Board of Directors

  • Scott Halpert

    Co-Founder, President/CEO, and Director

    Mr. Halpert was a practicing attorney from 1986 to 2017. He served as in-house counsel for Masco Corporation, a building products manufacturer, from 1990 to 2017 doing corporate and contract work and having responsibility for several subject matter areas. Mr. Halpert’s son, Garrett, died by suicide at the age of 23 in 2017, and Mr. Halpert hopes to make a difference for other young adults experiencing significant mental health challenges.

  • Julie Halpert

    Co-Founder, COO, and Director

    Ms. Halpert has been a journalist from 1984 to the present, writing pieces for dozens of prestigious national and local publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, covering a wide range of topics. Ms. Halpert also has been a regular Lecturer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI for over 20 years, teaching a course on environment and science writing. Ms. Halpert’s son, Garrett, died by suicide at the age of 23 in September 2017. She hopes to make a difference for other young adults experiencing mental health challenges.

  • Jamie Abelson

    Vice President/Secretary and Director

    Ms. Abelson, MSW, a licensed clinical social worker, is Program Manager for the Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training at the U of M School of Social Work, and a Senior Research Associate at the U of M Institute for Social Research Program for Research on Black Americans. She has long-term clinical and research interests in the topics of mental health, the problem of suicide, and health inequities. Ms. Abelson attended Oberlin College, and received her MSW from U of M. From 1983-1996, Ms. Abelson worked for Washtenaw County and the U of M Psychiatric Emergency Services, providing mental health assessment and crisis intervention and caring regularly for suicidal individuals and their families. Ms. Abelson also is a founding and current board member of the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor. She’s learned from her involvement there what a difference a non-profit can make. Ms. Abelson was personally touched by the heartbreak of suicide through the loss of her cousin, Richard, and is fully committed to helping Garrett’s Space reach its goals.

  • Robert Adams

    Director

    Robert Adams [M.Arch. SCI-Arc] is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Stamps School of Art & Design, and Director of the University of Michigan Initiative on Disability Studies. Robert’s research focuses on the interplay between architecture and health promoting environments, disability culture, and mental health infrastructure. His design work prototypes spatial strategies to de-stress the workplace by enhancing a sense of well-being, social connection, and mindfulness. Robert co-founded B.A.S.E. Beijing Architecture Studio Enterprise in 2005, and has extensive experience working in China where he consults with disability rights organizations, and collaborates with other artists and designers. Adams+Gilpin Design Studio was established in Los Angeles in 1996 with his partner Dawn Gilpin, who is also a faculty member in architecture at Taubman College.

  • Lori Bennett

    Director

    Ms. Bennett is a family nurse practitioner with a clinical practice at (i) Corner Health Center, an adolescent and young adults clinic in Ypsilanti, Michigan and (ii) Packard Health Center, a federal qualified health center in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition, Ms. Bennett founded a grant-funded project called Family Health Assessment and Referral Program which serves the family shelters of Washtenaw County and is now in its fifth year of successful operation. Ms. Bennett’s areas of expertise are mental and sexual health and decreasing barriers to quality health care. Ms. Bennett also serves on the board of directors of the Neutral Zone, a teen center in Ann Arbor Michigan.

  • Brandon Bond

    Director

    Brandon Bond, MPH, LLMSW-Macro, is a Mental Health & Well-Being Student Advocate Consultant at the University of Michigan where he is responsible for assessing the needs of students, advocating for systemic-level changes, and implementing solutions that produce health-promoting environments. Brandon is a first-generation graduate of the University of Michigan. He received a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Education with an Injury Science focus and a double concentration in Global Social Work Practice and Management & Leadership with a Trauma-Informed Practice focus for his Master of Social Work. His research focus includes the impact that cultural conceptions of mental health have on one’s health-seeking behavior; DEI/culturally tailored integrative health interventions and LGBTQ+ mental health within African nations. Brandon has worked on initiatives to support the 2SLGBTQ+ community and create and facilitate trainings and programs for BIPOC empowerment. He also worked as a Wellness Coach in the University of Michigan’s Wolverine Wellness and he’s a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Ann Arbor’s Human Rights Commission.

  • Lindsay A. Bornheimer

    Director

    Lindsay A. Bornheimer, PhD, LCSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry. Her NIH-funded research focuses on increasing understandings of risk factors for suicide and adapting, testing, and implementing therapeutic suicide prevention approaches. As a licensed clinician with over 10 years of psychiatric training and experience, Dr. Bornheimer teaches in the MSW program and leads workshops for mental health trainees and providers on suicide risk assessment, mental health treatment, and suicide prevention.

  • Felicia Brabec

    Director

    Dr. Brabec, PsyD, MSW, is a licensed clinical psychologist and social worker who has practiced over two and a half decades. Dr. Brabec earned her master’s degree in clinical social work from Boston College and her Doctorate in clinical psychology from Illinois School of Professional Psychology, completing her internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Purdue University and University of Michigan, respectively. She is currently a member of Michigan's House of Representatives. In fact, Rep Brabec is the only mental health practitioner of the 110 reps serving Michiganders. In the House of Representatives, Rep Brabec works on policy focused around mental health care, environmental issues, criminal justice reform, and educational issues. Clinically, her specialties include mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, identity issues, eating issues, competitive anxiety and grief and loss.

  • Eli Golshteyn

    Director

    Mr. Golshteyn is an Internal Audit Manager at Veoneer. He previously was employed at Masco Corporation where he has worked since 2011 with experience in corporate tax, internal audit and corporate development. He also is a director on the Board of Hebrew Free Loan of Metro Detroit serving on certain financial committees. Mr. Golshteyn is a University of Michigan graduate where he majored in Finance, Financial Accounting & Reporting, Controllership.

  • Lisa Halpert

    CFO, Treasurer, and Director

    Ms. Halpert retired at the end of 2023 from her position as Senior Director, Finance and Planning at Tufts University where she was responsible for F&A and fringe benefit rate negotiations with the federal government and service center costing oversight. Additionally, Ms. Halpert designed and managed Tufts’ long-range strategic planning model, used by senior executives and trustees for strategic decision making. Further, she provided financial analyses of initiatives and opportunities across the University’s three campuses. Lisa joined Tufts University in 2006 in the Treasury group and moved to Finance & Planning in 2008. Prior to coming to Tufts, Lisa worked primarily in real estate finance roles at Copley Real Estate Advisors, Inc., Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc. and Goldman Sachs. She earned an MBA and B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Halpert lost her nephew, Garrett, to suicide in 2017 and is dedicated to supporting Garrett’s Space’ initiative to establish a place of help, healing and connections for young adults in distress.

  • David Share

    Director

    Dr. Share, MD, MPH, has experience in medicine, community health, health policy, behavioral health, quality improvement and insurance. Most recently, Dr. Share served as Senior Vice President, Value Partnerships, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan until 2018 and for 30 years as Founding Medical Director at the Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a community-based health center for teenagers and their children where he practiced medicine until 2019. Dr. Share earned his Master of Public Health, medical and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Michigan where he is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Pediatrics. Dr. Share served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) from 2014 to 2017. He chaired the MSMS Committee on Michigan’s Public Health from 2000-2011. In 2000, he served as President of the Washtenaw County Medical Society. Dr. Share also serves as a Director and the Secretary of the Washtenaw Health Plan, a county health insurance program for indigent people with no source of health insurance.

  • Steve Stein

    Director

    Dr. Stein, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer for Real Time Medical Systems, a healthcare technology company. Prior to joining Real Time, Dr. Stein was the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Trinity Health Continuing Care Group overseeing the clinical care of their skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), home care agencies, hospices, PACE sites and senior housing. Dr. Stein’s efforts included leading the successful care re-design strategy for Trinity Health’s SNFs in CMS’ Bundled Payment Care Improvement Model 3 initiative, where costs of participants were $4.5 million lower than CMS expected due to low readmission rates and shorter lengths of stay in the nursing home. Just prior to being recruited to Trinity Health, Dr. Stein was the CMO for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan in Michigan serving both the Medicaid population and the dual-eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) population. During most of that time, he also served as UnitedHealthcare’s Midwest Regional CMO. Dr. Stein previously worked at the Oakwood Healthcare System (now Beaumont) as the Corporate Director for their Geriatrics Center of Excellence. Prior to his move to Michigan, he did his geriatrics fellowship at Harvard Medical School where he subsequently served on the faculty. Dr. Stein holds his BA from Columbia where he majored in Computer Science. He received his MD from Cornell and holds a Master’s in Health Services Administration from the Harvard University School of Public Health. Dr. Stein is boarded in internal medicine and has a certificate of added qualifications in geriatrics.

Wellness Program Team

 
 

Peggy Galimberti

Clinical Director & Support Group Clinician

LMSW - Clinical, ACSW

Peggy (she/ her) received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and her Master's in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked as a professional social worker in the Ann Arbor community since 1998. Her clinical work has focused on supporting children, adolescents, and families in a variety of settings including schools, homeless shelters, and health clinics.

Peggy has extensive experience delivering and supervising individual, family, and group treatment addressing mental health, homelessness, poverty, women's health issues, and grief and loss. Peggy is passionate about ensuring that children, teens, and young adults receive the support needed for them to live safe, healthy lives.

Peggy is grateful to lead our incredibly talented and authentic Facilitator Team. She is honored to walk alongside our wonderful young adult participants as they navigate the joys and challenges of life, and to be part of their healing journeys. 

  • Marly Spieser-Schneider, BFA, Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

    Program Development Specialist & Wellness Group Facilitator

    Marly Spieser-Schneider (she/ her) has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Michigan and is a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. She believes wholeheartedly in the wisdom of the body and the importance of working with the physical form in the healing process. As a facilitator, Marly’s only expectation is that participants show up and stay curious. She is readily aware of how the world around us, not to mention personal turmoil and trauma, can lead us into self-judgment, fear, and uncertainty. Her recommendation is always to attempt to stay open and receptive to what we can learn from our experiences. Her hope is to facilitate this process of discovery for all GS participants and help them build their personalized toolbox for navigating the challenges of being human.

  • Nikki Hubbard

    Mood & Movement Facilitator

    Nikki is on the program committee at Garrett's Space and also one of our facilitators for the weekly wellness groups. Nikki received her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 2014 and is currently a Master's of Public Health student at Michigan State University. Nikki works full time at Michigan Medicine as a clinical research coordinator in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department. She is also a 200 hour registered yoga teacher. In the Garrett's Space wellness groups, Nikki co-facilitates the group centered around mood and movement, where yoga and meditation practices are incorporated.

  • Nick Brdar, B.S.- Neuroscience and Psychology

    Wellness Group Facilitator

    Nick Brdar (he/him) currently works at the University of Michigan as a Research Project Coordinator in the School of Social Work and a Psychiatric Care Worker on the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Mott Children’s Hospital. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he moved to the midwest to complete his B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology at U-M. Nick comes to Garrett’s Space with experience in peer support, suicide prevention advocacy, and mental health programming. He plans to pursue further education in Clinical Psychology researching suicide prevention and intervention, particularly with youth and young adults.

  • Marissa Keep, MS Psychology

    Wellness Group Facilitator

    Marissa Keep (she/her) is a second-year counseling and psychotherapy graduate student at The Institute for Clinical Social Work. She completed her first internship last year working with a fatherhood organization providing individual therapy to dads involved in the program. She is currently completing her final internship at a group practice providing psychodynamic psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Marissa is continuously motivated in her work at Garrett’s Space by the insight, empathy, and authenticity of GS wellness group participants.

  • Kayla Douglas, LMSW- Clinical

    Wellness Group Clinician

    Kayla (she/ her) received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Psychology and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Currently she works for Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Michigan as an embedded social worker in the College of Engineering. Kayla is the Co-Founder of Dare To Be, a company that creates and facilitates evidence-based and customized workshops, programming and one-on-one coaching for athletes. She is also the head coach of the girls swimming and diving team at Franklin High School. Kayla’s clinical work is integrative and grounded in a strengths-based approach by focusing on developing resilience in groups and individuals through sport.

  • Danielle Friedman, LLMSW- Clinical

    Wellness Program Clinician

    Danielle (she/her) received a Bachelor's of Social Work from Eastern Michigan University in 2015 and a Master's of Social Work from Grand Valley State University in 2021. Currently she works for Network 180, Kent County's Community Mental Health Authority, providing mental health and substance use services to the unhoused population in Grand Rapids. Danielle has experiences working with groups and individuals in child welfare, domestic violence, substance use, grief and loss, and crisis intervention. Danielle is passionate about supporting young adults through life's difficult transitions, which drew her to Garrett's Space. She is grateful to be serving as a Substitute Clinician and being part of the Garrett's Space Team.

Fundraising Counsel

 
Helen Starman
 

Helen Starman

Helen Starman has thirty years of fundraising and non-profit experience as a development professional, fundraising consultant, social worker, community volunteer, and board member.

Helen was most recently chief development officer at Food Gatherers. Prior to that, she was a senior consultant with Richner+Richner, a strategic fundraising consulting firm. A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, Helen worked with parents and children in Detroit, Jackson, and Ann Arbor. Helen has been actively involved with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Detroit as chair of the AFP Mentor program, member of the Program Committee, and chair of the AFP Ann Arbor Network.

Advisory Council

 

Madeline and Aly Halpert, Garrett’s sisters

James L. Abelson MD, PhD
Director, Anxiety Disorders Program
Academic Director, Ambulatory Services
Professor of Psychiatry, U-M Medical School
Insurance Reimbursement Committee

Nancy Baum, PhD
Health Policy Team Leader, Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation
Program Committee

Nancy Davis
Director of Development, U-M Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry
Insurance Reimbursement Committee

Mary Jo Desprez, MA
Director, Wolverine Wellness, University Health Service, University of Michigan
Program Committee

Daniel Eisenberg, PhD
S.J. Axelrod Collegiate Professor of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health; Director, Healthy Minds Network for Research on Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health
Gap Analysis Committee

Kate D. Fitzgerald, MD
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
New York State Psychiatric Institute

Eric Furlong
Customer Support Associate for DocNetwork
Program and Young Adult Advisory Committees

Emily Gordy
Creative Project Manager, Duo Security
Digital Marketing Coordinator, Development Committee

John Greden, MD
Founder and Executive Director,
U-M Depression Center
Professor of Psychiatry, U-M Medical School
Insurance Reimbursement Committee

Jyoti Gupta
Former Executive Director, Washtenaw Area Council for Children
Development Committee

Denise Hamburger
National Eating Disorder Association Body Project Facilitator
Licensed Body Positive Facilitator
Development Committee

Michele Heisler, MD, MPA
Professor of Internal Medicine and Health Behavior and Health Education
Co-Director, IHPI National Clinician Scholars Program
Associate Director, Global REACH, U-M
Development and Grant Committees

Victor Hong, MD
Medical Director, Psychiatric Emergency Services at U-M
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at U-M

Adam Kern
Upcoming Post-MSW Fellow, U-M Counseling and Psychological Services; Former Study Coordinator, Healthy Minds Network, U-M
Program and Young Adult Advisory Committees

Wendy Kern, LMSW
Adult and Adolescent Psychotherapist; Former Counselor, U-M Counseling and Psychological Services
Development and Program Committees

Cheryl King, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Director, Youth and Young Adult Depression and Suicide Prevention Research Program Michigan Medicine

Hannah Kohn, LLMSW
School Social Worker, Clague Middle School
Program Committee

 

Preeti N. Malani
Professor of Medicine and Special Advisor to the President, The University of Michigan

Lisa Mann, RN, MSN, CPNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Program Committee

Tim McKay, PhD
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics, Astronomy, Education, U-M
Development and Grant Committees

Trish Meyer, EdM
Manager, Strategic Initiatives & Education Programs
Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation, U-M
Program Committee

Harry Rai,MD
Private Practice Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Dharma Psychiatry PLLC, Guest Lecturer for WSU PAS & U-M School of Social Work
Program Committee

Deborah Renner
Non-profit Consultant Specializing in Grant Writing
Development Committee

Megan Rodgers
Non-profit Human Resources and Development Professional, The Andrews Group
Development Committee

Gayle Rosen
Housing Attorney, U-M Student Legal Services
Program Committee

Eva Rosenwald
MSW and Actor, with the CRLT Players, University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Model Facilities Committee

Deborah Salem, PhD
Clinical/Community Psychologist
TMI Research Associates
Program Committee

Srijan Sen
Director, Eisenberg Family Depression Center at the University of Michigan

Marly Spieser-Schneider
Farm Manager, Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Yoga Instructor
Program Committee

Rachel Sulkowski, LLMSW
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, Mentoring Specialist: Match Support
Project Manager

Susan Thal
Non-profit Consultant; Former Executive Director of The Alan Ameche Memorial Foundation
Development Committee

Connie Wood, MS, LLP
Founder and lead placement consultant at A Circle of Hope; former psychotherapist
Model Facilities Committee

Katie Layne Young, RN, MSN, PMHNP
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Program Committee