THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Linnell Jones-McKinney

Jones McKenney was one of the first women from Flint to play basketball professionally and now works as a motivational speaker, life coach, and the Director of Community Relations of The Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village, a community organization on the north side of Flint that offers academic and athletic programs to underserved, at-risk youth.  She made history in 1980 as the first female athlete to make an Olympic team. After college, Mckenney played overseas professionally for six seasons in Viterbo and Vincenza, Italy. Coach mckenney was drafted in the WBL Professional Basketball League1st round 4th pick, she was the first of 15 Americans to be drafted in the European women's professional basketball league, was the 5 Time All Star in Italy, 3 Time Most Valuable Player in the European Cup Championships,  held a scoring record of 84 points in one game, won the European National Championship Cup, and won the Italian National Title. SHe has been inducted into the National WOmen's Basketball Hall of Fame, the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater Flint African American Hall of Fame,a nd the Kentucky State University Hall of Fame, Recently, Linell Jones-Mckenney won Gold at the Senior Olympics in 2021 and 2022, but above all. she remains passionate about breaking barriers and inspiring future generations. 

Mark A. Harris

Mark is an experienced fitness instructor and personal trainer. He inspires and educated those who want to improve their cognitive and physical health and fitness. Since 1999, he has been developing fitness program in the community and for area hospitals and physicians. Mark has participated in programs to promote better health, funded by federal agencies, local foundations and several universities. Mark has been teaching senior fitness classes since 2006. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013, he became a community ambassador with the American Cancer Society, an advisory board member of the Michigan Medicine Rogel Center Center, and advisory board member for the University of North Carolina and Henry Ford Health System study funded by Genetech, a co-facilitator of the Michigan Institute of Urology prostate cancer support group, and the first prostate cancer consultant for Merck. He likes to ride his bike, work out, and read. 

Vincent Tilford, Executive Director, Hannan Center

Creative Arts: A Path to Healthy Aging

By stimulating minds, creativity, and a sense of self, "creative aging" engages older adults, educates them, and fosters vital connections. Hannan Center, a 97-years-old institution, has based its lifelong learning programs on this creative aging concept because of the positive health benefits and social outcomes associated with robust arts training. In this session, you will learn about the Hannan Center, its programming, and hear from both participants and instructors about the impact creative aging has on their lives. Led by Executive Director Vincent Tilford, and panelists James Puntigam, Pat Beard, and Betty McGraw.

A seasoned leader, Vincent Tilford has nearly thirty years of experience in the not-for-profit and for-profit housing and community development sectors. A graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, Tilford has worked as an investment professional and as a banker. Additionally, he has been the CEO for four nonprofit/public sector organizations including the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Habitat for Humanity Detroit, and now the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation (Hannan). At the Hannan Foundation, Tilford leads a team of professionals whose mission is to improve the quality of life for older adults in throughout Michigan.   From enrichment and fitness programs to an art gallery that promotes older adult themes and/or older artists, to behavioral health and case management services, the Hannan team strives to help older adults to age in place with dignity. Tilford serves on the boards of several organizations including Center for Community-Based Enterprise, Wayne State Institutional Review Board, Council of Michigan Foundations and Grant Makers in Aging. Through his work and his volunteer activities, he strives to bring resources and support to our society’s most vulnerable communities. Married for 30 years, Tilford lives in Rochester Hills with his wife, two sons and his mother.

Tayler Jones and Sudha Sankar, Limelight

Intergenerational Narratives: Why Sharing Culture and Stories Matter Between Generations 

Discover the insights and research of intergenerational exchange from the leaders of Limelight, LLC - a theatre consulting company that uses theatre as a storytelling, community building, and problem-solving tool. Projects include The ReGen Storytelling Workshops, in collaboration with the Ypsilanti Senior Center and Detroit Area Agency on Aging, and the HomeBound Podcast, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google and Stitcher, produced over two seasons in partnership with Generations United and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

Tayler Jones is an actress, director, and teaching artist from Detroit. She devises theatre with bright young theatre makers at Matrix Theatre Company and University Musical Society. Jones focuses on theatre for social change and community-based performance. She recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Master of Fine Arts in Applied Drama and Theatre for the Young. While in graduate school, she instructed Drama & Play in the Human Experience for two semesters. Tayler has also served as the graduate stage manager and assistant director for EMU’s Drama and Theatre for the Young Tour. Tayler is an alumna of both Cass Tech HS and Wayne State University, where she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and has toured as a TYA performer. She also studied abroad at the Moscow Art Theatre School in 2016. Tayler has starred in productions at EMU, Theatre Nova, Hilberry/Studio Theatre and Bonstelle at WSU, Detroit Repertory Theatre, Planet Ant, Shakespeare in Detroit and Black and Brown Theatre.

Sudha Sankar, M.S., Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Diegeses Projectz, is a family therapist and human development and systems professional with expertise in leading the design, development and evaluation of programs in health, mental health, and community agency settings.  She has coordinated several community development and evaluation projects serving women, children and families. She previously set up served as the Coordinator for the Interpersonal Conflict and Violence Initiative housed in the Couple and Family Therapy Clinic at Michigan State University (MSU) and as an evaluation specialist for the Research Consortium of Gender Based Violence (RCGV). Sudha has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology and received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Michigan State University. In her role as a program development and innovation consultant, she leverages this knowledge to help organizations use research, data and evaluation to tell impactful stories and inform program and organizational development strategy.

Meredith Irvine

Music and the Mind: Case Studies from a Medical Music Therapist

"Music is to the mind as air is to the body." (Plato)

This session explores the idea of music as the medicine of the mind, from its physical effects to the emotions it elicits. This presentation will focus on defining what music theory is, sharing case studies of how music therapy can have an impact on pain, movement, and overall well-being, as well as a Q&A. 

Meredith Irvine, MHA, MT-BC, NICU MT, has worked at Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children's Hospital for 8 years, now serving as the music therapy supervisor and Sophie's Place studio manager while continuing to provide patient care both inpatient and outpatient. She supervises and mentors music therapy practicum students, interns, and fellows. Currently, she is working to support pilot programs at Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and the Pediatric Palliative Care program. She also works as a project manager for the Forever Young Foundation, advocating nationally for music therapy. She has presented at state and regional music therapy conferences as well as guest lectured for various universities.

Alice Bagley, Director of Operations, MI Alliance of TimeBanks

Building Community Connections and Social Capital Through TimeBanking

TimeBanks are a way to build connections through the exchange of services using time as currency. TimeBanking is based on five core principles: that all people in society are assets, that all people deserve to be respected as they are, that relationships should be reciprocal, that all work in all forms should be valued, and that relationships make our communities more resilient. The core principles hold significant relevance as we age and change roles in society. In this session we will talk about the nuts and bolts of TimeBanking, ways to get involved in or start a TimeBank in Michigan, research being conducted by the U of M School of Information on how TimeBanks can solve community problems, and more.

Alice Bagley is a farmer running her own small farm in Detroit and is a member of City Commons Cooperative, a farmers cooperative that runs a Community Supported Agriculture program with over 100 households served in Metro Detroit. She is also the Coordinator of Unity in the Community TimeBank and Director of Operations at MI Alliance of TimeBanks. MI Alliance of TimeBanks received its 501c3 status from the IRS in March 2010 and working with the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (www.copower.org) as their fiscal sponsor, received an initial grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (www.cfsem.org).

Madelyn Porter, Kresge Literary Arts Fellow, Detroit Public Theater

Connectivity & Engagement Matter

Madelyn Porter has worked in professional theatre for over forty years. She is the recipient of the 2019 Kresge Literary Arts Award, Wayne County Chapter of NOW – Special Achievement Award for portraying Sojourner Truth (national tour), Rouge Award for Best Supporting Actress, the YWCA Woman Of Achievement In The Arts Award, and the WMGC-105.1 ‘Woman Who Makes Magic’ Award. Porter is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. She recently performed in Flint Repertory Theatre’s New Works Project, Hamtramck Arts Festival, and HARLEM9 & Detroit Public Theatre’s 48 Hours in Detroit. She also works as a performer and advisory board member for Carrie Morris Arts Production (CMAP). Porter is lead drama instructor for Michigan Opera Theatre’s “Create and Perform,” and facilitates drama and poetry workshops for Youth Arts Alliance.