Working Families for Wal-Mart Michigan steering committee

The following are the Working Families for Wal-Mart Michigan steering committee members:

Joel E. Jacob

Born in Detroit, Joel Jacob is the president and founder of The Bottle Crew. Jacob serves on numerous community boards of directors including MAZON, a Jewish response to Hunger, Seeds of Peace, The Karmanos Cancer Institute, United Way, Students in Free Enterprise, The Leonard N Simons Jewish Community Archives, and The Competitive Edge Scholarship Fund, Kids Kicking Cancer. Joel is also the Founder and President of CEOs Under 17 a program that teaches inner city youth entrepreneurial skills.

A dedicated worker for all good causes, Jacob received the Heart of Gold award from The United Way in 2000.

Greg Wilson

Greg Wilson was elected a County Commissioner in November 2002 as a Republican, representing the 11th District. He is serving on the County Agencies and Human Service Committees and also represents the commission on the Lifeways Community Mental Health Board. He is currently serving his second two-year term as County Commissioner.

Greg has served on the Jackson Public School Board. He also volunteers with Junior Achievement to teach high school student’s basic economics, and mentors students at Jackson High School. He is dedicated to improving educational opportunities for Jackson County elementary and high school students and firmly believes that the nucleus of a county is its education system.

Greg is married to Mary Ann, a Registered Nurse, has two daughters and five grandchildren. Greg owns Pro Image Uniforms, a medical uniform retail store. He opened his business in 1994. He employs a full-time manager and two part-time clerks.

Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg

Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Southfield, Michigan where he served as the congregational rabbi for nearly two decades. Rabbi Goldberg is the founder and national director of "Kids Kicking Cancer," a national program that uses karate, tai chi and meditative techniques to assist young oncology patients through the pain and side effects of their disease. He continues to counsel many families afflicted with catastrophic illness.

Elease Smith

Elease Smith is a native Detroiter for more than five decades, attended private and public schools and attended Wayne State, majored in business administration. Smith has been married for more than 35 years; she is a retired school administrator from the Archdiocese of Detroit. She is an active member in the community. Her life motto: When life crosses your path, treat it with love and respect, life has value and it's all good.

Robert Sachs

Robert Sachs is CEO of Arden Companies, a firm that manufactures a variety of household products in six factories across the United States. He has spent over 40 years in the industry and is a past chairman of the International Housewares Association, an organization that represents over 2000 companies supplying household products to companies in the United States and around the world.

David Thomas

David Thomas is a native Detroiter. He is the associate pastor of the Greater Grace Temple. David worked for Rouge Steel for 33 years and is a former UAW member. David has been married for 38 year and has four children and 22 grandchildren.

Gerry Mason

Gerry Mason, 38, practices law in the areas of Family Law, Criminal Law, No Fault, and Workers Compensation. Gerry was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1998. Prior to entering private practice in 1999, Gerry worked as a law clerk, and as a special assistant prosecuting attorney. In 2004, he was admitted to practice in both Sixth Circuit Federal Court, and the Sixth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.

Gerry earned his B.A., from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1991, and graduated from Michigan State University College of Law in 1998 as Class President.

Gerry is married to Patty Mason; they have three children: John, age 4, and Grace Lucille, age 26 months, and Patrick, age eight months.

Rabbi E.B. Freedman

Rabbi E.B. Freedman is the founding director of Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. In 1991, Rabbi Freedman created the Jewish Hospice Services Program for Hospice of Michigan. In 1999, the leadership of Jewish Family Service, Michigan Board of Rabbis and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit called upon Rabbi Freedman to found and direct Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network.

Rabbi Freedman and his organization have assisted and aided more than 4,000 Jewish hospice patients and their families. He is nationally recognized as an innovator and visionary pioneer in the field of Jewish Hospice. Rabbi Freedman lives in Oak Park, Mich.

Bishop Ira Combs

Suffragan Bishop Ira Combs, Jr. is a native of Westland, Mich., born fifth child of ten children to Ira Sr. and Hazel Combs on March 21, 1958. In the fall of 1980, Suffragan Bishop Combs came to the City of Jackson and founded the Greater Bible Way Temple of the Apostolic Faith.

The Greater Bible Way Temple complex houses the executive office of Christ Centered Homes, Inc., founded in 1989 by Suffragan Bishop Combs. Christ Centered Homes, a non-profit corporation that provides human services to developmentally disabled adults and others, currently employs over 300 employees in group home, community living facilities, respite and supported independence programs throughout the State of Michigan. Bishop Combs is also a member of the Working Families for Wal-Mart national steering committee.

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