Board of Directors

SMCAA is very fortunate to have dedicated individuals from all walks of life serving on our Board of Directors. They include elected officials, business and professional representatives, and consumer representatives. Together, they are a cross-section of the communities we serve and we are grateful for the time and talent they dedicate to improving their communities and the lives of people across Southwest Michigan.

SMCAA is a better, more efficient, and more effective agency because of their service.

The SMCAA Board of Directors is a tripartite board consisting of equal parts of local private sector, public sector, and low-income community representatives. SMCAA operates with a nine member board:

3 public sector members, one from each of our service counties
3 private sector members, one from each of our service counties
3 people who represent low-income community consumers

Public Members

Julie Wuerfel, Berrien County

Robert Benjamin, Cass County

Gail Patterson-Gladney (Secretary), Van Buren County

Private Members

Juliet Johnson, Berrien County

Minnie Warren (Chair), Cass County

Kathy Lyons (Treasurer), Van Buren County

Consumer Members

Corey Christopher (Vice-Chair), Berrien County

Michael Franks, Cass County

David Fernandez, Van Buren County

Board Meeting Calendar for FY2020-21

Review the calendar below for dates, locations, and times for board meetings. (The SMCAA Calendar year runs October-September.) Contact us if you have any questions. The board meets monthly on the third Wednesday, rotating locations throughout our tri-county service area. Board meetings start at 6:00pm, unless otherwise stated.

The public may access the Board's virtual Microsoft Teams monthly meetings by checking the SMCAA Facebook Page > Events and finding the month's meeting event. The event will state that month's meeting's access code.

October 21, 2020: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

November 2020: NO MEETING due to Annual Stuff-A-Truck

December 16, 2020: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

January 20, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

February 17, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

March 17, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

April 21, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

May 19, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

June 16, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

July 2021: NO MEETING due to Community Action National Conference

August 18, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

September 15, 2021: Due to COVID-19, meeting via Microsoft Teams

Board Meeting Minutes

Per the Community Service Policy Manual - Item 210 for Tripartite Board Meetings, SMCAA shall make available to the public the monthly Board of Director's meeting minutes.