Community House Foundation board chosen

By Grace Lovins

Nine individuals were selected to serve as the founding members of the new City of Birmingham Community House Foundation Board of Directors during the Monday, June 22, city commission meeting.

Seven members of the public and two sitting city commissioners were chosen to oversee the ownership, maintenance and improvement of The Community House.

The creation of the board of directors comes after the city’s recent purchase of The Community House, located at 380 S Bates Street. The Community House Association filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in March after a purchase agreement with the United Jewish Foundation of Detroit was terminated and the association was facing a June due date for paying off debt.

The board of directors will be responsible for mission stewardship, strategic planning and leadership, financial oversight, fundraising and resource development and they will act as ambassadors in the community by building connections with stakeholders, funders and other potential allies.

City attorney Mary Kucharek stated during the meeting that, beyond Monday’s meeting, the board will function as the self-governing body of a 501c(3), not a public entity. As such, they won’t be confined to the requirements in the Open Meetings Act. She added that the two commissioners appointed to the board are intended to serve as watchdogs, ensuring the foundation is acting appropriately.

The city received 18 applications, one of which withdrew before the start of the meeting, with the commission selecting seven to serve as the first board. Linda Solomon, along with mayor Clinton Baller and interim mayor pro tem Therese Longe, were selected to serve two-year terms. Solomon is a photojournalist who currently serves on the board of directors for the Farmington Hills Police and Fire Benevolent Association.

Embekka Roberson, Kevin Denha and Sam Surnow were appointed for three-year terms. Roberson is currently the superintendent of Birmingham Public Schools as well as a board member of the Birmingham Youth Assistance and Scholar Birmingham. Denha and Surnow are both real estate developers with experience serving on public boards.

Former city commissioner Anthony Long, Robert Bowen and Eva Kirkman were appointed to serve four-year terms. Bowen and Kirkman each discussed their extensive leadership experience in working with non-profit organizations.

All applicants aside from Surnow received unanimous support from the commission. Commissioner Brad Host was the lone vote against Surnow’s appointment but did not provide a reason for opposing.

The city purchase was expected to close prior to June 30 which was the deadline for The Community House Association to settle with creditors. Any remaining funds after the closing will be used as seed money for a new community foundation that has evolved from the current Community House Association.

Purchase of The Community House, for a reported $5.2 million, was approved by the bankruptcy judge on June 18 at which time he also dismissed an attempt by a local foundation, an earlier unsuccessful bidder, to make a marginally larger offer to acquire the building, ruling that the foundation lacked standing in the legal case. The same local foundation this past weekend reportedly made an additional attempt to entice the city to give up its purchase rights in exchange for money but details of the offer could not be confirmed.