Who We Are
Team Bios
Team Bios
Andrew I. Melton,CPA, MPA, Executive Director
Andrew has over 25 years of audit, accounting, consulting, and nonprofit leadership experience. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Capella University in Wisconsin, a Nonprofit Leadership Certification from Fordham University in New York, and he is a Certified Public Accountant. His experience includes nonprofit VP, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, President of an accounting firm and President of a consulting firm. He specializes in nonprofit outsourced CFO Services, Nonprofit Turn-a-Round Services and Audit Preparatory Services. He has extensive experience in day-to-day administration, finance, monthly and annual financial statements, business development, fund sourcing, grants, strategic planning, human resources, compliance, and risk management.
Ida Hendrix, Operations Manager
Ida Hendrix joined the Joy Southfield Community Development Corporation in 2017. She is responsible for managing the physical and administrative processes to support the safe, high quality and cost effective delivery of community development programs and services.
In her role as Operations Manager, she oversees financial transactions, employee payroll, donor receipts and work performed by various contractors. Ida enjoys supporting the J-SCDC staff in achieving its mission of community revitalization.
Ida brings over 30 years of operations experience to the Joy Southfield organization. She oversaw the project to build the Motor City Exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum. After working many years in the automotive industry doing operations and project management, she transitioned to shopping center management. Ida was the General Manager of Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor for twelve years. She retired from Briarwood and began volunteering in the Joy-Southfield community.
She is an active member of Second Grace United Methodist Church; the founder of the Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation. A graduate of Michigan State University, Ida enjoys creative projects and sewing.
Gary Ringer, Director of Community Economic Development
For the past twenty years, Gary Ringer has served his community as a Firefighter for the great City of Detroit. The bulk of his commitment to the citizens of Detroit has been dedicated to the Cody Rouge/Warrendale community. After witnessing the mortgage foreclosure crisis devastate our area, he created Conscious Communities, a grassroots organization, to address the numerous inequities created by abandoned, blighted, and fire damaged properties. Gary was honored with the Cody Rouge “Trailblazers of Transformation” activist award for spearheading community relations, youth engagement, and blight remediation throughout the city. He’s been nominated, selected, and recognized in the 7th edition of “Who’s Who in Black Detroit” and received a Spirit of Detroit award presented by the Detroit City Council. Gary has also received several prestigious accolades from the Detroit Fire Department including Community Service and Commissioner’s Citation Awards.
Gary was nominated for the Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 Award, honoring individuals under the age 40, who are creating movements in their professional fields, personal lives, and community connections successfully. He aquired the inaugural Detroit Violence Prevention Initiative Award for “Safer Communities”. At the recognition ceremony, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy of service and non-violence, Mr. Ringer and other community leaders were applauded for creating an allegiance to Detroit Public School youth concerning the conditions within their built environment.
Gary has served on the Governance Committee for Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance and the Board of Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation. Gary is passionate about helping students achieve their dreams. As Founder/Executive Director of Conscious Communities, he and numerous volunteers, help to increase math & science test scores. This is accomplished by addressing environmental issues and health inequities. Graduate of the Leadership Academy sponsored by University of Michigan – Detroit, he’s been trained to build capacity, economic wealth, and sustainability. He also completed Southwest Solutions – Prosper Us Entrepreneurship Training, Kaufmann Fast Track and Build Institute’s – BUILD Social programs, which are designed for Metro Detroit residents in the City of Detroit seeking to start or expand a small business. And in 2018, Gary had the honor of being selected to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Culture of Health Leaders, three-year leadership development course. Culture of Health Leaders are people working in every field and profession who want to use their influence to advance a Culture of Health where everyone living in America has a fair opportunity to live a long, healthy life.
Tess Lusson,Community Health Program Manager
Tess is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health, and a native of Columbus, Ohio. They spent the past year work-exchanging on farms across the United States with her partner and puppy while living in the teardrop trailer the two of them built. Tess’ passion for food and community empowerment began with reading about the work of Malik Yakini and the community-driven creation of urban food and green spaces in Detroit. In her hometown, Tess worked with organizations such as Local Matters to promote food, nutrition, and cooking knowledge. She hopes to continue building on these relationships, skills and values in her role with Joy Southfield. As Community Health Manager, Tess looks forward to continuing to grow the presence of the Sowing Seeds Growing Futures Farmers Market, partnering with the Covenant Covenant Community Care clinic, and learning more from the expertise that only those with more experience living in the area can provide. In her free time, Tess is a routine visitor of nearby dog parks with her pup, Norah, an avid Sudoku puzzler, and enjoys baking bread to share with friends and loved ones.
