Barry LaRue is a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti and one of the original founders of the Riverside Arts Center.  He recently retired after 41 years at the University of Michigan as Senior Performance Hall Operations Manager overseeing technical aspects of venues such as the Power Center, Mendelssohn Theatre and Hill Auditorium.   Barry has spent his entire adult life active in the community having served on the Ypsilanti City Council, Historic District Commission, the boards of the Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation, Destination Ann Arbor and Highland Cemetery among others.   He holds a residential builders license and enjoys working on older homes, including the 1858 Italianate he shares with his wife Kim Clarke, a senior writer at the University of Michigan.

Photo by Misty Lyn Bergeron

Morgan Cox has lived in Ypsilanti since 2006. She has served on multiple non-profit boards and has volunteered for past Ypsi-based arts events, including the Shadow Art Fair and Krampus Ball. Morgan has a background in secondary education, and she currently works at a local non-profit as the director of communications and development. She likes cooking, playing drums, podcasts and newsletters, riding her bike, and spending time with as many dogs as possible – though mostly her greyhound, Marie. 

Donald Loppnow, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Social Work from Washington University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Michigan. He joined Eastern Michigan University in 1974 as a lecturer in sociology. Don rose through the academic ranks to professor of social work, the position he held at the time of his retirement in 2014. He was instrumental in founding the Department of Social Work, now the School of Social Work and served as its first Department Head. 

Don came into University-wide leadership in 1990 when he was named interim director of the Office of Research Development.  In 1997, he became associate vice president for Extended Programs and added a half-time appointment as assistant to the president for strategic planning in 2000. Don was tapped by the Board of Regents to serve briefly as acting president in 2004, and then became the senior executive for strategic planning and continuous improvement from 2004-2006. He served as provost and vice president for academic affairs from 2006-2009, with a change in title to executive vice president in 2007. Don acted as interim president from 2007 – 2008. He then served as vice-president for advancement and executive director of the EMU Foundation until 2009 before retiring. In 2015 Don was asked to return to EMU to serve as interim president a third time until 2016.

He has served in leadership roles on the Board of Directors for the Riverside Arts Center, the Ypsilanti Area Community Fund, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum, the Ypsilanti Historical Society, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and the 109 year-old town-gown organization, the Twenty Club. He has also served on the boards or committees of Dawn Farm, HelpSource, Ann Arbor Child and Family Services Coordinating Council, Junior League of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw United Way, and more.

David is a partner at Edwards, Ellis & Associates, P.C. and has been since 2007, after joining in 1992. He is both a tax expert as well as a financial advisor. He received his BBA in accounting at the University of Michigan with high distinction and then continued to get his MS in Taxation with Summa Cum Laude from Walsh College. David obtained his CPA license in 1995. He also qualified as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP)® in 2005.

David currently serves as Treasurer of Riverside Arts Center and is a member of the Finance Committee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County. David is also a Life Master in bridge and enjoys playing in local tournaments on a regular basis.

Photo by Misty Lyn Bergeron

Whether performing Hip Hop, singing Neo Soul, Jazz, Contemporary Gospel or Opera, the power behind Athena Johnson’s classically trained voice is indescribable. As the granddaughter of a pastor, singing in the church served as the foundation that would become a vital ingredient in the recipe for success for this accomplished vocalist.

Johnson attended Western Michigan University, majoring in Vocal Performance. Upon transitioning to Washtenaw Community College, she started a band which was called ‘The Elements of Sound’. This endeavor allowed Johnson to perform at such events as ‘The River Raisin Smooth Jazz Festival’.  She has worked with saxophonist Yancyy, bassist Terry Washington, and keyboardist Gerard Gibbs.

Photo by Misty Lyn Bergeron

Sally McCracken, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Eastern Michigan University. Current resident of the EMU Faculty and Staff Association, member of the Arts and Science Resource Board and Secretary/Treasurer of the Twenty Club Town and Gown Association. Former President of the EMU Faculty Council, President of the American Association of University Professors, multiple National AAUP Councils, Labor Consultant and invited speaker for multiple organizations. Awards: ADAHI award for Excellence in Teaching, 1969; Sabbatical Leaves, 1978 and 1985; Faculty Recognition Awards, Division of University Marketing and Student Affairs–1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989; RTL (Research in Teaching and learning) Fellow, 1995-1996; Sternberg Award, National AAUP, Collective Bargaining Congress, 1998; Ronald Collins EMU Distinguished Faculty Award, Service, 1998; Michigan Association of Governing Boards Distinguished Faculty Award, 2000; and EMU Alumnae Association, Teaching Excellence Award, 2005; and EMU AlumniAssociation Porter Award for Service, 2015.

Hafsah is an illustrator, print & motion designer and nerd based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is primarily a self-taught designer who consistently ventures off the beaten path of design to explore animation, illustration and filmmaking.

Hafsah’s post-college life featured a rip-roaring venture into freelance work as an illustrator and publication designer in the immediate Metro Detroit area before joining a cybersecurity company in Ann Arbor’s flourishing tech community. In her current form, she is a visual designer with an array of thoughts, opinions and aspirations that I all too freely share on social media. Someone should stop me, they have not. I remain at large.

Betty Began her career managing and owning several restaurants in the Plymouth and Ann Arbor area. Betty would eventually establish Strategic Resources, a consulting company dedicated to nonprofit excellence. Betty would go on to become the Director of Development at Arbor Hospice, Executive Director of Advancement at the Detroit Institute of the Arts, and the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Eastern Michigan University. She has had the privilege of serving on numerous boards and engaged in volunteer activity in our community as well as in West Michigan. She is pleased and proud to support Riverside Arts Center as it grows.