At Kids On The Go, our Board of Directors is more than leadership. They are champions of inclusion, advocates for children, and believers in possibility. Each member brings a unique blend of professional expertise, personal passion, and community commitment that helps guide our vision and expand our impact. Together, they support the growth of our programs, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure we continue delivering meaningful, life-changing experiences for the children and families we serve.
With almost 30 years of clinical and supervisory experience in the field of speech-language pathology, Kristy Schena has improved the lives of many people. Throughout her career, she has been the recipient of various awards, has been published, and has been active in a variety of professional organizations and volunteer roles. Her founding of the nonprofit organization Kids On The Go in 1999 has changed and enhanced the opportunities for children with special needs in Metro Detroit.
Kristy Schena has been working passionately to assist the pediatric special needs population with the needs-based Kids On The Go therapy nonprofit organization through fundraising events, marketing, communications, networking and managing the day-to-day operations. Additionally, Mrs. Schena has always welcomed students of various specialties to volunteer/intern at the organization—providing them much- needed clinical observation hours as well as supervised exposure and experience with the pediatric population they are intending to work with upon graduation. She has applied her clinical experience and expertise with her networking and management abilities to create and sustain a program that is of no cost to the families while also providing services when many would otherwise not receive their much-needed physical therapies. The organization has grown exponentially over the years. Ms. Schena’s efforts with Kids On The Go has impacted the lives of nearly 5,000 scholarship recipients and their families.
René Hansemann and her husband reside in Royal Oak. She is a partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP, concentrating in domestic and international corporate transactions and real estate matters. She also serves as general counsel to an intellectual property-based, international company that supplies services and products to the automotive industry, to several development-stage companies, and she also assists the general counsel departments of large automotive suppliers.
Ms. Hansemann is a member of the Michigan bar, a past director of the Southeast Michigan Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, a member of the American Bar Association, and a past chair of the Business Law Committee of the Oakland County Bar Association. She is a donor to Haven of Oakland County, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, and Kids On The Go.
Diana Moak is an attorney in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan with Pugh Moak P.C. She works with her father, Edgar Pugh, Jr., and their practice focuses on estate planning and probate and trust administration. Diana is a volunteer special ed mediator with the Wayne and Oakland Mediation Centers. She is a past president of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Probate and Trust section and an active member of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metro Detroit. She is also a past president of Friends of Different Learners.
Diana graduated from Oakland University (B.A. and B.S.) and Wayne State University (J.D.). She lives in Sylvan Lake, with her husband, Bob. They are fans of Big East Basketball, and have a son attending Seton Hall University and a daughter attending Xavier University. Diana is also an advocate for people struggling with dyslexia and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
Dr. Petroff is a huge Michigan Wolverine fan! She has a B.S. degree in English and Psychology and an M.D. from the University of Michigan. She is a Pediatrician at Ascension|St. John Providence Children’s Hospital. She did her residency at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. She is married to Dave Runk and they have four fabulous children.
Chantel Shipe is the senior vice president for FIS Global’s Wealth and Retirement division specially focused on strategy and product solutions globally. She has been with FIS for more than 15 years. FIS is Fortune 500 company and a leading provider of financial technology solutions and services for merchants, banks and capital markets firms globally. During her 20+ years in the financial services industry, she has helped build strategies and solutions to elevate brands, strengthen and deepen relationships with clients and fellow partners, and played a critical role in developing communications and strategies to help drive new solutions and double digit revenue growth.
Ms. Shipe is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she majored in Mass Communications and Journalism. She also completed the Management Leadership Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She is an active participant in her company’s Women’s Inclusion Network, a strong leader in Light the Night initiatives within her company for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the proud mother to her teenage daughter Lauren.
Dina is a shareholder in the Sommers Schwartz Medical Malpractice Litigation and Personal Litigation groups.
Originally from the East side of Detroit, Dina grew up knowing she wanted to help people by standing up and speaking for those who did not have a voice. From a young age, Dina knew she wanted to be a lawyer and, because her family was directly affected by a healthcare provider’s medical negligence, joining the medical malpractice team at Sommers Schwartz was a natural fit.
After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English from Wayne State University, Dina pursued her Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. In law school, she earned various academic awards and supplemented her classroom learning by interning with the Juvenile Division of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. She also cultivated her litigation skills by participating in national moot court competitions, which led to her election as Associate Director for Internal Competitions on the Moot Court Board of Advocates and her induction into the Order of Barristers.
Dina is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Macomb County Bar Association, the Oakland County Bar Association, the Michigan Association for Justice, and the American Association for Justice. When she is not practicing law, Dina enjoys being a mom, traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. She is also a diehard Red Wings fan.
Matt Girand is currently the Vice President and General Manager of the Americas at Destaco, where he leads a team focused on designing automation solutions across many markets. Matt holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Engineering from Michigan State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. With over 25 years of experience, he has also worked for leading companies such as Chrysler, Whirlpool, and Owens Corning, focusing on corporate strategy, product development, and marketing.
Matt and his wife, Sarah, live in Shelby Township and have two sons, one who attends Oakland University and the other at Eisenhower High School. Over the years, Matt has dedicated a significant amount of his time to coaching youth sports, including Macomb Township Little League, Michigan Youth Flag Football, and the American Youth Soccer Organization.
Shannon is a Speech Language Pathologist who resides in Traverse City with her husband (Kyle) and two dogs (Maddy and Gabe). She first learned about Kids On The Go as a high schooler in the Metro-Detroit area. Her experience volunteering for KOTG inspired her to become a speech language pathologist. In the following years, she continued working for KOTG, attended Central Michigan University for her undergraduate degree, then University of Wisconsin-Madison for her graduate degree, and Grand Valley State University for her certification in special education administration.
Shannon became directly involved with the Kids On The Go Traverse City chapter after moving up north for her first job. Shannon currently serves as the Regional Director of Kids On The Go – Traverse City where she coordinates fundraising, marketing, and program development for the local chapter. She also serves as a member of the Kids On The Go Board of Directors.
Shannon stays busy with her work for Northwest Education Services and Kids On The Go Traverse City. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside with her dogs, reading, and enjoying the scenery and restaurants that Traverse City has to offer!
