HomeMy WebLinkAboutReports - 2024.01.18 - 40921January 18, 2024
COMMITTEE REPORT TO BOARD
RESOLUTION #2023-3655
Parks and Recreation Commission Appointment - Lola Banks
Sponsored By:
Brendan Johnson, Commissioner
Chair, the Board of Commissioners recommends the following Board action:
to appoint Lola Banks as a citizen representative to the Parks & Recreation Commission for a partial
term beginning January 18, 2024, and ending December 31, 2025
COMMITTEE TRACKING
2024-01-09 Legislative Affairs & Government Operations - Recommend to Board the appointment of
Lola Banks
2024-01-18 Full Board - Appoint Lola Banks to the Parks and Recreation Commission for a Partial
Term
Motioned by: Commissioner Brendan Johnson
Seconded by: Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault
Yes: David Woodward, Michael Gingell, Penny Luebs, Karen Joliat, Christine Long, Robert
Hoffman, Philip Weipert, Gwen Markham, Angela Powell, Marcia Gershenson, William Miller III,
Yolanda Smith Charles, Charles Cavell, Brendan Johnson, Ajay Raman, Ann Erickson Gault,
Linnie Taylor (17)
No: None (0)
Abstain: None (0)
Absent: Kristen Nelson, Michael Spisz (2)
Passed
ATTACHMENTS
1.Lola Banks - AppResume
Parks and Recreation Commission Application Submitted on: 11/02/2023 11:47:59 AM
Please Provide Information for your Home/Legal Residence
First Name
Lola
Last Name
Banks
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City
ZIP Code
Primary Phone
Type
Email Address
How long have you been a resident of Oakland County?
9 years
Board/Committee/Commission
Board/Committee/Commission
Parks and Recreation Commission
Are you applying for reappointment?
No
Explain why you would like to serve on this Board/Committee/Commission
As a resident of Oak Park who lives in, works in, and currently raising small children
in Oakland County, I am interested in on the Parks and Recreation Commission
because I am deeply committed to the well-being of residents of the community and
the role that parks and recreational programs play in enhancing individuals quality
of life. I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that well-maintained parks and
recreational programs have on individuals and families and believe that access to
well-maintained parks, green spaces and recreational activities is vital for the
physical and mental health our the residents in our county. I also believe that our
parks should be welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities, and I want to
advocate for and promote policies that ensure inclusivity.
As a recent graduate of the Leadership Oakland XXXIII class, I learned a great deal
about the county, and I am eager to contribute in ways that will benefit the residents
of my community. During the session about government, I heard about the Board of
Commissioners’ approval of a new contract to expand public transportation service
in the southwest area of the county with People’s Express (PEX) from Board Chair
David Woodward. I was excited to hear about this initiative and learn more about the
work of the Board of Commissioners as well as opportunities to get involved in the
Oakland County Boards and Commissions. When I learned of an opening on the
Parks and Recreation Commission, I was eager to apply.
I believe that my professional experience as an educator and higher education
professional provides me with a unique lens that would contribute to the board. My
advocacy for access, inclusion, high-quality learning opportunities, and
organizational excellence can contribute positively to the commission, especially
because diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as organizational excellence, are
stated values of the commission.
Have you previously served on a Board/Committee/Commission?
No
Please detail any prior work-related or community service experience and skills that may
contribute to the position you are seeking:
Volunteer Experience
Instructor, Michigan State University
January 2023-May 2023
Duties:
•Taught EAD 315: Student Leadership Training, a 3-credit course for undergraduate
students focused on leadership theories, leadership skills, communication, diversity,
and group dynamics
•Developed online content and weekly learning modules
•Utilized ADDIE systems model to develop content to meet desired learning
objectives and learner needs
Committee Member, Professional Development Committee, MI-ACE Women’s
Network
November 2020-Present
Duties:
•Review scholarship applications for annual conference scholarships
•Work with leadership members to identify professional development content for
the annual conference
Preconference Programs and Case Study Co-Chair, Region IV East Annual Conference
Committee, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
January 2021-October 2021
Duties:
•Identify planned pre-conference presentations (SSAO, Mid-Managers, Women
Symposium, etc.)
•Scheduled workshops
•Gathered information regarding AV, room set-up needs, limit on number of
participants
•Wrote confirmation/letters of understanding
•On-site: checked on room set-ups, helped presenters with last minute details,
collected participant name list from each workshop
•Worked with the publicity chair to advertise and promote pre-conference
workshops
•Created a case study to be used during the competition
•Created evaluation matrix and requirements to participate in the competition
•Recruited judges for the competition
•Recruited graduate students to compete in case study
•Submit budget for review and approval to conference co-chairs
Blog Coordinator, Orientation, Transition and Retention (OTR) Knowledge
Community, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
November 2019-May 2021
Duties:
•Draft various types of articles, blogs, and other online resources for the OTR)
Knowledge Community
•Utilize NASPA content management system (CMS) to curate content for blog posts
•Managed a blogging calendar to ensure that posts went out on schedule
•Identified and managed guest bloggers
Leadership Alliance Team, Wayne County College and Career Access Network
(WCCAN) March 2015-May 2017
Duties:
•Worked with community leaders, K-12 administrators, and higher education
leaders to connect traditionally underrepresented students in Wayne County to
services, resources, and support to successfully matriculate and graduate from post-
secondary institutions
•Attended monthly leadership meetings and collaborated with leadership team
members and staff on where educational solutions could improve the WCCAN
outcomes
Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, or were you dishonorably discharged
from the military? Convictions or dishonorable discharge will not be an automatic bar to
appointment. All circumstances will be considered.
No
Have you ever been named a party in one or more civil lawsuits?
No
Education
High School Name or GED
Frisco Centennial High School
City/State
Frisco/TX
College/Technical
University of Michigan
City/State
Ann Arbor/MI
Degree(s) received
Bachelors of Arts in Political Science
Employment
Employer
Oakland Community College
Address
2900 FEATHERSTONE ROAD, AUBURN HILLS, MI 48326
Position Title
Associate Dean of Dual Enrollment and K-12 Partnerships
Dates of Employment
1/22-Present
Duties
•Oversee the execution of K-12 alignment cluster of a $6.3 million grant to increase
postsecondary attainment in Michigan to 60% and reduce the racial equity
attainment gap by half by 2030
•Work collaboratively with college administration, faculty, and leadership from area
K-12 school districts to initiate, establish and maintain partnerships and agreements
•Serve as co-advisor to the Transfer Students Club and incorporate evidence-based
practices for supporting the success of community college students interested in
attaining 4-year degrees
•Maintain a working knowledge of state and federal policies and/or legislation that
affect secondary to post-secondary transitions and student success among college
students
•Serve as liaison to Program Directors and Head of School Oakland Community
College’s (OCC) two early middle college programs and one early middle college high
school
•Maintain Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with K-12 partnerships and
ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines as applicable
•Oversee new student orientation online platform and develop orientation modules
for different student populations (total of 76,805 learners and over 5.4 million total
content views)
•Lead a matrixed cross-functional team to improve enrollment processes for dual-
enrolled students
References
Contact #1
Contact #2
Contact #3
Applicant's Signature Ololade (Lola) Banks Lola Banks Oakland County Parks and Rec Commission Resume.pdf (83Kb.)
LOLA BANKS
.
EXPERIENCE
Associate Dean, Dual Enrollment and K-12 Partnerships
Oakland Community College, Auburn Hills, MI Jan 2022 - Present
•Oversee the execution of K-12 alignment cluster of a $6.3 million grant to increase postsecondary
attainment in Michigan to 60% and reduce the racial equity attainment gap by half by 203 0
•Work collaboratively with college administration, faculty, and leadership from area K -12 school districts to
initiate, establish and maintain partnerships and agreements
•Led a matrixed cross-functional team representing over 6 divisions and departments to improve
enrollment processes and service delivery; connecting project objectives to broader organizational goals
•Spearhead multiple process mapping discussions with functional team members to identify bottlenecks
in the dual enrollment onboarding process to streamline the onboarding process leading to a 27%
reduction in onboarding steps and a more efficient workflow between departments
•Manage department digital content on University intranet using Microsoft Sharepoint; work with
marketing and communications team to create content for external webpages
•Oversee new student orientation online platform and the development onboarding and training modules
for new students (total of 76,805 learners and over 5.4 million total content views)
Director/Engagement Center Manager, Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Jan 2020 - Jan 2022
•Oversaw change management, communications plan, and process design for the launch of a
mentoring/coaching program involving over 6,000 incoming learners and 200 employees within a
complex organization
•Served as project manager for a cross-functional team, comprised of internal stakeholders to ensure
learner success by designing timely, customized outreach
•Created reports and presentations for management to provide updates and obtain key decisions
•Facilitated upskilling of 100+ Student Success Mentors (SSMs) through the creation of an outcomes-
based training experience aimed at improving SSM performance
•Orchestrated the planning, organization, and implementation of staff retreats and professional
development training for 25 staff members in the department
•Restructured outreach operations for the unit through the development of a data-driven outreach strategy
using triangulated data that incorporated organizational strategic goals, institutional metrics and State of
Michigan demographic data
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, MI Jul 2016 - Dec 2019
•Lead diversity and equity initiatives; identified and managed anticipated change resistance within and
across the organization
•Planned and implemented staff development and in-service training programs based on identified gaps to
enhance knowledge and skills
•Led a cross-functional strategic planning team focused on equity and inclusivity
•Leverage a change management methodology, process, and tools to create a strategy to support
adoption of the changes required by a project or initiative.
•Maintained records of training activities, evaluated their effectiveness, and supported conclusions with
data metrics on all organizational training program performance outcomes
•Conducted needs analysis for organizational culture and effectiveness through a climate assessment and
developed and implemented programs to address identified organizational challenges
•Designed a research-based rubric for measuring the quality of learner experiences of participants in the
academic success tutoring program
•Trained 50+ faculty on topics related to diversity and inclusion to foster an inclusive environment and
promote improved service delivery for learners
Student Services Coordinator
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Detroit, MI Sep 2015 - Jul 2016
•Assessed and evaluated orientation programs on an annual basis and reported outcomes to various
constituents to collaborate on continuous program improvement
•Implemented an efficient new learner onboarding process reducing the week from 5 days to 3 days based
on learner survey feedback resulting in a 60% increase in productivity
•Achieved a 50% increase in tutor applicants by redesigning the tutor hiring, training and evaluation
process based on current tutor and faculty feedback via surveys and interviews
•Increased process efficiency for tutor onboarding by transitioning from primarily paper-based enrollment
transactions to digital processes
•Incorporated student and faculty feedback to lead the conversion of policy documents, student handbook,
and other processes from paper to electronic formats
•Curated a bi-weekly newsletter, Cusp of the News, with college updates and information to increase cross -
functional communication across the organization
College Advisor
University of Michigan College Advising Corps (AmeriCorps), Muskegon, MI Sep 2015 - Jul 2016
•Completed a comprehensive analysis of Muskegon High School demographics (1,069 students) to
increase numbers of low-income, first generation, and students of color entering higher education
•Cultivated productive working relationships with school administrators, counselors, teachers, parents,
community organizations, community college and stakeholders to promote a college going culture at
Muskegon High School
•Executed the 4th Annual College Application Week through organizing local and community volunteers
and coordinating presentations, workshops and a college application drive
EDUCATION
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
Doctor of Philosophy, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education anticipated 2024
Certificate in Organizational Communication for Leadership Jan 2023-current
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
Master of Arts, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Bachelor of Arts, Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education