AWPC Board of Directors
Greg
Board President
Greg has a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Elaine, have been supporting AWPC since 2007. Greg joined the AWPC Board of Directors May 2018 and was elected president of the board May 2019.
Greg is a highly accomplished executive and corporate officer. He is Founder and CEO of KriJon Enterprises, LLC., a management consulting group specializing in business strategy, production and quality systems, and corporate restructuring. Prior to starting his company, he had a 35 year career in the steel industry, where he progressed through the management ranks from trainee to executive. Greg held the positions of Vice President of Operations, Vice President – General Manager and President – General Manager. He was responsible for leading over 1,500 people and managing a budget in excess of $1.6 billion dollars annually.
Greg is an active member at his church, serving on the board of elders for over 20 years and as board chairman for the last 13 years.
Chris
Board Treasurer
Chris was a former client of a crisis pregnancy center; her husband, Don, was adopted shortly after birth. Consequently, Chris and Don are both staunch supporters of the rights of the unborn and have supported Christian crisis pregnancy centers for many years. She was elected to the AWPC Board of Directors in May 2019.
Chris has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Walsh College. She has worked in the accounting field for over 25 years. Currently, she is Owner and President of Essentially Accounting, LLC, which provides accounting, controller, and CFO services for small to mid-sized business nationwide. Prior to starting her company, Chris worked as the CFO of a private equity firm where she oversaw more than 25 companies in a wide range of industries, totaling more than $80 million in annual sales.
Liliana
Board Secretary
Liliana was born in Chihuahua City, Mexico but grew up in El Paso, TX. She attended Trinity University where she received Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration (Accounting) and Economics. Her career began in healthcare finance but later transitioned into wealth management with a multinational financial advisory firm.
When her husband’s career brought their family to Michigan in 2009, Liliana was able to pursue a vocation in volunteer and service work. She served her church, Our Lady of Victory, in various roles-from parent volunteer when her daughter attended the parish school, to assisting in evangelization ministry, a member of the Gospel of Life Committee, and co-chair of the Senior Lunch committee. Her conviction in protecting the sacred dignity of human life, especially the unborn, led her to volunteer with AWPC as a client advocate in 2017. She was recently elected Secretary of AWPC’s Board as well as heading the new Community Engagement Committee. She is an avid golfer who enjoys spending quality time on the course with her husband Conrad.
Ian
Board Director
Ian was just six years old when he purchased his first investment with the help of his grandmother. As it grew, so did his interest. By the time he was in high school, he knew financial advising was the career for him.
Ian earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Michigan – Dearborn. In 2007, he joined Raymond James Financial, Inc. He holds the Series 7, 9/10, and 66 Investment Licenses, the Michigan Life and Long-Term Care Insurance Licenses, the Wealth Management Specialist, and has completed the Investment Management Consultant Program.
Ian and his family live in Novi. He enjoys serving his community and has partnered with Ambassadors Football, Habitat for Humanity – Detroit, Northville Chamber of Commerce, Novi Right to Life, Oak Pointe Church, Plymouth Kiwanis, The University of Michigan Club of Greater Northville, and The University of Michigan – Dearborn College of Business Alumni Affiliate Board. In his free time, Ian enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, playing/watching sports, music, and reading.
Lucy
Board Director
Lucy and her husband moved from the St Louis, MO area to the greater Detroit area to be near family. She was elected to the AWPC Board of Directors in August 2017.
In her career as a School Psychologist, Lucy assisted parents by developing learning and behavioral strategies for their children. In St Louis, Lucy volunteered with a Pregnancy Center where she developed and implemented a 46-week curriculum for Mothers Choosing Life.
Lucy holds a Doctorate Degree in School Psychology and has taught at universities in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri.
Ed
Board Director
Ed has supported Right to Life efforts for nearly his entire adult life, having first marched “For Life” in the early 1970s. He joined the Board of Directors at Another Way Pregnancy Center in 2012 and served as President, Treasurer, and Secretary during his tenure before stepping down in 2021 to focus on other volunteer opportunities. After much prayer and prompting from the Holy Spirit, we are blessed to welcome him back to the AWPC Board of Directors.
Prior to his retirement in 2014, he was a CPA in the industry and held various positions of increasing responsibilities with a global diversified manufacturer, including Division Controller, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Vice President - Controller, and Group Controller for multiple operating units. Over the years he has served on the parish council and board of education for the parishes to which he belonged, and he currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer of a small Catholic non-profit in addition to Treasurer of a ministry that helps those in need in downtown Detroit.
Born and raised in the Midwest, he holds a bachelor's degree in Business with a major in Accounting. The proud father of four adult children, Ed and his wife are awaiting their 21st grandchild. Their free time is spent traveling west to visit their two sons and their families in Arizona and Colorado. Ask him what he is most proud of and he will invariably answer, “the choice each of our children made regarding their spouse serves as a constant reminder that we may have done something right.”
Melissa
Board Director
Melissa serves as a client advocate and enjoys learning more about her clients each week. She is a mother of 4 school aged children and has been married to her husband for over 16 years. Melissa is a former elementary school teacher who has taught in K-5 classrooms. In her spare time she also enjoys fostering kittens for a local cat rescue, horseback riding and reading.
Kurt
Board Director
Kurt is currently a business consultant who has spent the last ten years working with several companies in Michigan to provide operational, financial, and management improvement to privately held businesses. He has a strong passion to assist companies to build strong teams and processes that build a strong base for the long term. Equally as important he is working with his clients to understand how they can improve their current culture and prepare for a business downturn or financial distress.
Kurt has a good working knowledge of all areas of business. Before becoming a consultant he had over 20 years of exceptional training in business and management while working in the automotive and petroleum industries. During these 20 years, he learned the basics of running a great business. Kurt’s primary focus during these years was in the area of finance and accounting. However, he also had responsibility for many other areas of these organizations including purchasing, information systems, insurance, all employee benefits, and cash flow.
He received his B.A. from Northwestern College in Watertown Wisconsin. After college Kurt attended Keller Graduate School of Management where he received his M.B.A, he also is a licensed CPA.
God has always been an important part of his life and motivation. He learned this from hearing God’s word and seeing his parents' involvement in church and many other organizations. Over his life, Kurt has served and volunteered in many non-profit organizations. This has included volunteering for several events at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church for the benefit of AWPC. Currently, he is Treasurer of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, President of Staman Acres Subdivision, and a member of the local chapter of Gideon’s International.
Lissa
Board Director
Clarissa (Lissa) joined the AWPC board in 2024 after volunteering as a client advocate for three years. She became aware of the organization through her involvement at St. Fabian Catholic Church in Farmington Hills. Lissa retired after a 30-year career in banking, primarily in commercial lending and then as Regional President. She has many years of experience assisting with fundraising and leadership on previous boards but did not initially have the opportunity to directly serve clients. After retirement, she vowed to get more involved and identified AWPC as a great opportunity to help those who need it most. She was particularly impressed with AWPC's training, which is Christ-centered and biblically directed. When asked why she volunteers at AWPC, Lissa reflected that there are many reasons. Her charitable pursuits generally focus on those most vulnerable, and as Lissa will say “Who could possibly be more vulnerable than a child in the womb?" She also says, “I thought I came here to help the mothers, but then I realized it was really to hold the babies, too!” Lastly, while Lissa and her husband Greg have six children, pregnancy issues plagued her, and she was certain that promoting the miracle of life would someday be a calling. Lissa is certain that this work is part of God’s plan.
Dr. Melissa
Medical Director and Board Director
Dr. Melissa was born in North Dakota where she completed her undergraduate and medical school education. She did her OB/GYN residency in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Butterworth Hospital (now Spectrum) from 1997-2001. This is where she met her future husband, Dan, during residency and they married in 2002. They have four children, ages 12-18, and live in Westphalia, Michigan. Dr. Melissa has previously worked at St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital (immediately out of residency) and was in private practice in East Lansing for 16 years. She is currently employed by Weatherby Healthcare and also taking a “semi-sabbatical” before starting her next position. She approaches her patients with a shared decision-making model and promised herself years ago that she would have a positive interaction with EVERY single patient she encounters. Over the years, her faith has grown immensely and is the central tenet to her approach to family, friends, life, and work. She is excited to be involved with the Another Way Pregnancy Center as she believes pro-life is just the beginning and must include pro-mother, pro-father, pro-family, and pro-community.