Each of the West Michigan Woman Brilliance Awards finalists were selected for a reason. All exude a contagious spirit and broad skillset that, in one facet or another, betters the West Michigan community. This is an opportunity for you to get to know them. Read through their bios, resonate with their challenges and triumphs and ideally, make a few new connections!
Chief Financial Officer, Hope Network
Mentor
With a deep appreciation for the support she received as an immigrant to the U.S., Heather Zak has dedicated over two decades to giving back to the West Michigan community through nonprofit leadership, volunteering and mentoring.
In her current role, she oversees finances to support programs empowering over 34,000 individuals annually with disabilities and disadvantages to overcome physical, social, or mental barriers and achieve their highest level of independence. Beyond her professional achievements, Zak serves on boards and volunteers for organizations like the Michigan Nonprofit Association, GVSU and Heart of West Michigan United Way. As a GVSU Alumni board member and mentor for programs including the Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy and Seidman College of Business mentorship programs, she aims to empower the next generation of leaders. Her efforts reflect her commitment to paying forward support and contributing to the community’s betterment.
Seeing others thrive both professionally and personally as a result of their mentorship relationship has been Zak’s greatest accomplishment. She shares, “Witnessing numerous colleagues who are women attain leadership roles, promotions, enrollment in graduate degrees, professional and continued education programs, and other growth milestones as a result of our mentorship relationship has been immensely fulfilling.”
Executive Director, New City Kids
Mentor
Inspiring others to know that the past doesn’t have to determine the future is the mission statement that has guided the career of Christy Carlin Knetsch. She lives this sentiment each day as Executive Director of New City Kids, where she’s passionate about empowering leaders of all ages, promoting equity and shaping the systems that make the dream of higher education a reality, whether that’s college, trades or entrepreneurship.
Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Knetsch knows what it’s like having the cards stacked against you. Her mother gave birth to her at just 15, her biological father had been fighting a life-ending drug addiction, and she tragically lost three close friends in high school. It was a mentor who helped prevent Knetsch from becoming a statistic herself and inspired her path. She joined New City Kids in 2018, after 18 years in community organizing, social work and youth development, where one of her favorite things was driving a 12-passenger van filled with teenagers.
Knetsch says, “I hope to always remember the sacrifices that others have made, from my beloved family to my cherished mentors, so that I could have the blessings of standing up as a mentor for women, the same way others have for me.”
Program Director, Wedgwood Christian Services
Mentor
In 2000, Jackie Brewster began her life-long mission mentoring youth through Wedgwood’s Employment Training Program (ETP) for resident youth, empowering them to develop valuable life and job skills. Since, she’s mentored 1,134 kids—and she’s not stopping!
Most youth entering ETP believe their past determines their future. Brewster builds trust through unwavering encouragement and support of navigation in new areas, assuring them their best is still to come. Brewster’s top priority is the well-being of each youth—emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Her passion for sharing knowledge, skills and experience guides youth to success, and as they complete the program, Brewster continues to make herself accessible, providing follow-up care even 20 years later, in some cases.
Brewster—who’s been a foster parent—role-models dedication, compassion and commitment, developing best practices for ongoing youth development, and shares, “I continue to find different ways to attract any student that may be struggling, whether it be socially, economically or mentally. Everyone has an important role to play in life, some youth just need an extra hand finding their part. They are all my kids, and they always will be.”
Owner & Founder, Resilience Therapy LLC; Resilience Empowerment Services Inc; CRGR Property Management
Social Change Agent
Ebony Crane, LMSW is a pioneering force in mental health advocacy, seamlessly blending her academic achievements in social work and criminal justice with a profound commitment to social justice.
As the first African American woman in Kent County to secure EMDR certification through EMDRIA, Crane’s career is a testament to breaking barriers and setting benchmarks. Her journey—deeply influenced by personal challenges including foster care, juvenile detention and early parenthood—has shaped her into a relentless advocate for the oppressed and marginalized. Leading with empathy and innovation, Crane created a nontraditional private practice, initiated professional development workshops to address community concerns, and organized fundraisers to assist her property tenants financially. Her visionary leadership extends even further to founding a nonprofit offering childcare for those accessing mental health services, in addition to establishing a property company that champions the reintegration of returning citizens.
Crane is not simply a professional; she’s a catalyst for change, driven by a mission to empower, heal and inspire resilience in the face of adversity. She shares, “My approach to sharing my vision is rooted in the simple yet profound belief that change is spawned not by idle words but by purposeful actions. It’s about identifying what lies within my power to alter and stepping forth to manifest those changes, one life at a time.”
Founder & Executive Director, THE PLAYGROUNDgr
Social Change Agent
With over 23 years of experience working with children, youth and families, Jacqueline Scherer, LMSW, RPT has tirelessly promoted healing through play, both in her home and community.
Scherer—a foster parent of 13 years and mother to three children—has led various out-of-state initiatives and contributed significantly to the field by piloting a traumatic grief curriculum for children, advocating for educational rights, and serving as a crisis clinician for children in Kent County. Scherer actively engages in teaching and speaking engagements, sharing her expertise in grief, trauma, and play with clinicians, teachers and community members. Her recent endeavor, THE PLAYGROUNDgr Podcast, further amplifies this by inviting local experts to share their insights on healing through play. Scherer’s passion for play therapy and play-based strategies led her to create THE PLAYGROUNDgr, driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to the healing power of play. Scherer, who’s a Michigan Association of Play Therapy Board Member and Midtown Neighborhood Association Chair, continues to advocate for safe and accessible play and play therapy services for all.
She says, “The missing link in mental and emotional health in our community is accessible access to play and play therapy. The research is clear … play heals.”
