Board of Directors
► Jeanette Bartlett — Secretary Treasurer| Jeannette was a long time Downriver resident. She and her husband, Dennis, raised their children in Riverview. She was very active in the Riverview community having served on the PTA boards at Forest Elementary School, Seitz Middle School and Riverview High School. She served on the Riverview Recreation Commission from 1988 until 2000. She also was very active in the PTA and Soccer Team at Gabriel Richard High School. Jeanette was a member of Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church, teaching religion education for 16 years and serving as a Eucharistic Minister and Wedding Coordinator. Jeanette, along with her husband, owned and managed 800 housing units. Jeannette retired in 2015 and is presently on the board of The Paws Clinic in Taylor, Michigan. |
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| Tim, a downriver resident, is presently a member of the Board of directors of Tri-Wall Limited, a packaging manufacturer and a Division of Rengo, Inc. in Japan. Previously, Tim was President of Ace Packaging Systems, Inc., an automotive overseas export packaging manufacturer and provider. Tim also had served that company as its CEO, Vice President of Operations and Controller. During his time with Ace Packaging Systems, the corporation received many awards, including: Crain’s Detroit Top 200 Private Businesses in the Tri-County area (ranked number 75) for several years; Michigan Private 100 (ranked number 20 among the fastest growing companies over a 5 year span; Gold PentaStar Award, which is the Chrysler Supplier excellence Award. Tim received a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Detroit and a Masters of Science in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. |
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| Kathy is happily married and has four children, who are grown and pursuing their own careers. A lifelong downriver resident, Kathy is a registered nurse and an advocate for several causes. Among them, she is a special education advocate for school-age children with disabilities. Kathy educates parents about their rights and responsibilities, helps them navigate the complex and often confusing special education system, counsels them on the importance of Individual Education Plans, and helps their children receive the appropriate services and accommodations they need to succeed in school. Kathy is also an Advocate for Long Term Care Residents, currently serving as a Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman. In this capacity she strives to improve the quality of care and life experienced by residents who reside in licensed long term care facilities, such as nursing homes, homes for the aged, and adult foster care homes. Kathy visits many of these long-term facilities, assisting the residents in resolving problems with the administration and staff. She also advocates for their rights and interests at the local, state, and federal levels, speaking for the passage of laws, regulations, and policies that benefit over 100,000 Michigan long term care residents. |
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| Karen is a long time resident of the downriver communities, being born and raised here. Karen is happily married and the mother of 2 wonderful grown children with 4 terrific grandchildren. Until she retired in September 2020, Karen was a business owner of Homespun Furniture in Riverview Michigan where she served as lead interior designer and treasurer of the corporation for 46 years. Homespun is a furniture and furnishings business that services both residential and commercial clients. It caters to the home as well as hotels, hospitals, medical centers, and corporations. Karen has been and remains active in her church and community. She was president of Woodhaven School Board, and then President of Women's Ministries for 1st Presbyterian Church of Trenton, where she is also a church deacon. Later she served on the Money Smart Board for the Federal Reserve. Karen worked for many years with the Guidance Center, a mental health organization that deals with all types of issues including abuse and addiction, and was on their fundraiser board. She received the Woman of the Year award from AAUW. She later joined the organization where she worked on many committees, one of them being Committee Chairperson in charge of selecting and awarding college scholarships. For several years, Karen wrote a design column for the local newspaper. Then for eight years she worked as the facilitator and coordinator for the Blessfest Expo, a “helps and needs” outreach program for the local and nearby communities. Karen firmly believes that God asks each of us to share His love along our way. It is a blessing to share and give back of one’s time and efforts to make another’s life journey a little better. Everyone wins. |
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| Crystal, and her husband, Michael, are long time downriver residents. After going through a disrupted adoption, they became licensed foster parents with the goal of adoption. The Philpos have been committed to giving a child or children a loving home. In 2006, they began their adoption journey which ended in heartbreak. That experience led them to become even more passionate about attaining their goal: “Our desire is to provide an environment of love and peace for a child in need, if even for one month, one week, or one night, When they are with us, they are our children and we love them until they leave”. Crystal and Michael have fostered 11 children. They have adopted 2 sons, both of whom came to them as infants. Crystal is a long-term employee in Human Resources at Ford Motor Company. She serves as the Company's Coordinator for the Joint UAW-Ford Employee Support Services and Well-being Program. In that capacity, Crystal works with her UAW Partners to train and provide counseling and other resources for their Ford manufacturing facility representatives throughout the country. During her tenure, Crystal has had the opportunity to promote foster care and adoption through the UAW-Ford Community Magazine, YouTube videos, and other print material. She also has participated in forums promoting the need for more foster and adoptive parents. |
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| Pastors Gary and Crystal Schippling cofounded Blessed Hope Christian Church, where the resource center is based. Sadly, Pastor Gary Schippling recently passed away. Pastor Crystal Schippling, among other things, will oversee the life skills, job readiness and parenting (adulting) training programs, provide mentorship to the participants and assist in connecting them to employment opportunities. Pastor Crystal Schippling’s work and volunteer history includes teaching at risk teens in the juvenile justice system; leading/teaching youth programs for a variety of ages in several churches in Illinois and Michigan; running a daycare center; tutoring; teaching adult education at Lincoln Park High School; teaching English as a Second Language to Japanese transfers; teaching life and job skills to individuals referred to the Church through Michigan Works and other programs. Ordained in 2008, Crystal went into full time ministry in 2012, after retiring from the Ford Motor Company. Since then, she has helped Blessed Hope continue to be a leader in advocating and helping those in need. As a community leader, Pastor Crystal Schippling also will use her connections to assist individuals in finding employment. |
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| Ron has been a downriver resident for 75 years. He is married to Nita, and together they have 7 children, 20 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Ron began in the food service industry at age 14 His career goal was to become a professional chef. Through various contacts and following graduation from the culinary program at Chadsey High School, he began working at restaurants, hotels and clubs. In 1969 Ron was hired as a cook in the commissary at the Ford Motor Company. Eventually, he became the chef for Henry Ford II and the vice-presidents at their world headquarters and continued in that capacity until his retirement. Ron has been involved in many volunteer projects, which have included starting a culinary teaching program for and teaching cooking skills to underserved young people, previously addicted to alcohol and drugs, and finding employment for them. He also helps seniors and single mothers improve their lives. Ron’s service to others is influenced by his deeply held Christian beliefs. |
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| Fred Gruber, an attorney, is the President of the Phyllis Gruber Child & Young Adult Resource Center, overseeing its operations and programs. He serves in a voluntary capacity. In 2004 he co-founded and until his retirement in August 2018, served as Executive Director of the Michigan Children’s Law Center. MCLC is a Michigan tax-exempt organization whose mission is to advocate for the safety and well-being of children in neglect and delinquency cases. He also has served as guardian-ad-litem for children in over 100 custody cases. In 2015, he established the MCLC Education Advocacy Unit to address the school related needs of children. Its primary objective is to ensure that children are provided the services needed to learn and the opportunities needed to stay in school and graduate. In the community, Fred initiated an informational program to recruit individuals and couples who may be interested in becoming licensed foster/adoptive parents. He also served on the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2013-2020. |
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In Memoriam
► Pastor Gary Schippling| Pastor Gary Schippling was ordained in May 2005. He became the Senior Pastor at the fledgling Blessed Hope Christian Church in June 2005. This church has a significant presence Downriver as a place to help meet the physical and emotional needs of those who come there. Over the years, under his leadership, the Church’s community outreach activities have increased and now include providing meals most days of the week, serving as an emergency shelter during dangerous weather conditions year round, opening a food pantry 12-13 days per month, and provides a place for NA/AA meetings. Pastor Schippling served as a mentor for individuals of various ages who experienced trauma, loss, disappointment and rejection in thier lives. He also served as a mentor under the auspices of the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy (MYCA), a program jointly run by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the State of Michigan. Pastor Schippling was involved in several civic organizations, including the Lincoln Park chapter of the Rotary Club International and the Exchange Club of Lincoln Park. He also was involved with the Lincoln Park Ministerial Alliance, where he held different offices and was on the Board of Directors of the International Ministerial Fellowship, based in Minnesota. Pastor Schippling passed away in May 2023. |
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| Veda has long been a tireless worker and effective advocate for MIchigan's foster parents and the children they safeguard, nurture and love. During this time, she has fostered 45 children and adopted 4 of them. In 1989 Veda founded Families on the Move (FOTM), a non-profit organization that provides support and training for foster and adoptive families throughout the state. Under her leadership, the Michigan legislature passed a "Bill of Rights" law which gives rights to and provides protection for foster parents. Veda serves as President of FOTM, which has over 100 families. Veda has participated in countless workshops, programs, seminars and forums, where she talks about the need for and the responsibilities and rewards of being a foster parent. Recently, Veda received the prestigious Maura D. Corrigan Foster Families Lifetime Achievement Award for Exemplary Service to Michigan's Children and Families. |
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