A special thanks goes to C. Patrick Babcock (Lansing) for all of his hard work and contributions during his time as one of the founding board members of The Imagine Fund.
Board Bios
Kenneth Cole (Lansing): Mr. Cole is Senior Vice President of Governmental Consultant Services, Inc. a Lansing based multi-client lobbying and association management firm. Previously, he was an award-winning journalist with The Detroit New, working for five years in the newspaper’s Lansing Bureau and two in its Washington, D.C. Bureau, covering the politics of the auto industry. A graduate of the prestigious University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism, Mr. Cole has been the recipient of several writing honors, including the Golden Quill Award from the Washington Automotive Press Association; Excellence in Journalism for Highway Safety Award from the National Safety Council; and the International Wheel Award from the Detroit Press Foundation. A former adjunct professor of journalism at Michigan State University, Mr. Cole also worked for the Ypsilanti Press and the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Paula D. Cunningham (Lansing): Ms. Cunningham is President of Capitol National Bank. Previously she served for more than seven years as President of Lansing Community College where she successfully led a community millage campaign to generate an additional $9 million for the institution. During her tenure at LCC, she also served as vice president of the Planning and College Relations Division; executive director of Marketing, Community and Board Relations; director of Professional Development and Assistant Personnel director; and faculty member in the Careers Division. Ms. Cunningham is an active and well respected community leader and has been recognized by several organizations, including the Lansing State Journal, the YWCA, and the Athena Foundation. She has served as Campaign Chair of the Capital Area United Way and as Capital Area United Board Chair. Ms. Cunningham is a member of The Imagine Fund’s Founding Board of Directors.
David C. Hollister (Lansing): Mr. Hollister is President and CEO of Prima Civitas Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Lansing, that aims at taking a regional approach to boosting Michigan’s economy. Mayor Hollister served as Director of the Michigan Department Labor & Economic Growth (a merger of the MI Department of Consumer & Industry Services, MI Department of Career Development, MI Economic Development Corporation, and MI Broadband Development Authority). Mayor Hollister served three terms as mayor of the city of Lansing, having first been elected in 1993. Prior to this public service he served for 19 years in the Michigan House of Representatives. Mr. Hollister is a member of The Imagine Fund’s Founding Board of Directors.
Brenda L. Hunt (Battle Creek): Ms. Hunt is President and CEO of the Battle Creek Community Foundation. During her tenure, she has managed the expansion and redesign of the Community Foundation’s leadership and grant-making systems, including the development of the youth and scholarship program areas. Ms. Hunt is known for innovative management and planning approaches and has played key roles in the resolution of various community issues. She has provided leadership and guidance in fostering public-private partnerships and has been instrumental in bringing about the refocusing of local, state and national initiatives to be more collaborative and inclusive. Ms. Hunt has been honored by the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Western Michigan University, the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce with its 2003 Athena Award, and the Japan America Society of West Michigan with its 2004 Friendship Award. By virtue of her professional accomplishments and many affiliations, Ms. Hunt is an active participant and contributor to the community foundation field throughout the state and nationally.
Cirilo Martinez, J.D. (Kalamazoo): Mr. Martinez is an attorney and counselor at law currently representing clients in immigration, business and family law matters. Current clients include the Michigan Department of Education, Mexican Consul in Detroit, Van Buren Intermediate School District, and Top Sargent Lawn Care, Inc. Further, he handles complex international law matters for other firms, on a contract basis. Previously, Mr. Martinez worked at Farmworker Legal Services; as a law clerk representing clients in divorce, custody and other civil matters; at legal services of Southwestern Michigan; as corporate coordinator of Project CAMINO at Michigan State University, and as a bilingual instructor in the Van Buren Intermediate School District. Mr. Martinez is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association, several ABA Sections, American Trial Lawyers Association, and American Immigration Lawyers Association. He has received numerous honors and awards. Mr. Martinez is a member of The Imagine Fund’s Founding Board of Directors.
Richard D. McLellan (East Lansing): Mr. McLellan is Senior Counsel to Dykema after his retirement in 2007 as the Office Managing Member of the firm’s Lansing Office and the Director of its Government Policy Department. His practice involved extensive work in Indian law, education law, ethics and political compliance, energy and insurance regulation. He was recently named in The Best Lawyers in America 2009. Mr. McLellan remains active in public service and political affairs. He is Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Chairman of the Michigan Law Revision Commission. In addition, he is Chair of the Council for Africa Infrastructure Development, Inc.; and Governor, Cranbrook Institute of Science. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, and former Co-Chair, Standing Committee on Justice Initiatives. Further, he has served as a Presidential Observer in elections in the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and as an observer for the Nigerian national elections with the International Republic Institute Delegation. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. McLellan was Administrative Assistant to Michigan Governor William G. Milliken. In addition, he also served in a number of appointed capacities including as Transition Director for Governor John Engler.
Willard K. Walker (Lansing): Mr. Walker serves as Senior Policy Consultant at Public Policy Associates, Inc. a national research firm. He comes to that position having served as Director of the City of Lansing’s Department of Community Development and Human Relations and as a Program Officer at the C. S. Mott Foundation in Flint. Mr. Walker had previously retired from Michigan state government having served in various administrative positions in the MI Departments of Education, Commerce, and Labor. He has extensive experience working with workforce, state policy, school-to-work, and race and diversity issues. He is a long-standing social justice activist, having engaged in desegregation activities with the Birmingham, Alabama Urban League. Mr. Walker is a member of The Imagine Fund’s Founding Board of Directors.
Orian Worden, Ph.D. (Detroit): Dr. Worden is a group and organizational development specialist with over 30 years experience providing in-service training programs, program planning and development and organizational consultation on, for example, diversity, team building and managing change in the workplace. His consultation experience includes work with business and industry government programs at national and international levels, health care administration and education, universities, urban crisis and minority community organizations. Recent clients have included executive level management groups at Ameritech, British Petroleum Corporation, DTE Energy-MichCon Gas, Michigan Bell, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and the State University of New York Health Sciences Center. Dr. Worden is a licensed psychologist, a charter member and former Board of Trustees member of the International Association of Applied Social Scientists, Ind., and a staff Fellow and former Board of Directors member of NTL Institute. Dr. Worden is a member of The Imagine Fund’s Founding Board of Directors.
Honorary Advisor
Mark A. Murray (Grand Rapids): Mr. Murray is currently the president of Meijer, Inc, the retail chain that originated the "superstore." Prior to his work with Meijer, Mr. Murray served the State of Michigan as a university president, university vice president for finance and administration, State Treasurer, State Budget Director, Director of the Department of Management and Budget, and Acting Director of the Family Independence Agency. Mr.
Murray holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in labor and industrial relations, both from Michigan State University.
As the Board of Directors and Council of Honorary Advisors expand,
The imagine Fund will continue to invite individuals of diverse backgrounds from across the State of Michigan to join.
