Our Board
Stephanie Wright
President
Stephanie Wright is the Co-Owner and Clinical Director of The Wright Counseling, a mental health therapy practice with two locations across Michigan, in Troy and Portage.
Stephanie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Limited Licensed Psychologist who has worked with children and families for 18 years.
She encourages everyone to challenge mental health stigma and has worked diligently to make counseling an open space that honors each person’s unique, lived experience.
Stephanie is excited to bring this energy to Connections Learning Lab to help kids and parents learn new ways to build social and emotional growth.
Robert Brender
Treasurer
Robert is currently retired and volunteers with SCORE as Assistant Deputy Director of the Central District. SCORE is a volunteer organization that assists entrepreneurs and nonprofits in starting or expanding their businesses.
He previously owned and managed Com Spec International Inc., a software application development company, for over 30 years. ComSpec created EMPOWERsis, an ERP student information system for colleges and universities, with clients across the United States and several international markets.
Prior to that, Robert worked for Merit Systems, where he helped build software applications and provided programming talent to healthcare, automotive, and technology companies.
He also worked at the Criminal Justice Institute as an analyst, and at Chase Manhattan and Manufacturers banks in analyst roles.
Noelle Fitz
Secretary
Noelle Fritz holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a Master of Education in Literacy from Kent State University.
With 25 years of experience in education, she has served as a classroom teacher, coach, interventionist, and consultant across Michigan, New York, and Ohio. Noelle Fritz has taught grades 1 through 5 and most recently worked as a Literacy Specialist at Cranbrook Schools.
Currently, she is a lecturer at Oakland University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy. As a National Writing Project teaching consultant, Noelle is dedicated to fostering student writing development.
She is trained in Orton-Gillingham and LETRS, and her lifelong passion for learning drives her commitment to meeting each student's individual needs.
Noelle resides in Bloomfield Hills with her husband and two teenage sons.
Johanna Mustafa
Board Member
Johanna Mustafa is an operations and community engagement leader with nearly a decade of experience in nonprofit work at the intersection of advocacy, civic empowerment, and organizational development.
As Operations Manager at the Arab American Civic Council, Johanna helps drive advocacy campaigns, policy initiatives, and community partnerships that amplify underrepresented voices and create lasting local impact. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to civic participation, belonging, and building communities where people feel seen and heard.
Johanna holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Southern California and brings a collaborative, people-first approach to everything she does — from organizational strategy to board leadership.