MEET OUR DEDICATED TEAM
Who We Are
At DBG, we don’t believe young people need to be empowered—they already have the power. Our role is to nurture it, protect it, and clear the path where we can.
We’re educators, mentors, creatives, and community leaders who came to this work to make a difference and stayed because we’ve seen what’s possible when youth are given real opportunity.
We don’t just run programs. We model mindsets. Every member of our team is committed to doing the inner work: examining our beliefs, shifting how we lead, and holding ourselves to the same growth we expect from our students.
We’re building more than a program. We’re building a community where young people are seen, supported, and trusted to lead. That work starts with us.
What We Believe
Since 2007, we’ve taken a long-view approach to youth development—one rooted in trust, real-time responsiveness, and the belief that success is measured over years, not moments. Every member of our team plays a role in that process: helping students dream big, stay the course, and build lives they’re proud of.
Our Shared Power Framework guides everything we do:
We lead with, not for, our students. Youth voice isn’t a box we check—it’s a compass.
We center families and long-term connection. Our relationships don’t end at graduation.
We evolve alongside our community. Programs are shaped by listening, and adapted through feedback.
We hold both care and rigor. We celebrate our students’ full humanity while pushing them toward their highest potential.
Youth leadership academy

D'aire Snell
Elementary

Michael Mccants
Elementary

Kourtney Prater
Elementary

Niyoki Lewis
Middle School

Kayla Davis
Middle School

Uriel Bath-Yaweh
High School

Tyrone Mitchell
High School
the DBG team
Board of Directors
Officers

Jeri Fishman
Board Chair
Jeri brings a wealth of experience in casework, community leadership, and education advocacy to DBG. A former Michigan Department of Corrections Caseworker and Court Assigned Probation Officer, she has since dedicated herself to volunteer work, serving on multiple school boards and as president of two. Passionate about community service, Jeri is a board member at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Jewish Family Services, and more. A Savannah State University graduate, she values DBG’s urgent mission to uplift Detroit youth. Born and raised in the city, she is deeply committed to bridging educational gaps and uplifting students and families.

Gary Wilson
Vice chair
Gary Wilson is a Vice President at First Merchants Bank, where he serves as a local ambassador, building relationships across the business and nonprofit sectors to promote civic engagement. With over 20 years in the banking and finance sector, he is actively involved in community leadership, including serving on an advisory panel for the Mayor’s Office in the City of Detroit. Gary holds degrees from the University of Detroit Mercy and a master’s from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan, with his son Logan.

Joe Schmidt
Treasurer
Joe Schmidt is a Deals Director at PwC. With a background in both transaction services and external audit, Joe has provided a variety of services for both public and private companies. As a member of the Deals team, he has worked on a variety of projects across industry sectors, company size and geographies. Joe is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan and received his bachelor's degree in Economics and Management with an emphasis in accounting from Albion College. As an individual with a passion for athletics and continued learning, Joe strongly believes in the mission and community built at DBG. Joe has been actively involved with the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program since 2017

deidra wilson
Secretary
Deidra Wilson is a passionate and accomplished legislative counsel with a deep commitment to healthcare advocacy. As the Corporate Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy at McLaren Health Care Corporation, Deidra oversees advocacy efforts across multiple states, securing significant state and federal appropriations for healthcare initiatives. A recognized leader, she has earned accolades such as Crain’s Detroit 40 under 40 and Diversity Magazine’s Top 100 under 50. Deidra's dedication to shaping healthcare policy and her ability to bridge political divides make her a vital force in advancing public health.
Board Members

Jeff Addison

Clifford Brown

Julie Lodge-Jarrett

David Moss

Shawn Riley
Shawn has 20 years of experience in wealth management. As an investment advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors, he works with high-net-worth individuals and families to help manage and grow their wealth. Through utilizing resources in the firm’s trust and tax departments, Shawn provides comprehensive strategies to manage a family’s full balance sheet. Many of his clients have significant charitable goals where Shawn assists with structuring gifts in a tax-efficient manner.
Shawn was introduced to the Detroit Boxing Gym (DBG) through a stand-up paddleboard race on Belle Isle where he taught some students how to paddleboard. He immediately recognized the impact DBG had on students’ lives and has supported the program since 2017.

Matt Rossetti
Matt Rossetti refers to himself as a "Chief Architect of Serious Fun." He is a third-generation architect and president of ROSSETTI, a globally-recognized architecture and design firm headquartered in Detroit. Matt holds bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan and a sculpture degree from the University of Florence, Italy. He worked at firms in New York and Los Angeles before returning to Detroit to join his father's firm in 1989.
ROSSETTI's architectural portfolio of award-winning projects consists of a broad range of unique and inspiring spaces including sports and entertainment venues, training and recreation facilities as well as hospitality, residential, workplace and retail. Notable projects include: reimagining One Campus Martius and Ford Field, the Henry Ford Health System Detroit Pistons Performance Center, The Corner Apartments, Michigan State University Munn Ice Arena, and many more.
But most notable to us at DBG, ROSSETTI donated full design services to create our current 27,500 square foot facility on Detroit's east side. The team repurposed a former bookbinding factory into the safe, functional and inspiring space where our students learn, grow, and thrive every day.

Todd Sachse

Brian Vieaux

Robert Young
A dedicated advocate for social change, Robert Young brings a profound commitment to philanthropy as a DBG Board Member. With a dynamic background in entrepreneurship, He contributes invaluable insights and countless hours ensuring our students receive the correct support. Robert previously owned Young & Sons Drying and Restoration, but currently leads sales for a global commercial roofing and restoration corporation. He is committed to seeing our students grow in confidence and develop themselves into who they want to be, continues to inspire Robert daily. Robert also competes as an endurance athlete which allows him to share the important mental fortitude required to pursue your goals and overcome adversity.
Advisory Board

Rakesh Aneja

Dennis Blender

John C. Carter
John C. Carter has worked for 35+ years in commercial banking for JPMorgan Chase and predecessor organizations, serving as a manager or executive in charge of various lending and corporate banking groups which provide operating and capital raising services/products to corporate clients. He serves on various internal bank committees and has involvement in several outside organizations, as either member or director: YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit (Director and Past Chairman of Board), YMCA Foundation (Director), Forgotten Harvest (Board and Executive Committee Member), Judson Center (Past Chairman of the Board and Trustee), Judson Center Foundation (Director), Business Leaders of Michigan (Director), Detroit Chamber of Commerce (Director), Detroit Historical Society (Director), Downtown Detroit Partnership (Director), Detroit Riverfront Conservancy (Director), Detroit Economic Club (Director), and Detroit Workforce Development Board.

Dr. Farshad FOTOUHI
Dr. Farshad Fotouhi is currently Dean of the College of Engineering at Wayne State University. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Michigan State University, College of Engineering in 1988 and joined the faculty of computer science at Wayne State University in August 1988. He served as the department chair from January 2004-February 2011. Before joining WSU in 1988, he was a faculty member of the Lyman Briggs School, Michigan State University, while earning his Ph.D.
Dr. Fotouhi’s current research interests include biomedical informatics, semantic web and multimedia systems. He has published over 180 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings. His research has been supported by NSF, NIH, National Institute of Drug Abuse, Michigan Life Sciences Corridor, Ford Motor Company and many other industries.

Ron Fournier
Jennifer Miller Oertel is a member of the law firm Bodman, PLC, where she co-chairs the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice group. Jennifer chairs the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section) and is certified in nonprofit governance by Georgetown University. Jennifer utilizes her corporate & securities law and governance skills to serve tax-exempt clients, impact investors and social entrepreneurs in all aspects of their activities. She is the first-ever Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the Council of MI Foundations, working on developing and furthering the impact investing ecosystem in Michigan and beyond.

Jennifer Hammond
Jennifer Miller Oertel is a member of the law firm Bodman, PLC, where she co-chairs the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice group. Jennifer chairs the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section) and is certified in nonprofit governance by Georgetown University. Jennifer utilizes her corporate & securities law and governance skills to serve tax-exempt clients, impact investors and social entrepreneurs in all aspects of their activities. She is the first-ever Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the Council of MI Foundations, working on developing and furthering the impact investing ecosystem in Michigan and beyond.

Jody Kohner
Jennifer Miller Oertel is a member of the law firm Bodman, PLC, where she co-chairs the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice group. Jennifer chairs the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section) and is certified in nonprofit governance by Georgetown University. Jennifer utilizes her corporate & securities law and governance skills to serve tax-exempt clients, impact investors and social entrepreneurs in all aspects of their activities. She is the first-ever Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the Council of MI Foundations, working on developing and furthering the impact investing ecosystem in Michigan and beyond.

Bruce Nyberg
Jennifer Miller Oertel is a member of the law firm Bodman, PLC, where she co-chairs the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice group. Jennifer chairs the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section) and is certified in nonprofit governance by Georgetown University. Jennifer utilizes her corporate & securities law and governance skills to serve tax-exempt clients, impact investors and social entrepreneurs in all aspects of their activities. She is the first-ever Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the Council of MI Foundations, working on developing and furthering the impact investing ecosystem in Michigan and beyond.

Jennifer Miller Oertel
Jennifer Miller Oertel is a member of the law firm Bodman, PLC, where she co-chairs the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice group. Jennifer chairs the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section) and is certified in nonprofit governance by Georgetown University. Jennifer utilizes her corporate & securities law and governance skills to serve tax-exempt clients, impact investors and social entrepreneurs in all aspects of their activities. She is the first-ever Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the Council of MI Foundations, working on developing and furthering the impact investing ecosystem in Michigan and beyond.

John Owens
John Owens held Senior Management positions in Marketing and Communications with major Midwest financial institutions. He was privileged to complement his career experience with an “encore” stint as a Director of Communications at Forgotten Harvest, a metro Detroit human services organization.
He is involved in his local community as a Precinct Delegate in Bloomfield Township.

Matthew Roling
Matthew Roling is a professor and chair of Wayne State University’s Accounting Department. Prior to joining Wayne State, Matthew worked in a variety of management consulting and entrepreneurial roles – most recently serving as the CEO of a venture-backed financial technology start-up. A CPA and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Matthew loves to cook, travel and read in his free time.

Hubert Sawyers, III

Tahir Whitehead
leaving a legacy

Stephen Luigi Piazza

TAiwo "TIKE" hall

Jim Ryan

Teasha Andrews
For over seven years, Teasha greeted every student, parent, and visitor with a warmth that could turn any day around. Her journey with DBG began when her oldest daughter joined as a student, quickly leading Teasha from volunteer to an essential part of our team. Teasha’s impact will never fade. It lives on in the lives she touched, the students she lifted up, and the spirit of love and community she instilled in all of us.
