Our board is comprised of individuals who are passionate about philanthropy, giving and education. We believe that it is important to live by the Born and Raised motto, “Love Your City.”
Board Members
Comprised of both local and national members who have a strong sense of pride for the city, our team is united by one common thread — a desire to continue to give back to Detroit, regardless of where we currently reside.
Parker Lynch
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CO-FOUNDER
Parker Lynch is one of the founding members of Born and Raised Detroit Foundation, which was born into existence in 2009. He, along with other founders, helped BARD's fundraising events grow from a single event to its current model of hosting events from coast-to-coast.
Parker holds a BA in English from Indiana University in 2006 and his dual MA in Special Education and Childhood Education from New York University in 2013. His love for working with kids and helping them access opportunities through philanthropy has shaped his role with BARD.
Parker is the founder of a startup called Hedgehog LLC,creating unique, patented sensory devices aimed at helping kids with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and ADHD. He also has served as NYU Steinhardt Dean's Alumni Board Member since 2022 and has been a RSA Fellow (the Royal Society of the Arts) since 2023.
Xander Strek
BOARD MEMBER
Xander became a board member of the Born and Raised Detroit Foundation in 2018. He has always been an advocate for, and a lover of Detroit.
Xander had a short stint away from his hometown when he pursued his love for basketball and received his BA in Psychology from Grinnell College in 2012. He couldn’t stay away from Detroit for long, however, and has been working and living in the metro area since his graduation.
Xander and his wife, Anna, live in Birmingham with their four kids — Hudson, Win and Goldie.
George Bibbs
VICE PRESIDENT
George Bibbs, a native Detroiter, joined Born & Raised Detroit as a board member in 2020. With a background in engineering, he has a strong commitment and history of serving youth in the areas of STEM. He has broad experience and a personal passion for business strategy and community engagement, which will support the BARD mission and its ongoing efforts in Detroit.
George is currently a Senior Product Development Director at Keurig Dr. Pepper. He earned his Executive MBA from Northwestern University, MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.
Jacques Perreault
SECRETARY, BOARD MEMBER
Jacques has supported Born and Raised Detroit since 2016 after being involved with numerous nonprofits. Jacques was elected to be a board member in 2018. Jacques grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan and is very passionate about Detroit. Jacques went to Northeastern University where he played hockey D1 hockey and earned a BA degree with a concentration in finance and accounting. Jacques currently works in the photo and film production industry as an operations & finance manager in NYC.
Madelyn Wisne
TREASURER, BOARD MEMBER
Madelyn Wisne was inducted in 2017 and helped volunteer at multiple BARD events leading up to joining the board. She has a strong passion for connecting people in Detroit and enjoys doing so through active event planning and networking.
Madelyn graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a BA in Communications in 2012 and currently lives in Royal Oak, Michigan. She holds the position as Program Officer at the Toni Wisne Sabina Foundation, a private, family foundation which focuses on benefiting nonprofits involved in serving the hungry, Michigan veterans and assisting in educational programs.
Joseph Pospisil
BOARD MEMBER
Joe has supported Born and Raised Detroit since 2014 after being involved with BARD events held annually and inducted as a board member in 2024. He currently lives in Bloomfield Hills and is a long time Detroit native and supporter. He graduated from Oakland University where he earned a BA degree in History and an MBA at Walsh College. Joe currently works in the automotive industry as a Licensing Manager at General Motors in Detroit.