Women’s Council Celebration Luncheon

Linh Song has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years on issues including child advocacy, housing access, and anti-trafficking in international adoption. Linh and her husband, Dug, founded the Song Foundation to invest in innovative people and organizations who are improving the quality of life for all in Southeast Michigan, and who are building a more just and equitable world. As the firstborn American in her family, Linh has the experience of coming from a refugee family and is committed to addressing social, racial, and economic inequities.

Linh holds two degrees from the University of Michigan, including a Master of Social Work. She serves as the Board Chair for the Song Foundation, Co-chair for Michigan Reproductive Rights for All and is a board member for the Ann Arbor Art Center, Abundant Housing Michigan, Skillman Foundation, and Great Lakes Housing Services. Linh is an appointee to the Michigan State Land Bank Authority. She has also held elected positions on Ann Arbor’s City Council and the Ann Arbor District Library Board.

Dr. Irene Butter was born into a Jewish family in Berlin and fled to Amsterdam, growing up in Nazi-occupied Europe. Her childhood ended on June 20, 1943, when she and her family were deported to prison camps, including Bergen-Belsen, where her childhood acquaintance and former neighbor Anne Frank was also imprisoned. Irene survived until her family was released as “exchange Jews” in January 1945.

After immigrating to the United States, she was discouraged by relatives from speaking about her experiences and remained silent for nearly forty years. Today, she has dedicated her life to Holocaust education and peace activism. A Professor Emerita of Public Health at the University of Michigan, Dr. Butter is co-founder of the Raoul Wallenberg Medal and Lecture Series and of Zeitouna, an Arab-Jewish Women’s Dialogue group guided by the principle “Refusing to be Enemies.”

She authored the memoir From Holocaust to Hope: Shores Beyond Shores, emphasizing resilience, empathy, and choosing to live as a survivor rather than a victim. Dr. Butter considers it her duty to speak for the six million Jews who were silenced.

An internationally recognized speaker, she shares a message of “never being a bystander” and believing one person can make a difference, particularly inspiring young audiences.

Dr. Lynette Findley is the President and CEO of LMF Strategic Initiatives LLC. She is a dedicated leader, educator, and community advocate whose career reflects a deep commitment to equity, service, and student success. During her 29 years in several roles at Eastern Michigan University, she championed academic support programs for students of all ages, including foster youth and displaced workers, while helping secure more than $5 million in grant funding to expand educational access and opportunity.

Dr. Findley’s leadership extends throughout Washtenaw County and beyond. She has served organizations such as United Way’s Power of the Purse, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival Chair, Embracing Our Differences, Jewish Family Services, the WCC Women’s Council, and the Michigan American Council on Education, where she is the founder of the Michigan ACE Women of Color Collaborative (WOCC). She also chaired the committee that led to the development of the Eastern Washtenaw Recreation Center and served eight years as the elected Clerk for Superior Charter Township.

A founding member of Black Women in Michigan Politics, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and a steadfast advocate for diversity and inclusion, Dr. Findley is widely respected for pairing thoughtful leadership with decisive action. Her service has strengthened institutions, uplifted communities, and inspired others to lead with purpose.