Our Team & Board of Directors
At Treetops Collective, our team and board of directors come from diverse backgrounds, professions, and personalities. Our members include educators, lawyers, students, creative thinkers, and faithful neighbors from Michigan, East Africa, and many places in between. No matter the role, we bring our whole selves to this work.
What unites us is our shared belief that the world can do a better job of welcoming refugees who have been forced to leave their homes. We've experienced hospitality in a foreign place and understand the importance of feeling welcomed. We also believe that everyone has unique gifts to share and that our community can become a place where all can flourish and no one feels alone.
Join us in our mission to create a more welcoming world for refugees. Whether you have 5 hours or 40 to contribute, we welcome you to bring your whole self to this work. Let's build a more inclusive community together.
Marla Hoekwater
Special Projects Manager
she/her
Sadia Nurow
Collective Care Specialist
she/her
Interns
Sarah Uhiriwe
Communications and Social Enterprise Intern
she/her
Leia Dufty
Concentric Program Intern
she/her
Board of Directors
Aldina Babic
Board Secretary
Community Relations Manager
Lake Michigan Credit Union
Brooke Aernouts
Board Member
Trauma and Resilience Coordinator
Family Futures
Chrisfa Pierrant
Board Member
LLPC
GVSU Counseling Center
Joanna Boer
Board Member
Mandy Sharp Eizinger
Board President
Program Manager
Johnson Center for Philanthropy
MatĂas Martinez
Board Member
Owner and Realtor
Give Back Realty
Munira Mohamed
Board Member
Olayinka Ope
Board Vice President
Attorney
Meijer
Raul Herrera-Pina
Board Treasurer
Branch Manager
Huntington National Bank
Samir Bayan
Board Member
Case Manager
Bethany Christian Services
Scott Zylstra
Board Member
VP of Finance
Automatic SpringÂ
Xuesi Li Gurney
Board Member
Senior Manager - Consulting
GEP Worldwide