DRM advocates through a team approach.

DRM teams:

  • Executive Office
    Michelle Roberts, Executive Officer
  • Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Office Management
    Michele Brand, Director
  • Litigation Strategies
    Kyle Williams, Director
  • Advocacy Strategies and Vaccination Advocacy
    Mark McWilliams, Director
  • Communications and Voter Accessibility
    Rachel Huddleston, Director
  • Community and Institutional Rights Advocacy
    Simon Zagata, Director
  • Education Advocacy
    Kris Keranen, Director
  • Employment Advocacy
    Elham Jahshan, Director
  • Information, Referral and Data
    Sarah Palacios, Director
  • Representative Payee Monitoring
    Sara Koroniotis, Director

DRM Executive Director

Michelle Roberts

Michelle Roberts is the Executive Director of Disability Rights Michigan. She brings passion and knowledge of disability rights from her long-time demonstrated commitment to the work of DRM and over 29 years of experience serving people with disabilities.

In 2002 Michelle joined DRM as an advocate on the Community and Institutional Rights (CAIR) team. She was promoted to Director of Advocacy in 2005 and managed in this capacity until her appointment to Deputy Executive Director in 2018 and then Executive Director in 2019.

She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees, in Psychology and Social Psychology, from Western Michigan University. She has served in the mental health field as a support coordinator for Community Mental Health, a psychiatric care specialist for a private psychiatric hospital, and a provider running independent living programs for adults with mental illness.

Michelle is a member of Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Task Force, Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services Home and Community-Based Services Implementation Advisory Group and serves as a reviewer on the Heightened Scrutiny Review Committee.  She also serves on the board of directors for the National Disability Rights Network.

Michelle has presented for many regional and national organizations, hospitals, conferences, and universities.

Officers

President:  Paul Palmer, Lansing
1st Vice President:  Brian Calley, Portland
2nd Vice President: Malkia Newman, Pontiac
Treasurer:  Hansen Clarke, Detroit
Secretary:  Daniel Bartz, Traverse City
Immediate Past President:
Thomas H. Landry, Highland

Members-at-Large

Amanda Bouwman, Davison
Jacqueline Cuevas, Detroit
Amanda Davis Scott, Adrian
Theodore Dorsette III, Detroit
Davin Hemmila, Negaunee
Christopher Land, Taylor

Non-voting members

Vincent Pinti, Ann Arbor
Jane Shank, Interlochen

The Board of Directors

The governing board for DRM is comprised of 11 individuals who are diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, geographical location, gender and disability. A majority of the governing board members must be individuals with disabilities or have an immediate family member with a disability.

By law, the agency implementing the federally mandated protection and advocacy systems must be independent from providers of services to persons with disabilities with the exception of providers of legal advocacy services. Occasionally individuals who have a service provision role may serve on the governing board. In such cases, their potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.

The board oversees and approves budgetary, priority, and policy issues and generally meets four times a year. The board committees sometimes meet in between board meetings, and often the day of the board meetings.

DRM posts meeting schedules and approved minutes from the board meetings, and also allows an opportunity for members of the public to attend and provide public comment at these meetings. We understand the full value of transparency and we post our information to remain accountable and provide the public with an additional opportunity to offer input. DRM is not an agency exercising governmental authority or functions, so it is not subject to the Open Meetings Act or the Freedom of Information Act.

Approved Meeting Minutes

PAIMI Advisory
Council (PAC)

The responsibilities for PAIMI Advisory Council members include:

  • Advising the Disability Rights Michigan Board of Directors on policies and priorities to be carried out in advocating and protecting the legal rights of persons with mental illness.
  • Jointly developing annual priorities with members of the DRM Board of Directors and DRM staff based on input from individuals throughout the state.
  • Educating the public and eligible individuals about the DRM mission, statutory requirements, priorities, and activities.
  • Each year, creating an independent report to the federal funders on PAIMI work for the fiscal year.

DRM posts meeting schedules and approved minutes from the PAIMI meetings, and also allows an opportunity for members of the public to attend and provide public comment at these meetings. We understand the full value of transparency and we post our information to remain accountable and provide the public with an additional opportunity to offer input. DRM is not an agency exercising governmental authority or functions, so it is not subject to the Open Meetings Act or the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Council Members

Chair –  Christopher Land, Taylor
Vice Chair – Veronica Ibrahim, West Bloomfield

Christina Agle, China
Euphemia Franklin, Center Line
Joelle Gurnoe-Adams, Ann Arbor
Davin Hemmila, Negaunee
Fiona Hert, Ada
Renee Kimball-Rouse, Brooklyn
James Rye, Erie
Charles Scott, Belleville
Lois Shulman, West Bloomfield
Trina Tocco, Royal Oak
Mora Wilkevicz, Howell

The council is mandated to have members from the following groups:

  • An Attorney
    Individuals from the public who are knowledgeable about mental illness, the advocacy needs of persons with mental illness, and who have demonstrated a commitment to improving mental health services
  • A Parent of a Child (under 18) with a Mental Illness
    The family member shall be a primary caregiver for an individual who is currently a minor child or youth who is receiving or has received mental health services
  • A Mental Health Professional
    Individuals from the public who are knowledgeable about mental illness, the advocacy needs of persons with mental illness, and who have demonstrated a commitment to improving mental health services
  • A Mental Health Service Provider
  • Mental Health Consumers
    Individuals who are receiving or who have received mental health services and family members of such individuals

To Apply

Please contact Theresa Diebolt at tdiebolt@drmich.org or call 517.487.1755 to learn more about this opportunity and receive an application.

Approved Meeting Minutes  PAC Meetings  PAIMI Portal

How Can We Help?
Contact Us Anytime

We want to hear from you! Whether you're looking for advocacy, have a question, or just want to connect, please reach out.

Online

Contact Us