Starfish Family Services, an Inkster-based nonprofit serving metro Detroit children and their families, announced the selection of Roxanne Brinkerhoff to be its next CEO.
A former Head Start parent herself, Brinkerhoff has served in leadership roles at children-focused nonprofits for over 20 years. A mother of two young adult children, Brinkerhoff is the former CEO of Detroit Institute for Children and a past executive at The Guidance Center, a strong and collaborative partner to Starfish.
“I am incredibly honored to welcome Roxanne to the CEO role at Starfish,” says Ann Kalass, retiring CEO of Starfish. “Our pathways have crossed for more than a decade, and I have witnessed Roxanne to be an unrelenting advocate for families, community, and innovation.”
For Brinkerhoff, this role is also personal as a former Head Start parent herself.
“I know first-hand how amazing Head Start is and how the program helps families through the day-to-day challenges while also helping to build hope and strength for tomorrow,” says Brinkerhoff.
Nearly 60 percent of Starfish’s clients are children ages zero to six. Brinkerhoff has dedicated her career to early interventions to support brain development and mitigate any traumas or delays at the earliest stage of life.
“I am so excited and honored to join the Starfish team and come home to the work I love the most,” says Brinkerhoff. “I have been fortunate to focus on children and families through my entire career, and early childhood education and behavioral health are the center of my passion and expertise.”
The search committee unanimously selected Brinkerhoff with enthusiastic support from the Board of Directors following a nationwide search facilitated by an executive recruitment firm.
A graduate of the University of Michigan and Leadership Detroit XXXVII, Brinkerhoff is a member and past vice president of Great Start Collaborative-Wayne. She is a proven asset to children and families who are navigating labels and social barriers, whether gender, special educational pathways, mental health needs, or neurodiversity.
“This is a terrific hire,” says Kalass. “Roxanne has a powerful determination, and I have no doubt that her expertise and vision will carry Starfish into an incredible new chapter.”
