The Skillman Foundation

The Skillman Foundation announced the appointment of two new members to its board of trustees, Ronald Hall and Suzanne Shank. “Both individuals have displayed a deep commitment to Detroit and bring valuable experience from their service on other local and national boards in addition to a keen interest in improving the lives of children in the city,” Chair Jerry Norcia commented on the two new appointments.

Hall serves as president and chief executive officer at Bridgewater Interiors, LLC, an automotive interiors manufacturing firm that employs more than 2,000 people across four facilities in the U.S. In addition to his role at Bridgewater, Hall sits on several corporate and nonprofit boards including Beaumont Health, Detroit PAL, and the Wayne County Airport Authority. Hall holds a Bachelor of Science in International Political Economy from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Michigan Law School. He served several years on active duty in the US Army, where he attained the rank of captain and was decorated for meritorious service in the Persian Gulf War.

Shank is a 29-year veteran of the financial services industry and a founding partner of Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC. During her tenure as CEO, Siebert Cisneros Shank has grown from a startup firm to completing more than $1.4 trillion in financings for municipal issuers, and $1 trillion in corporate bond and equity transactions. Additionally, Shank serves on several boards including the Bipartisan Policy Center Executive Council on Infrastructure, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Wharton Graduate Board of Trustees and the Spelman College Board of Trustees. Shank graduated from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance, and the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. In addition to several national and local recognitions for her accomplishments, Shank was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in 2016 by Crain’s Detroit Business.

Hall and Shank join the Skillman Foundation’s current board of trustees: Chair Jerry Norcia (president and CEO, DTE Energy), Vice-Chair Mary Kramer (group publisher, Crain Communications), Tonya Allen (president and CEO, The Skillman Foundation), Lizabeth Ardisana (founder and CEO, ASG Renaissance), Bill Emerson (vice chairman, Rock Holdings LLC), Dr. Herman B. Gray (president and CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan), Denise Ilitch (president, Ilitch Enterprises), Eddie R. Munson (former KPMG partner), and Mark Reuss (executive vice president, Global Product Development and Supply Chain, GM).