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Membership Directory
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​Nina Abrams
ninadabrams@gmail.com

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Barb Anness
Trustee for the Rochester School Board​
tbanness@me.com
Phone: ​248-892-2416

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Laurie Arora
Vice President of Public Affairs, Philanthropy, and Organizational Development at PACE SE MI
lauriearora@comcast.net
​Phone: 313-853-1230
Brief Biography
Laurie Arora is the Vice President of Public Affairs, Philanthropy, and Organizational Development at PACE Southeast Michigan, a healthcare organization that helps seniors remain independent.

Former Elected Position: Grosse Pointe Park City Council - two terms - 2009 - 2017

LinkedIn: Laurie Arora, MBA
Twitter: @lauriearora
Instagram: lauriearora


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Cynthia Meagher Arvant
Judge - 46th District Court
carvant@cityofsouthfield.com​
Phone: 248-212-3122
Brief Biography
​Judge Cynthia Arvant was appointed to the 46th District Court, serving the communities of Southfield, Lathrup Village, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, and Franklin, in July 2015. She was elected to a six-year term in November 2016. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Arvant spent six years at the 46th District Court, appointed to serve in various roles, including Research Attorney, Magistrate, and Court Administrator. Judge Arvant began her legal career in private practice, then served as an Assistant Attorney General and a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the National Association of Women Judges, the Michigan District Judges Association (Board Member), the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan/Oakland Women's Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, and the Oakland County District Judges Association (Past President). She facilitates the Teen Court Program, in conjunction with the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office and Southfield A&T High School. She is the current chairperson of the State Court Administrative Office's Trial Court Performance Measures Committee, and a frequent presenter on the subject. Judge Arvant earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from Michigan State University in 1992, and her Juris Doctorate from the Michigan State University College of Law (formerly Detroit College of Law) in 1995.


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Tina Barton
Senior Program Advisor, U.S. Election Assistance Commission

tinalbarton@gmail.com
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Judeen Bartos
​pbj0628@gmail.com
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Elizabeth W. Bauer
​Consultant

​ebauer7400@aol.com
Phone: 248-677-4283
Brief Biography
​Elizabeth (Liz) Bauer is currently serving as a consultant on human rights and civil society. Chair, 45th District Mental Health Court Citizens Advisory Council, Treasurer, Future Foundation Board of Directors, Mount Holyoke College Advancement and Admission Roles, Executive Director Disability Right Michigan 1981-2001, Previous positions in education and mental health services. BA Mount Holyoke College, MA Ohio State University
 
Profession: Retired
 
Former Elected Position(s):  State Board of Education
 
Award(s) / Recognition(s):  Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (2013), WONder Woman (2010), Honorary Doctor Humane Letters Marygrove College (2016), Lifetime Achievement Award, The Arc Oakland County
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Rosemary Bayer
Michigan State Senator

rosemary@rosemarybayer.com
Phone:

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Nicole Beecher
thebeechergroupllc@gmail.com


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Lucy Benham
lbenham@comcast.net
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Janice Berry
​WONF Vice President and
Organizational Development Business Consultant

jbexcellence@gmail.com
​Phone:  ​313-399-4836 (c)
Brief Biography
​Director - WON Foundation and
Organizational Development Business Consultant
​
Janice has worked to better the lives of young people since she was a teenager. She founded Dealing in Feelings a Youth motivational organization which exposed teens to successful African Americans. Berry served as the Youngest Director of The Women’s Conference of Concerns Youth Department. She volunteered as a freelance writer for the Michigan Chronicle Newspaper and trained Youth on conducting interviews with prominent people. A General Motors Corporation Retiree, she led numerous teams in the Finance Operations. Janice also implemented the A World In Motion Math and Science program in the Detroit Public Schools with hundreds of GM volunteers. She has coached several non-profits on organizational development. Janice served as the Community Relations Director for Orchards Children’s Services and Executive Vice President of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit. She is experienced with corporate, as well as, grassroots fundraising campaigns; and has shaped policies which resulted in cost efficiencies, revenue generation, increased employee morale, and improved quality of service. In addition to her passion for youth, she always puts Family first and attributes them to her success.
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Debbie Binder
​West Bloomfield Clerk

​ binder4wbclerk@gmail.com
​Phone: 248-563-3014
Brief Biography
​Clerk West Bloomfield Township
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Debbie Binder was elected to serve West Bloomfield Township in 2016. She has been a resident of West Bloomfield Township for the majority of her life and is a single mom raising 3 boys.

Binder has exemplified excellence and integrity in the understanding and performance of her statutory duties as outlined in the Michigan Compiled Laws.  Debbie understands and appreciates her responsibility and role as elected by her community and is always available to serve as the “point of contact” for residents interacting with the Township. 

Binder is active in many professional associations and community organizations. In 2020, she was nominated by the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks (MAMC) for the Township Clerk of the Year award. Debbie also has been elected by her colleagues to the Executive Board of both the Oakland County Clerk’s Association and the Oakland County Chapter of the Michigan Township’s Association for multiple years. Debbie has sought opportunities for professional development attending programs intended to advance the professional, and the profession. She has participated in the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks Clerk’s Institute where she will complete her 3-year certification as a Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) in the Fall of 2021.  Debbie was acknowledged for serving on SEMCOG’s (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) Future Skills Taskforce and the West Bloomfield School District’s Portrait of a Graduate. Clerk Binder also maintains relationships with many community leaders as well as involvement in various community organizations. She is a member of the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Board, West Bloomfield Rotary Club, Optimist Club of West Bloomfield, Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, the Macon-Thomas Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Annual Michigan Week Breakfast Committee. 

In addition to the profession, Clerk Binder’s contributions to her community have been significant -- spearheading and creating a community-wide Flu Shot Clinic through Alana’s Foundation, a local non-profit organization started by a West Bloomfield family who lost their child to complications from the flu. Now in its 4th year, this clinic has grown tremendously and attracted participants from beyond the greater West Bloomfield community. Debbie also expanded the Clerk’s Office Passport Acceptance Agency services to include passport photos, improving services offered to residents by providing a one-stop shop for participants. 

Clerk Binder values her role as a public servant stating, “It’s my job.  I may have obtained my job by election instead of being hired; however, the people chose and entrusted me to do this job and deserve to have it done well.”

Clerk Binder is always thinking of ways she can provide better and/or additional services to enhance the lives of her residents. She has proven her commitment to her community and desire to make West Bloomfield an even better place to live.

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Barbara Bonsignore
Professional Registered Parliamentarian

bjbaauw1@aol.com
Phone: 248-375-0062 (c)
Brief Biography
​WONder Woman Barbara Bonsignore is a life member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and has served at all levels of the organization as branch and state president, regional director for the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, as well as on the national Public Policy and Governance Committees.

Barbara is a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP), and an accredited Professional Registered Parliamentarian. She is a past President of the Louise Saks Parliamentary Unit (LSPU). For the past four years she has served as Recording Secretary of the Michigan State Association of Parliamentarians (MSAP). She is also Vice President of the Michigan Unit of Registered Parliamentarians (MURP). 

Barbara is a member of the MSAP Youth Committee and participated as an instructor in the virtual 15th Youth Day event in November 2020. In addition, she served as a judge for the 2020 Virtual HOSA (Future Health Professionals) Region 8 Leadership Conference student competitions in parliamentary procedure. In 2021, she served as a judge for virtual student competitions in parliamentary procedure for Indiana and Michigan Business Professionals of America (BPA).

A longtime member of the Women Officials Network Foundation, in 2011 she was honored to be a WONder Woman award recipient as a Distinguished Champion for Women’s Rights.

Barbara holds an Honours B.A. degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, as well as an M.A. in English from the University of Windsor. She was formerly employed as an Instructor of English at the State University of New York at Brockport, in Brockport, New York.

--March 26, 2021

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Malissa Bossardet
malissa.bossardet@gmail.com

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Jennifer Taylor Boykins
Serves on the Finance Committee and the Cable Commission Board of West Bloomfield
Brief Biography
​Jennifer Taylor Boykins has served in the public and private sector for the last 25 years and brings to
WON her years of experience as a CEO, Senior Vice President for a fortune five hundred organization
and a Detroit Public School Teacher.
While working with Detroit Public Schools as a high school teacher, Jennifer was keenly aware
that workforce development needed to rise to the top of conversations, in addition to college
readiness, career readiness was equally important and necessary. In addition to teaching
English classes, Jennifer worked with foundations and corporations to train and place students
in jobs after graduation. To see communities, thrive and to drive change, innovation and
awareness was of the upmost importance to Jennifer.
While working in the publishing industry Jennifer once again had the opportunity to build
partnerships and alliances with communities and stakeholders to ensure positive outcomes for
students and school districts. Jennifer led an organization that generated over 120 million
dollars annually over a 16-year period. She worked to develop others to become leaders within
the organization. Jennifer would also oversee a budget of 12 million dollars annually and each
year came in under budget due to her careful management and approval processes. In
addition, Jennifer developed certifications and evaluations to help the team build their
capacity, reach new goals and find joy in the growth process and trajectory.
Jennifer currently serves as Chief Executive Officer/founder for Nothing But Education.
Jennifer’s reputation is built on strategic planning and building internal & external partnerships.
She works to create and prioritize indicators of success for clients while analyzing internal
teams’ processes and outcomes. Connecting industry leaders and creating intersections
between schools & industry remains a focus as ESG and workforce development needs are
increasing more important for all organizations & industries.
Jennifer currently sits on the Cable Commission Board for her township, West Bloomfield and
serves on the finance committee. Jennifer is a graduate of Wayne State University.


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Lisa Brown
Oakland County Clerk/
​Register of Deeds

lrbrown@comcast.net
Phone: 
Brief Biography
Lisa Brown is proud to be serving Oakland County residents for her third term as the
Clerk/Register of Deeds. In this role she is the official "keeper of the record," responsible for
overseeing the receipt and safeguarding of public records - including Circuit Court legal documents,
vital records, and real estate documents. She is also the chief election administrator for the county.
Under Lisa’s leadership, the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds office has received local and
nationwide awards and acclaim for innovations and improved services, including Brown’s Property
Record Notification (PRN) system, which was showcased at the Google Next ‘19 conference, the
opening of a permanent satellite office, and the Combined Absent Voter Counting Board.
Lisa brings her passion for improving government services to many sectors. She serves on the
Legislative Committee for both the Michigan Association of Register of Deeds (MARD) and the
Michigan Association of County Clerks (MACC), two court form committees with the State Court
Administrative Office (SCAO), and was recently elected to serve on the MACC Board of Directors as
the District 5 Chair. She has also earned the national designation of Certified Elections/Registration
Administrator (CERA), the highest designation for those in the elections profession.
Previously, Lisa served as State Representative for Michigan’s 39th District in Oakland County from
2009 to 2012. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Detroit College of Law, a
member of the State Bar of Michigan, and a former Realtor. A lifelong resident of Oakland County,
Lisa lives in West Bloomfield and attends Adat Shalom Synagogue. Lisa has received honors from
numerous groups and was featured in Marie Claire Magazine as a “Super Woman,” More Magazine’s
“Fierce List,” and was proud to be named Democratic Legislator of the Year in 2012 by MIRS News.

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Shirley Bryant
Board of Trustees,
​Oakland Community College

shirleyjbryant@gmail.com
Brief Biography
Shirley Bryant has been on the Oakland Community College Board of Trustees since 2008 and has served as chair and vice chair.

Ms. Bryant is a retired Executive Director of Community Relations for Birmingham Public Schools. In 2007, Ms. Bryant was inducted into the Eastern Michigan University College of Education Hall of Fame. This was a result of her long-standing commitment to education in the community. She also has received other awards including “The Athena Award” by the Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce and named a “Woman of Achievement” by the Anti-Defamation League.

During her long-standing educational career, she also served as Community Education Coordinator, adult education teacher for the Troy Public Schools and an English teacher. In addition, she was an adjunct faculty member for the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Education:
  • Bachelor of Arts in English and Education, University of Florida
  • Master of Art in Educational Leadership and Community Education, Eastern Michigan University
  • Post-graduate studies, Eastern Michigan University
  • Leadership Detroit graduate, Class VII
Career Highlights:
  • Inducted into Eastern Michigan University College of Education Hall of Fame, 2007
  • Awarded “The Athena Award” by Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce
  • Named a “Woman of Achievement” by the Anti-Defamation League

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WON Foundation
​© Women Officials Network Foundation. All rights reserved.
  • Home
    • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Committees
  • Membership
    • Join
    • Renew
    • Directory for Members
  • Events
    • Earlier Events
    • Select Videos
  • Leadership Mentoring
  • BUY SWAG
    • 19TH AMENDMENT SCARF
    • Wine Glass Order Form
  • Gateway to Leadership
  • Contact Us
  • In the News
  • Interesting & Useful Links
  • WONder Women
    • 25TH WONF ANNIVERSARY 36TH WONDER WOMAN BANQUET
    • 34th WONder Woman Banquet
    • 35th WONder Woman Banquet