Gloria Pogue grew up in Germany and moved to Highland Park as a young girl. She worked for the Highland Park water department for over twenty years and in the last year of her life she was worked at the plant seven days a week. She was a proud mother and her son Tony continues to work for the Highland Park water plant.

Originally from Chicago, Jan Lazar received her Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Master of Science in Public Affairs from Northern Illinois University. She received a CFP designation from the College for Financial Planning in Colorado in 1987 as well as broadening her training in other areas, resulting in her having professional and technical designations in several other related areas.

A long-time activist for civil rights, Marian Kramer has made a commitment to the advocacy of economic justice for poor women and their children. She has been a dedicated activist in the welfare rights movement since 1966. Kramer is involved in the movement as both founder and president of the National Welfare Rights Union. In 1989 Kramer helped to form the National Up and Out of Poverty NOW Coalition and now serves as its co-president.

Maureen Taylor is a lifelong organizer who has served as State Chair of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization since 1993. Along with other welfare rights members, she conducts local and state FIA policy trainings, and works with political leaders and corporations to draft policies and procedures that protect poor and low-income families. Maureen has been working along with many other concerned citizens in Detroit and Highland Park to stop water, gas, and electricity shut-offs for thousands of low-income households and to restore winter utilities for those already shut-off. Currently, Ms.

Ramona Pearson Henderson is a Certified Public Accountant with her own accounting firm in downtown Detroit. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland and resides in Detroit. Pearson has served as the president of the National Association of Black Accountants. She was hired by Republican Governor Engler in 2000 under Act 72 and left the position of Emergency Financial Manager in 2004.

Steve Egan specializes in management, operations, and performance improvement studies for state and local government agencies, with a recent focus on service delivery structure; public works and utilities; planning, development, and inspections; and financial, administrative, and resource management functions.

Tom White has spent most of his life in Highland Park. His father brought the White family from Tennessee to Michigan to work for Chrysler in the late 60’s as a part of the “great migration” of workers from the south to the north. Tom has been actively involved in his community for years.

Vallory Johnson grew up in Detroit and moved to Highland Park when she married her husband Billy Johnson, a prominent barbor in Highland Park. She ran a clothing store for many years and assisted her husband and son in the management of the barbor shop. Over the years Vallory was involved in community struggles connected to the environment. Her husband passed away and a year later her only son Billy died of a nerve disorder. Vallory passed away after struggling with cancer.