WHO WE ARE
MEET OUR TEAM
Abbey Davis
(she/her/hers)
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
As an Organizational Development Consultant, Abbey dedicates herself to supporting the people and nonprofits who are creating the communities we envision. She is passionate about fostering inclusion, and leveraging talent across the nonprofit sector. Having joined NEW in 2021, Abbey brings experience as program director of a global nonprofit with her to the team. She is also actively involved with several local organizations, including the Ann Arbor Y, and Washtenaw Alliance for Children and Youth.
ALEXXUS WATSON
(she/her/hers)
FINANCIAL CONSULTANT
Alexxus, one of NEW’s Financial Consultants, supports our peer nonprofits through our bookkeeping service. She assists with recording transactions, monthly reconciliations, and preparing monthly financial reports. Before coming to NEW, Alexxus was a student at Eastern Michigan University. There, she co-founded a sisterhood, mental wellness, and community service organization named Sistas That Care. Her years of experience helped her understand how nonprofits can achieve and sustain success. Alexxus currently lives in Southfield, her hometown.
Brent Sitterley
(he/him/his)
LEAD SYSTEM/HELPDESK ADMINISTRATOR
Brent offers technical support to NEW’s nonprofit clients as a System Administrator. He helps resolve computer issues remotely through the helpdesk, and travels on-site when needed. Interestingly, Brent has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Eastern Michigan University. His certificates in Computer Hardware/Operating System Software and Networking from Washtenaw Community College get more use, though. When he joined NEW in 2018, Brent brought 17 years of tech support experience to the team.
Brian Frederick
(he/him/his)
IT MANAGED SERVICES MANAGER/CONSULTANT
Brian, our IT Managed Services Manager (and Consultant), is an organized IT professional. He has about a decade of experience in the field, with previous roles in supporting MSP helpdesks. He’s cool under pressure and enjoys helping others through challenges – perfect traits for his role. At NEW, he’s excited to work with a diverse group of people, both on our team and in the community. Originally from Indianapolis, IN, Brian lives in Tecumseh and has called Michigan home for two (2) decades.
CARLY FRIEDRICH
(she/her/hers)
DIRECTOR OF LEARNING COMMUNITIES
As Director of Learning Communities, Carly helps support the planning and implementation of NEW’s various programs and learning communities (i.e. Leadership DELI, Champions for Change, etc.). She brings a background in Restorative Practices and Conflict Resolution to her work, and is excited to explore the ways these approaches can advance capacity and community building. Raised in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, Carly moved to Michigan to attend the University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
Curtis Mitchell
(he/him/his)
SYSTEM/HELPDESK ADMINISTRATOR
Curtis, an IT Systems Administrator, enjoys resolving people’s technical problems, especially if he’s learning or discovering something new. He brings over 15 years of IT experience to our team. He got his Associate’s degree in Network Administration from Mott Community College, where he later worked as an IT Specialist for Faculty and Staff. Curtis also joined NEW with experience working for a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and ending homelessness. In his free time, Curtis likes golfing and spending time with friends and family.
Dan Moon
(he/him/his)
OFFICE MANAGER
Our Office Manager, Dan, joined the NEW team in 2023. He manages the day-to-day work concerning all things NEW Center – conference room rentals, phone service, landscaping, you name it. Dan has a passion for creating comfortable, welcoming spaces and loves pushing The NEW Center in that direction. His previous work lives have involved project management, wildlife control, and the outdoor industry. Dan has lived in Grand Rapids, Ypsilanti and now in Jackson. In his free time, he’s getting more into running, and learning to speak/read/write Korean.
Dawn Espy
(they/them/theirs)
DIRECTOR OF CONSULTING
Dawn, our Director of Consulting, joined NEW in 2023. They balance their time between supporting our team of consultants and working with the community. As a consultant, they love supporting people and organizations as they grow and access their full potential. Before NEW, Dawn spent nearly a decade working with youth experiencing housing instability and educational inequity. In their free time, Dawn is a huge sports fan. If there’s something big in sports happening – especially Michigan football – Dawn is following along on their phone or tv
Erica Rodriguez
(she/her/hers)
SENIOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR/CONSULTANT
Erica, one of our Senior Systems Administrators & Consultants, joined NEW in 2022 with over 20 (twenty) years of IT experience. She has worked in the IT departments of Trinity Health at St. Mary Mercy Hospital and Vista Maria. She’s also credentialed; Erica has both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Information Systems. Erica was born and raised in Belleville, MI where she currently lives with her two kids. When she’s not working, Erica is involved with her church – Romulus Community Baptist Church – or focusing on her cake business!
Henry Robinson
(he/him/his)
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
Henry, one of our team’s Organizational Development Consultants, joined NEW in 2024. He comes to our team with experience in strategic planning, grant writing, leadership, evaluation, and more. He previously worked in higher education in Colorado, New York, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Fittingly, Henry has degrees from Bowling Green, “The Ohio State University,” and a Doctorate from Michigan State. Henry grew up in Toledo, Ohio as one of six (6) children in a low-income household. Now, he lives in Novi with his wife, mother-in-law, and dog.
Jessica Carmichael
(she/her/hers)
COMMUNICATIONS & CONTRIBUTIONS COORDINATOR
As Communications and Contributions Coordinator, Jessica provides visuals for NEW’s work, and researches funding opportunities. She’s excited to be at a workplace where she feels like her work has a purpose and supports things she believes in. Before NEW, Jessica spent thirteen (13) years as a graphic designer, freelance photographer and video editor. She now lives in Ann Arbor with her daughter and cat. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, playing her guitar and singing, drawing, and staying active.
Mai Hitotsuyanagi
(she/her/hers)
LEARNING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM MANAGER
Mai joined our team as Learning Communities Program Manager in 2024. She’s excited to be part of a team “dedicated to awareness and systemic change from a social justice lens.” She’s also looking forward to learning from the participants in NEW’s diverse Learning Communities. Outside of NEW, Mai loves to hike, climb outside, travel, grow vegetables, cook and bake, and train others (personal training). She’s even started a climbing group for women and non-binary folks, and is working towards turning it into a 501(c)3 non profit.
Megan Featherstone
(she/her/hers)
PROGRAM MANAGER, FINANCIAL SERVICES
As Program Manager of Financial Services, Megan provides admin support to and manages projects for our Financial Services team. She loves to support clients at all stages of financial development. Before joining NEW in 2022, Megan spent over a decade in nonprofits and higher education. She also has a Masters in International Education from the School for International Training (VT). Megan was born and raised in northwest Detroit, and now calls Hamtramck home. She’s passionate about environmental justice, native plants and gardening, and habitat restoration.
Natalie Hensel
(she/her/hers)
FINANCIAL CONSULTANT & SYSTEMS AND DATA MANAGER
Natalie holds a dual role at NEW as a Financial Consultant AND Systems and Data Manager. Natalie assists NEW’s mission-driven clients in bookkeeping and financial consulting services. She also collaborates with NEW’s approach teams to utilize software and systems in alignment with our values. Natalie has prior experience in arts & cultural nonprofits and youth-oriented organizations. She’s also involved with the Amplify Project. Born and raised in Saginaw, Natalie now lives in Ann Arbor with her spouse and kids.
Nathan Flanders
(he/him/his)
SENIOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR/CONSULTANT
As Senior IT Systems Administrator, Nathan handles second tier technical support to clients. He also collaborates with our IT Director and Helpdesk Manager to coordinate long-term client projects. This can include data migrations to cloud services and system-wide updates. Since joining NEW in 2017, Nathan has brought a unique blend of creativity and precision to his work. At the University of Michigan, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies with a minor in Earth Sciences.
Nivedita “Nivi” Joshi
(she/her/hers)
SYSTEM/HELPDESK ADMINISTRATOR
Nivi, one of our System/Helpdesk Administrators, helps support NEW’s many nonprofit clients across SE Michigan. She’s excited to be working with us as her first job since moving to the United States in 2020! Though it’s her first role stateside, Nivi has years of experience in delivering technical support. She’s skilled in helpdesk support and at deploying security products such as Active Directory and Iaas. Outside of working, Nivi enjoys gardening, meditation, volunteering and watching Netflix.
Odia Kaba
(she/her/hers)
FINANCIAL CONSULTANT
In her role as Financial Consultant, Odia specializes in team standards and practices. She assists with processing transaction information, preparing monthly reconciliations, and preparing monthly financial reports. An undergraduate student at Eastern Michigan University, Odia first joined our team in 2020 as an intern before coming onto staff in 2021. In her spare time, Odia enjoys reading, traveling, and creative projects. (Check out her Etsy Shop: Aido Studio!)
Terri McKinnon
(she/her/hers)
DIRECTOR OF IT MANAGED SERVICES
Terri, our Director of IT Operations, has been a rock of support to NEW’s IT clients since 2013. In her work, Terri collaborates to deploy technologies, manage projects, and offer technical user support. Before joining the NEW team, Terri worked in the aviation fuel industry as an Accounting Supervisor. She is also actively engaged in community organizing and serves on several Boards. Her roles include Vice Chair of the Jackson County Democratic Committee
Tina Rowan Zoller
(she/her/hers)
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
Our Director of Finance & Employee Experience, Tina, came to NEW in 2023. Here, she manages and provides strategic direction to NEW’s internal finances and all aspects of employee experience. Previously, Tina served as the Founding Executive Director for Accent Pontiac, a social change through music program. She’s a violinist, and has performed with several regional orchestras in SE Michigan, Michael Buble, Sarah McLachlan, and the Detroit Pistons. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tina is passionate about supporting organizations in her home state
Will Jones III
(he/him/his)
VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY
Will, our vice president of strategy, serves in an overarching leadership role across our team. He shares stories that amplify NEW’s work; brings people and resources into our community; and shapes and stewards our learning, growth and strategy as we pursue our vision. Will’s leadership style celebrates creativity, and leans on lessons learned as an Eagle Scout, and #girldad. He also loves hosting events that joyfully bring people together. You can catch him, his wife, and their daughters walking their three (3) dogs around Detroit’s west side.
Yodit Mesfin Johnson
(she/her/hers)
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
As President & CEO, Yodit stewards our bold vision, strategic direction and overall operations. A mother, poet, strategist, and champion for human rights and social change, she first joined NEW as a consultant in 2008, and became CEO in 2020. Yodit thrives in building community around the questions that matter most; how can we unlock the potential and possibility needed to radically transform our communities, see the ecosystem and the whole, and design and act in ways that bend the long arc of history towards balance and harmony?