New Members of Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class for 2024

• This is the 12th class spotlighting talented young professionals living and working in Oakland County.
• Their work and service to the community align with County Executive Dave Coulter’s Oakland Together vision for the future.
• Information about the Class of 2024 is available at oakgov.com/40Under40.

Pontiac, Mich. – Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter announced today the new members of the Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class of 2024, which includes a Michigan Supreme Court justice and the star of Bassquatch Hunter, a popular fishing and adventure show which airs on Discovery Channel.

The 12th Oakland Together 40 Under 40 class honors young professionals who live and/or work in Oakland County. These individuals exemplify Oakland Together, Coulter’s vision for a community working together to leverage its strengths, address its challenges, and find value in working with regional partners.

“I am thrilled to announce the exceptional individuals selected for the 2024 class of the Oakland Together 40 Under 40,” Coulter said. “This diverse group of young leaders embodies the spirit of innovation, resilience, and community engagement. Their contributions are shaping the future of our region, and I am proud to celebrate their accomplishments and commitment to making a positive difference in our county.”

More than 290 candidates, born after Dec. 31, 1983, applied for the recognition. A panel of independent judges selected the new class which includes a teacher, mental health professionals, physicians, non-profit leaders, university professors, lawyers, diversity consultants, and automotive supplier employees:

Among the members are:

Kyra Harris Bolden

Bolden, 35, of Farmington Hills, is the first woman of color to serve as a Michigan Supreme Court justice. Prior to her appointment to the high court, she served as a state representative in the Michigan House of Representatives where she advocated for criminal justice reform and crafted and passed bipartisan legislation to protect survivors of sexual violence. She is an active member of the Oakland County Bar Association, Wolverine Bar Association, Straker Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, National Congress of Black Women-Oakland County, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Mike McKinstry

McKinstry, a 39-year-old West Bloomfield resident, produces and hosts Bassquatch Hunter on Discovery Channel. His website says he quit his career seven years ago to follow his passion for fishing and inspiring others to take a risk and try new things to find a career that makes them happy. In each episode, he takes out guests that usually are brand new to kayaks and fishing. The only thing the guests and he have in common is that they both do what makes them happy for a career and want to inspire others to do new things and take risks to find their happiness.

Donovan Jackson

Jackson, 29, of Royal Oak Township, is the director of parks and recreation for his hometown and coach of the Ferndale High School football team, his alma mater. A former Division 1 football player at Morgan State University, he serves as vice president of the Semaj Morgan Foundation, which connects players at University of Michigan to kids in the community who look up to them. The non-profit has a variety of programs which include reading literacy, math development, and sport camps.

Yuliya Malayev

Malayev, 37, of West Bloomfield, is no ordinary obstetrician-gynecologist. She has improved access to lifesaving procedures to improve the quality of life of women suffering from chronic pain and endometriosis. She advocates for maternal health before and after pregnancy, pushing for better support within the community for breastfeeding, anxiety, depression, and child well-being. She also engages in projects and initiatives to reduce maternal death rates.

Below is a complete list of the members of the Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class of 2024. They will be honored at a reception preceding Coulter’s State of the County address on April 4. For more information, click on oakgov.com/40Under40:

• William Aldridge Jr, 35, of Wixom, detective for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
• Joe Bamberger, 36, of Bloomfield Hills, managing partner of Emerge
• Jared M Barnett, 31, of Auburn Hills, community health worker at Honor Community Health
• Kyra Harris Bolden, 35, of Farmington Hills, Michigan Supreme Court justice
• Tequion M. Brookins, 33, of Southfield, CEO and founder of TeQuionBrookins LLC
• Myka S. Burley, 34, of Southfield, associate director, skills at Michigan Central
• Ernesto Chavez, 38, of Waterford, CEO and co-founder of Founder of Bright Loritos
• Jun Chen, 38, of Novi, assistant professor at Oakland University
• Jessica Cortez, 36, of Bloomfield Hills, licensed Master of Social Work and founder of Bloomfield Child & Family
• Mike Cousins, 38, of Farmington Hills, partner & GIS practice leader for OHM Advisors
• Caress A. Dean, 35, of Clinton Township, associate professor, Master of Public Health program director, and chair of the Department of Public and
• Environmental Wellness at Oakland University
• Peggy Du, 35, of Farmington Hills, executive director and accounting manager of the Association of Chinese Americans
• Na’Jeray Elam, 29, of Pontiac, lead fourth grade teacher at University Prep Academy-Ellen Thompson Campus
• Jose L. Flores, 34, of Rochester Hills, CEO of Ancor Automotive
• Michelle Foster, 39, of Ferndale, executive director of National Association of State and Local Equity Funds
• Sairy Garcia, 35, of Royal Oak, business forward consultant at Oakland Thrive
• Angela Gill, 34, of Oxford, emergency foods program manager at Lighthouse
• Eric W. Gregory, 37, of Troy, partner at Dickinson Wright PLLC
• Alan Hejl, 33, of Ferndale, founder of Spark Access
• Ashley A. Hinton, 32, of Southfield, eligibility coordinator for Oakland County
• Donovan Jackson, 29, of Royal Oak Township, director of parks & recreation at Royal Oak Township
• Emily Karlichek, 36, of Farmington Hills, senior product marketing manager for Snap One
• Joshua Lumsden, 29, of Waterford, investigator for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Yuliya Malayev, 37, of West Bloomfield, physician for Metro OB-GYN
• Randall Mansour, 38, of Troy, partner at Disability Law Group
• Mike McKinstry, 39, of West Bloomfield, executive producer and host of Bassquatch Productions LLC
• Lydia Michael, 36, of West Bloomfield, founder and owner of Blended Collective
• Jon Ong, 38, of Bloomfield Township, director of transportation operations at RXO
• Dev M. Oza, 34, of West Bloomfield, associate dentist at Royal Dental Center
• Tim Paré, 38, of Southfield, CEO and artistic director of Michigan Stage
• Jeffrey Polkowski, 34, of Waterford, director of development services for Waterford Township
• Erin Quetell, 33, of Farmington Hills, chief sustainability officer for Oakland County
• Ashley Sansom 30, of Waterford, licensed Master of Social Work and youth mental health liaison for Oakland Community Health Network
• Brooke Scott, 25, of Oxford, analyst for compliance and economic development at Magna
• Christopher Sim, 33, of Auburn Hills, program manager, diversity supplier development at Stellantis
• Jaclyn Sivers, 36, of Clarkston, senior assistant prosecuting attorney, Juvenile Justice Division of the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office
• Daniel Snyder, 32, of Royal Oak, senior strategic buyer for AGC Automotive Americas
• Hemanth Tadepalli, 22, of Troy, cybersecurity compliance engineer at May Mobility
• Marissa Antonio Wiesen, 37, of Birmingham, assistant attorney general at Michigan Department of Attorney General
• Christian J. Williams, 31, of Farmington Hills, owner of CJW Consulting Group LLC and professional development consultant & supplier diversity consultant at Henry Ford Health