Board of Directors

ACLU OF MICHIGAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nathan Triplett, President, serves as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for the State Bar of Michigan. For over 15 years, he has worked in and around state and local government as an attorney, organizer, policy advocate, and elected official. He previously served as Minority Legal Counsel for the Michigan House of Representatives and as the Director of Public Policy and Political Action at Equality Michigan. At EQMI, Triplett spearheaded a successful, first-in-the-nation campaign to secure an interpretive statement from the Michigan Civil Rights Commission establishing that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is encompassed within the state’s existing statutory prohibition of sex discrimination. Triplett served on the East Lansing City Council for eight years. He was elected to serve as the city's youngest Mayor in 2013 and as President of the Michigan Municipal League. Triplett joined the ACLU of Michigan’s Board of Directors in 2012 and was elected President in 2020. He also serves as Chair of the Capital Area Transportation Authority Board of Directors, as a commissioner of both the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and Ingham County Parks and Recreation Commission, and as Vice President of the MML Foundation. He is a graduate of Michigan State University's James Madison College with degrees in Political Theory/Constitutional Democracy and Social Relations. He also holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the MSU College of Law.

Kate Wolters, Vice President and Chair of the Nominating Committee, is the President of the KRW Foundation, founded by Kate and her late husband Richard to support non-profit organizations with an emphasis in the arts, education, social justice and people with disabilities. Kate recently retired as a member of the Board of Directors of Steelcase Inc. after 23 years, and is the chair of the Steelcase Foundation. She was appointed chair of the Steelcase Foundation upon her leaving the post of executive director of the Foundation in October 1996. She serves as Co-Chair of First Steps Kent board and was appointed by Gov. Granholm to an eight-year term as a member of the governing board of Grand Valley State University in 2004, reappointed by Gov. Snyder for a four-year term and subsequently an eight year term until 2024.  Kate was appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Clinton in 1994 and reconfirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1996 where she served until 2003.  For eight of her nine years she served as its vice chair. Kate joined the Steelcase Foundation in 1986 as executive director after serving as director of the Grand Rapids Center for Independent Living for two years. From 1982 to 1984, she was a staff social worker in the Steelcase Inc. Counseling and Referral Center. Kate received her BA from Aquinas College and holds a master's degree in social work from Michigan State University. 

Joe Malcoun, Vice President and Chair of the Fund Development Committee, is an Ann Arbor based investor and entrepreneur. He is Founder of Cahoots, a 25,000 sq. ft. innovative shared office concept and place of community for tech companies and their teams in downtown Ann Arbor. He led Nutshell, a sales collaboration tool for small and medium-sized businesses, for six years as it’s CEO where he spent most of his time building external partnerships with other software companies. Prior to joining Nutshell, Joe founded CKM Capital, an early-stage technology investment firm that has invested in dozens of startups. Before founding CKM Capital, Joe was a member of the Strategy and Corporate Development team at DTE Energy and was an early employee at the sustainability consultancy GreenOrder where he led projects for leadership teams at General Electric, General Motors and a number of other F500 enterprises. He is a three-time graduate of the University of Michigan including a M.S. in Environmental Economics and an M.B.A. from the Ross School of Business. Joe is very active in the Ann Arbor community and recently led an investment group to acquire and preserve the Blind Pig, an iconic live music club. He loves live music, paddles wood-canvas canoes better than he rides bikes, and has a severe weakness for good food.

Mike Naughton, Secretary, is an attorney and partner at North Coast Legal, PLC and is the chairperson of the newly formed ACLU Northwest Michigan Lawyers Committee. In 2016, Michael served as a Regional Manager for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, with a territory encompassing the approximately 30 counties in northern lower Michigan and all the upper peninsula. Michael is one of the leading legal authorities on digital privacy, corporate privacy compliance and electronic communication. In 2017, he was recognized as a "40 Under 40" in the Traverse City Business News and has been named a "Superlawyer" by Superlawyers Magazine in 2019, 2020, and 2021.  Michael served as the president of the Grand Traverse Leelanau Antrim Bar Association and helped to host the Michigan Supreme Court as it performed oral arguments in Traverse City for the first time. He has served as treasurer of the Grand Traverse County Economic Development Corporation, on the board of the 20 Fathoms incubator, and was an officer of TCNewTech. Chief Judge Robert Jonker of the Western District of Michigan selected Michael to serve on the Magistrate Selection Panel for the Court. Michael graduated from Wayne State University in 2002 with a B.A. in English and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2007. He participated in a study abroad program in Moscow, Russia, where he participated in roundtable discussions with Russian and American law students on the importance of human rights in the respective countries.

Melissa Cragg, Treasurer, is the retired Chief Investment Officer of The Fisher Group.  Prior to working with the Fisher Group Melissa was the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer at the Detroit Medical Center and a corporate banker with Comerica Bank. Melissa’s board experience includes Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation, The Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit and Women’s Caring Program. Melissa has also served on the Investment Committees of a number of charities including Trinity Health Corporation, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. Melissa earned both her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Washington University in St. Louis.

Derrell Slaughter, National Board Representative, is a Michigan Clean Energy Advocate at the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Prior to joining the NRDC, Derrell was a consultant at Public Sector Consultants (PSC) and worked for the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), where he played an integral role in the commission's implementation efforts of the state's most recent energy policy. Outside of his work at NRDC, he serves on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners as the Commissioner that represents the 3rd district, South Lansing. He was elected in November of 2018 and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners, Committee Assignments and Member of the County Services and Human Services Committees. He is a proud member of the ACLU of Michigan's Board of Directors when he serves as one the organization's Vice President. He has a BA in Public Policy from Michigan State University.

Johnell Allen-Bey is the coordinator and chair for the Nation Outside Flint Chapter. After serving 29 years with the Michigan Department of Corrections, Johnell is committed to developing change in our communities. After being released in 2018, he is relentless in his efforts and has left an indelible mark with Nation Outside, MCYJ, Michigan Liberation, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. He is also the proud owner of Johnell’s Transportation which delivers packages for Staples, Amazon, Walmart and Cardinals Pharmaceuticals. Johnell is happily married to Dr. Tshombe O. Allen and is a proud father and grandfather.

Michael Carter is the Executive Director of the Federal Community Defenders Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Prior to this position, Michael worked as a supervising attorney for the Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) Office in Detroit. While at NDS, Michael supervised a team of advocates, including attorneys and social workers, and oversaw a training program for court appointed lawyers in Wayne County. Michael previously spent four years as a staff attorney at the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia office where he represented indigent clients in serious felony cases. Before coming back as Executive Director, Michael worked at FCDO as a staff attorney.  He has represented hundreds of clients and tried numerous criminal cases in state and federal courts in Michigan and Washington D.C. Michael currently serves serves as a board member for the National Association of Federal Defenders, the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, and as chair for the board of the Detroit Justice Center.  Michael is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.  

Dessa Cosma grew up in the Deep South, splitting her time between New Orleans, LA and Augusta, GA. She’s been a social justice activist for as long as she can remember, starting her environmental, LGBTQ, and reproductive justice efforts in high school. She attended the University of Georgia, and earned bachelor's degrees in International Affairs, Women’s Studies, and Anthropology. After graduation, Dessa moved to Detroit to work as the Senior Field Organizer for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan. In 2014, Dessa graduated with a Masters in Social Justice from Marygrove College. At that time, she was the Michigan Program Director for the Center for Progressive Leadership, training hundreds of activists, candidates, and campaign managers across the state. She then became the Executive Director of the Economic Justice Alliance of Michigan, which she helped to start in collaboration with some of Detroit’s most dedicated economic and racial justice champions.  Since 2017, Dessa has been a facilitator with Allies for Change, which provides anti-oppression education, training, and resources for individuals and organizations committed to social change. She was a University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women + Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist from 2017-2019 and is a founding design team member of the Transforming Power Fund. In 2018, Dessa started Detroit Disability Power to grow the organizing power of the disability community and to continue bridging the gap between the disability community and larger social justice movements. She has particular interest in disability focused political work that is grounded in anti-racism and economic justice.

Rana Elmir joined Proteus Fund as the Program Director for the RISE Together Fund having devoted her career to storytelling, and activism. With the RTF team, Rana works alongside Black, African, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian movements to build a just, inclusive and multiracial democracy through grantmaking, capacity building, funder organizing and partnerships. Prior to RTF, Rana was a member of the ACLU of Michigan’s senior leadership team for nearly 16 years as Communications Director, then Deputy Director and finally Interim Executive Director. Working with a 35-member team, Rana led various equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts, and helped guide legal, advocacy and media strategies supporting BAMEMSA and immigrant communities, LGBTQ equality, criminal legal reform, reproductive freedom, and racial justice. However, as a former journalist, Rana is first and foremost a storyteller who deeply believes in the power of personal narrative as a driver of authentic, ethical and servant community leadership.  Her experiences and identity as a Muslim immigrant who fled the Lebanese civil war as a child have shaped her activism, and vision for philanthropy. While her serious side is frequently displayed, she’s also an indefatigable nerd who enjoys spending her time birding, watching Jeopardy, and telling painfully corny jokes.  

Carmen Garcia is the Associate Director of Philanthropy at WDET, Detroit’s NPR station. Her long history with WDET began as a volunteer when she was a Wayne State student, studying the art and science of radio and television broadcast. While she has raised money for several key organizations in the Detroit area over the years, Carmen​'s heart was never far from WDET. As Associate Director for Philanthropy, Carmen is responsible for increasing annual operating support for WDET by aligning fundraising efforts and securing leadership level annual gifts. She loves to give back to the community by serving as a volunteer reader and fundraiser for the Detroit Radio Information Service, DRIS.

Dave Garcia is the former Executive Director of Affirmation where he served for 8 years in two separate stints. For five years Dave served as the Director of Policy and Community Building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Previously, Dave also served as the Executive Director of The Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center (now OutFront) and before that in various leadership positions at the YMCA. For 10 years, Dave served on the Board of Directors of CenterLink - the national LGBTQ+ Community Center’s Network and is currently on the Board of Directors for Michigan Humanities. Dave first began his fight for queer equality after being fired from his position as the Community Services Coordinator of Swartz Creek for his attempt to start a Gay Straight Alliance in the public schools back in 2000. After walking 55 miles overnight from the doors of Swartz Creek High School to the State Capitol, Garcia delivered what would be one of many heartfelt and inspiring speeches. Over the past twenty-five years, Dave has continued his dedicated efforts to improve lives and advance justice for all. Recently, Dave received a State Proclamation from Governor Whitmer and the Michigan LGBTQ Caucus in appreciation for his dedicated efforts to improve the lives of the Michigan queer community and Affirmations’ Board of Directors voted to name the annual Affirmations’ Community Hero Award in his honor for perpetuity. Additional accomplishments include being named, “Civil Libertarian of the Year” by the ACLU of Flint, being featured in Dan Woog’s book, Jocks II – Coming Out to Play, winning two 2009 Michigan Addy awards for his film work and being named Student of the Year in Communications and Media at the University of Michigan – Flint. In addition, Dave has completed a full-length documentary, Fences, and is a critically acclaimed playwright. His play, Candy Corn, Christ and the Convoluted Creation of Golf debuted to sold-out audiences at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor and was named a top ten show of Michigan by the Flint Journal.

Katherine Humphrey is a longtime advocate for women, children, and families with a passionate commitment to social justice and human rights for all people. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Duke University and a Master of Science Degree in Counseling from Indiana University and served as President/CEO of Planned Parenthood in West and Northern Michigan for 27 years. Prior to that, she worked as a therapist and administrator in the community mental health sector and as a hospital social worker serving terminally ill children and their families. Kathy was co-founder of the Progressive Women’s Alliance PAC and co-founder of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. She is currently a Vice President of the Board of the ACLU of Michigan and serves on multiple regional community boards and steering committees.

Megan Norris is the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the law firm, Miller Canfield, the first female to hold that position in the Firm’s almost 170 year history. In that role, she oversaw the firm's 18 offices in six countries. As is Miller Canfield’s tradition, Megan’s primary responsibility for the next two years will be to provide transitional and substantive support to the incoming CEO.  In addition, Megan has a mediation/arbitration practice, and has been chosen as the Special Master for several large class action lawsuits.  Prior to becoming CEO, Megan served as the leader of the firm's Employment and Labor Group for 15 years and served for eight years on the firm's Board of Managing Directors, the last six years as chair. An accomplished litigator who has been elected by her national peers to both the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers, Megan has expertise litigating all matters of employment law, including statutory claims under the ADA, FMLA and Title VII, as well as tort claims such as defamation, tortious interference with contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Megan advises employers on matters ranging from hiring to termination, and in addition, advises clients on non-employment issues relating to both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Megan received her B.A. from Wesleyan College and her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

Shelley Padnos graduated from Michigan State University and went on to receive her law degree from Thomas Cooley Law School. She is executive vice president of PADNOS. Shelley is past president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the national trade association representing scrap processors and recyclers across North America. She was appointed by the EPA to the National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technologies Superfund Subcommittee that was charged with making recommendations to the Clinton Administration on the reauthorization of Superfund legislation. In addition to serving on the Grand Valley University Foundation board of directors, she also served as former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Grand Valley State University. 

Freda G. Sampson is a seasoned Certified Diversity Professional with extensive experience spanning corporate, non-profit, and entrepreneurial domains. Her commitment lies in fostering connections across racial and cultural divides through active community engagement, advocacy, and organizational development. Freda brings to the table a robust skill set encompassing diversity & inclusion, cultural competency, as well as project development and implementation. With a track record of leadership roles in both corporate and nonprofit sectors, Freda has spearheaded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on an organizational scale. Notably, she served as a pivotal figure at the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, overseeing the design and execution of multiple initiatives aimed at promoting racial equity in Metropolitan Detroit. In addition to her corporate and nonprofit engagements, Freda has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning, and managing several successful coffee houses in midtown Detroit. Since 2016, she has also operated her own consulting firm, where she serves as principal and lead strategist. Looking ahead, Freda is set to embark on a PhD program in Leadership in Equity & Inclusion starting in Fall 2024. Her academic journey complements her practical experience, bolstered by a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Tennessee State University, and an Associate of Arts Degree from Brooks School of Design in Long Beach, CA. Freda's dedication to professional growth is evident in her certification as a qualified administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory in 2016, alongside her participation in various leadership programs, including those offered by New Detroit’s Multicultural Leadership Program, Harvard University School of Divinity, Leadership Detroit (Class XXXIII), Disability Inclusion certificate at U of M and the University of Michigan’s Worldview Seminar on World Religions. Recognized for her expertise and contributions, Freda has been featured in numerous local and national publications. As a published author with ongoing projects, she continues to shape discourse on pertinent issues. Beyond her professional pursuits, Freda is deeply involved in community service, serving as the Executive Director for the Frederick G. Sampson Foundation, and contributing her expertise to several community and nonprofit boards.

John Shea is an attorney in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he has been in private practice since 1988. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1983 and to Michigan's bar in 1985 and is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and United States District Courts in the Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Illinois, and Southern District of Indiana. He has a trial practice in state and federal courts devoted primarily to criminal defense, but he also represents clients in civil cases with criminal law undertones, commercial and real estate litigation, professional malpractice defense, and in proceedings before the Attorney Discipline Board and other disciplinary agencies. Mr. Shea is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BA Economics, 1979; JD, 1982). He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (Chair, Prisons/Corrections Council 2011-2013; Co-Chair, Criminal Jurisprudence and Practice Committee, 2023- ); Washtenaw County, Illinois State and American Bar Associations; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (Rules/Laws Committee, Co-Chair 2008- ); Criminal Defense Lawyers of Washtenaw County (President, 1992-1994); a Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (President, 2022) and the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and an advisory board member of Michigan Partners in Crisis.