Board & Staff

Board Members

Susan Greenfield, Chair
Margaret Winters, Vice-Chair
Jerry Breuer, Treasurer
Randy Bruce
Jon Buyle
Dr. Mel Chudnof
Mina Feldman
Diane Henderson
Joseph Kwapisz
Roberta Russ
Elaine Yaker

Board Member Emeritus

Rose Marie Battey
Martin Herman
Sharon O’Brien
Ralph Stromberg

Staff

Debra Yamstein, Executive Director
debray@soarexplore.com

Susan Greenfield

Susan Greenfield

Board Chair

As President and Board Chair, Susan Greenfield leads SOAR strategic direction. In addition to her official duties, Susan, a retired corporate attorney, is an active SOAR member. “SOAR is a great source of stimulation and adventure, first after my retirement, and even more so when I became widowed two years ago. Besides the impressive array of classes in multiple subject categories, I have personally found SOAR to be a gateway to social opportunities and an environment to develop new and lasting friendships.

Margaret Winters

Margaret Winters

Board Vice Chair and Chair, Governance Committee

Margaret is often called upon as an advisor to SOAR, especially in matters of governance. She’s Professor Emerita and former Provost at Wayne State University, with expertise in languages (especially language history and development) and in higher education policy. She is a member of SOAR’s faculty and has led many classes for SOAR, especially exploring world language and culture. “I am motivated by my belief in lifelong learning and the pleasure of sharing knowledge and points of view. My membership on the board is further based on the desire to help SOAR thrive and grow, through my experience with leading academic units and with other boards.”

Jerry Breuer

Jerry Breuer

Board Treasurer

A lifelong Detroiter, Jerry comes to SOAR with an expertise in finance. His career includes serving with major financial institutions in the area and across the country, and he was adjunct professor of Marketing at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield for about 15 years. “Since retiring in 2006 I have been volunteering at various non-profits, serving as treasurer of just about all of them at one time or another. I have been amember of SOAR on and off for many years.”

Joe Kwapiz

Joe Kwapisz

Chair, Curriculum and Instruction Committee

Planning semesters is no easy feat, but Joe makes it happen. His 48-year career in automotive engineering, marketing and program management for American, German and Chinese automotive companies and suppliers, serves him well as a SOAR board member and committee chair. “I served in VP roles and started my own program management firm. After retiring, I was looking to lend my professional and organizational skills to an organization. My wife introduced me to SOAR. The variety of topics appealed to me and led me to join, and then chair, the Curriculum Committee. I enjoy working with a diverse energetic team of professionals and find pleasure recruiting interesting people to share their knowledge and experience with our members.”

Elaine Yaker

Elaine Yaker

Chair, Special Events Committee

Elaine’s energy is on full display as she oversees SOAR’s roster of Special Events, which include the robust schedule of Featured Speaker Events. In her career as a portrait photographer, she developed a creative eye for settings and engagement. “I am the mother of four (now 8) and the grandmother of 11 and I still derive great joy from my career as a children’s portrait photographer and owner of Pierce Street Portraits. I volunteer for SOAR because I choose to give back to this fine institution for the stimulation, enrichment, and social connections it provides to me and SOAR members.”

Rose Marie Battey Board Member Emeritus & Chair – Field Trip Committee
Rose Marie has been involved with SOAR for many years, after spending her professional lifetime first as a K-8 specialty school principal and then as marketing coordinator for a large building company. Although the Field Trips committee has not been active since COVID, Rose Marie is eager to begin making plans again soon! “As chair of the SOAR Field Trips Committee, I’m always searching for new cultural experiences for our members.”

Martin Herman Board Member Emeritus
As one of SOAR’s founding fathers, Martin Herman’s contributions cannot be summed up in a paragraph. He was one of SOAR’s first faculty members and was an original member of SOAR’s Curriculum Committee. His experience as an academic administrator was essential in the creation of SOAR’s By-Laws. Most importantly, throughout his tenure with SOAR, and continuing on as Emeritus, Martin always ensured SOAR maintained its hard-earned reputation of offering high quality programs while meeting the diverse interests of its membership.

Sharon O’Brien Board Member Emeritus, Founder and Past Chair
Sharon is SOAR’s Founding Mother and remains one of its most active volunteers. She leads several SOAR Shared Interest Groups and remains involved on the Curriculum and Special Events committees. Her vision for SOAR to always maintain and offer quality programs and events is evidenced by its expanded agenda of musical, theatrical, social justice, and other kinds of innovative events that go beyond the courses offered during the regular terms.

Ralph Stromberg Board Member Emeritus and Past Executive Director
As SOAR’s first executive director, Ralph led the organization for close to a decade, carefully nurturing committees and volunteers to ensure SOAR’s growth and sustainability. As a lifelong learning advocate, Ralph continues to serve on several committees and attends nearly all of SOAR’s classes.

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