Meet the Staff

Kelley Kuhn lives and breathes the business of nonprofits. She’s in the most perfect job in the world to help the nonprofits on the ground make lives and communities better – Kuhn is the president and CEO of Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA).

“A solid and resourced nonprofit sector makes the world a better place and my mission is to ensure all nonprofits have access to capital, human and other resources they need to deliver on their missions,” she said.

It wasn’t always numbers and meetings though. Kelley fell in love with the power of change nonprofits can create, when she was in college, and volunteered as a coach for Special Olympics Unified Sports. After that, an internship in Jackson County sealed the deal. Nonprofits need safety nets too, and Kelley aims to be the fuel that helps keep all nonprofit programs moving forward here in the great state of Michigan.

When she’s not advocating for Michigan’s nonprofits and diversity, equity and inclusivity, she spends time with her family in Saline, and loves hanging out with her pup, Jackson.

As the Chief Operations Officer at Michigan Nonprofit Association, Beckie provides strategic leadership and support for MNA’s business and finance functions including accounting, budgeting, human resources, and grants management. She has over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector.

Beckie holds a bachelor of science in finance and pre-law from Central Michigan University (CMU), and an MSA in organization and leadership from CMU. Fire up CHIPS!

Beckie resides in Southeast Michigan with her husband, their three kids, and two dogs. When she isn’t working, she enjoys camping, traveling, and exploring the Mitten State!

Joan Gustafson is External Affairs Officer for Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA).

Joan is responsible for the development and execution of a comprehensive public affairs and civic engagement strategy for the organization. Previously, she spearheaded the communication and government affairs efforts for the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI). Prior to joining IFPTI, Joan was the Regional Director of West Michigan for Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and served as the Governor’s liaison and ombudsman for the region.

In 2022, Joan joined the Leadership Council of Nonprofit VOTE, the leading source of nonpartisan resources to help nonprofits integrate voter engagement into their ongoing activities and services.

Joan holds a degree in economics from the University of Minnesota. Outside of work, you'll find her running, golfing or reading.

Tammy Pitts is the Chief Communications Officer at Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA). She is responsible for all external communications, marketing, and media relations strategy and execution across the organization. Tammy has an extensive background in journalism, media relations, social media strategy, marketing and brand management. Prior to joining MNA, she served as the senior producer of News 10 Today at WILX for over 17 years where she coordinated content for a daily broadcast. Most recently, she was the communications editor for the dean of International Studies and Programs (ISP) at Michigan State University.

Tammy holds a MBA from Walden University and earned a BA in communication from Michigan State University. She resides in Lansing with her family which includes her two sons and their goldendoodle, Max. In her free time she loves to read, travel, and root for the Spartans. Go Green!

As Social Innovation Officer, Nellie Tsai leads Michigan Nonprofit Association’s commitment and strategy to be an equitable, and inclusive organization. Working across the organization she helps lead initiatives that innovate and improve our core services.

Nellie previously served as the Community and Civic Engagement Director at MNA. In this capacity, she was the Deputy Campaign Manager for the Michigan Nonprofits Count Campaign, a collaborative, coordinated, statewide effort to mobilize nonprofits across the state to encourage participation in the upcoming 2020 census. Prior to this role, Nellie led MNA’s K-12 civic leadership program that connected youth to community causes and issues. Her past work experiences include leadership roles in charter school operations, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit development, and program management.

Nellie is an AmeriCorps alumna, and proudly serves on the Associate Board of City Year Detroit and the Volunteer Engagement Committee of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. She was selected to be an Independent Sector 2021 American Express NGen Fellow. She is one of 12 outstanding public service leaders age 40 and under, who are helping to build a brighter future for communities nationwide. Nellie is also a Racial Equity Fellow of the Detroit Equity Action Lab, an initiative of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University. In addition to her volunteer work, she holds a K-12 Administrator Certificate from the state of Michigan.

Nellie resides in Detroit with her family and holds a dual degree in Business (MBA) and Educational Studies (MA) from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Go Blue!

Adam is the director of information technology services at Michigan Nonprofit Association and is responsible for the promotion, development and implementation of IT services for nonprofits statewide. He oversees the MNA Tech team, provides strategic IT support for nonprofits, and ensures the smooth operation of the Nonprofit Center located at the Armory in Lansing.

Adam attended Central Michigan University where he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2001.

In his free time, he enjoys audiobooks, camping, and wrestling with his three sons.

Jen Fiandt is the Customer Experience Manager at Michigan Nonprofit Association. She oversees the relationships with MNA's members which includes clear, effective and timely communication and. Jen is a strong problem-solver and loves networking within the sector.

She brings two decades of experience in building multisector partnerships, customer experiences, and educational programs in the arts, wellness and outdoor industries. Most recently, she oversaw REI’s community outreach and programming, and drove membership growth for the consumer co-op’s Detroit market.

Jen holds a degree in public relations from Western Michigan University.

Jen is a passionate advocate for community well-being through movement, nature and the arts. In her free time, she serves as co-chair of the City of Ferndale’s Parks and Recreation Commission.

Mariah McAnallen is the Marketing Manager at Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA). She assists the Chief Communications Officer with building MNA’s brand through effective storytelling, marketing campaigns, media relations, and social media. She is well-versed in communication strategies and digital marketing trends.

Mariah is passionate about nonprofits and comes to MNA with a wealth of experience in the sector. Her prior work includes Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, United Way, YMCA, and Make-A-Wish Michigan. Most recently, she was the Director of Marketing at Legacy Commercial Group in Brighton.

Mariah holds dual BA degrees from Grand Valley State University in Public/Nonprofit Administration and Writing. While at GVSU, she was president of Pals Student Mentors, a nonprofit located in West Michigan.

She currently resides in Brighton, Michigan with her husband and their fur baby Duncan, a Scottish Terrier with a big personality! In her free time, Mariah enjoys the outdoors, cheering on her favorite sports teams, reading, writing, and spending time in Northern Michigan.

Zahna is the Business Intelligence & Operations Director at Michigan Nonprofit Association. In this role they are responsible for evaluating and synthesizing current strategies and technologies for current and historical data analysis, with the objective of continuous improvement.

Zahna brings over a decade of nonprofit and operational experience. Most recently, they served as a professional consultant where they provided development recommendations to nonprofits with a focus on erasing birth disparities. Zahna supports multiple community-led initiatives in Grand Rapids with the defined goal of “getting all of us to unadulterated joy” by way of reform and abolition of oppressive systems.

Zahna is a community organizer and advocate who is passionate about partnering with our youth to create a more equitable future. They are focused on helping to foster empowering spaces for people of color and working toward lasting change for our under-resourced and excluded areas. Zahna is deeply invested in birth work and supports community-led doula programs in Lansing, Atlanta, and Grand Rapids - such as the Day One Doula Collective. Zahna is a volunteer organizer with the "Side-by-Side" mentoring program, Camp ARYV, Four ThirTEENS mentoring program, and a graduate of the Transformational Leadership Program through the Urban Core Collective.

In their free time, you can catch Zahna summer and winter hiking in West Michigan with their pup, King.

Deanna Tocco is the office administrator at Michigan Nonprofit Association. In this role, she provides high-level administrative support to the senior leadership team and is adept at strategic problem solving on opportunities that advance MNA’s mission. She also serves as liaison to MNA’s board of directors.

Deanna brings over three decades of nonprofit experience and leadership to MNA. Most recently, she served as a professional consultant for nonprofits where she provided organizational development and program planning services. Prior to that, she was program director at Tri-Community Coalition, a nonprofit in Berkley, and the director of program services at Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center in Ferndale.

Deanna earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Development from Oakland University.

In her free time, she loves watching college football (Go Green!) and discussing current events and politics. She and her wife reside in Royal Oak with their two children.

Mark is the consulting manager at MNA Technology Services and provides support to a variety of nonprofits. With more than three decades of experience, Mark has authored many of the technical assessments issued by MNA Tech and is the recipient of numerous awards.

Mark attended Eastern Michigan University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering.

Alex is the IT Systems and Consulting Manager at MNA Technology Services and provides services to a variety of nonprofit clients.

Prior to joining MNA, Alex worked as a Technical Support Engineer at Tek Experts where he ensured exceptional customer experiences with all clients. He earned a law degree from Brazil and honed his tech skills at Per Scholas here in the United States.

Alex is passionate about traveling and exploring new places. “Learning new cultures and getting to know new people fulfills me as a human being.”

When he’s not at MNA Tech, you can find Alex in the gym, or playing PC games and his guitar. He also enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes while listening to music. Alex resides in Ypsilanti with his family.