ABOUT PEOPLE FOR PALMER PARK

Board of Directors
March 2019-March 2020

People for Palmer Park is governed by a member-elected board of directors that volunteer and represent the surrounding communities and various professions.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Rochelle Lento - President/Ex Officio, All Committees
Rochelle Lento has been a resident of Palmer Woods since 1992. Together with her husband, Mark Madigson, she has three children: Ariel, Joshus and Louis, all of whom were raised in their home in Palmer Woods.  Partnered with her dedication to her family, Rochelle has devoted her professional life to the ongoing efforts of representing non-profit developers and building housing for low to moderate income families as an attorney at Dykema Gossett. Prior to joining the PFPP, Rochelle was very active in the Palmer Woods Association, serving on its board for 10 years, 5 as Board President. Currently, she works as co-chairwoman in the Vacant Property Committee of the Palmer Woods Association. Stemming from her active work as a community organizer, her efforts are a symbol of her hopes for Palmer Park and its surrounding communities. The Log Cabin and the areas around the new Urban Garden are her very favorite spots. Being fully aware of the monetary commitments needed to further reshape Palmer Park, she has a vision that includes permanent walking trails, benches along the perimeter, a complete restoration of the Log Cabin, up to five new playscape areas for the children as well as a revitalized tennis court.  Above all else, the desire to restore the Merrill Plaisance Fountain is a goal 
that must be accomplished. 

Angella Durkin - Treasurer/Chair, Finance Committee
Angella Durkin joined the Board of People for Palmer Park in 2015 but has been a long-time volunteer for the organization.  Angella is a finance professional having obtained her MBA from the University of St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, holds a CPA license and is the Vice President Finance & Administration for NextEnergy, a nonprofit organization based in Detroit.  As a Northern Michigan native and outdoor enthusiast, she loves having access to nature right in the heart of our city.  Angella’s favorite Palmer Park activity is attending story time with her husband and two sons who are 2 and 4 years old.  She can be reached at treasurer@peopleforpalmerpark.org. 

Leonora King - Secretary/Tennis Director, Recreation
Lee King loves Palmer Park and has been coming regularly for 40 years to her favorite spot, the tennis courts. When she was a young girl she began playing tennis there and she still does! She formed the Palmer Park Tennis Academy and is still acting Director and Coach. She is also actively involved with Focus Hope (delivering boxes to seniors who are shut in) and works with Midtown Detroit, Inc. on cultural events. Her goals for the park are to see new lighting, resurfaced courts and a permanent club house built.  She sees people becoming more involved in bringing the park back, taking ownership of the park and their own neighborhoods and becoming actively involved in rebuilding the City of Detroit. She can be reached at tennis@peopleforpalmerpark.org


BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Barbara Barefield - Chair, Events/Marketing
Barbara Barefield has been an arts and community activist since the mid-1970s, from publishing a weekly newspaper to presenting concerts at the DIA and in historic homes. Chair of the PFPP Events committee, she is also PFPP’s graphic artist for print. Prior to owning her graphic design firm Barefield DesignWorks, she was art director of the Detroit Free Press Sunday magazine and of UAW Solidarity magazine. A graduate of University of Michigan School of Architecture and Design, she recently opened Barefield Clayworks, a Detroit ceramic studio, with her son. Barbara’s photography has been widely exhibited, and published in her book Jazz Space Detroit, as well as local and national media. When her hands are not in clay, or clicking a camera, Barbara is the co-producer of Palmer Woods Music in Homes with her husband jazz guitarist/composer A. Spencer Barefield, playing with her St. Bernard, Devo, and planning and promoting events at Palmer Park. She can be reached at barbara@peopleforpalmerpark.org

Shane Eason - Finance Committee
Shane can be reached at shane@peopleforpalmerpark.org

Jason Fligger - Preservation & Beautification/Log Cabin Preservation Coordinator
In 1998, Jason Fligger left his home in rural Michigan and moved to Detroit. Once there, he and his family settled in a neighborhood immediately east of Palmer Park. As pastimes, he enjoys gardening, carpentry and playing the accordion. With a driving passion for revamping the Log Cabin as a gathering place for community educational activities, he is definitely an inspired volunteer. He describes his favorite memory at Palmer Park as walking through the forest on a late fall day, experiencing the feeling of being miles and miles away from city life. The Log Cabin is without question, his favorite spot in Palmer Park. Jason hopes to see a more natural restoration of Lake Frances including the promenade and the waterfall that once aerated it. He believes this gem is one that is most deserving of repair, so it is a gift many people can share in. Jason has a strong sense of pride and high hopes for Palmer Park, as well as the surrounding communities. He firmly believes that with the right amount of work put into restoring the park, a more positive light can begin to shine on the area and once it has been completed, visitors from other cities will view Palmer Park as an oasis of Green in the heart of Detroit.

Kim Fracassa - Preservation & Beautification
Kim Fracassa is a founding board member since 2010  for People for Palmer Park and chaired the marketing committee until 2016. She has childhood memories romping in the park while her relatives played baseball. A graduate from College of Art and Design(CCS), her creative career in retail display spans from Downtown Marianne's on Woodward to Ralph Lauren at Somerset. For fun, she camps, continues education in art and tours all the city has to offer. She is a resident of Green Acres in Detroit, and can be reached at kim@peopleforpalmerpark.org.

Sharon Gamblin - Chair, Recreation

Reverend Gregory Guice - Recreation Co-Chair
Since being ordained at the Unity School for Religious Studies in Lee's Summitt, Missouri in 2000, Rev. Gregory Guice has established himself as one of Unity’s outstanding spiritual teachers of Unity principles and beliefs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Sociology from Kentucky State University, he attended Marygrove College in Detroit where his curriculum was in Early Childhood Studies and in 1986 he received a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology at the Center for Humanistic Studies in Detroit.  Rev. Guice has been employed as a Counselor, Teacher, and Social Worker in the Detroit area. He created a community organization at Detroit Unity Temple to fight crime within the neighborhood and he continues to reach out to various areas with the “Look for the Good” campaign. He has published two insightful and motivating books, “The Courage to Conquer Fear” and “Spiritual Waters”.

Kim Hagood - Board Member

Rosalinda Haskins - Membership/Preservation & Beautification
Rosalinda Haskins is inspired to be an active volunteer because she loves her community and knows that we can't always wait for someone else to make a change. She is also an active member of her block club in addition to being a board member of the Bagley Community Council and the parent group at her daughter's school. Her favorite spot in Palmer Park is the tennis courts where she learned to play tennis and in the process made new friends. She hopes to see the Log Cabin restored to its former glory, additional parking for events, established bike lanes, a dog park and a covered tennis area, so the sport could be played year round. She also hopes for ways to increase membership and donations so that PFPP's Master Plan dreams can someday become a reality and that more surrounding neighborhoods will see what a jewel they have in their own backyard.

Rhonda Hendren - Chair, Membership
Rhonda can be reached at rhonda@peopleforpalmerpark.org

Amy Lebowsky - Chair, Marketing & Communication/Webmaster
Amy Lebowsky has been a proud and active PFPP member since 2010, and part of the Marketing & Communications Committee for most of that time. As the only Ferndale resident on the Board, she is committed to the success of this park and community. Connecting both sides of our 8 Mile adjacent communities is essential for the success of our entire region. Amy is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies (BFA in Graphic Communication), former production artist for the Metro Times, and currently the Web Design Manager at BNP Media (Troy). She designed the People for Palmer Park logo, many of our merchandise items and also designed and maintains our website. Amy can be reached at amy@peopleforpalmerpark.org

David Mangum - Chair, Preservation & Beautification

Roy Raines - Preservation & Beautification/Urban Educational Garden
I have been a resident of Palmer Woods since 2011. I have worked for ifm efector as a Field Sales Engineer for 21 years. I love Palmer Park and get involved with the community garden and help out as much as I can. My hobbies are building projects, Detroit art/music events and playing hockey. 

Will Robinson - Board Member

DiAnna Solomon - Board Member

Vittoria Valenti - Board Member

Nancy Varner - Events/Recreation


ADVISORS

Molly Leebove - Farm & Community Manager 
Sgt. Douglas Musten - Detroit Mounted Police Liaison

PAST BOARD MEMBERS

Roberta Henrion - Past Board Member
Clinton Griffin - Past Vice President and Preservation & Beautification Chair
Lindsay Page - Past Farm & Community Manager 
Gregoire Eugene-Louis - Past Board Member
Kathy Bledsoe - Past Board Member
Sarah James - Past Chair, Membership
Eric Williams - Past Board Member
​Lori Heinz - Past Chair, Recreation/Events (Ad Hoc)
John Secco - Past Community Liason
Helen Broughton - Past Treasurer
Alicia Biggers-Gaddies - Past President & Vice President
Daniel Scarsella  - Past Preservation & Beautification Chair
Omega Headen - Past Board Member
Sgt. Eric Eide - Safety & Security, Mounted Police Board Rep
Mack Jones - Deceased
Trina Tucker - Liaison, City of Detroit Recreation Dept. Rep
Karen Petola - City of Detroit Recreation Dept. Rep
Brooke Ellis - Past Secretary
Jacqueline Poole - Detroit Golf Club H/O Rep
Keith Williams - Past Board Member
Craig Bristow - City of Detroit Recreation Dept. Board Rep 


PFPP is entrusted as an Adopt-a-Park Partner with the City of Detroit.
NEXT: OUR MASTER PLAN