The Detroit-based Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, a full-service philanthropic working to lead the way to positive change in the region, welcomed new board members JoAnn Chávez and Chuck Stokes.
Chávez is senior vice president and chief legal officer for DTE Energy. In addition, she is an advocate for young people, most recently founding the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, a Michigan nonprofit that focuses on economic equity and provides opportunities for first-generation Hispanic students to graduate from college. She is a past chairwoman of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board of directions, sits on the board of the DTE Energy Foundation, and was recently appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the State of Michigan Women’s Commission.
Stokes is the editorial/public affairs director for WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 in Detroit. He has several personal awards and achievements including 12 Emmy awards for editorial reporting and two Emmys for documentary reporting. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and is a past president of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation. Stokes is a recipient of the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Lifetime Award and was inducted into the Michigan Association of Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame.
“We are honored that JoAnn Chávez and Chuck Stokes are bringing their leadership, experience, and passion as new members of the Community Foundation board of trustees,” says Mariam Noland, president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. “Their dedication to improving the lives of people in our region will be immensely helpful in our ongoing mission to create permanent, positive change.”
The foundation supports a variety of activities including those benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development, and civic affairs. Since 1984, the foundation has distributed more than $1.1 billion to nonprofit organizations in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston counties.
