiff-side employment and civil rights law firm. 

Yolanda Lipsey is an avid entrepreneur and founder of Instinctive Solutions LLC.  She is a J.D. candidate, has a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, B.A. in Legal Administration and has paralegal, real estate and project management certifications. As an efficacious leader she helped build a stronger foundation to the success of many individuals, professionals, and small businesses. She mentors, performs volunteer work, serves on the board for various nonprofit organizations and has held memberships with several professional affiliations.  Ms. Lipsey owns multiple businesses and has achieved numerous awards and recognition.  During her employment with the U.S. House of Representatives she effectively managed the day-to-day operations of the district offices while traveling back and forth to Washington, D.C. to engage in committee activities.  She traveled around the country to work on social justice issues and with Vice President Biden's delegation to China.  She has written over 200 letters of support for businesses/nonprofit organizations in the Metro Detroit area helping to secure over $10 million in federal funding.  Ms. Lipsey has helped to build a stronger foundation to the success of many individuals, businesses, and professionals.

Joe Malcoun is an Ann Arbor, MI based investor and entrepreneur. He is Founder of Cahoots, a 25,000 sq. ft innovative shared office concept and place of community for tech companies and their teams in downtown Ann Arbor. He led Nutshell, a sales collaboration tool for small and medium-sized businesses, for six years as it’s CEO where he spent most of his time staying out of the way of his incredibly talented team and building external partnerships with other software companies. Prior to joining Nutshell, Joe founded CKM Capital, an early stage technology investment firm, that has invested in dozens of Midwest startups. Before founding CKM Capital, Joe was a member of the Strategy and Corporate Development team at DTE Energy and was an early employee at the sustainability consultancy GreenOrder where he led projects for leadership teams at General Electric, General Motors and a number of other F500 enterprises. He is a three-time graduate of the University of Michigan including a M.S. in Environmental Economics and an M.B.A. from the Ross School of Business. Joe is very active in the Ann Arbor community and recently led an investment group to acquire and preserve the Blind Pig, an iconic live music club. He has held multiple leadership positions on non-profit boards including 826michigan and 826 National. Additionally, he actively mentors and advises entrepreneurs both within and outside of his portfolio of investments. He loves live music, paddles wood-canvas canoes better than he rides bikes, and has a severe weakness for good food and drink.

Joe Marogil lives in the Grand Rapids area. He received his J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and his B.A. from Michigan State University. His legal work focuses on health law and the regulation of medical devices and pharmaceuticals. He has long participated in social justice and anti-war advocacy. He is an active member of both the Western Branch local chapter and the Western Branch Lawyers Committee of the ACLU of Michigan. Previously he has been involved with the National Lawyers Guild, Amnesty International, volunteered with the Illinois branch of the ACLU, and has participated in organizing numerous conferences and events on critical social justice issues. 

Shelley Padnos graduated from Michigan State University and went on to receive her law degree from Thomas Cooley Law School. She is the Chair of the Executive Committee of Louis Padnos Iron & Metal Company. Shelley is past president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the national trade association representing scrap processors and recyclers across North America. She was appointed by the EPA to the National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technologies Superfund Subcommittee that was charged with making recommendations to the Clinton Administration on the reauthorization of Superfund legislation. In addition to serving on the Grand Valley University Foundation board of directors, she also served as former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Grand Valley State University. Shelley lives in Douglas, MI.

Noel J. Saleh is an attorney in private practice specializing in civil liberties and immigration law. He serves on the ACLU of Michigan’s Executive Committee as Secretary. Noel brings with him a long history of community engagement. He is a past president of ACCESS and has served on that Board since 1989. From January 2002 until October of 2005, Noel was the Post 9/11, Safe and Free Project Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Michigan. He has also served on the Boards of the National Immigration Forum, the Rights Working Group, Palestine Aid Society of America, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, National Lawyers Guild, the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit and as a member of the Michigan Advisory Committee to the U. S. Civil Rights Commission.

Derrell Slaughter is a consultant at Public Sector Consultants (PSC). He has a BA in Public Policy from Michigan State University. Derrell supports the Energy and Environment division of PSC by conducting research and analysis, providing strategic counsel on a variety of public policy and regulatory topics, and contributing to written deliverables. Before joining PSC in 2019, Derrell worked for the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), where he played an integral role in the commission's implementation efforts of the state's most recent energy policy. Outside of his work at PSC, he serves on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners as the Commissioner that represents the 3rd district, South Lansing. He was elected this past November and currently serves as the Chair of the Ingham County Board of Commissioner's Democratic Caucus and Vice-Chair of its Law and Courts Committee. He is also a proud member of the ACLU of Michigan's Board of Directors where he serves as the organization's Equity Officer. 

Buzz Thomas is a consultant in Detroit specializing in building community relationships for business and non-profit clients.  Thomas Group Consulting has been serving its clients community engagements since 2011.   He previously served in the MI State Legislature from 1997 through 2010, including serving as Democratic Floor Leader in the Senate and as Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives. He was co-chairman of the 2008 Michigan Presidential campaign of Barack Obama.

Nathan Triplett serves as Democratic Legal Counsel for the Michigan House of Representatives. He formerly served as Director of Public Policy and Political Action at Equality Michigan, a statewide advocacy organization working to achieve equality for all Michigan residents, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Nathan served as a member of the East Lansing City Council from 2007-2015 and, at 30, was elected as the youngest Mayor in the community’s history in 2013. He served on the Michigan Municipal League’s (MML) Board of Trustees and was elected Vice President and President of the Board. Triplett serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) and serves on the boards of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, the MML Foundation, and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. Nathan is a recipient of the Governor’s Service Award, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 10 Over the Next 10 Award, the Michigan State University Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing’s inaugural Civic Leadership Award. Triplett graduated from Michigan State University’s James Madison College in 2006 with degrees in Political Theory, Constitutional Democracy and Social Relations. He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law.

Dan Varner is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. Prior to joining Goodwill, Dan served as the CEO at Excellent Schools Detroit, worked as a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and he is also the cofounder and former CEO of a nationally-recognized youth development organization called Think Detroit (now operating as Detroit PAL). Dan has received numerous awards, and his work has been recognized by two Presidential administrations. He is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and serves on numerous boards of directors, including the ACLU of Michigan, Capital Impact Partners, ConnectEd, Detroit PAL, and served on Michigan’s State Board of Education for four years. He is an attorney by training, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Law School.

Kate Pew Wolters is the President of the KRW Foundation. Founded in 1997 by Kate and her late husband Richard, this private foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations with an emphasis in the arts, education social justice and people with disabilities. Kate is also a member of the Board of Directors of Steelcase Inc., and chair of the Steelcase Foundation, an endowed private foundation of Steelcase Inc. She was appointed chair of the Steelcase Foundation upon her leaving the post of executive director of the Foundation in October 1996. Kate serves on a  number of non-profit boards including DisArt, Grand Rapids Promise Zone and the Mary and Robert Pew Public Education Fund.  She serves as Co-Chair of First Steps Kent board and was appointed by Governor Granholm to an eight year term as a member of the governing board of Grand Valley State University in 2004 and reappointed by Governor Snyder for a four year term and subsequently an eight year term until 2024.  Kate was appointed to the National Council on Disability by President William Clinton in 1994 and reconfirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1996 where she served until 2003.  For eight of her nine years she served as its vice chair. Kate joined the Steelcase Foundation in 1986 as executive director after serving as director of the Grand Rapids Center for Independent Living for two years. From 1982 to 1984, she was a staff social worker in the Steelcase Inc. Counseling and Referral Center. Kate received her BA from Aquinas College and holds a masters degree in social work from Michigan State University.

Cast your ballot now