Rex Bell is a highly respected leader in the construction industry, recognized for his extensive career spanning over four decades with the Miller-Davis Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he most recently served as CEO and Board Chair until his retirement in 2024. A Purdue University alumnus, Rex holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is a licensed Residential Builder in Michigan. He was inducted into the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame in 2021, underscoring his contributions to the field. Rex has also been actively involved in community service, holding leadership roles on various boards, including the W.S. and Lois Van Dalson Foundation, Heritage Community of Kalamazoo, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo, and the Western Michigan University’s Civil and Construction Engineering Department Industry Advisory Board. Additionally, he has served as an adjunct professor in WMU’s Engineering Technology Department. Beyond his professional achievements, Rex is also a talented musician, recently inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame as the lead guitarist for The Bronk Bros. Band.

Nkenge A. Bergan (pronounced Na-KING-a) has been a public school educator for more than 29 years in urban and suburban school districts in North Carolina and Michigan. Currently serving as Associate Vice President for Student Development Services at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Mrs. Bergan is dedicated to equity, community and cultural responsiveness for all stakeholders. It is this dedication to public education that has allowed Nkenge to successfully lead in settings from the special education classroom, to middle school principalships on to district leadership, and now in higher education with confidence and unabashed advocacy for every learner.

Nkenge was honored as a Safe Kids Champion by Safe Kids Kalamazoo, Community In Schools-Kalamazoo Champ Award, and Region 4 Principal of the Year by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association. She is currently serving on the board of directors for Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, YMCA, and Gryphon Place, as well as maintaining active membership with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Incorporated in the Kalamazoo Alumnae Chapter.

Recently selected by her alma mater, Syracuse University’s School of Education as the 2023 convocation speaker, Nkenge is committed to making a difference in the lives of all educators; future and seasoned.

Mrs. Bergan became an educator because she believes that a community is only as strong as its children and young people, therefore she is dedicated to making sure the public school setting is safe physically and psychologically. Nkenge also believes that every stakeholder should have all the necessary tools and resources to do their very best for every individual student before them. It is her belief that the local school be the beacon of the neighborhood and an appropriate partner in the development of not only the youngest of citizens but support life-long learning for all who call this community home.

The mother of three children and one granddaughter, Nkenge and her husband Sean, also an educator will celebrate 24 years of marriage this year.

Lynne Cowart holds a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from George Washington University and a Master of Arts in Learning Disabilities from Western Michigan University.

Lynne's professional journey began as a Teacher Consultant at Kalamazoo RESA, where she spent four years before joining the Parchment School District. Over her 19-year tenure there, she served as a Special Education Classroom Teacher, Teacher Consultant, Curriculum Director, and eventually as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. She returned to KRESA for another nine years as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, overseeing the Instructional Services Department, Education for Employment (EFE), and Education for the Arts (EFA), before retiring in 2016.

Her passion for education extends beyond her professional career into her volunteer work. Lynne served as a VISTA Volunteer in the San Joaquin Valley, California, working with migrant farm workers. She has been a dedicated board member of Kalamazoo County Ready 4s for a decade, including four years as President, and continues to serve on the KRESA Board of Education.

Travis Cree is the Senior Manager of Biostatistics and Programming within the Clinical Affairs team of Stryker's Trauma and Extremities Division.

Travis has been volunteering within the greater Kalamazoo nonprofit sector since he moved back to the area in 2011, having finished his bachelor's degree in statistics and master's degree in biostatistics, both at Grand Valley State University. Some of the organizations he's worked with include the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County Ready 4s, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, and SPCA of Southwest Michigan, sitting on varying levels of leadership and governance.

Travis and his wife, Kelly, have two daughters, the oldest entering Portage Public Schools in August (2024). Travis grew up in Vicksburg and is most passionate about providing opportunities to all within the community. He benefited from his time within Allied Health (an Education for Employment class within KRESA offerings at the time) and believes that the more we can get students out of the classrooms and truly experience what they're learning, the more prepared they'll be for the next chapter of their lives.

Faye Davis brings 15 years of experience in strategic communications, marketing and consulting to her role as senior director at SINA Communications—a rapidly growing strategy and communications agency that supports funders, innovators and organizations working to improve people’s lives through education and economic opportunity. A natural communicator focused on collaboration and strategy, Faye considers her ability to build trusting relationships her superpower. 
 
Before joining SINA, Faye was director of communications for the workforce and regional economies practice at Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit focused on transforming the U.S. education and workforce systems. In that role, she managed a large portfolio of projects working to innovate and elevate skills-based hiring, job quality, sector-specific workforce strategies, and inclusive regional economic development. Prior to JFF, Faye served as director, consulting and special projects at Southwest Michigan First, a regional public-private economic development partnership with a passion for helping businesses and communities succeed. 

Faye obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies from Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) and holds several certifications related to social impact and leadership growth.

With two energetic young kids, a husband, and a French bulldog named Morty, Faye loves an active and spontaneous life focused on savoring good company, food, and music. She is a hot yoga teacher, enjoys deliberate cold exposure regularly, and cheers avidly for the Detroit Red Wings.

James Devers is the Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo (CIS), a non-profit that is embedded within 24 Kalamazoo schools to provide supplemental supports to students during the school-day and in afterschool programs.

James has 25+ years of diverse experience in the field of education, ranging from state-level work with the Ohio Department of Education and with a 50-school charter school authorizer, to establishing a community-based computer literacy training program, to serving as principal of a K-8 public school.

James is a graduate of Kalamazoo Public Schools (Kalamazoo Central and KAMSC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Western Michigan University and a master’s degree in public administration from The Ohio State University.

A passionate advocate for youth and families, James’ volunteer work over the years has included starting several summer camps, youth ministry, academic tutoring, and mentoring high school students who were at risk of dropping out of school. As an extension of his passion for supporting youth, James and his wife, Tamisha, became foster parents which resulted in the adoption of four school-age children in 2023.

Nancy Gallihugh has been providing educational audiology services for Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA) since 2001, identifying children with hearing loss and providing appropriate access to instruction in the classroom for deaf and hard of hearing students. She is dedicated to ensuring students have the tools necessary to be successful in the classroom and community. She has served on the boards of the Michigan Audiology Coalition, Kalamazoo RESA Foundation, Breakfast Optimist Club of Kalamazoo, and Quota International of Kalamazoo.

Dr. Deveta Gardner serves as Associate Dean of Merze Tate College at Western Michigan University. As a founding member of the newest college on the campus, she oversees six departments that primarily focus on student success and retention. Dr. Gardner is known for her dedication to educating and supporting students throughout their journey. During her tenure at WMU, Dr. Gardner has served the campus community in numerous ways, including as adjunct faculty, Empowering Futures Steering Committee, The College of Education and Human Development Alumni Board of Directors, CEHD School University Partnership Team, University One WMU design and Compensation Teams, Black Faculty and Staff Founding Committee, WMU Signature Advisory Board, and the COVID Task Force and University Planning Team, in addition to servings as the WMU Institutional Representative and as a board member for MI-ACE Women’s Network. Dr. Gardner earned a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy with honors from WMU and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gardner utilizes her experience, knowledge, and skills, along with her certification as a Gallup Strengths Coach, to empower and mentor others. Prior to her time at WMU, Dr. Gardner worked in the Office of Admissions at Kalamazoo College and the Academically Talented Program for Kalamazoo Public Schools respectively. Her investment in people extends beyond her role in the university, as she is active in numerous organizations within the community, regionally, and nationally, including serving as a competitive cheer coach for Kalamazoo Public Schools; and board member for the following: Douglass Community Association (Board Chair), Kalamazoo Literacy Council, MI ACE Women’s Network, and the YWCA. Dr. Gardner is the recipient of several leadership awards, including the Black Heroes Award from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. When she is not working or serving, Dr. Gardner enjoys spending time with her family.

Kwame G. Gyimah is a commercial law partner who joined Lennon Miller PLC in 2021 after practicing as a business attorney in Chicago, Illinois. Kwame specializes in real estate, insurance defense, and business consulting/litigation. His clients include property owners, insurance companies, credit unions and other financial institutions, and minority owned businesses throughout Southwest Michigan.

Kwame graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 2014. Prior to joining the firm Kwame was a litigation associate at an Am Law 100 ranked law firm. In addition to Michigan, Kwame is licensed and represents clients in Illinois and Florida.

Jen Heymoss is an equity-focused leader leveraging nearly 20 years of experience in education, youth development, and philanthropy to advocate for anti-oppressive practices. She is a Director in the consulting practice at Frontline Solutions, a Black-owned consulting firm dedicated to making the world more just for all. Her love for facilitation comes from the start of her career, keeping young people engaged in the classroom. In 2023, Jen was awarded the inaugural Innovations in Equity Philanthropy award from the Council of Michigan Foundations for her leadership of the Initiatives and Public Policy Team at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, where she served as a vice president. She continues to speak and teach in many settings and sectors.

A proud first-generation college graduate, Jen holds an M.A. in Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education and a B.A. in Secondary Education from Western Michigan University. In 2023, the Center of Community Philanthropy at the Clinton School of Public Service selected her to participate in the Racial Healing Certification Program, where she works and learns with nonprofit and philanthropic leaders nationwide on innovative racial healing projects.

Jen has long resided in Kalamazoo, MI, with her spouse, Nate, and two children, Henry and Hugo, who make her laugh every day. Jen co-founded the Michigan Transformation Collective, a project that brings people together to dismantle harmful systems and narratives on a foundation of hope, courage, and love. Her current passion in her community is leading community violence intervention strategies and projects rooted in a public health lens.

Wendy Hutchison is a native of Kalamazoo. Following a career in supply chain management, Wendy became a full-time community volunteer, eager to contribute to non-profit organizations.

Wendy has volunteered with Special Olympics as the head gymnastics coach and has led this program her entire adult life. Through this commitment she has grown the team from 3 athletes to nearly fifty, built a coaching staff, and successfully brought this large team into a busy competitive gym. Wendy has a passion for all her gymnasts and their families.

Currently she mentors the business team of a community high school robotics team where she also sits as a board member. Her key responsibilities include developing students to be ambassadors for the team and seek sponsorships.

Wendy also delivers Meals on Wheels to seniors and is an election official. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her graduate degree from Western Michigan University.

Shirley Johnson has been a community volunteer for over 30 years. Most of her volunteer work has centered around education and child development. She has been a KRESA Foundation board member since 2013. She also currently serves on the boards of Kalamazoo County Ready 4s, the YMCA and is a member of the Portage Rotary, serving as co-chair of their Youth Services committee. She served on the Portage Board of Education from 2001-2009 (3 years as President) and was a liaison to the Portage Education Foundation during that time. She is a strong advocate for diverse high quality developmental opportunities for youth in our county, one size does not fit all.

Mike McIntyre is the Director of Business Development for AVB, a construction management company in Portage, Michigan. AVB is a strong financial and volunteer supporter in the SW Michigan community. Mike serves on several booster boards in Portage Public Schools and has a passion for the community and youth in Kalamazoo County.

Mike has over 20 years of experience in the education field. A graduate of Western Michigan University, Mike started his professional career as a contracted instructor for Lockheed Martin under the direction of Homeland Security for 11 years, training TSA employees on Standard Operating Procedures. He then went on to K-12 Facilities Operations and Sales for Grand Rapids Building Services for 12 years with KRESA being one of his accounts. Now with AVB, Mike sits on the commercial construction leadership team and is working with K-12 communities on Bond programs, including the recently awarded Mattawan Consolidated Schools bond project.

Bridget Timmeney is the managing partner of Align AZO, LLC and leads business and community alignment and strategic planning related to workforce development, economic development and has assisted over 70 communities developing place-based scholarship programs similar to the Kalamazoo Promise. Prior to her current role, she worked at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research for over 35 years as a researcher, community developer and administrator of federal and state talent development programs. Bridget assisted in evaluations of state and local workplace literacy programs, developed community and regional benchmark indicators, was a key investigator on the Kansas City Scholars evaluation, and is part of the evaluation team for the Columbus Promise and the Battle Creek Public Schools (MI) Bearcat Advantage. She also launched the local free tax counseling initiative and the first employer resource network, both innovative programs that continue to serve the Kalamazoo community. She earned a master’s degree in social work in policy, planning, and administration at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and is a proud graduate of Kalamazoo College.