Our Team

WHO WE ARE

Meet the officers and staff on Michigan AFL-CIO’s team. The Michigan AFL-CIO is staffed by a team of folks dedicated to improving the lives of working families, bringing economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our state and the nation.

Joey Andrews

POLICY ANALYST

Veronica Martinez

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Payton Ferris - Digital Director @ferrispayton paytonferris peyton ferris

Chris Palette

NATIONAL AFL-CIO SENIOR STRATEGIST & DATA TEAM LEAD

Luke Canfora

NATIONAL AFL-CIO SENIOR FIELD REPRESENTATIVE

Cajsa Maki

REGIONAL FIELD COORDINATOR (UPRLF)

John Taylor

REGIONAL FIELD DIRECTOR (WESTERN)

Joe Bellgowan

REGIONAL FIELD DIRECTOR (EASTERN)

Jamiel Martin

POLITICAL DIRECTOR (METRO DETROIT)

Trent Varva

REGIONAL FIELD COORDINATOR (HURON VALLEY & MONROE-LENAWEE)

Max Lewis

REGIONAL FIELD COORDINATOR (METRO)

Bill Elliot

FACILITIES MANAGER

Advocates

Michigan AFL-CIO Advocates is our public advocacy nonprofit organization. Our mission is to unite labor leaders, policy makers, and the general public to educate and advocate around policies, programs and projects that can bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to communities across Michigan.

Jasmine Kaltenbach

Executive Director

Jasmine Kaltenbach was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan where she comes from a family of union members. While attending the University of Michigan, Jasmine participated in student activist movements on campus, in College Democrats, and wrote for the MichiganEnsian yearbook. She graduated from the Ford School with a BA in Public Policy, focus in the Economics of Poverty and Inequality.

She ran a competitive mayoral race in Jackson, Michigan and has experience in sales, field organizing, event planning, and fundraising. She continues to consult campaigns on field, finance, and communications. Jasmine is also a presenter at Great Lakes Political academy on Coalition Building, Coordinating, and Outreach to Partner Organizations and Progressive Internship Programs: Best Practices.

She is excited to work at the Michigan AFL-CIO advancing pro-labor municipal policies that will help Michigan’s working families. Jasmine is a member of UAW Local 1981.

Labor Foundation

The Michigan AFL-CIO Labor Foundation is our affiliated charitable nonprofit organization. Our mission is to curtail generational economic and social injustice through long-term investment in the memorialization, education, and association of the Michigan labor movement within our communities.

Elizabeth Gotham

Executive Director

Elizabeth (Elle) Gotham is a licensed attorney in Michigan with expertise in labor and employment law. Prior to joining the Federation, Elle owned a law practice where she fought to protect workers’ rights under the Civil Rights Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act and corresponding state laws.

Elle hails from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she grew up on the shores of Lake Superior. After attending Michigan State University, she moved to the City of Detroit where she still resides today. Elle worked for Congressman John Dingell for three years before attending Wayne State University Law School. There she served as Managing Editor of the Wayne Law Review and graduated first in her class. As someone who has advised and represented employees across various industries in court, and as a working mom herself, Elle is acutely aware of the challenges facing Michigan workers and their families. She is dedicated to advancing the mission of the Michigan AFL-CIO’s Labor Foundation so that all Michiganders can feel the power and benefits of collective action.

Workforce Development Institute

The Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute is our affiliated nonprofit developing the next generation of Michigan workers. Our mission is to combat economic and environmental injustice by connecting the unemployed or underemployed with the training and resources necessary to find gainful employment and transition to a cleaner, greener economy.

Cheryl Sanford

Chief Executive Officer

As the Chief Executive Officer for the Workforce Development Institute, Cheryl Sanford has over 30 years of experience as a workforce development professional providing services for job seekers and employers. Her areas of expertise include program development, grant writing

business services, and project management. She works with local and state economic developers to provide assistance for businesses ranging from self-employed entrepreneurs to large corporations.

Raised in Highland Park, MI, Cheryl is committed to serving her community. She was elected to the Highland Park School Board in 2018 and serves on several other boards including The Highland Park Business Association, Solidarity, and the United Community Housing Coalition. She is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Journalism.

Cheryl Sanford

CEO

Missy Guth-Beach

COO

Annette Donnelly

FISCAL / CONTRACT MANAGER

Walter R. Lodes

DIRECTOR APPRENTICESHIP & TRAINING

Colleen Sullivan

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Southwest

Coldwater, Calhoon, and Battle Creek

Sam Dougherty

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Blaine Farr

WIOA COORDINATOR / BUSINESS SERVICES / CAREER COACH

Julie L. Gregory

Program Tech III

Theresa Olvera

CAREER COACH

Megan Tappenden

CAREER COACH

SEMCA – Highland Park Office, Detroit

Kevin Weeks

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FROM SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

Kiah O. Esaw

ACCESS FOR ALL COORDINATOR

Beverly A. Hogan

CASE MANAGER

Bethany Smith

PROGRAM ASSISTANT

Ron Merritt

LEAD ACCESS FOR ALL CASE MANAGER

Saher Abdulmalek

BUSINESS SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Kimberly Allen-Bradfield

BUSINESS SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Ken Miller

BUSINESS SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Sherry White

WIOA COORDINATOR

Access for All

JoAnn Bailey

DIRECTOR OF APPRENTICESHIP READINESS PROGRAM

David Gregory

INSTRUCTOR

Kaelyn Lewis

CASE MANAGER – JACKSON

Annette Avery

INSTRUCTOR

Malik Rollins

INSTRUCTOR

Tyrese West

INSTRUCTOR

LaTasha Smith

SKILLED TRADES INSTRUCTOR

Zachary El Amin

SKILLED TRADES INSTRUCTOR

Theodore Spencer

SKILLED TRADES INSTRUCTOR

John Perkins

SKILLED TRADES INSTRUCTOR

Larry Tolbert

SKILLED TRADES INSTRUCTOR

Shandra Dunn

RECRUITER

Community Services

The Michigan AFL-CIO Community Services Department represents the partnership between the Michigan AFL-CIO and the Michigan Association of United Ways. The convening provides education, training, and service opportunities for union members to join with local United Ways in developing powerful responses to challenges faced in communities across Michigan.