Board Members - Staff Members

Cheryl Birks has served in the capacity of Finance Manager for over 11 years. She has a diverse work background having worked in the private and public sector. Her experience includes working in the banking, managed care, and human service fields. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University, Master of Arts in Human Resource Management from Marygrove College and Master of Education in Instructional Technology, with an emphasis in Performance Improvement and Training, from Wayne State University.

After 30 years of practicing law, Thomas Costello left the corporate world to advocate for diversity and inclusion in Michigan. He became President and CEO of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion in March 2008. This human rights and social justice organization is dedicated to building sustainable inclusive communities in Michigan. Prior to joining the Michigan Roundtable, he served on its Board of Directors and was general counsel and vice president for an information technology company in Detroit. His early practice years included work in criminal and juvenile justice.

Costello graduated cum laude from both Ohio University and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He has also completed the Essentials Course in Transitional Justice as conducted by the International Center for Transitional Justice.

He currently serves on the ACLU Advisory Board, the DTE Community Advisory Council and the board of the Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (ALPACT) in Detroit.

Rita J. Crooks, is a designer and developer of individual, team and organizational training initiatives and is also an individual and group development consultant. She has a passion for promoting effective relationships between individuals in order to facilitate individual and team performance. She is currently the Director of Diversity for the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, a human relations organization founded in 1927 which works throughout the Southeast Michigan Region to promote dialogue across differences to facilitate building sustainable inclusive communities.

Ms. Crooks has fifteen plus years in Human Relations/Resources including program design and development, facilitation, 1-1 and group coaching, employee / leadership / organization development, interviewing and selection, performance management and strategic planning. Her experience has spanned several industries including Non-Profit, Manufacturing, Utility, Health Care, and Education. She earned a Master of Education Degree in Instructional Technology from Wayne State University and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling from Ashland University.

Matt Hoerauf, Community Development Manager: Mr. Hoerauf works in the field on community initiatives, as well as fundraising for the Michigan Roundtable. Mr. Hoerauf has worked on a number of racial equity initiatives through a decade of non-profit work, including developing cottage industries on a Native American reservation and transforming a Scandinavian museum into a community center for all. Mr. Hoerauf has a B.A. in Native American Studies from Bemidji State University,
Minnesota.

Elizabeth Husbands, has worked with the MI Roundtable for the past 8 month, however her passion for diversity, inclusion and social justice issues existed long before this stage of her journey began. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s of Arts in Counseling Psychology. She Chaired the CMH Diversity Council in Kalamazoo, and was a member of the City’s Diversity Council. She developed numerous diversity training programs, and assisted organizations in conducting climate surveys and developing corrective action plans to address areas of deficit. She is currently the Secretary of the Isabella Co Human Rights Committee. She is a mother of three adopted children, 13 year old girls, and jewelry making and sewing help her remain grounded.

Kevin Hogan is the Manager, Faith & LGBT Equality Project and leads our work assisting Congregations and Faith Communities in their LGBT Welcome. A native of Washington DC – Kevin is a longtime Faith & Equality Rights Activist and became part of the first wave of volunteers at the Human Rights Campaign Fund (now Human Rights Campaign) in the early 1980’s.
During the past 25 years Kevin has experience in developing and managing national and local programs for GM Diversity Initiatives, PGA Magazine, The Pride Source Media Group, The Bob Hope – Hope for a Drug Free America Foundation and the Michigan based Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Kevin attends the Grosse Pointe Congregational United Church of Christ where he served as the Church Steward of Christian Education from 2003-2009. Kevin believes his UCC faith tradition is an important guiding influence in his LGBT equality efforts. Representing the Michigan Roundtable Kevin currently serves on the board of Unity Michigan – the Unity Michigan Coalition includes the ACLU of Michigan, Equality Michigan, KICK, Affirmations and the Ruth Ellis Center.
Kevin received his B.S. degree from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Lawrence Jones currently serves as the Fund Development Director for The Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to this role, Mr. Jones served in numerous managerial capacities in the financial services industry. He held a number of senior management positions with Michigan National Bank including manager of the Metropolitan Lending Group, the Western Michigan Lending Group, and Head of Commercial Lending Division. Following a merger, Mr. Jones spent six years as a senior executive with LaSalle Bank Michigan, a division of ABN AMRO, holding various executive positions such as Chief Administrative Officer for the Commercial Banking Division, and Chairman of the Committee on Diversity. Following his tenure at LaSalle Bank, Mr. Jones served as one of the organizers in the attempt to open a new community bank in Detroit Michigan.

Mr. Jones serves on the board of the Urban League of Detroit and Southeast Michigan, a Trustee for the National Urban League, and the Michigan Opera Theater. Previous community activities included President for the Winans Academy of Performing Arts, Board Chair for Detroit Riverview Hospital, and board member for the American Diabetes Association, and the Michigan Minority Business Development Council. Mr. Jones earned his BS degree from Rutgers University and his MBA from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

Tanaya Parker has been a member of Michigan Roundtable's team since 2006 and currently works in the areas of clerical and office support. She attended Cass Technical High and Western Michigan University.

Stacey L. Stevens is an experienced community organizer who has been with the Roundtable since the winter of 2008. Since her time at the Roundtable Stacey has focused on community organizing in the Plymouth-Canton and St. Clair Shores communities for the purposes of broadening those communities' focus on the greater inclusion of their diverse populations. She is also supporting the Roundtable in their efforts to do regional organizing work around race and housing in Metro Detroit. Prior to her work at the Roundtable, Stacey was the Domestic Issues Coordinator for the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit building support and awareness of justice and peace issues among Metro Detroit parishes on issues such as urban sprawl and poverty. She also previously worked as a Youth Organizer for the Catholic Youth Organization of Detroit where she facilitated Youth Leadership Development through the annual Rainbow Youth Conference attended by thousands of Metro Detroit Youth each year at the Renaissance Center.

Freda G. Sampson has been a member of Michigan Roundtable's team since 2007. She is currently the project manager for the Housing Project: Truth & Justice. A project that examines the challenges of race and space in this region, its history and its direct effect on wealth disparities between whites and African Americans and the polarizations of race in our urban - suburban communities.

Influenced by the life of her father, pastor & civil rights leader, the late Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Sampson, II, she now heads a Foundation in his name that focuses on social justice, community service and theological education. Freda has always been committed to a life of service and has served as a board member for the Alzheimer's Association of Michigan and the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Program (MOTTEP). She was also an entrepreneur in this area for over 10 years, as owner/operator of several coffeehouses throughout the city of Detroit where she & her businesses were featured in Crain's Business Weekly, Essence Magazine, Detroit News, Hour Magazine Detroit Free Press, BET Online and many others.

Freda has her Associate of Arts degree in design from Brooks Design Institute in California, a Bachelor of Science from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, a Masters of Fine Arts from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and has done some post graduate work at Wayne State University. In 2007 Freda completed leadership training at Harvard University in Massachusetts.

Steve Spreitzer is the Director of Programs, having managed the Roundtable's Interfaith efforts from 1996 to 2008 and Walk2gether Michigan from 2004 to 2008. Steve received his Masters in Social Work at Michigan State University where he studied the role of the faith community in advancing social justice. Steve has worked in community mental health, criminal justice ministry and legislative advocacy. He has received recognition from the World Sabbath for Religious Reconciliation, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan and the Catholic Youth Organization.

Theresa Q. Tran is the Michigan Roundtable's Youth Program Specialist. Her passion lies in helping young people to realize the power of their voice and civic participation for meaningful change. Theresa received her Masters of Social Work at the
University of Michigan where she studied community organizing with children, youth and families. Prior to joining the Michigan Roundtable, she developed youth programming and organized Washtenaw County youth workers in an effort to achieve comprehensive support for children and youth. Additionally, Theresa helped organize high school-aged youth from across Metro-Detroit to dialogue about race relations and discuss policy solutions for addressing segregation in the region. The work evolved into writing curriculum for the first of its kind Dialogue and Leadership class taught in Farmington Public Schools. In addition to her work at the Michigan Roundtable, Theresa serves on the board of Asian/Pacific Islander American Vote – Michigan, assisting in developing youth leadership.

Deborah Williamson received her Bachelor of Education degree from Goddard College in Vermont specializing in middle grades education with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Studies. Ms. Williamson is a former middle school educator, a long-time member and officer of the Board of Education for Ferndale Public Schools.

She spent many years as a trainer and consultant for conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in public schools as well as directing educational programs for a school based adolescent health center, the Girl Scouts and Campfire Boys and Girls. Her years working in residential camp settings include staff supervision, programs for unwed mothers, special projects and trips, and directing leadership and diversity education retreats. For the last 12 years she has been program director of the Michigan Roundtable's K-12 school diversity leadership
education programs.