The Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills has named Terry Barclay, founder of Janus Group, as chair of the Institute’s Board of Governors. Barclay succeeds Lee Smith, co-president, co-COO, and CFO of Flagstar Bank.
“I’m honored to further my involvement with Cranbrook Institute of Science and continue to be inspired by the work of this organization all the time,” says Barclay. “I look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members and Director Hale to help more people develop a curiosity about science and the natural world. Inspiring this wonder, especially in young people as they choose their career paths, is especially needed today.
“Together, we can build a strong future for Cranbrook and the hundreds of thousands of students and lifelong learners it serves every year.”
Barclay brings 35 years of Michigan business and civic leadership to this new role. Before founding Janus Group, she served as President and CEO of Inforum, Michigan’s leading professional organization dedicated to accelerating careers for women and boosting talent initiatives for companies, retiring from that post in October 2025 after leading the organization since 2001.
Under her leadership, Inforum grew to $5.8 million in assets and expanded initiatives such as the “Ascending to the C-Suite” collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Earlier in her career, she founded and led Operation ABLE of Michigan, served as senior vice president and chief external affairs officer for Hospice of Michigan, and served as director of university relations at Oakland University.
Barclay holds a BA in Urban Studies from The College of Wooster and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. Crain’s Detroit Business named her one of Michigan’s 100 Most Influential Women, and she was inducted into the 2018 Michigan Business Women’s Hall of Fame. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the board of The Nature Conservancy of Michigan, and as a board member of Detroit Public Theatre and an ambassador and founding member of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
She has served on the Cranbrook Institute of Science Board of Governors since 2009 and as a Cranbrook Educational Community trustee since 2021; in 2025, she joined the Committee for the Center for Collections and Research, a tenure spanning more than 15 years across the institution.
Cranbrook says it’s also grateful to Smith for his years of dedicated service as board c
“We are enormously thankful for Lee’s steady leadership and generous stewardship of Cranbrook Institute of Science,” says Lucy Hale, the Susan Flint Cooper Director of Cranbrook Institute of Science. “At the same time, we’re thrilled to welcome Terry to this role. Few people understand the heart of this institution the way she does: she has been part of the Cranbrook family for more than 15 years, first as a governor of the Institute of Science, then as a Cranbrook trustee, and most recently on the committee for our Center for Collections and Research.
“Her deep, sustained commitment to Cranbrook, paired with her track record building strong organizations and leadership networks across Michigan, will be a tremendous asset as the Institute continues to grow.”
