James Lewis, President

Prior to creating the J Lewis Consulting Group, Jim spent his career with a global high-tech company in Ann Arbor, serving as VP and CHRO. He managed nearly twenty post-acquisition workforce integrations globally. He has been an adjunct faculty member and guest lecturer at Cleary University, Eastern Michigan University, and Wayne State University. As President of the J Lewis Consulting Group, Jim provides interim CHRO services, and manages workforce transitions. He advises senior executives on strategy refinement, succession planning, and provides executive coaching, as well as talent and culture assessments. Jim was named the 2010 HR Executive of the Year by the American Society of Employers. He holds a Bachelor of Business Management and a Master of Science, International Administration.

Keith Gudeman, Vice President

Matt Bergstrom, Immediate Past President

Matt is the president of Thornton & Grooms Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing. Since acquiring the company with his two business partners Mike Bergstrom and Dave Knight in 2004 he implemented a re-branding and expansion effort that has grown the company 10-fold. Matt earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Grand Valley State University. Matt serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for Nexstar Network – a contractor’s best practices organization. He also serves as an Ambassador for the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce and is a volunteer and participates in short-term mission trips with Kensington Community Church.

Tracy Kramer, Treasurer

Gregory J. Roth, Secretary

Attorney Greg J. Roth has served the Oakland County and Southeast Michigan public in his own practice since 2001. His practice covers both transactional and litigation matters. Greg has practiced extensively in the Oakland County Probate Court for over 15 years, with other appearances in the probate courts in Wayne, Livingston, Washtenaw, Kent, and Ingham counties. He has also handled matters in various circuit courts and district courts in the region. Greg regularly serves as guardian ad litem, court-appointed attorney, and special fiduciary in probate matters. Greg has also trained and holds qualification as a state-approved mediator. Greg is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Oakland County Bar Association. He is one of two 2006 recipients of the Oakland County Probate Court “Friend of Probate” award and is also a Fellow in the Oakland County Bar Foundation, a charitable organization.

Corene Ford, Trustee

Laurel F. McGiffert, Trustee

Laurel is a senior partner and trial attorney at Plunkett Cooney, Ms. McGiffert has been practicing law for more than thirty years. She concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of labor and employment law, medical liability, municipal, civil rights, and general litigation. She has previous experience serving as an independent arbitrator and mediator in ADR hearings and has experience in serving on trustee boards for non-profit organizations.

Honorable Elizabeth Pezzetti, Ret. – Trustee

Elizabeth Pezzetti practiced law with the Dickinson Wright law firm from 1986 through 2000. She concentrated her practice in the areas of employment law, media law and school law. Governor Engler appointed her as a judge of the Oakland County Probate Court to begin in 2001. She served on both the Probate and Family Courts. She served two terms as the Chief Judge of the Probate Court and four years as Presiding Judge of the Family Division. The Michigan Supreme Court appointed her to the Model Civil Jury Instructions Committee. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Oakland County Bar Association, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. She has been a member of the Michigan Women’s Commission and the Oakland County Business Round Table. She is retired from the bench and serves as a visiting judge.

Thomas Vitu

Advisory Board 

Joe Gagnon

Kari Klinski

Kari is the Vice President of Community & Governmental Affairs at Spectrum Human Services, Inc. & Affiliated Companies. She has previous experience in child welfare and community, political and educational advocacy.

Don Manfredi

Don has over twenty-five years of experience in a broad range of professional assignments including global business unit leadership, operations management, marketing, sales, product development, project management, business development, education and customer training and support. Don has provided executive leadership of a global business unit, managed the accelerated growth of a startup technology business, led the global marketing team within a high-tech NASDAQ firm, re-launched a North American business unit, and provided global sales account management to Fortune 500 clients along with providing mentor-ship to early stage startups as an Entrepreneurial Boot Camp Mentor for Ann Arbor SPARK. Currently Don is a Mentor in Residence at the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer and an Adjunct Professor at the Lawrence Technological University College of Management. Don also mentors small companies in sales, marketing, strategy, and leadership through his company Rain Dog Management.

Pam Sawhney

 

Thomas S. Nantais

Thomas has been with the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) for over 32 years and is presently the Chief Operating Officer of the Henry Ford Medical Group, one of the nation’s largest medical groups. He has been an Adjunct Finance Professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for 20 years. He earned his Bachelor’s and Masters of Business Administration-Finance degrees from Wayne State University in 1978 and 1982. Tom serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion (MRDI). Tom also founded and chairs the Board of the Belinda Sue Fund for Ovarian Cancer Research.