Midland Area Community Foundation adds new board members and announces 2024-2025 officers
The Midland Area Community Foundation recently welcomed Ali Huntoon, Kristin Stehouwer, and Noah Kent to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Alongside this trio of appointments, the Foundation elected a new slate of officers at its annual meeting.
Ali is the Co-Founder and Director of HR and Talent Acquisition at Allied HR Solutions, a consulting firm assisting small and growing businesses with their human resources needs. With over a decade of HR industry experience, she has expertise in benefits administration, compensation management, talent acquisition, and HR management, having worked with large corporations like Dow Chemical and Chemical Bank, nonprofits like Alma College, and various small businesses and startups. Additionally, Ali is a certified fitness instructor and yoga teacher, co-founding Allied Group Fitness, a studio offering classes for all fitness levels. She is an active volunteer, serving as an ambassador and board member for the Midland Business Alliance and as a member of the Midland Noon Exchange Club. In her free time, she supports small businesses in the Great Lakes Bay Region, enjoys live music, and appreciates craft beer. Ali lives in Midland with her husband, Scott, and their beloved dog, Baxter.
Noah Kent is the Director of Technology & Auditorium Services at Meridian Public Schools, where he has worked for the past 10 years and is also an alumnus. He is deeply involved in his community and believes in the potential of Midland County as a great place to live and work, hoping for its continued growth to enhance local opportunities. During high school, Noah served on the Midland County Youth Action Council, volunteered at numerous events, and, in his final year, held a seat with the board of trustees to update them on Youth Action Council activities and perspectives. He graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management in 2022. Noah’s is dedicated to positively impacting the educational opportunities at Meridian Public Schools. His mother, Michelle, and father, Kevin, work at MyMichigan Health in Midland, with Michelle as an education specialist and Kevin as the system manager of infusion centers. Noah has younger twin sisters: Karley, a registered nurse at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, and Makayla, a criminal justice student at Ferris State University. Noah is excited about the future growth of the community and its potential to become an even better place to live and work.
As Academic Vice President and Provost for Northwood University, Kristin Stehouwer oversees university operations and academics, including student success, strategy development, and the university’s academic quality systems and analytics. Before her career in higher education, Kristin consulted with organizations globally, specializing in strategic management, performance excellence, process improvement, and organization/leadership development across various sectors such as financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, education, and service. She also worked on a special assignment for the U.S. Department of Commerce focusing on global manufacturing competitiveness. Kristin earned her BA, MA, and PhD in Political Science from Northwestern University and studied International Law at the University of Strasbourg as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar, completing postgraduate work at Harvard University. Kristin serves as president of the Midland Country Club, chairs Midland’s Community Success Panel, and is on the Midland Area Community Foundation grants committee, actively participating in the Communities of Excellence initiative. She is a trustee of Memorial Presbyterian Church and serves on the boards of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and Midland Noon Rotary Club, with previous board service including the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, Midland Center for the Arts, and the Michigan ACE Women’s Leadership Network. Additionally, she volunteers as an examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award and has chaired its Judges Panel, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
In addition to the new board members, the Midland Area Community Foundation is pleased to announce the recently elected slate of officers. Bill Garchow assumes the role of Chair, leading the Board with a dedication to the Midland community. The full slate of officers is as follows:
- Bill Garchow – Chair
- Debbie Stephens – Vice Chair
- Lou Mencia – Treasurer
- Ann Holmon – Secretary
Sharon Mortensen, President & CEO of the Midland Area Community Foundation, expressed her excitement about the new additions, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome Ali Huntoon, Noah Kent, and Kristin Stehouwer to the Midland Area Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Their diverse expertise and deep commitment to our community will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts to enhance the quality of life in Midland County.”
“As we work to build a community where all people thrive, the additions of Ali, Noah, and Kristin to our board will broaden our horizons through their respected expertise and commitment to the community,” added Board Chair Bill Garchow.
The Midland Area Community Foundation remains steadfast in enhancing the quality of life in Midland County through strategic grantmaking, community leadership, and philanthropic partnerships. For more information about the Midland Area Community Foundation, please visit midlandfdn.org.