We are proud to announce one new member of the Governing Board and five new members of the organization’s Advisory Board.
The Governing Board oversees the strategic vision and mission for Gift of Life, while the Advisory Board provides recommendations on policies and procedures that make up the donation and transplantation processes.
New to the Governing Board
Dr. Terra DeFoe, regional director to U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, joins the Gift of Life Michigan Governing Board as a passionate advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation. Dr. DeFoe’s son, Emilio, was an organ donor, and she has shared her experience to inspire others and dispel myths about donation. She is a published author, the host of a national television show, ‘On the Floor with Dr. Terra DeFoe’ that airs on the Impact Network, and founder of ‘Vessels of Hope Outreach Ministries’ and ‘District for Change,’ where she offers educational sessions, workshops, peer support and recovery coaching.
New members to the Advisory Board
Amy Brown is Chief Nursing Officer at Michigan Health & Hospital Association in Okemos near Lansing. The nonprofit is an advocacy group for hospitals, health systems and patients across the state and is a longtime partner of Gift of Life. Amy has worked extensively with Gift of Life throughout her career. She brings more than 20 years of valuable experience to the board as a healthcare leader and is committed to patients and their families.
Artelia Griggs of Detroit has dedicated her life to promoting organ, eye and tissue donation after her daughter Angela died of an asthma attack at age 38. Artelia shares her story with hundreds of donor families from across the state during the state’s annual Donor Family Gathering. She earned Gift of Life’s Multicultural Difference Maker award in 2023. Artelia is a board member of the Detroit Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) and is a member of the Michigan Donor Family Council.
Noël Lipinski is director of funeral operations at Merkle Funeral Home in Monroe. She earned the prestigious Walter D. Pool award for her leadership and contributions to the mortuary science field. Noël’s perspective and compassion are invaluable to the families she serves. Merkle Funeral Home participates in Donate Life America’s Champion Funeral Home program recognizing donors and their families during memorials and funerals, and it is Gift of Life’s Funeral Home Champion award winner for 2025.
Carrie McCulloch is the director of development for the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan in Grand Rapids. As a donor sister and friend of a kidney recipient, Carrie understands firsthand how donation and transplantation transform lives. Throughout her career working with nonprofit organizations, she has been committed to the betterment of the communities she has served.
Dr. LokMan Sung is interim chief medical examiner for the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. Dr. Sung has spent more than five years as a clinical associate professor, teaching pathology at Michigan’s top universities. Wayne County is the No. 1 referral source of tissue donors in the state thanks to an automated system that triggers a referral during death investigations.
For a full list of Gift of Life’s Governing and Advisory board members, visit golm.org/leadership.
The best way to save lives is by joining the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. To sign up, visit golm.org/donate.
