WELCOME TO THE 2025 ALICE SUMMIT
MEET THE PRESENTERS
As deputy director for prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), Kim Trent is charged with guiding and building support for efforts to boost the economic mobility and security of Michigan citizens through public policy, strategic initiatives, programming and partnerships. Trent leads LEO’s prosperity division, which includes the Michigan Poverty Task Force, a body of 14 state department directors convened by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019 to build collaborative strategies to lower Michigan’s ALICE rate.
PTF has issued two policy reports with more than 60 recommendations. PTF successfully advocated for boosting the state’s match for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit from six percent to 30 percent. PTF has worked closely with the Whitmer administration and state legislature to use the findings of an analysis it commissioned from the University of Kansas to modernize and improve the state’s TANF program to better serve struggling Michiganders.
A former political journalist for The Detroit News and longtime guest columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Trent has worked as a top aide to several of Michigan’s leading elected officials of the past generation, including former U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and former Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. A fifth generation Michigander with family roots in the state that stretch back to the 1830s, she lives in her hometown of Detroit with her husband and son.
Holly Miller serves as the President and CEO for United Way of Midland County. She is a collaborative community leader who is driven to improve lives by bringing people together.
She is an active participate in numerous community groups including Rotary, Contemporary Review Club, Midland Business Alliance, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance Leadership Class of 2018 and Our Community Listens.
She serves many local collaborative groups like Health & Human Services Council, Community Success Panel, Distinguished Women Executive Council, Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition, Disability Coalition, and Hunger Connections. She serves on the United Way Worldwide Network Decision-Making Council, the Michigan Association of United Way’s board of directors and is leading the statewide ALICE project work.
She attended Kendall School of Design, earning a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. She holds a Certifications in Positive Psychology, Creating Positive Change and Harwood Public Innovation.
Miller resides in Midland with her husband and loves spending time with family, including her two children, their spouses, and four amazing grandchildren who currently live in Michigan and Massachusetts.
Bobby Dorigo Jones, Director of ALICE & Public Policy, Michigan Association of United Ways
Bobby has spent ten years working to improve the lives of people in Michigan through public policy changes ranging across child care, housing, and K-12 education.
Bobby is a lifelong Michigander with a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University and a Masters in Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Carrie Iafrate is a confident, heartfelt leader who inspires. A Midland native, with a 20+ year career, she became President & CEO of Members First Credit Union in 2022.
As a lifelong volunteer and supporter of people, Carrie has always been connected to the idea that we rise by lifting others up. Through her time working at United Way, serving with Rotary, and now as a CEO, she embraces the responsibility of her role to ensure we all thrive.
Carrie is actively involved in Members First’s communities across Michigan as well as local, state, and national industry affiliations. She is a founding member of United Way’s Young Leaders United, has received a Spirit of Rotary Award and Credit Union Spirit Award. Carrie speaks openly about her love for her credit union and her team’s commitment to people helping people and financial wellbeing for all.
Anna has spent more than 25 years helping people through workforce development. Over the years, she’s worn many hats — from direct service provider to team leader, manager, and director — always with a focus on supporting individuals and strengthening communities. Today, as a Programs Director for Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works!, Anna oversees services that connect job seekers with opportunities and employers with talent across five counties. A proud Alma College graduate and lifelong resident of the area, she has volunteered with Women’s Aid Service, American Legion Post 256, and for several youth sports clubs.
Shelly Raube serves as the Vice President of Student Empowerment and Success at Delta College, where she has been a dedicated advocate for students since 2008. Throughout her career at Delta, she has led with vision, empathy, and innovation across a range of roles within student and educational services. Grounded in student advocacy, strategic vision, and organizational improvement, Shelly brings a holistic understanding of the student experience to her leadership. She is known for her student-centered approach, her ability to build collaborative and transformative support systems, and her deep commitment to ensuring every student has the resources and encouragement they need to succeed. Passionate about advancing equitable access to higher education, Shelly works to strengthen partnerships across the community to expand opportunities for all learners.
Chuck Sherwin has served as President of MyMichigan Medical Center Midland since 2022. Prior to that, he dedicated more than 25 years to MyMichigan in Alpena, holding roles that included Director of Organizational Improvement, Administrator of the Alpena Cancer Center, Vice President of Business Development and Clinical Services, and Chief Nursing Officer. From 2018 to 2022, he was President of MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena.
Chuck holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois. He has also pursued post-master’s education in Strategic Leadership. Chuck is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a former Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.
Beyond his professional role, Chuck is active in the community and has served on numerous boards. In 2021, he was Assistant District Governor for Rotary International, and in 2020 he served as President of the Alpena Rotary Club for District 6310. He currently serves on the boards of United Way of Midland County and Family & Children’s Services of Mid-Michigan.
Chuck and his wife, Shannon, enjoy being part of the communities they serve and are proud parents of two adult children.
I have over 15 years of HR experience with organizations such as Coca-Cola, Dow Corning, SK Siltron CSS, and now HSC. I hold two masters degrees – one in HR and the other in employment law. When I’m not working, I’m hanging out with my family and our animals (2 dogs and 2 cats).
Linzy Kurdziel is the Manager of Income Qualified Energy Waste Reduction at Consumers Energy, where she is a strategic leader who provides clean energy opportunities to Michigan’s most vulnerable communities. With a background in civil engineering and project management that continues to help drive her 10+ year career in the utility industry, Linzy blends technical expertise with her own lived experiences to design equity-driven, accessible programs that deliver sustainable results. She’s passionate about turning bold ideas into practical solutions that work for people.
Nicole Beagle has held the role of Emergency Solutions Grant Program Manager within MSHDA’s Rental Assistance and Homeless Solutions Division for the past year and a half. Nicole has been employed with MSHDA for almost 18 years with experience in both homeless programs such as ESG, as well as Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency and Key to Own Homeownership Programs. Prior to taking on the role of ESG Program Manager, she was a Homeless Assistance Specialist for 12 years where she grant-managed the ESG Program for over 21 counties across the state of Michigan. Nicole was also the lead project specialist on the implementation of the Recovery Housing and Recovery Housing Investment Programs within her work unit. Nicole holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, which has assisted her work immensely in the virtual space recently.
Alicia Guevara currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. Ms. Guevara joined ECIC in June 2020 as the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy and filled the role of Senior Director of Equity and Leadership before becoming CEO. Ms. Guevara brings nearly 18 years of extensive experience advocating for equitable outcomes and opportunities on behalf of children and families. Under her leadership at ECIC, Think Babies Michigan was created and has a strong coalition of 3,000 members across the state. Additionally, Ms. Guevara led the launch of the National Center for Family and Parent Leadership, which is sharing capacity with early childhood leaders across the country to embed and center family voices in systems change efforts.
Prior to her arrival at ECIC, Ms. Guevara served as the director of the Kinship Care Resource Center at the Michigan State University School of Social Work and she worked for the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) as the director of the Kids Count project. Additionally, as Democratic Central Staff for the Michigan House of Representatives, she served as the lead analyst on issues affecting children, families, and seniors, along with immigration, women’s health, and regulatory reform. She is also a proud Class 11 fellow with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Families Fellowship program.
Ms. Guevara earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Michigan and Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.
Ms. Guevara lives in Waverly (Delta Township), where she serves on the board of education. Her family, including two beautiful daughters, enjoy attending school events, playing at the parks and building community.
Sarah Kile is the Director of Community and Partner Engagement at Michigan 211 where she proudly serves all of Michigan to make 211 more accessible to the most vulnerable among us.
Sarah has spent her entire career focusing on public health promotion and activism. She is a life-time certified trainer and consultant for Bridges Out of Poverty where she takes pride in promoting respect and equality for those who are struggling with poverty.
As of November of 2022 Sarah was elected the Mayor at the City of Gladwin, MI where she had previously spent 5 years as a Councilperson. She is also the treasurer on the Clare-Gladwin RESD board of education where she has served for over a dozen years.
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