DEARBORN — The Oakwood Center for Exceptional Families is reaching out.
An Operating Board of Trustees was recently appointed to help the CEF seek out new partnerships and plot new strategies that will help achieve its mission of providing a comprehensive and innovative medical home to children with special needs and their families.
Chaired by Robert Kramer of Bloomfield Hills, the board represents a diverse group of business people, health care professionals and philanthropists. The board co-chairpersons are Gerald Fitzgerald of Novi and Mary Lou Zangerle of Dearborn.
The board also includes: Anis Ahmed of Northwestern Mutual Financial; Westwood Community Schools Supt. Sue Carnell; Timothy Codd of Morgan Bradley; Brian Connolly, president and CEO of Oakwood Healthcare; Peter Davis of Impact Management Services; Dearborn pediatrician Dr. Lobna Fakih; David Farbman of the Farbman Group; Mary Fayad, Special Education/Early Intervention Services, Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency; Fitzgerald; William Hermann of Ann Arbor; Dr. George Hnatiuk of Dearborn; Mary Kosch, Oakwood Foundation Board, of Dearborn; Foundation board member Randy Kowalski; University of Michigan-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little; Carla O’Malley, executive director of the Oakwood Foundation; Dearborn resident Robert Putnam of the Dearborn Agency; Gregg Watkins, DeRoy Testamentary Foundation; Tommi White of ER-One; CEF Executive Director Michael Wooley; CEF medical director Dr. Susan Youngs; and Zangerle.
“This is a talented, well-respected group of individuals,” Wooley said. “They are dedicated to the mission of the CEF, which is to provide compassionate care and support to families with special needs children.”
The CEF, which partners with UM-D, opened its doors in 1997.
“The Multidisciplinary Clinic is the cornerstone of the program along with family counseling and physical, speech, recre-ational, and occupational therapy services,” Youngs said.
A campaign leadership team subcommittee of the board also has been formed to develop and manage the fundraising campaigns for the center. In addition to several members of the board, Ahmed, Kosch, Kramer, O’Malley, Watkins, and Wooley, the following individuals have joined the effort: Maureen D’Agostino, senior vice president, Oakwood Healthcare, Inc; Sandra Daniels of Dearborn; and Jason Tinsley, vice president of JP Morgan, Bloomfield Hills.
“We are looking forward to working with the new board and subcommittee,” Wooley said. “We are confident that their track record for innovation in business will help us bring the unique and invaluable services provided by the CEF to additional deserving families.”
The initial board member terms will expire in December 2013. After that, terms will be staggered, with members serving one, two or three years.