Who We Are

redemptive influence. wholeness. radical welcome.

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.

Alaina Hoekwater

Building and Events Manager

she/her

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Amani Abaker

Concentric Leader — Arabic

she/her

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Amina Mukhtar

Concentric Program Manager

she/her

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Arbai Hassan

Teen Concentric Leader

she/her

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Divine Bintu

Concentric Leader — Swahili

she/her

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Eliana Mazuera

Concentric Leader — Venezuela
Collective Care Specialist

she/her

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Ellaha Qambari

Concentric Leader — Dari

she/her

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Gabriela Arias

Concentric Leader — Cuba

she/her

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Jenna Fiore

Program Operations Director

she/her

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Kala Pokhrel

Collective Care Specialist — Nepali

she/her

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Kara Kurczeski

Communications Manager

she/her

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Katya Manion

Product Development & Markets Manager

she/her

Luba Goncharenko

Collective Care Manager

she/her

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Marie Occes Francois

Concentric Leader — Haitian Creole

she/her

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Marla Hoekwater

Special Projects Manager

she/her

MaryAnne Flier

Cross-Cultural Community Manager

she/her

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Nedith Farias

Teen Club Coordinator
Spanish Specialist

she/her

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Perris Waithaka

Teen Internship Coordinator

she/her

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Rachel Ntwari

Concentric Leader — Kinyarwanda

she/her

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Sadia Nurow

Collective Care Specialist — Swahili

she/her

Salma Hassani

Collective Care Specialist

she/her

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Taiba Noori

Concentric Leader — Pashto

she/her

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Tamara Gurley

Engagement Director

she/her

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Tarah Carnahan

Executive Director & Co-Founder

she/her

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Trish Okolo

Operations/Development Coordinator

she/her

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Zakia Yaqubi

Teen Club Leader
Dari Specialist

she/her

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Interns

Abby Dzikowicz

Communications Intern

she/her

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Board of Directors

Aldina Babic

Board Secretary

she/her — Bosnian

Community Relations Manager
Lake Michigan Credit Union

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Brooke Aernouts

Board Member

she/her

Trauma and Resilience Coordinator
Family Futures

Chrisfa Pierrant

Board Member

she/her — Rwandan American

LLPC
GVSU Counseling Center

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Joanna Boer

Board Chair

she/her — Trinidadian

Founder
Empire Jane

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Munira Mohamed

Board Member

she/her — Somali American

Raul Herrera-Pina

Board Treasurer

he/him — Dominican American

Branch Manager
Huntington National Bank

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Samir Bayan

Board Member

he/him — Afghan

Case Manager
Bethany Christian Services

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Xuesi Li Gurney

Board Member

she/her — Chinese American

Senior Manager - Consulting
GEP Worldwide

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Anja Harmon

Board Member

she/her

Senior Vice President - HUB International

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Board Committees

Fund Development Committee
Katie Brubaker

Human Resources Committee
Mandy Sharp Eizinger
Mary Degner
Michelle De Bie

Finance Committee
Raul Herrera-Pina
Nick Punt
Stephanie Vail

Volunteer Teams

We are looking for driven and committed individuals to join our team and help steer Treetops towards continued success.