Eric Keller (Sponsors: Mark Ouimet and Carolyn Hiatt)
Eric first moved to Ann Arbor in the 2000s. Having spent his entire life as a Michigander, he has established strong connections throughout both the region and the state. These deep roots have shaped his commitment to local and statewide initiatives.
Eric currently serves as the Director of Government & Community Relations at Washtenaw Community College. In this position, he operates at the intersection of education and workforce policy, government administration, and community impact, helping to bridge gaps and foster collaboration among various stakeholders.
Eric’s career encompasses extensive experience in federal, state, and local government. His expertise includes public policy, infrastructure development, and workforce advancement. This diverse background has enabled him to contribute meaningfully to major initiatives affecting the community and the broader region.
Throughout his career, Eric has served on numerous boards and committees at local, state, and national levels. His involvement includes:
- Michigan State University’s Regional Economic Innovation Center
- S. Coast Guard / EPA Regional Response Area Committee
- The Watershed Center for Grand Traverse Bay
- Washtenaw Nonprofits
- Washtenaw Economic Club Advisory Board
- Michigan Statewide Infrastructure Workforce Committee
Eric is recognized for his steady, collaborative leadership style and unwavering commitment to achieving results. His approach fosters teamwork and drives progress in both professional and community settings.
Reflecting Rotary’s value of Service Above Self, Eric is consistently involved in projects and causes that benefit the community. He is driven by a desire to make a positive impact and is always ready to contribute his skills and energy where needed.
Eric is a proud father to his son, Porter. He resides on the Westside of Ann Arbor with his partner, Amanda, and together they enjoy life in their vibrant local community.
Nancy Margolis (Sponsors: Carolyn Lepard, Carolyn Hiatt and Nancy Harrison)
Nancy has spent a lifetime working to break down barriers and bring diverse populations together. In high school she organized and led a community-wide brotherhood day.
In college, she helped remove religious restrictions from groups. As the deputy director of the Washtenaw County’s anti-poverty agency, she worked with minority groups to ensure equal representation in leadership roles in Head Start, senior nutrition programs, and Foster Grandparent Programs.
While the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Community Foundation, Nancy formed a Black- Jewish coalition, which sponsored Freedom seders, Driving While Black workshops, recorded elderly black and Jewish histories. She also was a founder of Jewish Family Services.
She headed the Inter-Faith Coalition of Congregations to raise funds for start-up poverty organizations; was one of the founders of the Corner Health Center to provide quality medical care and family planning to teenagers. She was elected Trustee of Washtenaw Community College, and served on the boards of directors of the Washtenaw Community College Foundation and Ann Arbor Community Foundation.
Currently Nancy serves as Executive Director of Embracing Our Differences. Of all these initiatives, Nancy believes that Embracing Our Differences offers a unique potential for building equity and inclusiveness and celebrating the diversity of the human family. She received a Bachelor’s degree at Northwestern University and a Master’s of Social Work at the University of Michigan.
Nancy has been honored by a number of organizations including: a Woman of Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League of Detroit; Award of Merit from Washtenaw Community College; Bernstein Leadership Award from Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, and Visionary Award from the Ypsilanti Gateway Community.
Nancy’s Rotary interests include the Peace Committee and youth.
Dale Ulrich (Sponsor: Norman Herbert
Dale is a Professor Emeritus from the University of Michigan, Department of Kinesiology after 23 years. Dale earned his PhD in Kinesiology in 1981 at Michigan State University. His focus was on pediatric disabilities.
The U.S. government consistently funded his research to conduct early intervention involving infants with Down syndrome to get them to walk much earlier than they do naturally. Through Dale’s work the average delay in walking onset was reduced by 6 months. Dale worked closely with parents in their home using a small infant treadmill. He was also funded to teach children and youth with Down syndrome and children with Autism to ride a two wheeled bicycle in 5 days. Their success rate was 82%. The Steelcase Company in Grand Rapids heard about the research and provided funding to bring these studies to benefit infants and children in west Michigan.
Dale is the author of the most popular test of children’s movement skills used in schools in North America, Europe, and Asia to identify children with significant delays requiring special education services.
Not to sit idle, following Dale’s retirement in 2020, he has been volunteering one or two nights each week for the Ann Arbor Safehouse Center for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. He works a 15-hour shift from home waiting for a call from a social worker at Mott Children’s Hospital, UM Adult Hospital, and Trinity Hospitals. His primary role is to serve as the survivor’s advocate. He indicates that he has learned a great deal in the past 5 years, given each case is different.
In Dale’s free time, he is a competitive tennis player, especially singles and also plays golf.
Dale is very interested in becoming a Rotarian because he’d like to have an impact in our community through the Club’s mission of Helping Kids Succeed. He will be a tremendous asset helping us serve our community.
