NORTHERN INITIATIVES - Key Persons


Alfred Joyal III

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board
  • Retired Provost of Northern Michigan University / Marquette, Michigan

Amanda Blondeau - Chief Strategy Officer

Job Titles:
  • Chief Strategy Officer

Amber Gransinger

Job Titles:
  • Loan Asset Administrator

Becky Blom

Job Titles:
  • Accounting Coordinator

Brenda Olson

Job Titles:
  • Commercial Lending Assistant

Cailin Kelly

Job Titles:
  • Business Coach

Carol Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board
  • Dean / Northern Michigan University School of Business / Marquette, Michigan

Chandra McMillion

Job Titles:
  • CEO / McMillion Group / Orchard Lake, Michigan

Charles Van Loan

Job Titles:
  • Retired President, Independent Bank / Ionia, Michigan

Chris Wendel

Job Titles:
  • Initiate Relationship Manager

Chuck Hurst

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Commercial Lending

Elissa Sangalli - CEO, President

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • President
  • Leader of the Year

Eric Trevan

Job Titles:
  • President, Local Solutions / Gilbert, Arizona

Erin Beauprez

Job Titles:
  • Senior HR Consultant

Gavin Leach

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board
  • Vice President, Finance and Administration / Northern Michigan University / Marquette, Michigan

Greg West

Job Titles:
  • Program Manager / Michigan Economic Development Corp. Lansing, Michigan

Israel Flores

Job Titles:
  • Business Services Director

Jenny Mualhlun

Job Titles:
  • Business Coach

Jessa Armstrong

Job Titles:
  • Initiate Product Manager

Jill Miller

Job Titles:
  • Accounting Manager

Jodee Taylor

Job Titles:
  • Media Contact
  • Content Coordinator

Jody Lindberg

Job Titles:
  • Business Coach

Justin Andert

Job Titles:
  • Business Coach

Kathy Mason

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board
  • Retired Chief Financial Officer / Escanaba, Michigan

Kayla Britting

Job Titles:
  • Accountant

Kevin Boyle

Job Titles:
  • Retired Attorney / Latham & Watkins / Beaver Island, Michigan

Lee Ann Heikkila

Job Titles:
  • Data and Impact Manager

Loan Asset

Job Titles:
  • Loan Asset Administrator

Mark Williams

Job Titles:
  • President / Michigan Certified Development Corp. East Lansing, Michigan

Mary Bickel

Job Titles:
  • Business Coach

Mary Houghton

Job Titles:
  • Retired President / ShoreBank

Matthew Shaw

Job Titles:
  • Credit Analyst

Meghan Disselkoen

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant

Meredith Freeman

Job Titles:
  • Senior Program Manager / the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation / Southfield, Michigan

Michael Oman

Job Titles:
  • IT Manager

Michelle Saatio

Job Titles:
  • Commercial Lending Assistant

Nadia Brigham

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board
  • Owner, GRNoir

Natalee Farley

Job Titles:
  • Credit Analyst

Natasha Koss

Job Titles:
  • Development Manager

Norma Jazwinski

Job Titles:
  • Commercial

Peter Graves

Job Titles:
  • Retired Chief Information Officer and Senior VP / Ionia, Michigan

Rachel Thomas

Job Titles:
  • Credit Manager

Ron Gryzwinski

Job Titles:
  • Retired Chairman and CEO / ShoreBank

Sam Lanctot

Job Titles:
  • Commercial

Sara Bednarek

Job Titles:
  • Commercial Lending Assistant

Sara Proano

Job Titles:
  • Manager, Community Engagement

Sean Hollins

Sean Hollins knows all too well the challenges of being a Black business owner - the search for funding, the wealth disparities, the lack of access to materials at a fair market rate. "Some of those challenges are still in front of me, but funding was the biggest," he said. Hollins is grateful for Northern Initiatives' support, and appreciates the big picture. "What owning a business is going to help do is close that wealth gap," he said. "Instead of sitting at the table eating someone else's meal, I'm able to prepare the meal."

Stacy Zielinski

Job Titles:
  • Initiate Director

Thomas Vear

Job Titles:
  • Owner, the Delft Bistro and

Tiffany Bernethy

Job Titles:
  • Loan Operations Manager

Venard Roberson

Job Titles:
  • Commercial

Wes Maurer Jr.

Job Titles:
  • Owner