Board of Directors

Mark Covington

Board President

Mark Covington is a lifelong resident of Detroit and City Airport Neighborhood on the city’s east side. He is founder of the Georgia St Community Garden/Farm and Founder, and Executive Director of the Georgia St Community Collective, which provides residents with health, education, leadership skills, protection, and to rebuilding and sustaining the community. Steering Committee Member for Detroit Hamtramck Coalition For Advancing Healthy Environments and Steering Committee Member for Clear The Air.​

Rev. Sharon Buttry

Board Secretary

Rev. Sharon A. Buttry, MSW retired in 2019 as Associate Director of Training and Education at the International Hope Center based in Hamtramck, Michigan. She retired in 2018 as Global Consultant for Community Transformation with International Ministries, American Baptist Churches, USA.  Rev. Buttry has extensive experience in urban community development in the United States and has led workshops in faith-based community development and trauma awareness/recovery in Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, India, Myanmar, Nagaland, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand, and the Middle East.  She earned graduate degrees in ministry and social work in Philadelphia (U PENN) between 1992- 1996 and was ordained in 1996 via the American Baptist Churches at Calvary Baptist Church of Norristown, PA.   Rev. Buttry has been a leader in the Detroit area in interfaith relationships and serves as a voluntary police chaplain in Hamtramck.  She is a grant writer and administrator in community & police relations for Hamtramck.  She has volunteered with the Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environment since 2016. Rev. Sharon Buttry is married to Rev. Dr. Daniel Buttry, retired Global Consultant for Peace and Justice, International Ministries, American Baptist Churches.  They live in Hamtramck where they live in community,  to mentor ministry leaders and house asylum seekers.  They are parents of three adult children residing in Michigan and Texas and are full time grandparents for Liliana. Rev. Buttry’s interests include gardening, painting, and taking people on tours to highlight Hamtramck’s art and culture.​

Thomas Pemberton

Board Member

​Thomas Pemberton is an African-American native Detroiter.  He lives in the 48211 zip code and is active in the East Ferry Warren Block Club. He works in the field of housing justice as a building inspector. He also mentors youth in composting and urban gardening. He is an active representative of his community and an outspoken participant in our efforts to obtain a Community Benefits Agreement with US Ecology South, one of our campaigns.

Greer Hamilton, Phd, MSW

Board Member

Greer Hamilton, PhD, MSW (she/her) is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. As a place-based researcher, her work seeks to examine how systems of oppression are embedded into the built environment and subsequently impact people’s health, well-being, and use of public spaces. Her work often uses community-engaged, arts-based, and embodied approaches to understand study participants’ experiences with places of meaning (e.g., neighborhoods). Additionally, in the School of Social Work, she co-coordinates the Community Scholars Program, a special program for graduate-level students interested in community change work. Outside of her work at U-M, she is an academic partner for Collective Power for Reproductive Justice and is a board member of Midwest Access Coalition, a practical support abortion fund serving people in and traveling to the Midwest. Previously, she has worked as a program manager and external community coalition facilitator for non-profits and a foundation in the Buffalo, NY area. She has also served on the boards of West Side Community Services (Buffalo, NY), Seneca Street Community Development Corporation (Buffalo, NY), Black Love Resists in the Rust (Buffalo, NY), and the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund (Boston, MA). She currently lives in Detroit (48214) with her dog Birch. 

Hosen Arman

Board Treasurer

Hosen Arman is a Second year MPH student with a concentration in Environment, Sustainability, and Health. He is currently working on founding a non-profit, which aims to create awareness about soil contamination among Bangladeshi  gardeners in the Detroit Metro area. His passion for environmental health stems from the profound interplay between our environment and health. Before coming to Michigan, he worked as an APHL-CDC Environmental Health Fellow at the New Jersey Department of Health, where he supported projects investigating the presence of toxic metals among mothers and newborn babies. He graduated from Rutgers University in May 2021 with a BS in Biology. At Rutgers, he supported research related to circadian rhythms, short-term memory, and team formation in research. In the future, he is interested in exploring the intersection between environmental exposure and health outcomes.

Wesly Akeal

Board Member

Hi! My name is Wesly Akeal. I’m an Environmental Remediation Technician originally from New York City with over 13 certifications in environmental cleanup and health and safety, including OSHA 10 & 30, HAZWOPER 40, Confined Space Entry, Lead Abatement Supervisor, Asbestos Supervisor, Bloodborne Pathogens, Mold Remediation, Air Sampling Technician, and more. I’ve spent years on the ground handling hazardous materials, restoring contaminated environments, and protecting public health through safe and effective remediation practices.
​In addition to my professional training, I’m also a Korean Natural Farmer and practitioner of organic farming. I’m deeply passionate about sustainable living, clean environments, and building healthier communities from the ground up. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my experience and perspective to the board and to contribute to the powerful work the Coalition is doing in Detroit and Hamtramck.

Staff

Zoe Cutler

Administrative Manager