Meet the Board & Staff

Chris Hines is Cassie’s father and the CHSCF Board President.

He is currently a financial advisor with Edward Jones. Chris worked at Quicken Loans as a mortgage banker and service manager for for 8 years before moving to the financial advising. Before is financial services career, Chris worked for Big Boy restaurants for twenty years, holding positions from Restaurant Manager, District Supervisor, Training Director, Human Resources Director, and Director of Franchise Operations and finally Big Boy restaurant owner.

Chris served on the Board of Directors for The Shelby Lions Football Club for three years, volunteered with St. Michael’s Church providing breakfast for the homeless through the MCREST program for twelve years and served on the board for the Shelby Lion’s Club for 4 years.  Chris currently serves on the leadership team for  Orchard Ridge Church of the Nazarene in Washington Township.

Chris is married to his wife Karen and together they have three children and four grandchildren.

Connect with Chris

Karen Hines is the mother of Cassie and was her primary caregiver. Currently Karen is the Vice President and Executive Director of The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation. She has been our fearless leader, storytelling and building relationships with cancer treatment centers, medical professionals,  non-profit colleagues and young adults navigating cancer. On occasion, you may even find Karen cooking nutritious meals with love at our Base2Summit program weeks.

Karen is a graduate of Ferris State University dental hygiene class of 1984.  She retired from her 35 year career as a dental hygienist in 2019.

Karen has been married to Chris and together they have three children and four grandchildren.

Connect with Karen

Jeff is Cassie’s brother-in-law and the CHSCF Board Treasurer.

He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan and is currently a Technical Accounting and External Reporting Manager for Nexteer Automotive.

Jeff graduated from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accountancy. While attending John Carroll University, Jeff was a member of the ACHA Division I Club Hockey team and served as Club Treasurer for 3 years. In addition, Jeff holds a Master in Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Jeff and his wife Ashley reside in Macomb, Michigan and together they have three children.

Connect with Jeff

Ashley Priskey is Cassie’s sister and one of the founding Board members.

Ashley currently serves as an HR Director at Ford Motor Company, where she leads strategic initiatives within the HR Business Office to drive organizational effectiveness and workforce transformation. Prior to joining Ford, she spent over 15 years at DTE Energy, holding a variety of progressive HR leadership roles and contributing to enterprise-wide people strategies that supported business growth and culture evolution.

Ashley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management and Marketing from Oakland University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University.

Ashley is married to Jeff Priskey and together they have three children. Ashley resides in Macomb, Michigan.

Connect with Ashley

Michelle Morris is Vice President of Global Services across Facebook’s US Automotive, Financial Services, Real Estate, Insurance, Restaurants and Education business. Michelle leads a national team transforming the way industries connect, communicate, and drive business in a mobile first and personal world. She helps clients and agencies use Facebook to build brands, acquire new customers and craft owner advocacy strategies. Michelle leads with an entrepreneurial passion fueled by her knowledge of both traditional and digital mediums and is a champion for Franchisee/Local marketing efforts.

Prior to Facebook, Michelle built Google’s North American automotive manufacturing and dealerships business as Managing Director responsible for creative, direct response and strategic brand activation. For nearly 8 years, she led teams across multiple coasts and notable contributions included the launch of custom research, creation of new sub-verticals to drive focused growth and the establishment of Google’s bankruptcy policy which kept accounts active while recovering 100% of spend. Michelle’s industry and marketing expertise helped deepen Google’s Automotive relationships beyond advertising for Google Maps, Android and in-vehicle integrations.

Before joining Google, Michelle served as Group Senior Vice President and Account Director of the Chrysler brand at Chrysler’s ad agency BBDO, responsible for all aspects of Chrysler’s advertising, CRM, event partnerships and product placement efforts. At BBDO for over 8 years, Michelle also held executive leadership roles in the agency’s corporate marketing, dealer/franchise training and human resource departments. Never one to turn down a challenge, Michelle’s teams improved agency turnaround times while launching new mediums to help their clients reach customers.

A people first leader highly capable of navigating ambiguity, Michelle began her career in Human Resources as an Executive Director in the innovative partnered staffing division of Kelly Services, managing branches embedded within key client locations.

Michelle has shared her integrated marketing experience at industry conferences conducted by J.D. Power, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), Mobile World Congress and the Direct Marketing Association. She was honored as a Crain’s 40 under 40 professional in 2010, one of Vista Maria’s 2012 Celebrating Women award winners and a 2015 Rising Star by The Automotive News.

Michelle serves as a committee member of the 30% Club and finds great reward in helping all publicly traded boards get to 30% representation of women by 2020. Michelle is a founding board member of the Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer foundation, a 501(c)(3) that helps young adults diagnosed with cancer, founder of the Scott Stephenson Eastern Echo Scholarship and an advocate for Suicide Prevention and Awareness.

Michelle earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University and lives in the Greater Detroit Area with her husband, two children, gecko and 3 cats.

Connect with Michelle

Ron Valentine is the Chief Financial Officer of Kennedy Care, a leading provider of home healthcare and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. With over 25 years of experience in executive finance roles, Ron has a proven track record in scaling multi-site healthcare service organizations, driving successful mergers and acquisitions, and leading high-performing teams.

Prior to joining Kennedy Care, he served as CFO ofEncore Rehabilitation Services, where he played a key role in expanding operations across 35 states while ensuring regulatory compliance and risk management.
Prior to his tenure at Encore, Ron spent nearly two decades in commercial banking, including senior leadership roles at The PrivateBank and LaSalle Bank. He specialized in middle-market and healthcare services lending, building and managing multi-million dollar portfolios and structuring complex debt financing solutions.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ron has been a proud board member of the Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation since 2012, supporting its mission to support young adults with cancer. He lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan, with his wife Renee, and they are proud parents of three adult children. In his free time, Ronald enjoys boating, running, skiing, golfing, and traveling with his family.

Connect with Ron

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Aleasha Taweel is a distinguished attorney recognized for her expertise in defense litigation, and probate litigation. As an attorney at Plunkett Cooney, she is an integral member of the Torts & Litigation Practice Group, where she focuses on product liability, premises liability, and motor vehicle defense.  In addition, Aleasha is a member of the Trusts & Estates Practice Group, where she specializes in probate litigation, representing clients in complex estate and guardianship disputes. She has extensive experience defending fiduciaries and beneficiaries in contested probate matters, ensuring that estates are administered fairly and efficiently. Her probate practice includes handling trust and estate disputes, guardianship and conservatorship litigation, and defending claims related to estate administration.

Throughout her career, Aleasha has successfully argued motions for summary disposition on complex issues, including fraud, liability exposure, and coverage disputes. Her work in transportation law includes advising special investigative units on fraudulent procurement and claims, policy rescission, and coverage disputes. Beyond litigation, she is passionate about helping individuals plan for their future, including drafting estate planning documents such as wills, trusts, and special needs trusts.

Aleasha has received numerous accolades, including being named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ – Transportation Law (2024–2025) and recognized as a Michigan Super Lawyer Rising Star in Transportation Law (2023–2024). She holds a J.D. from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and a B.B.A. from Northwood University.

Her passion for service extends beyond the legal field. Aleasha has a lifelong commitment to volunteering, with a history of involvement in community outreach programs, estate planning assistance for underserved individuals, and held leadership roles in organizations such as Delta Zeta Sorority, the Business Law Society, and the Student Bar Association. Her pro bono work includes providing legal aid through the ABC/Cooley Bankruptcy Project and the Lakeshore Legal Aid Clinic, as well as serving as a guardianship review volunteer for the Oakland County Probate Court.

Aleasha’s desire to be an ambassador for the Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation stems from a deeply personal connection to the fight against cancer. Having lost her grandfather, who raised her, to lung cancer, and supporting her stepfather through his battle with oral cancer, Aleasha understands firsthand the profound impact the disease has on individuals and families. She is inspired by the foundation’s mission to support young adults navigating their cancer journey and is committed to using her time, talents, and networks to advocate for those in need.

Aleasha lives in Northville, Michigan, with her husband, Dr. Jamie Taweel, and their two daughters, Emma and Lola. Emma, a senior in high school, is committed to Grand Valley State University and aspires to become a dentist. Lola, a sophomore in high school, has a strong passion for art and enjoys painting, drawing, and exploring different creative mediums. Outside of her professional work and volunteer efforts, Aleasha finds joy in cooking, Pilates, yoga, paddle-boarding, and traveling the world.

Connect with Aleasha

Heather is a Strategy Leader and Marketing Director with over a decade of experience in building brand awareness and optimizing digital outreach. Her professional background is rooted in omni channel deployment and growth roadmapping, specializing in ensuring that organizations with complex marketing needs stay connected to the people they serve.  From her early days as an SEO Analyst to her current role as a Strategy Director, she has mastered the art of “distributed-ecosystem advocacy”, which is just a fancy way of saying she knows how to make sure the right message reaches the right person at the right time.

While her day job involves brand-to-local strategy, her heart for service was sparked years ago as a young volunteer at Common Ground. That early passion for community support has come full circle at the Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation, where she uses her expertise in digital visibility to ensure no young adult ever has to face a cancer diagnosis without finding community first.

Heather lives in Royal Oak with her husband and their dog, Doctor Willoughby. Despite the impressive name, the “Doctor” is unfortunately only licensed to treat snack deficiencies. When she isn’t auditing a marketing funnel, Heather is a burgeoning gardener who is always happy to trade restaurant recommendations.

Connect with Heather

Alexis graduated from Central Michigan University with her Bachelor’s degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration and the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. She is passionate about expanding recreational experiences and bringing people together in the nonprofit world. She also serves on the Young Professionals Activation Committee for the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Michigan. She looks forward to connecting with donors and collaborating with the CHSCF team to continue to support and advocate for the YA cancer community. 

Alexis resides in Detroit with her boyfriend, Dallas and her cat, Winnie!

alexis@cassiehinesshoescancer.org