Our Team
D4's staff is passionate about using its array of experiences to achieve a more equitable and prosperous Detroit. The staff's expertise is supplemented by the tremendous skills and diverse perspectives provided by our board of directors - which represent the core sectors of our coalition: community organizations, faith based institutions, organized labor, and environmental advocates.
Sam Butler
Executive Director
Sam Butler has over a decade of experience working with community groups throughout the City of Detroit, leading neighborhood planning processes, and conducting residential and commercial market analyses for low-income neighborhoods. Prior to D4, Sam was Director of Planning & Technical Programs at Michigan Community Resources and served as Interim Executive Director of Creekside CDC. Sam has a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan.
Francis Grunow
Director of Policy and Research
Francis Grunow is a native Detroiter, urban policy consultant, writer, and part-time parade maker. In previous lives, he has been a law student, director of Detroit's architectural preservation organization, Midtown retailer, documentary filmmaker, and an urban planner in New York City. Francis loves cities, believes that they contain more answers than questions, and believes one of Detroit’s more compelling lenses for policy work right now is D4’s ability to offer multiple perspectives on the complex issues facing the city.
Our Board of Directors
Tanise Hill, The United Way for Southeastern Michigan, President
Vas Jacobs, West Village Neighborhood Association, Treasurer
Kristen Smith, Corridors Alliance, Vice President
Sandra Turner Handy, Michigan Environmental Council, Secretary
David Dobbie, American Federation of Teachers Michigan
Pastor Louis Forsythe, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
Lee Graham, Operating Engineers 324
Antonio Green, West Grand Boulevard Collaborative
Robin McCants, Evangelical Lutheran Church
David Reynolds, University of Michigan - Dearborn
Simone Sagovac, Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition