Title Track Board of Directors
We’re excited to give you an opportunity to learn more about the dynamic individuals serving on the inaugural Board of Directors for Title Track.
Holly Bird
Hon. Bird graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in 1987. She attended Michigan State University, where she graduated with a B.A. in art and social science. In 1999, Hon. Bird graduated from DePaul University College of Law, where she served as the Native American Representative and President of the Latino Law Students Association.
After law school, Hon. Bird served as a Hearing Officer for Chicago Public Schools, presiding over matters concerning the educational welfare and discipline of children and teachers. Hon. Bird was appointed as a Guardian Ad Litem for the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office in 2000, where she represented over 230 children in the abuse/neglect system. From there, Hon. Bird went into private practice, representing clients in matters of family, criminal, traffic, civil, estate planning, real estate, and juvenile law. Hon. Bird also served as Vice-President of the Native American Foster Parents Association. Most notably, however, Hon. Bird founded and served as Vice-President, President, and President-Emeritus of the Illinois Native American Bar Association, and is credited for using her advocacy to remove offensive sports mascots from several Illinois schools. Hon. Bird has authored the publications: “Jumping Through Hoops: Traditional Healers and the Indian Health Care Act,” (1999) and “Making the Cross-Cultural Case; Educating the Judge about Race, Religion, and Ethnicity” (2004). Additionally, Hon. Bird has provided trainings on Native American Law and culture to the Illinois State Prosecutor’s Office, the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office, and the Interfaith Council for Social Justice. Hon. Bird was featured in the Illinois Department of Labor’s March 2000 “Highlights of the Progress of Women and Minorities in the Workforce.”
In 2008, Hon. Bird was appointed as an Acting Chief Judge / Associate Judge for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, where she served until 2011. In 2010, Hon. Bird was appointed to serve as an Associate Supreme Court Judge for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians and continues in that capacity today. Currently, Hon. Bird maintains a private practice in Traverse City, concentrating in matters of Native American, family, juvenile, criminal, civil, traffic, real estate, probate, employment and business law. Hon. Bird also served as the Civil Ground Coordinator for the Water Protectors Legal Collective, the leading legal service at the NoDAPL camp/protest in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She continues to volunteer for WPLC to date. She also founded and serves as the Executive Director for the MI Water Protectors Legal Task Force, a project of the National Lawyer’s Guild.
Hon. Bird is a certified Mediator, Peacemaker, Arbitrator, and serves as a pro-tem Appellate Judge for various Tribes. In 2013, Hon. Bird was awarded the prestigious American Arbitration Association’s 2013 Higginbotham Fellowship. For nearly ten years, Hon. Bird taught criminal justice classes for the University of Phoenix. Hon. Bird has served as a board member and mentor for the Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden; and volunteer for the Leelanau Children’s Center and the Pathfinder
Wayne “Juuni” Ramocan
Juuni (Joo-Nee) is the rhythmist based in Detroit, MI who uses analog and digital instruments to create. His sonic identity was formed by the Junkanoo celebrations of his ancestors. Mentor Gayelynn McKinney guided him to refine his rhythm. Guided by Soulquarian & Neptune frequencies, Juuni spawned Onefreq in 2014.
The US State Department, Knight Foundation, Art Prize, & i-D have recognized Juuni for his craft. Juuni is a founder of D.Cipher, Detroit’s Music Mastermind Collective.
Jack Seaman
Jack is a retired lawyer and mediator who has been active in non-profits for many years. He served as board member and President of the Inland Seas Educational Association and the Leelanau Conservancy. More recently, he has been involved with the Chiapas Water Project and On The Ground.
Throughout his life, music has been central. He and his wife Susan live with their dog Gusto in a 110 year-old farmhouse.
Joe Short
Joe Short is an entrepreneur, humanitarian, visionary and humorist. He’s a Michigan native who grew up in Rapid City, graduated from Kalkaska High School and attended college at Western Michigan University. He left college before obtaining a degree to pursue a career in the craft brewing industry. In 2004 he opened the doors of Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire – now Michigan’s 3rd largest brewery. Joe works “hands on” as the CEO and creative engineer at Short’s. He is a proud steward of Northern Michigan’s chain of lakes and trail systems through his involvement in Paddle Antrim, TART Trails and Glacial Hills organizations.
Joe is involved in community development as a board member of the Bellaire Downtown Development Authority, The Bellaire Economic Development Committee and Northern Lakes Economic Alliance. Joe is known to occasionally speak publicly at Rotary & High School functions, conferences and clubs. Joe loves being outdoors, in the woods or on the water. He loves water skiing, biking, nordic skiing and is known to do his own stunts. When he’s not busy running the brewery and building a brighter future, he can be found on stage singing songs about beer as front man “Billy Braxton” in Northern Michigan’s hottest country rock supergroup – Braxton Hicks and the Contractions.
Sally Van Vleck
Sally lived in a suburb of Chicago from her birth in 1947 until she left to attend Michigan State University where she studied elementary education with a focus on teaching in inner city school systems. Coming of age in the ’60’s, she became a civil rights and antiwar activist, married Jim Olson, lived in Detroit and taught in the inner city while Jim attended law school to become an environmental attorney.
They migrated north to Traverse City, Jim’s hometown, where they added 3 daughters to their family while Jim pursued a career in environmental law and Sally taught school and became a grassroots environmental activist. In 1978 they moved to the Neahtawanta Inn on the Old Mission Peninsula and launched a renovation project that would last for many years. Their initial goal was to use the Inn as a conflict resolution center to address environmental legal conflicts, as well as other workshops and gatherings. During this time, Sally discovered the practice of yoga and became a yoga teacher. In 1980 Sally was one of 4 women to start the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, a grassroots environmental advocacy organization. In 1983, Jim and Sally parted ways (and are still friends); Sally remained running the Inn as an eco-friendly, welcoming and affirming bed & breakfast, teaching yoga, raising their daughters and continuing to pursue environmental/peace activism. After getting to know the infamous Bob Russell when they were both serving on the Oryana Food Co-op board of directors, they were married in 1987 at the Inn on the Summer Solstice and on the same day launched the Neahtawanta Research and Education Center, a nonprofit organization focusing on peace, personal growth and environmental issues. The Inn was used as a gathering place for the community of kindred spirits along with many workshops, performances and programs.
For the next 26 years, Sally and Bob ran the Inn, raised their daughters (Jim was also involved raising their 3 daughters; Bob had a daughter as well), worked to address local and regional issues through NREC and Sally continued to teach yoga. Since Bob’s death in 2013, Sally has continued to run the Inn and NREC with a focus on community resilience, nonviolence and establishing a local Beloved Community Network. Late in 2018 Sally and the Neahtawanta Center’s board decided to dissolve as a non-profit organization and convey NREC’s assets and support to Title Track, where Sally serves as a member of the board of Directors.
Joe Voss
Joe Voss is of counsel to Mandell Menkes LLC, and as an attorney, provides legal services in connection with artist-cause collaborations and assists clients seeking to utilize media to advance non-profit missions. He represents companies in the film, television, digital media and music industries on general corporate, production-related and financing matters in Illinois and Michigan, as well as nationally. Joe is Director of Strategic Partnerships at Creative Many Michigan, where he focuses on creating opportunities to collaborate with organizations and individuals that share a commitment to advancing the creative industries in Michigan. Joe sits on the boards of the Hospice of Michigan Foundation and the Fire Historical and Arts Collaborative. Joe earned a B.A. from Brooklyn College and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Kaylan Waterman
Kaylan Waterman is a musician, community organizer, and proud lifelong Detroiter. She writes, produces, and performs as Vespre as well as supporting multiple acts and projects throughout the area.
Kaylan also curates visual art and cultural events which focus on elevating and empowering women and people of color.
