Board of Directors
Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy
Our People
Current Slate
- Matt Hall, Chair
- Colin Northrup, Vice Chair
- Sarah Worsham, Secretary
- Beth Pelkey, Treasurer
- Sandee Koski, Director
- Crystal Birchmeier, Director
- Kristen Columbus, ACA President
- Ellie Garnett, U-M Board Fellow
- Xander Rodriguez, U-M Board Fellow
Washtenaw ACA is Seeking New Board Directors!
Follow the link below to learn more about what we are seeking in new board leadership, and if you might be interested in this role.
Officers
Chairperson
Matt Hall
Matt Hall is a local entrepreneur and marketer who has been serving on ACA’s Board of Directors since November 2017.
After growing up and attending a small public high school in nearby Adrian, MI, he attended the University of Michigan, which he left three years later to pursue a career in media sales.
Though not supporting a direct relative living with IDD, Matt has extended family members and acquaintences with this experience and believes everyone wins when all people can experience maximal inclusion and dignity. In addition to his time with ACA, he also serves as a Big Brother for Washtenaw Big Brothers Big Sisters and in leadership for his Border 2 Border Business Connections Networking Group.
Matt prides himself on providing his resourcefulness, creativity, and technical know-how to maximize ACA’s mission.
Vice-Chair
Colin Northrup
My name is Colin Northrup. I hail from Dexter, Michigan and am a graduate of Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University. I was fortunate to be involved in college life while living in the dorms at EMU. As a full-time wheelchair user, these experiences would have been impossible without the support of home and community-based services. Before joining the board, I collaborated with President Kathy Homan on a series of instructional videos on some of the government services available to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities for my communication capstone course at EMU. It was through this project, as well as my advocacy before the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners budget hearings, that led me to joining the Washtenaw ACA board in December 2021. I have a Fox Red Lab service dog named Denver, enjoy sports broadcasting, model trains, and am passionate about advocating for others.
Secretary
Sarah Worsham
Sarah joined ACA’s board by way of member vote in the 2024 Members meeting. Her term started in January 2025.
Treasurer
Beth Pelkey
Hello, my name is Beth Pelkey. I have served on the WACA Board since late 2018, as the Board Treasurer.
I live in Alpena, MI and retired from banking after over 30 years in the business.
I got involved in WACA through my daughter, Melissa Epstein, who served on the Board in the past, most recently, Board President. Her daughter, my granddaughter, Charlotte, has Down Syndrome.
Not only did I get involved in the organization because of my daughter and granddaughter’s involvement, I got excited about the great things WACA does to build an inclusive community for those with developmental disabilities. We help families to figure out how to use support systems for their needs, offer a variety of educational systems and works to promote legislative actions to aid those who can benefit for our services. I am proud to be a part of this organization.
Directors
Sandee Koski
Sandee was born and raised in Ypsilanti. She earned her BA and MA in Speech and Language Pathology from Eastern Michigan University. Seven years ago she and her family returned to Washtenaw County after living in Livingston County for many years. Sandee bringings the experience of a parent of a person with an intellectual/developmental disability. She recently retired from Michigan Alliance for Families – a statewide organization providing information, mentoring and education to families whose children receive special education support and services. Sandee joined the Board of Directors because she believes in WACA’s crucial role as an advocacy organization in the lives people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families.
Crystal Birchmeier
Crystal joined ACA’s board by way of chair appointment in January 2025. Her term started in February 2025.
Kristen Columbus
Before stepping up into the President/CEO role in April 2025, Kristen was thrilled to return to Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy in October 2023. Kristen’s interest in disability advocacy comes from her experiences as the mother of a young adult who lives with complex developmental disabilities.
Prior to her recent tenure with ACA, Kristen was a project manager at the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute at Wayne State University from 2020-2023, and a parent mentor with Michigan Alliance for Families from 2011-2020. Kristen holds a master’s degree in social work from Michigan State University and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Wayne State University. She lives in Saline, Michigan with her family and enjoys birdwatching, hiking and a strong cup of coffee every morning.
Board Fellows
Our Golub Capital Nonprofit Board Fellows come in through the Business+Impact Program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business each Fall. They sit with the board over the course of the academic year, participating in meetings and committee activities, offering time and expertise as any other board member would. Their votes are not counted for or against official motions, but for the period which they serve with us, they are effectively Board Directors in every other way.
Ellie Garnett
Ellie is a Master of Social Work student at the U-M School of Social Work, also serving as a Board Fellow for the 2025-26 term.
She is in the final year of her Masters program, and also works as a Graduate Assistant for the America Reads program on campus. As a Fellow, her primary project will be developing a detailed framework for engaging with willing community members, businesses, and organizations.
Xander Rodriquez
Xander is a Ross School of Business 2027 MBA student serving as a Board Fellow for the 2025-26 term.
He completed his undergrad at Boston College and has worked in corporate finance roles at Fidelity Investments. As a Fellow, his primary project will be developing a robust marketing plan for locally promoting ACA’s mission, development, and community-building events.