The Visibility Project Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Visibility Project Podcast
The Visibility Project is a community collaborative aimed at bringing awareness to unseen and unheard populations in our community. We are based out of Midland, MI.
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region. The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
The Project’s vision is to create opportunities for stories of diversity to be heard so that people can grow in connection and understanding of self and others. The impact will be to create a more inclusive mindset both as individuals and as a region.
Raheef Alturkmani shares his experience as a Syrian living and thriving in Midland, MI along with the hurdles along the way. Raheef is an ambassador to the Muslim faith and a pillar in the community.
Sue and Joy talk about coming the the United States and the struggles of being "different" in the communities in which they lived.
Hear from employees of 1016 Recovery Network and listen to some personal stories surrounding substance abuse and its effect on families.
Jenna is from Bay City, MI and has been married to her husband Bryon since 2018. She has two daughters. Her step daughter, Harmony, is 13 and their adopted daughter, Zoey, is 6. Jenna notes that however motherhood comes to you, it is a miracle and she continues to share her adoption journey in hopes of igniting a spark in others’ hearts.
DeLois is the founder of Adoption Option Inc. She first became licensed to practice law in the State of Indiana in 1982 and has practiced law in the State of Michigan since 1983. She has published several articles on topics such as adoption and business law. With the help of a talented group of employees, contractors, volunteers, collaborators, and donors, she endeavors to help improve the lives of children and families primarily in the Great Lakes Bay Region and the Mid-Michigan area.
Vanessa Maxon and Christie McDonald share their stories of how the historic flood in 2020 impacted their families and communities.
Desirea and Tabitha share their expertise in child abuse and trauma and how to be an advocate for children.
020 - Grief and how to handle it w/ Camille Gerace-Nitschky and Pattie Veith-Powers by The Visibility Project Podcast
In this month’s episode, we will be joined by Adam Muszynski and Barb Smith as we focus on the topic of suicide and suicide prevention. Our two guests will share their deeply personal experiences along with their expertise in suicide prevention.
Adam Muszynski was born and raised in Metro Detroit and is a graduate from Central Michigan University. He currently resides in Saginaw with his wife and two young boys. He describes himself as a Mental Health Warrior, working to End the Stigma around Mental Health and advocate for those who are looking for support by sharing his own experiences.
Barb Smith is the founder and Executive Director of the Barb Smith Suicide Resource & Response Network, recognized at the state and national level for its work in training individuals in suicide prevention and the role played in aftercare for those who have been impacted by suicide.
As a survivor of both her brother and sister-in-law’s suicides, Barb took her lived experience from the past 33 years to help find purpose for her pain. Barb is the facilitator of the local Survivors of Suicide support group, coordinator for the Local Outreach for Suicide Survivors Team, and a Victims Advocate for the Saginaw County Sheriff Dept.
In this month’s episode, we will meet with Liz Westerman and JodiAnn Stevenson to talk about dominant social norms related to health and body sizes, the myths of diet culture, and body positivity. Both guests open up about their personal history with eating disorders, their interactions with health professionals, and navigating society’s expectations.
Liz has her degree from The University of Wisconsin-Madison in Chemical and Biological Engineering and currently works at Dow as an Operations Leader in Michigan Operations. At work, she is very involved in Employee Resource Groups and has a passion for mentoring and is an advocate for mental health. She and her husband have a 3-year-old daughter, a 10-month-old son, and 2 dogs. She enjoys yoga, cycling, reading, and spending lots of time outdoors.
JodiAnn Stevenson is a Body Liberation-oriented Health Coach & Personal Trainer as well as a doctoral student of Transformative Studies researching colonialism’s and capitalism’s effect on our cultural understanding of health with particular emphasis on weight stigma in health care. She lives in Northern Michigan with her husband and one of her two daughters as well as their dog, Princess Leia, and their cat, Luke Skywalker.
In this month’s episode, we will be focusing on the voices of the indigenous community and the Anshinaabe community in particular. We will be exploring their history and culture with Sierra Clark who serves as the lone full time Ingenious Affairs Reporter in Michigan.
Sierra is Kitchi Wiikwedongsing (Wik wee dong sing) Odawa, from the Grand Traverse Band of Odawa and Ojibwe. She currently resides on her ancestral homelands of the Grand Traverse Bay in Norrthern Michigan with her husband and two children. She graduated from Western Michigan University in 2019 with a degree in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. In 2020, she made a big career change from being a Freshwater Biologist when she started as a journalist fellow with the Mishigamiing Journalism Project. In the partnership between The Traverse City Record Eagle and Indigenizing the News, she collaborated partnerships between news rooms and reported on Anshinaabek stories in Michigan.
She’s been featured in The Kitchn, Detroit Metro Times, Michigan Radio, Planet Detroit, Interlochen Public Radio, and many other publications in her first year as a journalist.
She currently works for the Traverse City Record-Eagle as the Indigenous Affairs Reporter through Report For America where she covers Indigenous Sovereign Nations in Northern Michigan. She also sits as co-editor for Indigenizing the News.
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
If you would like to submit your pandemic story, you can do so at the link below - forms.gle/wXSCg5e7cXCtfKdY7
If you would like to submit your pandemic story, you can do so at the link below - forms.gle/wXSCg5e7cXCtfKdY7
If you would like to submit your pandemic story, you can do so at the link below - https://forms.gle/wXSCg5e7cXCtfKdY7
If you would like to submit your pandemic story, you can do so at the link below - https://forms.gle/wXSCg5e7cXCtfKdY7
If you would like to submit your pandemic story, you can submit it at the link below - https://forms.gle/wXSCg5e7cXCtfKdY7
If you would like to submit your pandemic story, you can submit it at the link below - https://forms.gle/wXSCg5e7cXCtfKdY7
“Loser”, “dead beat”, “druggie”... How do you see homelessness? Our guests give us a lens to see the reality of an invisible population. People who are homeless are individually unique and deserve our empathy and dignity. Renea Pettinger and Marty from Open Door and Renee Deckrow representing Midland’s Midtown area share stories and information to give us a true picture of people who are homeless.
Learn more about neighboring week | https://www.midlandfoundation.org/neighboringweek/
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
BIOS Renee Pettinger serves as the executive director of Midland's Open Door, a crisis shelter and soup kitchen ministry serving the Midland County community. Renee has served as an advocate for children at risk and for the homeless for the past 20 years. She completed her undergraduate studies in urban ministry at Moody Bible Institute and her MBA in nonprofit management at Hope International University.
Marty Cooper is a New Jersey native who moved to Beaverton shortly after September 11, 2001, to be closer to family. Marty has lived in the Beaverton/Gladwin community for nearly 20 years where he worked in industrial manufacturing.
Wife to Aaron (Chemical Engineer at Dow) for 26 years and mom to 2 young adult (Ethan & Jordan) men and two teenage daughters (Lindsey & Lauren) Reneé Deckrow has lived in Midland since 1997 and permanently in 1999. Founder & Owner of Live Oak Coffeehouse, Real Estate Developer and photographer for Captured Photography, Reneé wears many diverse hats, but she most loves being called mom, wife, friend, sister and neighbor. She is passionate about creating space for others to pause, connect, create and grow. Her lens is one of her favorite tools to capture the Imago Dei in people and encourage them to keep living their beautiful and redemptive stories.
“When you have more than you need, build a longer table and not a higher fence” has been a quote that inspires her to live life loving and sharing her gifts in community with others.
Are you brave enough to face the truth? Are you able to face the fear when you learn something new and it causes you to question? In the middle of discourse creating division are you willing to consider another’s perspective, educate past ignorance and ask yourself why you think or feel the way you do? Eric Krause did and continues to embrace the uncomfortable opportunities to learn something new. Join him as he shares his journey of consideration and commitment to expanding his awareness beyond the limits of how he was raised. Transition into a chat with Sarah Weisbarth as they consider their roles as adult role models, especially in education, encouraging youth to embrace their diverse strengths and support inclusive belonging.
Guests | Eric Krause & Sarah Weisbarth EPI 013 Resource Document | https://bit.ly/3k54g05
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
BIOS
Eric Krause is currently beginning his 26th year as a Mathematics teacher at Midland High School. He also is beginning his 20th season as the Boys Varsity Basketball Coach. Eric didn’t enter the teaching profession until he was 37 after various jobs in the business industry. He has been married for 37 years to his wife Kelly and has 3 sons, Christopher, Brandon and Dominic with respective ages of 32,29, and 18.
Sarah Weisbarth is the current chairperson of The Visibility Project. Sarah is a professional facilitator, trainer, and coach serving in education with The Rock Center for Youth Development as the Discover You Director. With a certificate in coaching from the Co-Active Training Institute, Sarah uses her education in Health and Fitness and Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology and Creating Wellbeing to support adults and youth. For more on Sarah’s background and experiences including her volunteer work check out her profile on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-weisbarth428925117/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group members from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
In this episode, we will hear about the older population's experiences living alone in senior apartments or assisted living facilities, especially during the pandemic. We found out that the gifts of connection, friendship, and time are priceless. As we emerge from isolation and into understanding one another, our guests speak plainly from the heart on the importance of creating bonds with others regardless of our differences.
Guests | Shirley Debolt, Heather Savage & Dr. Sasha Savage EPI 012 Resource Document | https://bit.ly/2V5Y6E7
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
BIOS Dr. Sasha Savage is a lifelong Michigander who enjoys sports and great food. He’s been married to his wife, Heather, for 28 years and they have 8 children, whom he counts as his best friends. He is a family physician and absolutely loves his job.
Heather Savage is a native of California but has enjoyed the 4 seasons of Michigan for the last 26 years. She has many hobbies including volleyball, watching movies, and doing remodeling projects. She is married to Sasha and enjoys spending time with her family. She recently started a new career teaching preschool.
Shirley Debolt was raised on a farm in Michigan. She was married for 60 years to her late husband and has 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. She is a cancer survivor and currently lives in senior housing in Midland.
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group members from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
The stigma of addiction (substance use disorder) leads to miss information and understanding. Substance use disorder impacts family members, co-workers, and communities. What you don’t know is the image of the junky on the ‘bad side’ of town is not the only picture of substance abuse. Kindly listen to the brave stories in this episode of the impact of substance use and the mental process that leads to dependence.
Part two of this series will be released on Directions NOT Included on Wednesday, July 7. | https://soundcloud.com/directionsnotincluded/epi-011
Guests | Jeremiah Lee, Juli Strauer, Lori Ziolkowski
EPI 011 Resource Document | https://bit.ly/2UbgKdB EPI 011 Transcript | https://bit.ly/3zowPvw
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
With the Great Lakes Bay Pride Month in June, we will be speaking with three guests on the topic of LGBTQ+ youth. We want to encourage support for Pride Month. You can learn more at greatlakesbaypride.org. Today, our guests are Andy Grossmeyer and Madi Brooks who are a couple and Amy McDonald who is a therapist with expertise in support for LGBTQ+ youth.
Andy Grossmeyer is a non-binary, transgender, and pansexual individual who uses he/him and they/them pronouns. He recently graduated from SVSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Gender Studies and Psychology. In the future, they plan to get their Master of Social Work to further learn about and help LGBTQ+ individuals. In his free time, he enjoys reading, watching cartoons, and hanging out with his cat, Beans.
Madi Brooks is a non-binary and pansexual individual who uses they/them pronouns. They are planning to finish their Bachelor’s degree in Business Management at SVSU. While still trying to figure out what to do in the future, they are working as a florist designer at a small business in Midland. They have always been passionate about the LGBTQ+ community, and will be pursuing that passion in the future.
Amy McDonald is one of two American Association of Sex Education Counselors and Therapists certified in the Great Lakes Bay, Michigan region. She is currently the Counseling Services Director at The Shelterhouse of Midland. Amy is also working at Connections for Mental Health as an outpatient therapist. As a therapist employed by Family & Children’s Services, she developed and ran two LGBTQ+ psycho-educational support groups for teens and adults and provided counseling for individuals and their partners. She was instrumental in the formation and development of Gay-Straight Alliance student groups at high schools in Midland County.
After spending a career in advocating for victims of abuse, Amy strongly believes that openly discussing sexual health will lead to stronger relationships while mitigating sexual abuse and trauma.
EPI 010 Resource Document | http://bit.ly/tvp010rd
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
This month, we will be speaking with two guests on the topic of autism and cognitive disabilities. We will be talking with Hollie Kayden who has autism as well as her mother, Trisha Fenby, who is an advocate for the disability community not only for her daughter but for the entire community. We will begin our episode today with a short segment of a conversation with Hollie directly followed by a more in-depth conversation with Trisha.
Hollie Kayden has a passion for Theater, Languages, and Music. She enjoys studying foreign languages and is currently improving her skills in German and Russian, with the anticipation of visiting those countries in the near future. She has been cast in several plays in our community as well as performing on stage and helping back-stage at Saginaw Valley State University. She is exploring her interest in theater and languages at Saginaw Valley State University as an independent learner. She resides in Midland.
Trisha Fenby is a strong advocate and ally for the disability community. With over 20-years of experience, Trisha brings a great deal of knowledge to the community, as a parent and a professional. Raising a child with autism has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that prepared Trisha for her role as Community Inclusion Manager at the Arnold Center. Trisha has certifications as an advocate, an independent facilitator, a SibShops® Coordinator and in Applied Positive Psychology. Trisha strives to empower others to live their best lives and bridge the gap between the disability community and the inclusive community.
EPI 009 Resource Document | https://bit.ly/3t9BHRT EPI 009 Transcription |
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
This month, we will be speaking with two guests who both have to overcome physical disabilities on a daily basis. They are both extremely talented and intelligent people who will shed light on their own physical disabilities and the stereotypes and discrimination they have faced. One of our guests is Bart Maxon who is a scientist at Dow. The other guest is actually the producer of the Visibility Podcast and has been instrumental in its success.
Adam J. Salgat is the owner of Push Productions, which provides digital content for businesses while specializing in videography, photography, and podcast production.
He has also worked for the Greater Midland Community Center for over 16 years. He started in a sales position and has now worked his way up to become their Digital Content Specialist.
Adam has produced award-winning videos, commercials, and hundreds of interactive social media posts. He currently hosts a national podcast for the Champman Foundation for Caring Communities and is a producer of two other podcasts including the Visibility Project.
Listen close to his explanation of his business name and how he has done his best to find motivation through his difficult physical changes.
Bart Maxon is a Senior Technical Service & Development Scientist and has been with Dow for over 25 years in a variety of roles within the Home & Personal Care business. He has over 38 years of experience in the personal care, healthcare and medical diagnostics industries and is the Global Technical Leader for 2 of Dow’s priority Beauty Care customers. Bart has 20 patents and has two Bachelor of Science Degrees from Central Michigan University and Northeastern Illinois University.
Bart is very active in various Inclusion and Diversity initiatives at Dow and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan (DNMM).
Bart has been very active in the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) and was recognized as a SCC Fellow , Co-founder, and first chairperson of the SCC Michigan Chapter.
Bart will tell us about his experiences growing up as a 4’6” achondroplasia dwarf and has also had 6 spinal surgeries and has had to use a walker for mobility since 2009.
EPI 008 Resource Document | http://bit.ly/3c9m9bs EPI 008 Transcription | https://bit.ly/3szcbFX
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
In this episode of the Visibility Project, our focus is to break stigmas associated with domestic violence and build empathy for those who have lived through these traumatic experiences. One of our guests is a domestic violence survivor who will share her personal story. Our second guest is a professional who helps provide hope and healing to survivors. Together they will help us better understand the deeply complex issues surrounding domestic violence.
Amy Phoenix is a meditating mom of five, committed to cultivating force-free, trust-full relationships with interests in philosophy, spirituality and slowing down enough to recognize that each moment is new. She holds a Bachelor of General Studies with double minors in Human Services and Psychology from Columbia College, with additional training in mindfulness, positive discipline, healing trauma, and energy practices to nurture well-being. Amy currently serves as the Program Director for YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region and feels life offers amazing opportunities to grow in the art of connecting deeply, working through challenges, and living our values.
Ally Beattie is the Prevention and Outreach Coordinator at Shelterhouse, a service agency in Midland, Michigan providing refuge, hope, and healing to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Focusing on prevention programs, education, and resource sharing, Ally’s work strives to build healthy communities free from these traumatic experiences. She believes that widespread culture change to combat these issues is not only possible but attainable for future generations. Ally is a Certified Family Life Educator and holds a degree in Family Studies from Central Michigan University. She is also the co-host of a podcast called Touchy Subjects which focuses on bringing awareness to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Before we begin our conversation, I would like to warn our listeners that this episode contains personal stories related to domestic violence that involve details that may be triggering to those who have gone through similar experiences.
EPI 007 Resource Document | http://bit.ly/384Vev9 EPI 007 Transcription | http://bit.ly/2OnHtAM
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
In our first podcast of 2021, we will be continuing the conversation around the topic of Islamic faith, stereotypes Muslims face, and the responsibility all of us hold for creating a more inclusive community. We will be chatting with two of our neighbors who will share their stories and experiences as practitioners of Islam: Julie Christensen who converted to Islam and Imam Safwan Eid who a passionate leader in the community.
BIOS Imam Safwan Eid was born and raised in Quincy, MA. He holds a Master’s degree in Islamic studies & Leadership with a specialization in Philosophy of Religion. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Women/Gender studies. He is currently the religious director of the Islamic Center of Saginaw.
Julie Christensen was born and raised in Michigan. She is married with two children. She has been teaching Spanish and History for 20 years. She taught Spanish at the college level for 13 years and had the opportunity to teach in Kuwait for a year. She enjoys traveling and reading and spending time with her family.
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
This month, we will be shifting gears and speaking with two very talented and knowledgeable Muslims. We will be discussing common misconceptions people hold about Islam, differences between culture and religion, life during the winter holidays, and their activism in the community and in the work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our guests are Raheef Al Turkmani and Umbareen Jamil.
BIOS Raheef is a Human Resources professional at Dow with a passion for teaching and inclusion.
His current role at Dow is Senior Talent Management and Learning Specialist with regional and global responsibilities, and serves as the North America leader of Dow's Middle East & North Africa ERG. In addition to his work at Dow, Raheef teaches at Northwood University. Prior to joining Dow, Raheef worked as an Adjunct Professor at West Virginia University.
Before coming to the US, Raheef worked six years in Marketing & Sales where he worked as a Marketing Manager for Alfanar.Co in Saudi Arabia and as a Sales Supervisor for Katakit in Syria. Raheef is originally from Syria and has been living in Midland since 2015 with his wife Nour, their son Omar, and their daughter Maria.
Umbareen has been a resident of Midland since October of 2000. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, she earned her B.A. from Kent State University double majoring in Economics and International Relations. She and her husband have 4 children.
While her primary job is being the ‘Master Caretaker’ of her family, she still finds time to be passionate about service in our community and therefore spends quite a bit of time volunteering with various local organizations. She is an active member of the Islamic Center of Midland, volunteering her time in countless ways from teaching Sunday school to arranging social events and open houses for the Center. She also serves as the advisor for the Muslim Youth of Mid-Michigan, which is a tri-city Muslim youth group that serves our community by volunteering extensively. Through this group, she strives to instill her passion for community service within the Muslim young adults. As the co-director for the Midland Area Interfaith Friends, a group that serves to foster understanding among various faith groups in our area and gives back to our community through various volunteer opportunities, Umbareen believes we need to look for commonalities instead of differences. She is blessed to be one of the founding members of the Midland County Foster Closet and finds great joy in serving the most vulnerable in our community.
EPI 005 Resouce Document | http://bit.ly/30bC95U EPI 005 Transcription | https://bit.ly/2OezENA
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
Welcome to the Visibility Project Podcast!
This month, in light of the recent election and the upcoming holiday season, we are going to talk about how to better communicate with those who have different opinions and views than our own. You will hear from two of the founders of the Visibility Project: Dr. Gina Wilson and Sarah Weisbarth.
These two have a wealth of knowledge and perspective and will give us tools that will help us communicate to create connection, understanding, empathy, and explore our differences in a constructive way. Listen closely for stories of framily, labels, and intention, what actually happens when we “agree to disagree”, how to have the strength to engage, and a moment of authentic self-awareness.
BIOS Dr. Gina Wilson spent 20 years as a public school educator working to mitigate the effects of environmental and educational barriers for students, including creating a trauma-informed program model to meet students' social-emotional needs by blending restorative practices mindfulness, allowing students to self-actualize in the classroom setting. Dr. Wilson is currently an assistant professor of educational leadership at Central Michigan University where she earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education. She also has a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Saginaw Valley State University. Her research interest focuses on understanding how teachers and school and district leaders' mindset, practices, and self-efficacy help and to hinder social justice and equity work in schools.
Sarah Weisbarth is a coach and facilitator in the areas of communication and leadership. Working and serving with a variety of agencies including, Our Community Listens, Midland Wellbeing Coalition, Self Love Beauty and others, she is committed to helping people connect through communication. She is a native to Michigan and appreciates all that this state has to offer. She self describes as messy, introspective, hopeful, simplistic, lover of life.
Here is the Episode 004 Resource Document | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zxJG0S0uRegt2tFW1f8bkuC5ely4SQ66/view?usp=sharing
Transcription | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r2K-D89vSzqh5viKDA-XPa-n2MdXThl0/view?usp=sharing
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
Welcome back to the Visibility Project Podcast!
Our last two episodes have been focused on issues related to the Black Lives Matter movement and racial justice. We will be shifting gears to focus on issues related to the LGBTQ community in this month’s podcast. You will hear our guests talk about important legislation, the importance of voting, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and much more.
We have two exciting guests with a wealth of knowledge and experiences with us.
Jay Kaplan has been the staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project since its founding in 2001.
He has worked on cases including: challenging undercover sting operations targeting gay men, fighting Michigan’s constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying, defending the validity of second parent adoptions granted in Michigan, and recently advocating for a transgender high school student to be able to run for prom court. Jay was honored with the 2006 Unsung Hero Award from the Michigan State Bar and the 2010 Virginia Uribe Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association (NEA).
He was part of the legal team of the transgender rights case filed by Aimee Stephens that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, listen for Jay talk about who Aimee was as a person and how she is more than just a name and headline in the important legislation.
Our second guest Scott Ellis serves as the Executive Director of Perceptions, the Great Lakes Bay Region’s LGBTQ+ education, advocacy, networking, and resource organization.
A 2014 graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, Scott began his career in Bay City’s maritime industry - managing marketing and special events for the Appledore Tall Ships and the Tall Ship Celebration festival.
Scott joined the board of Perceptions in 2017 and became the coordinator of the Great Lakes Bay Pride Festival that same year and has since produced four successful events for the organization.
In 2019, as Perceptions expanded, Scott accepted his current role as the organization’s first full-time Executive Director.
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us!
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/
Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com
This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Transcription | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MESTuC97LDY2soQkPe0zJ2dxdpamcDwJ/view?usp=sharing
The Visibility Project is a community collaborative aimed at bringing awareness to unseen and unheard populations in our community. We are based out of Midland, MI.
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region. The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
The Project’s vision is to create opportunities for stories of diversity to be heard so that people can grow in connection and understanding of self and others. The impact will be to create a more inclusive mindset both as individuals and as a region.
In our inaugural episode, we discussed the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-racism, and the history of systemic racism. Our guests were two individuals with a wealth of knowledge and experience as they are both African-Americans from an older generation that lived through the Civil Rights Era.
This month, we will be continuing the conversation but we will be hearing the voices of two younger African-American individuals who are active in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It will be interesting to hear how their views compare and contrast to last month’s guests. Among other topics, we will be discussing the passion of the younger generation, the impact of media outlets and social media, the topic of micro-aggressions, and the difficulty of finding mentors in the workforce for people of color.
Our guests today are Mr. Javonie Ellington and Mr. Jamaal Washburn.
Javonie is from Detroit, Michigan. He graduated in 2016 from Elida High School in Lima, Ohio. He is a double major at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan where he is specializing in Hospitality Management and Accounting. He is also very involved on campus. He is the Entertainment chair of the 46th annual Stafford dinner; the Co-President of the Black Student Union. The Co Events director of the International Student Organization and member and ally in the sexual advocacy for everyone (SAFE) club. Javonie looks forward to the day when the world doesn’t reflect in favor of one race. He believes innovation stems from diversity and inclusion.
Jamaal was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. In 2017 he obtained my B.S. in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. After graduation, he moved to Midland to begin working in Dow’s finance department. He recently switched career paths and now does commercial sales for Dow’s Industrial Solutions business.
Having the insights from Javonie as a university student and from Jamaal as a young working professional will add even more perspective to the continued conversation on their fight for social justice.
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us! Facebook | www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/ Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com This podcast was produced by Push Productions | pushpromi.com/
Our first conversation explores the history of racism and slavery in our country and how it has institutionalized a biased system and leads us to today’s Black Lives Matter movement. Our guests Kimberly Houston and Kevin Kendrick share a lifetime of experiences and observations including how we can challenge ourselves to have hard conversations and challenge our biases.
EARLY YEARS Kimberly talks about going to a mostly Jewish school exposed her to others that have been oppressed at an early age. Kevin opens up about a trip to Georgia as a child in the 1960’s that had was a “physically painful” introduction into race relations.
EDUCATION Kimberly gives examples of common biases and reflects on the hard work of self-assessment.
Kevin gives an explanation of what anti-racism is with relevant examples.
WHAT CAN YOU DO Kevin comments about the need for activism over time especially related to voting rights and the history of slavery, while Kimberly emphasizes the need to understand and define a community and culture. She also points out that having the hard conversation can be uncomfortable, encourages listeners to be willing to listen and share their perspectives.
Here is the Episode 001 Resource Document https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CpyumnwZ5G0Sz7o9HulWPqOlU-1g84sr/view?usp=sharing
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us!
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/
Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com
This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Transcription | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HV6dMF928uzD2BOvw7KxgejMH-6JHd_G/view?usp=sharing
BIOS Kimberly Houston has over 40 years of leadership experience in business, philanthropy, and fund development. She retired from Dow Corning in 2012 and led numerous strategic initiatives as the Chief Diversity Officer, Global Community Relations Leader, and President, Dow Corning Foundation. She served as the Interim Executive Director of the YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region. Kimberly is a CCF Certified Coach Practitioner, trained in Unconscious Bias and is a Certified CQ Advanced Professional by the Cultural Intelligence Center. She will be completing her applied positive psychology certification in Creating Wellbeing this year.
Kevin Kendrick worked from 1976 to 1981 at two police departments at Wayne State University and the Detroit, Michigan Police Department. In 1981 he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation and spent the next 25 years in the FBI working in virtually every area of investigative responsibility including two tours of duty at FBI Headquarters. He retired from the Bureau in May of 2006 to accept the newly created position of Vice President of Global Security for the Dow Corning Corporation in Midland, Michigan. While in Midland, Kevin served on several boards, including the Midland Area Community Foundation, the Legacy Center for Community Success, the Midland Noon Rotary Club where he served as a past President, the Center Stage Theatre Advisory Board, and the Midland County Historical Society. He is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion and was a strong force in the Cultural Awareness Coalition which hosting The Visibility Project.
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region.
The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
This is the inaugural episode of The Visibility Project. A podcast meant to help create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community through the power of storytelling. We’re here to provide a platform for individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
In this first episode, you’ll meet the series host, Jeremiah Lee of Northwood University (Midland, MI) and Pam Singer from Midland Kids First. You’ll learn how a dream shared over a cup of coffee in 2019 sets them down this path, how the power of listening has inspired them, and their personal connection to this project.
To learn more about The Visibility Project, follow us!
Facebook. | https://www.facebook.com/thevisibilityprj/
Contact us at thevisibilityprj@gmail.com
This podcast was produced by Push Productions | https://pushpromi.com/
Transcription | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PsJJqQwcPmzIXCDw5QlUhD8TTN_1CHl9/view?usp=sharing
The Visibility Project is a community collaborative aimed at bringing awareness to unseen and unheard populations in our community. We are based out of Midland, MI.
Spearheaded by members of the Cultural Awareness Coalition the Project is the brainchild of several organizations and individuals with shared values who sit on the Project Steering Team. The current Team includes staff from Northwood University, Midland Kid’s First, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance, The Legacy Center for Community Success, Our Community Listens, the Midland Wellbeing Task Force, and several Employee Resource Group member from Dow; the intention is to expand this Team to include other like-minded groups in the region. The Project’s vision is to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.
The Project’s vision is to create opportunities for stories of diversity to be heard so that people can grow in connection and understanding of self and others. The impact will be to create a more inclusive mindset both as individuals and as a region.