Protecting children in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday issued Executive Order 2013-4, creating a more streamlined Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect to evaluate and make recommendations regarding Michigan’s handling of child abuse cases.

“We have an obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of our children, and I look forward to the thoughtful, innovative suggestions for improvement from these dedicated individuals,” Snyder said.

The EO rescinds EO 2010-18 and reduces the task force from 34 to 18 members for greater efficiency and effectiveness. The members, appointed by Snyder, are:

Kenneth Tacoma, of Cadillac, will serve as the chair, representing judges and attorneys for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2015. With more than 30 years of experience working on juvenile legal issues, he currently serves as the chief judge of the Family Division of the Wexford County Probate Court. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a degree from Indiana University School of Law.

Maura Corrigan, director of the Department of Human Services, will serve a three year-term expiring Dec. 31, 2015.

Dan Adams, of Allendale, will represent the law enforcement community for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2013. He is a detective with the Grand Rapids Police Department and has 16 years of experience in law enforcement, including more than 10 in child abuse and neglect investigations. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University and a master’s degree from Grand Valley State University.

Jennifer Pintar, of Tawas City, also will represent the law enforcement community for a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2014. She has 19 years of experience in law enforcement, and currently serves as a trooper with the West Branch Post of the Michigan State Police. Pintar also works on a local task force to confront the problem of sexual assault in the rural community. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Linda Hallmark, of Bloomfield Hills, will represent judges and attorneys for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2015. Currently, she is chief judge of the Oakland County Probate Court. She has served in the family division of the court since 1997. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a degree from Wayne State University Law School.

Robinjit Eagleson, of East Lansing, will represent judges and attorneys for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2015. As the owner of Eagleson Law, she is independently contracted as a lawyer-guardian ad litem for Ingham County, representing upward of 280 children at a time. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Robert Sykes, of Ionia, will represent judges and attorneys for a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2014. Sykes is the Ionia County Probate judge, and also serves on several councils including the Ionia County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a degree from Valparaiso University School of Law.

Julie Nakfoor Pratt, of Hastings, will represent judges and attorneys for a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2014. Pratt has been an attorney for almost 25 years and a prosecutor for 20 years, currently serving as the Barry County prosecutor. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Lisa Wenger, of Grosse Pointe, will represent judges and attorneys for a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2014. After developing and managing the Washtenaw County Prisoner Release Project, she now volunteers with the Center for Urban Youth and Family Development and for the Michigan Children’s Law Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and a degree from the University of Detroit Law School.

Fred Gruber, of Riverview, will represent child advocates for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2015. He is the co-founder and executive director of the Michigan Children’s Law Center. Gruber graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and a degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

Terrance Gilsenan, of Warren, will represent child advocates for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2013. He currently works as an attorney in private practice, and has experience as a professional guardian. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Detroit and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Gary Anderson, of Okemos, will represent health and mental health professionals for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2015. Anderson is the director of the Michigan State University School of Social Work, and directs the social work education portion of the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornerstone University, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and a doctorate from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

Shannon Lowder, of Jackson, will represent health and mental health professionals for a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2014. She serves as a clinical therapist at Arbor Hills Psychological Services and as adjunct faculty for Spring Arbor University. Lowder graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from the Center for Humanistic Studies and a doctorate from the Michigan School of Professional Psychology.

Susan Hull, of Oxford, will represent child protective services agencies for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2013. She currently serves as the child welfare director for Oakland County DHS. With nearly 40 years of experience, she previously worked in Ingham, Washtenaw, Livingston, Genesee and Macomb counties. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Oakland University.

Lori Budnik, of Rogers City, will represent child protective services agencies for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2013. She is the Children’s Protective Services supervisor for Alcona, Alpena and Montmorency County DHS, and recently helped establish a Children’s Advocacy Center in Alpena. Budnik holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Grand Valley State University.

Danielle Loupee, of Cassopolis, will represent child protective services agencies for a two-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2014. Currently, Loupee is an investigator/ongoing worker with Children’s Protective Services in the Department of Human Services. Previously, she served as both a child behavior specialist and a program support specialist at the Juvenile Justice Center, and as a youth coordinator for the Edison Neighborhood Association. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University.

Lani Forbes, of Hastings, will represent parents for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2013. Forbes serves as the executive director of the Barry County United Way & Volunteer Center as well as a medical lieutenant in the Freeport Fire Department. Previously, she worked with at-risk families as the community relations and development director for Building Block Inc., an inner-city child care center.

Betsy Boggs, of Ada, will represent parents groups for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2013. She is the executive director of Adoptive Family Support Network. Boggs earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Michigan State University.

The full text of EO 2013-4 is available at www.michigan.gov/snyder.