Heidi Witucki is a longtime community advocate and valued member of the Up North Advocacy steering committee. Known for her quiet leadership and generosity, she is always looking for ways to support her neighbors—from organizing food bundles for community members in need to advocating for transparency and public participation in local institutions.For many years, she worked with her local electric cooperative to ensure meetings remained open and accessible to the public, helping strengthen accountability and community trust.

After working at a number of public libraries in Florida – primarily in Palm Beach County – with varying degrees of success and fulfillment, another impactful life event led him to a position with the Florida Department of Corrections. Since 2018 Brian has been employed as a prison librarian – first with FDC and now with the MDOC in Kincheloe at the Chippewa Correctional Facility. Always passionate, opinionated, driven to care, and challenged to find ways to make life better, Brian has been involved with several library organizations over the years to include the Palm Beach County Library Association, Florida Library Association, and the Michigan Library Association. He has also served as vice president and president of several neighborhood organizations, and volunteered for close to 10 years with the American Finnish Club in Lantana, Florida. Brian hopes to bring his life and professional experience to UP North Advocacy to make a positive impact on Yoopers and mitten dwellers alike. Active politically he has worked on campaigns for the City of Lake Worth, and never misses an opportunity to vote or provide information on candidates for anyone interested. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, visiting microbreweries, and petting or playing with his 3 awesome cats – Mikko, Tintti, and Twix

also known as Waubishkee- Gog-Kway, (White Porcupine Woman) is a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and resides in the Boreal forest of Hessel, Michigan. She designs pollinator gardens, leads plant walks to teach how to forage wild edibles sustainably, does plant rescues and land restoration.

Born and raised a Yooper! Graduated from Soo High, Bay Mills & LSSU. Currently in charge of attacking poverty at Community Action and forever a sports enthusiast. Can read a balance sheet and a playbook. Outside of the office, I love to spend quality time with my family, my wife Amanda, and my fur babies Caesar & Willow. Just a numbers nerd that wants to make our communities a better place to live and thrive!

Dr. Chloe Kannan, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a practitioner scholar and facilitator dedicated to advancing equity-driven initiatives in K-12 schools, higher education, and tribal communities across the U.S. and India. A Sue Lehmann National Award Winner for Excellence in Transformational Teaching, Teach for America’s highest national honor, and recipient of the Dean’s Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, she has extensive experience in fostering diverse teams and driving organizational change. Beginning her career as a teacher in rural Mississippi, Dr. Kannan has built partnerships with elite schools, nonprofits, and local governments, and directed various research teams focused on equity-driven research.

Dr. Kannan is currently the Director of the Indigenous Education Youth Collective in her tribal homeland and a founding member of the Eighth Fire Collective, aimed at enhancing institutional capacity for Indigenous knowledge systems. She is also an affiliate faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania in their Chief Learning Officer Ed.D. program for global leaders and an adjunct professor in Education at Lake Superior State University, holding degrees from the University of Michigan, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, she is an open water swimmer, enjoys attending community events, and loves to spend time with her husband and two cats.