Our board of directors

Ronald A. Charles, MD, MHSA, FACP, FACHE, is the chair of The Crescent Educational Foundation of Detroit. He is a native of Detroit, educated in Detroit Public Schools, and an alumnus of Cass Technical High School. He received his BS from the University of Michigan, his MD from Wayne State University, and a Master’s in Health Services Administration from Salve Regina University.

Board certified in both Internal Medicine and Health Care Management, Dr. Charles is the former Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for Buckeye Health Plan and Michigan Complete Health, both subsidiaries of Centene Corporation. He is an active member of St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, a member of The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan’s Cathedral Chapter, a volunteer physician at The Cabrini Clinic, and the Director of Education for the Alpha Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Lisa C. Blake was elected to the Executive Board of OPEIU Local 42 in 1994 and in 2003 became President of the organization, a position she still holds. In 2004 she became a full-time Business Agent for Local 42, and she is currently involved in negotiating more than 60 collective bargaining agreements. In 2016 she was elected International Vice President.

After earning her Master’s in Education, Lisa made encouraging young people to dream big dreams a lifelong passion. She has been married to her husband, John, for 31 years. They have four children, whom she has encouraged to pursue higher education and to help others reach their educational goals. Their son George is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; daughter Kimberly is a graduate of Northwestern University and is attending law school at the University of Michigan; Karen is a graduate of Amherst College; and Katherine is attending Williams College.

John P. Blake, MBA, is a native Detroiter and a proud graduate of Mumford High School, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University Business School. He worked in the IT industry for more than 20 years as a computer programmer for AT&T, Blue Cross, Chrysler, and Ford. For the last twelve years, John has worked as a realtor with Shain Park Realtors.

John and his wife, Lisa, are the proud parents of four college graduates. John believes that children should be seekers of knowledge, and he supports educational endeavors that level the playing field for young people.

Mary Glenn is a Senior Project Manager for NBS Commercial Interiors, with more than 30 years of hands-on experience managing furniture installation projects. She is adept at creating effective communication between personnel, general contractors, design teams, and management, and brings a customer-oriented, focused, and enthusiastic approach to team oversight, budgeting, and effective processes and procedures.

Earlier in her career, Mary was a social worker with Les Passes in Memphis, Tennessee, a treatment center for children with cerebral palsy. The center provided developmental screening, early education, parent education, an eye clinic, physical therapy, a school, and a children’s daily activities program.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Michigan State University. She attended Marywood Academy in Grand Rapids and graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic Central. She has been married to Luther for 36 years, and they have one daughter, Tia.

Kaye Smith-Clay is an education and community engagement professional with experience supporting students, families, and school communities. She serves as a Community School Site Director for Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School with the State of Michigan, where her work centers on connecting students and families with resources, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting the broader needs of the school community.

In addition to her work in education, Smith-Clay is affiliated with LegalShield, expanding her professional experience into the area of legal services and community support.

A Detroit native and graduate of Osborn High School, Smith-Clay continued her education at both the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. Her background reflects a longstanding commitment to education, service, and helping individuals and families access opportunities and resources that support their success.

Luther W. Glenn has been a criminal defense attorney (trial and appellate) in private practice in Michigan since 1988. A native Detroiter, he is a graduate of Mackenzie High School, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the University of Wisconsin School of Law.

He is currently Chapter President of the Alpha Alpha Beta Sigma (AABΣ) Alumni Chapter–Metropolitan Detroit of Phi Beta Sigma (ΦΒΣ) Fraternity, Inc.; an Executive Board Member of The Crescent Educational Foundation of Detroit; and an Executive Board Member of the Criminal Advocacy Program. He has served as President of the Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association since 2016.

Edwin David earned a B.A. in Accounting and Finance and an MBA with a concentration in International Accounting and Taxation, both from Wayne State University. Edwin recently retired after spending most of his career at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in the Corporate Finance Division. He is currently the Treasurer of several other nonprofit organizations in our community.

Edwin joined the board of The Crescent Educational Foundation of Detroit in fall 2023.

Edward Ewell, Jr. graduated from the University of Michigan and then earned a Master of Science degree from Atlanta University. He later graduated from Wayne State University Law School. After clerking for Federal Judge Damon J. Keith in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Judge Ewell became an associate at the law firm of Pepper, Hamilton & Scheetz; a Federal Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office; and General Counsel for Wayne County.

In August 2003, Ed Ewell was appointed to the Wayne County Circuit Court. He served in the Criminal Division for eleven years, five of them as Presiding Judge. For the past five years he has served in the Civil Division as a Business Court Judge.

Judge Ewell is very active in the community, serving on the boards of Henry Ford Health Systems, the Youth Connection, the Wayne State University Alumni Association, the Wayne State Law School Board of Visitors, the Association of Black Judges, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, and Sobriety House, and as Chairman of the Corinthian Baptist Church Deacon Board. He lives in the City of Detroit with his wife of thirty years, Attorney and Law Professor Florise Neville Ewell. They have two grown children.

Angela Hardison retired from Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, after nearly three decades as a Financial Analyst (1978–2007). At Ford she was recognized by President and CEO Jac Nasser as a community ambassador for the company, and by President Jim Padilla for her support of Focus Hope and of diversity in Metro Detroit. She also received Ford’s Diversity Award for her work with the Vista Maria home for young ladies, and Ford’s Leadership Award.

Angela was recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Detroit as a 2013 Distinguished Volunteer and was nominated by the Children’s Center for the Lisa V. Ford Heart and Soul Award. The Black Caucus Foundation of the State of Michigan recognized her for organizing the first Diversity Forum with the Detroit and Farmington school districts, and Focus Hope presented her with an Award for Leadership for the Ford team’s support of the Focus Hope Walk.

She has served on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Center of Detroit since 2007 and of the Community Outreach Board since 2008 (Vice President 2010–2011, Treasurer since 2013). In 2018 she organized the Seasons of Hope Foundation to serve as the philanthropic organization of the Sigma Pi Zeta Chapter, and she serves on its board. She also volunteers with AARP in the Detroit area and with Meals on Wheels in Farmington Hills.

Angela is a Diamond Life Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Pi Zeta Chapter, where she has served as Michigan State Organization Centennial Chairperson and Chapter Treasurer. A member of Community Church of God in Ypsilanti, she has served since 2018 as President of the Michigan State Ushers of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, with minors in economic business management and political science, from Wilberforce University in Ohio.

Carolyn Cole-Brown, M.H.S.A., is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across academic medical centers, hospital operations, clinical departments, and healthcare administration. She currently serves as Associate Chief Operating Officer of University Hospital at Michigan Medicine, where she helps lead operations within one of the nation’s premier academic health systems.

Cole-Brown has spent nearly 28 years with Michigan Medicine, advancing through a series of increasingly senior leadership roles. Prior to becoming Associate Chief Operating Officer in 2020, she served as Associate Hospital Director of University Hospital, Chief Department Administrator for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Division Administrator for Internal Medicine–Nephrology. Her career reflects broad expertise in hospital operations, academic medicine, clinical administration, strategic leadership, and organizational management.

Before joining Michigan Medicine, Cole-Brown served as Administrator of Diagnostic and Emergency Services at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in Detroit and as a Human Resources Consultant with Bronson Healthcare in Kalamazoo. Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions in California, including Assistant Hospital Administrator for the Department of Internal Medicine at Los Angeles County–USC Medical Center and Health Services Management Fellow at Olive View Medical Center.

Cole-Brown is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned a Master of Health Services Administration in Healthcare Administration from the School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. She also completed pre-medical studies through the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Throughout her career, Cole-Brown has built a reputation for leading complex healthcare organizations, supporting clinical excellence, and strengthening the systems and operations that enable high-quality patient care.

Angelo Gilmore, LMSW, LPC, is a licensed mental health professional with experience in counseling, rehabilitation services, and individual and relationship therapy. He serves as a Licensed Professional Counselor with Michigan Rehabilitation Services and also provides therapy through his private practice, Therapy Services of Clarkston, where he has worked as a self-employed therapist since 2022.

Gilmore provides counseling to individuals and couples and has experience in rehabilitation counseling, stress management, men’s issues, LGBTQ concerns, depression, anxiety, PTSD, spirituality, and grief. A central focus of his practice is grief counseling related to the psychology of death and dying, helping clients navigate loss, emotional transition, and the complex personal experiences that often accompany bereavement.

His work reflects a broad, client-centered approach to mental health, combining clinical counseling with rehabilitation and supportive services designed to help individuals strengthen emotional well-being, cope with life challenges, and move toward greater stability and resilience.