On behalf of the Board of Neway Works and our staff, welcome to the inaugural Let Your Light Shine Charity Gala!
We are thrilled to celebrate this evening of impact, philanthropy, and people who help advance it in our local community. Whether you are here as a sponsor, awardee, donor, or a special guest, we are honored to have you with us.
What makes this evening more special is November 24, 2023, marks our 3-year anniversary as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Established during one of the darkest time our country has faced, the global COVID-19 pandemic, our purpose of being a light for teens mental health and wellness continues to flicker throughout Macomb County.
As a nonprofit that is focused on humanity, we are honored to recognize individuals that have big hearts for community and philanthropy. Please do join us in celebrating the inspiring 2023 Let Your Light Shine honorees with the Better Together award.
I want to personally thank our sponsors and committee members who have made this evening possible through their generosity and continued support. Your sponsorship and commitment to being a difference maker is deeply meaningful!
While we made great strides these past three years, there is much more work left to be done and lives to positively impact.
With your support, we will advance our mission of helping more children step into their purpose, achieve academic success, and transform into self-efficient, educated, employable, and productive adults in society, leaving no child behind.
With Gratitude,
Shane Gianino
Founder & Executive Director
Neway Works, Inc. was established during one of the darkest times our country has ever faced, the global COVID-19 pandemic with a purpose of being a light for vulnerable teens mental health and wellness via safe after-school youth enrichment, tutoring, and mentoring services.
Youth from under-resourced communities benefit from opportunities to connect with tutors, mentors, explore their interests, and to develop skills and confidence to realize their full potential and to positively impact their families, communities, and society.
With a keen understanding of the urgency and impact of wellness for children, a key area of focus has been mental health. We are not alone in our commitment to children and mental health, which has been formative in many new partnerships.
We actively work with key partners to understand, discuss, and bring awareness to the growing need and concerns about the stigma surrounding mental illness. We continue to bring our partners in education, healthcare, research, and community together to further the discussion with a path of action that removes fear and starts the conversation.
Since 2020, we have improved the overall wellness and mental health of over 75 underprivileged adolescents through our after-school youth mentoring program, Project Transformation.
The problem, some advocates say, is not that the more than half of all American children who live in poverty have the wrong mindset, the problem is that more than half of all American children live in poverty.
Funding will help us continue targeting obstacles that hinder at-risk students from doing well in school and preparing for a successful and meaningful life. There is often a disconnect between expectations the school places on the students and the support and resources available to these students.
Money raised from this fundraiser will be utilized to help with tutoring and mentoring expenses, school supplies, nutritional meals, beverages, costs for sport camps and showcases through organizations such as Legacy Sports in Brighton, Michigan, sport apparel needed to compete for college athletic scholarships, STEM camp costs, and needed program supplies.
Emmy-award winning Meteorologist Kim Adams has been predicting the weather in Southeast Michigan for over 25 years. In August 2022, Kim rejoined the 4WarnWeather Team and will be delivering the forecast for the 4, 5, 6, 10 & 11 p.m. newscasts. You can also find her on your cell phone, tablet, computer (by downloading the 4Warn Weather app), Click On Detroit, and Local 4+.
Kim studied thermodynamics and dynamics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School in Washington, D.C., and Synoptic Meteorology at Ohio State University. She is working on her master’s degree in meteorology. In addition, Kim graduated summa cum laude from Oakland University, ranking 3rd in her graduating class. She received a master’s degree from Wayne State University majoring in Radio/TV & Film.
Kim started her broadcasting career as an intern at WJR Radio. Her first on-air job was at WHIZ-TV in Zanesville, Ohio. As a small NBC affiliate, the money wasn’t great. So, on weekends Kim would drive home to Detroit to clean houses to make ends meet. After a brief stint at WBNS in Columbus Ohio, Kim was offered a job at WXYZ-TV. She became the first female meteorologist in Detroit television history in July 1997.
Outside the station, Kim prides herself on serving the community. As a breast cancer survivor, Kim works closely with New Day Foundation for Families which provides financial support for cancer patients by helping pay mortgages, buy groceries and more so they can focus on healing. She’s also a supporter of Turning Point and other domestic violence shelters. Kim hosts a radio program called “Fearless Faith” on 103.5 WMUZ in Detroit as well as other radio stations across the country.
Kim is a proud single mom of a girl and four boys.
Fun Facts: Kim played a reporter in the movie Scream 4 with Courtney Cox and delivers the final line of the movie. But because she doesn’t like scary movies, she has never seen the entire film! Kim is also an alumnus of Mount Clemens High School, the same high school Neway Works Founder, Shane Gianino, attended and is an alumnus of!
Blaine hails from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and grew up as the youngest of four kids. As a youth, Blaine became enamored with both music and radio, quickly knowing what he wanted to do with his life.
After graduating from Sault High, Blaine carved out a life for himself working behind a microphone. Beyond his broadcasting gigs, Blaine enjoys writing music, playing his guitar, and performing with his band, The Blaine Fowler Experience (The BFE).
When not involved in music or broadcasting, Blaine loves spending time with his wife, Colleen, and his two kids, Bailey, and Collin. Leisure time favorites include grilling on the deck (steaks and burgers are tops), followed by movie nights, board games, or cheering on the home team (Go WINGS!) In addition to his weekday morning gig as host of 96.3 WDVD’s “The Blaine Fowler Morning Show,” Blaine can be seen as a regularly recurring guest host on WDIV Local 4’s “Live in The D” and weeknights on FOX 2 Detroit’s “Dish Nation.”
As Vice President, National Community Impact, Investments & Lending, Linda Nosegbe leads Comerica’s National CRA Strategy, Community Development Investment public purpose, community impact investments and special regulatory projects. This includes the bank’s support for Minority Depository Institutions (MDI), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) and oversight of special community impact projects designed to enhance our communities.
She leads Comerica’s community reinvestment initiatives through economic development programs and community outeach throughout Southeast. She also cultivates and nurtures philanthropy and strategic partnerships primarily benefiting low- to moderate-income individuals, communities, and small businesses with gross annual revenues of $1 million or less.
In her role, Nosegbe contributes to Comerica Bank’s commitment to positively impacting individuals, families, neighborhoods, and businesses. Her role is a key component to the bank’s National CRA program, directing community investment strategy. This committment focuses on affordable housing, education, financial empowement, small business development, economic development, technical assistance and neighborhood revitalization programs.
Nosegbe’s responsibilities also include managing and developing relationships with Comerica’s community partners, civic and governmental leaders, and nonprofit organizations to help meet community needs. Additionally, she manages community investments, community services, financial education programs, partnerships with CDFIs and MDIs, and other centers of influence. Nosegbe also cooridinates Comerica’s signature Money $ense program (Comerica Business, Money, Education, Sports, and Church $ense programs), and oversees community reinvestment acitivities in Southeast.
Prior to her current role, Nosegbe served as the Bank’s Corporate Compliance Fair Lending Officer. She was responsible for administering the Bank’s Fair Lending Risk assessment exams and statistical regression analyses to ensure that Comerica Bank remained compliant with Fair lending laws and regulations. She also performed the Fair lending exams monitoring the Bank’s lending portfolios and served as an advisor to senior management to identify and correct potential Fair lending risk issues concerning Fair Lending laws and regulations including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) (Regulation B), Fair Housing Act (FHA), Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), Unfair, Deceptive, and Abusive Acts and Practices (UDAAP) Act, and other applicable laws and regulations in meeting the Bank’s Fair Lending objectives.
Nosegbe joined Comerica in 2008 as the Consumer Operation Analyst team lead. Since then, she has held a variety of positions of increasing scope and responsibility.. Before joining Comerica Bank, she served in various roles at ABN AMRO. She was an Underwriting/Doc prep manager and Flagstar Bank where she first launched her financial services career.
Nosegbe earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and Computer Information Systems and Programming and completed her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Walsh College.
Active in the community, Nosegbe support numerous community organizations in many capacities. Service includes member of the Board of Directors of Abigayle Ministries, Metropolitan Affairs Coalition Financial advisor for Chandler Park Academy, Treasurer for the Wayne County CRA Association. As a supporter of Comerica’s Employee and Business Resource Groups, Nosegbe provides leadership as the Networking Chair for the Bank’s Michigan Women Forum, member of Comerica Bank Michigan Women Initiative.
In 2021, Nosegbe was named Crain’s Notable Women in Banking.
Lauren Brosch is a community affairs manager for Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. She proudly serves the Southeast Michigan in Macomb and St. Clair counties ensuring her friends and neighbors receive the hometown service Consumers Energy aims to provide. She is working with key stakeholders, local governments and customers to build relationships and foster partnerships between the company and communities in Southeast Michigan. Lauren currently works out of the Macomb Service Center.
She is a community and corporate relations professional with 10+ years of experience working in the nonprofit industry. Prior to joining Consumers Energy, she served as the special events, corporate and community engagement manager at Samarit as focused on stewardship and management of relationships with corporate and individual donors. Previously she served as the special events manager for Judson Center focused on fundraising to support programs that serve those in need in the Southeast Michigan community.
Lauren is an active community member and advocate. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for NAMI Michigan, Macomb County Chamber of Commerce, Macomb Habitat for Humanity, Advancing Macomb and Six Rivers Land Conservancy. She enjoys volunteering her time and supporting a variety of nonprofit organizations in her community.
Lauren attended Oakland University and Grand Valley State University and earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She is originally from Clinton Township and currently resides in Shelby Township.
Pamela Braund is vice president, Performance and Integration, Health Plan Business for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. She is responsible for bringing the voice of our customers into the organization by developing strategies centered on market needs, aligning funding and execution to deliver innovative solutions, and measuring and reporting impacts to our customers. Pamela provides strategic direction, leadership, and management to several core capabilities within Health Plan Business, including Health Plan Business Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Performance Office and Health Plan Business Strategic Programs and Administration.
Previously, Pamela was the vice president of the area that worked with the Big 3 automakers to develop and deliver innovative solutions designed to meet their strategic and cost needs. She has worked at Blue Cross for over 20 years serving in various roles throughout her career.
Currently Pamela also serves as one of the executive sponsors for the BCBSM Latinx Employee Resource Network Unidos.
Pamela earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University and a master’s in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy.
She currently holds the position of president of Impact100 Macomb, which is a non-profit organization that is made up of a community of women seeking to transform lives in Macomb County by awarding high-impact grants to other non-profit organizations.
Rachel Hurst, currently Kroger Corporate Affairs Manager for The Kroger Co. of Michigan and has been with the company for 15 years holding multiple positions of leadership including clerk, department manager, assistant store leader, deli/bakery coordinator, store manager, public affairs assistant, Michigan division corporate affairs manager and her most recent role of Head of Midwest Region for Corporate Affairs. Her responsibilities include government relations, communications to internal and external stakeholders, media relations, and charitable giving. Rachel has received many awards for her efforts including Community Service Award for The Kroger Company, Hunger Free Michigan Food Bank Council of Michigan Recipient, The Kroger Co. President Award, and the prestigious, national award of Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer. Most recently she was named Elite 40 Under 40 in Oakland County in 2020.
Rachel continues to be an advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within her company and helped start the associate resource groups in the Michigan Division and leads the Women’s Edge team. She formed a DEI Task Force with leaders across the state of Michigan to make meaningful impact in our state. Throughout COVID, Rachel led the Michigan division in all communication and advocacy efforts to keep Kroger associates and customers safe, while keeping doors open for business. Rachel received a certificate in Black Belt Skills for Leader and Manager Communications and recently graduated from Yale University Executive Education Women in Leadership as well as Leadership Oakland class of 2021 as class president while also completing FBI Citizens Academy at the same time.
She has a passion for the great community work the company does and volunteers much of her free time. She sits and has sat on several boards with non-profits to help growth and awareness of different organizations and to make meaningful impact in the community. These boards include Ascension Providence Foundation Board, Angels of Hope Board of Directors, Village of Oakland Woods Board of Directors, and Michigan Retailers Associate Grocery Advisory Board to name a few.
Rachel is a 18-year Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Survivor and has a personal commitment to bringing hope to individuals and fighting cancer. She finds herself mentoring teenagers fighting the disease and even helping parents navigate through their cancer journey. Rachel continues to be a public speaker both professionally and personally telling the story of overcoming such tragedy and finding success during life’s most difficult moments. Although she puts everything she has into work and helping others, her other full-time job is her family. Her husband Casey and their 2 children ages 8 and 7 keep her active and reminded of how important life is.
