Starr Commonwealth Executive Leadership
President & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Martin L. Mitchell serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Starr Commonwealth which provides state, national and international leadership to programs serving children, families, communities and professionals. Founded in 1913, Starr’s philosophy is rooted in seeing something good in every child, which serves as the guiding principle in its strength-based approach. In his nearly 40-year tenure, Dr. Mitchell has served as a youth care worker, teacher, program administrator, vice president, and in 2004 became the fourth president in Starr’s 97-year history. He has trained and written extensively in the areas of teamwork, leadership, and group dynamics. He served as Director of the XII World Congress of the International Association of Workers for Troubled Children held in New York City which involved participants from twenty-three countries. In addition, Dr. Mitchell frequently provides legislative testimony on behalf of youth, and is often interviewed by the media on topics impacting youth and families in today’s society. Marty is co-author of the books:
- “Deep Brain Learning – Pathways to Potential for Challenging Youth”
- “No Disposable Kids”
- “In Whose Best Interest: One Child's Odyssey, A Nation's Responsibility”
- “Connectedness, Continuity, Dignity and Opportunity: Principle-based Action for Kids”
In addition, he is a contributing author to the books: “Teamwork in Human Services” and “Re-educating Troubled Youth: Powerful Environments for Teaching and Treatment." His professional affiliations are many and include serving on the boards of the International Association of Social Educators, the National Alliance for Children and Families, the Michigan Federation of Private Child and Family Agencies, the StarrVista Care Management Organization, and the National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism. Locally, Dr. Mitchell serves on the board of Monarch Community Bank. He and his wife, Shirlee, are the proud parents of three daughters and six grandchildren.
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Chris Smith has held several roles since joining Starr Commonwealth in 1979. In those 30 years, Mr. Smith has served as Controller, Treasurer and currently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. His responsibilities include the accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, purchasing and investment management for the organization, as well as key support for trust management and personnel benefits administration. Chris also has served as Director of Planned Giving and continues to provide essential support for these services in his present role. Chris has been instrumental in the Healing of Racism initiatives at Starr Commonwealth and in the community. He serves on the Oneness of Humankind Council for the Healing of Racism at Starr Commonwealth and is certified as a facilitator in the Healing of Racism process. Chris is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is a Certified Public Accountant. Chris has also served on the Battle Creek Community Foundation Finance Committee. Chris and his wife, Cathy, reside in Ceresco, Michigan and are the parents of five daughters.
Executive Vice President & Chief Program Officer
With more than 20 years tenure, Mr. Jackson has served troubled youth and their families in the Detroit metropolitan area for Starr Commonwealth since 1988, and because of that dedication was appointed Executive Vice President & Chief Program Officer in 2008. Chuck has worked in a variety of roles during his service and has been a pioneering staff member for programs in Starr’s Detroit office – Supervised Independent Living and Bridges Toward Responsible Adulthood programs. He also is Executive Director of StarrVista, Inc., a Care Management Organization serving the at-risk and delinquent population of youth residing in the greater Detroit area. In addition to his service at StarrVista and Starr Commonwealth, Chuck has been instrumental and dedicated to the residents of Detroit as board member of the Board of Manhood, Inc. (a male mentorship program), mentor to 4th, 5th and 8th graders in the Detroit Public Schools and co-facilitated seminars for the Institute for the Healing of Racism. Chuck also is a member of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Task Force on Racial Diversity. Chuck is a certified facilitator for Starr’s Healing of Racism. Chuck is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sociology in 1988. He earned his Master’s of Arts degree from Wayne State University in 1994 and is working toward his Doctoral degree in Sociology from Wayne State University. Chuck and his wife reside in Van Buren Township and have a son and a daughter.
Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer
Mr. Bisson provides management and oversight of Starr’s fundraising and friend-raising activities across all Starr Commonwealth locations. With a background in working with children and youth and experience in marketing and fund raising, Simon joined Starr Commonwealth in 2004. When asked about his motivation to raise money to support Starr, Bisson remarks, “No matter the amount, when working with a donor and sharing in their satisfaction, knowing they are helping children less fortunate – and seeing how pleased they are to help, keeps me going.” Simon holds Bachelor’s degrees in Education, Exercise Sciences and Physical Education from Christ Church University College, in Canterbury England and the Certificate in Education from the University of Kent at Canterbury. He also holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University and is a candidate in the Executive Master’s program in Philanthropic Studies at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Simon is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Committee on Planned Giving and serves on the Resource Development Services Committee for the Alliance for Children and Families. Simon combines his experience in education and residential children’s services with nonprofit fundraising experience to serve Starr Commonwealth’s fundraising goals. Simon and his wife, Molly, and their two daughters live in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer
Ms. Carey joined Starr Commonwealth in 2010 with almost two decades of experience in the field of social and human services. In her new role at Starr, Elizabeth provides human resource leadership for Starr’s strategic direction of investing in our people, as well as shapes the future of Starr’s talent management initiatives and business strategies. Elizabeth also leads our public policy and advocacy agenda
on a state and national level and spearheads the business strategies for the Starr Institute for Training. She has a comprehensive professional background that includes social work, government relations, statewide and national association leadership and operations. She served as Executive Director of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, a statewide organization located in Lansing, Michigan for nonprofit social service providers, and most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Alliance for Children and Families, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has contributed on local, state and national issues, boards and committees and presented all across the country on the issues and trends affecting nonprofit human service organizations. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work at Michigan State University, and began her career as a social worker in Michigan. She and her husband, Mike, reside in Jackson, Michigan and have two sons.