Monifa K. Gray is an attorney with extensive experience representing governmental entities in mental health, civil rights, education (both primary and higher education), and municipal law.  Previously, Ms. Gray has worked with charter schools, traditional public schools, management companies and colleges and universities in governance, compliance, employment and property matters.  Ms. Gray currently works in the mental health field to ensure that vulnerable populations have access to behavioral health and substance use disorder services.

Ms. Gray has a degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan and received her Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University Law School.  She started her career in the city of Detroit as the Judicial Law Clerk in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.  From there, her career has been concentrated on representing governmental entities in the Metro Detroit and Chicago areas.  Ms. Gray has worked in all three branches of government at the local, state and federal levels.  She is licensed to practice in both Michigan and Illinois.  

Maria Montoya is a non-profit education consultant with a background in supporting early learning, K-12, and community organizations in the development of better access to publicly funded programs and resources. She served as the first School & Community Partnerships Manager at Grand Valley State University’s (GVSU) Charter School Office (CSO) in Detroit, MI, where she used her enrollment, engagement, and communication specialist background to assist authorizers/district leaders in developing systems and strategies to improve better coordination amongst SE Michigan schools and the communities they serve. 

Before moving to Michigan, she worked for the Recovery School District (RSD) in New Orleans as the Director of Enrollment and Student & Family Services. Mrs. Montoya co-founded the district’s unified enrollment process, OneApp. Maria was also a member of the RSD team responsible for launching the city’s first citywide truancy center and early childhood care and education enrollment processes. She is a former journalist who received her Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Florida and holds an M.Ed from GVSU’s College of Education.

When Mrs. Montoya’s not in a school or helping improve the quality of Michigan schools, Maria also works passionately to support increased access to literacy programming as the Board President of 826 Michigan. In 2017, Maria and fellow book-loving friends created Hamtramck’s first cooperative bookstore, Book Suey, to build more significant community connections through a shared love of reading. 

Darnell T. Boynton, Esq. is a graduate of Vanderbilt University located in Nashville, Tennessee, where he obtained his Doctorate of Jurisprudence.  He completed undergraduate studies at The University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language. He is certified through the Six Sigma Society from Lawrence Technological University and is a 2024 graduate of Harvard University’s Executive Leadership Certification Program.  He is a highly accomplished corporate attorney licensed in Michigan and Georgia. 

Rev. Lester E. Thomas is one of God’s gifted ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Reared in a household of faith, Pastor Thomas accepted Christ as Lord and Savior at the age of nine and has not looked back.  Often referred to as an “ole soul”, he preached his initial sermon on March 21, 2001.  Having a passion for teaching and preaching the Word of God, Pastor Thomas firmly believes that Ministry allows you to be the person you once needed. 

Pastor Thomas currently serves as the West Campus Pastor and Pastor of the Pastoral Care Ministry at Third New Hope Baptist Church, under the leadership of Lead Pastor, Quantez Pressley. He has a passion for putting ‘pen to the pad’ and has been a contributing writer for “The Voice of a Prophet” Preaching Conference Devotional and Bishop Vashti McKenzie’s Lenten Devotional Blog.   He recently served as a consultant for Shaw University Divinity School, to explore the impact of traditional liturgical practices in the Black church on children’s developmental outcomes. 

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Pastor Thomas is a graduate of Cooley High School. Upon completion of High School, he enlisted in the United States Army, and received an Honorable Discharge. He is a proud graduate and life member of the general alumni association of Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee.  He also is a Life Member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and is a Director for the Southeast Michigan Omega Foundation Incorporated, which provides scholarships and mentoring for youth. 

Pastor Thomas worked in Law Enforcement for more than 25 years, including at the juvenile, county, and the federal level.  He currently is employed by Wayne County as the Adult Community Corrections Administrator. He has been married to his wife, Renee, for more than 31 years and they are the proud parents of three sones, Renard, Jalen, and Jacob and also have wo grandsons, Athens and Aero.

Nicole Guillebeaux, M.Ed., Early Childhood Specialist 

Nicole Guillebeaux is a seventeen-year educator, education coach, and maternal infant health program coordinator working throughout the metropolitan Detroit area. As an early childhood specialist, Nicole’s focus is maintaining high quality education for our early learners throughout the state in compliance with the Michigan Department of Education. 

As a coordinator for a non-profit maternal infant health program, Nicole’s focus is addressing health equity issues among pregnant women in the metropolitan Detroit area. Her expertise includes shaping and developing goals for families and teachers, and organizational resource sharing and collaboration.  Ms. Guillebeaux is an accomplished trainer and speaker with the added ability to guide, shape and leverage relationships to achieve the stated goals.    

Alvin Lockett founded RTTM Community Center (2016); he is a former Assistant Technical Director for Mosaic Youth and creator of the Que Blackout Youth Theater (2020).  Alvin is a member of the inaugural cohort Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC) Detroit Equity Accelerator for Youth Development (EAYD),  Nonprofit Enterprise at Work(NEW) Leadership DELI 2022 Fellow, 2022 Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) ICCC Detroit 2022 Program Graduate, AFP Greater Detroit's 2022 Fisher Fellow. In Jan. 2023, Alvin was elected Chair of Devices & Connectivity for Connect 313. Alvin is also a 2024 Ford Foundation Fellow, focusing on building support for the communities Que Blackout resides in.

Angianina Rodriguez-Dennis (born April 27, 1969) is a dedicated advocate for family support and mental health, currently serving as a Family Support and Mental Health Senior Specialist at Brilliant Detroit. With a passion for education and community well-being, she also tutor literacy to children in grades K-8 in an after-school program at the Horatio Williams Foundation, helping young learners build strong reading and comprehension skills. Angianina holds a Master’s in Social Work from Western Michigan University, equipping her with the expertise to support individuals and families in need. She also leads the Virtuous Woman Support Group, which provides a safe and uplifting space for women facing life stressors, helping them find healthy ways to cope while building a deeper relationship with their spirituality. Beyond her professional and community work, she is deeply committed to inclusivity and empowerment, serving as a coach for Special Olympics, where she helps athletes develop confidence, skills, and teamwork. With her extensive background in social work, education, and community engagement, Angianina continues to make a profound impact on the lives of children, families, and individuals with special needs.