Become a Member
Board Member Re-Elections
Below, please find statements from our current Board Members who are seeking re-election:
Adrienne Jankens, Oakland County:
I am grateful for the opportunity to have served on the Board of Directors for the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan these last two years. The organization has provided my family with needed support through programming, and my participation has helped me practice a language of advocacy for the bleeding disorders community. In my role as an assistant professor at Wayne State University, my role with HFM has reflexively shaped the knowledge I am able to share with graduate students working on research in the rhetoric of health and medicine and the administrative and organizing work I do with community partners in Detroit. If I am elected to continue to serve on the board, I hope that my work in community writing-including my co-chairing of the National Conference on Community Writing (Detroit, October 2025) provides outreach and networking opportunities for HFM. Additionally, I hope to provide any insight I can from my experience as a rhetoric and writing studies scholar, when needed. Most simply, as a parent of two children with mild hemophilia A, and two carriers, I am honored to get to be a part of the conversations of this strong organization.
Adrienne Jankens is an Assistant Professor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies at Wayne State University.
Grace Trinidad, PhD, MPH, MS, Washtenaw County:
“It’s an honor to be invited to remain on the HFM Board for another 2 years and serve the Hemophilia and bleeding disorders community in any capacity.”
Grace is the Research Director and Global Lead of AI Security and Trust at IDC; she previously served as Director of the National Hemophilia Program Coordinating Center with the American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network. She completed her PhD in Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems at the University of Michigan.
New Board Member Candidates
Below, please meet our new Board Member Candidates. Both responded to questions posed by HFM.
Rebecca (Becky) Steele, Ottawa County:
Q: Have you been involved with the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan previously? If yes, how?
A: My seven-year-old son has severe Hemophilia B, inheriting it from my known family history. We began participating in fund raising efforts with HFM (i.e. the Unite for Bleeding Disorders walks) in 2019. I attended Washington Days and participated in congressional lobbying with the HFM team in 2023 and 2025, and I attended Lansing Days in 2024 and 2025.
Q: Please briefly describe why you want to serve on HFM’s Board of Directors.
A: Advocating for those in the bleeding disorders community is work that fuels my spirit. I hold a firm belief that we are a better community, locally and globally, if we understand each other’s stories and support one another from a place of compassion and empathy. I acknowledge the privilege that our family has experienced on our journey – living close to our amazing pediatric HTC, having our son during a time and in a country where we have access to safe medication options for prophylactic treatment and in response to bleeds, and having quality insurance through our employers – and I am keenly aware that there are many in our state and in the broader bleeding disorders community who do not experience the same access and support. I would appreciate the opportunity to lend my voice to the HFM Board of Directors to make a difference in the bleeding disorders community and to support programming and initiatives that HFM may want to undertake in west Michigan.
Q: What do you believe are the most important duties of a Board member?
A: I believe the most important duties of a Board Member are to participate in strategic planning, provide financial oversight, and to represent the organization within the communities and across the state.
Q: What skills, resources, connections, and/or experiences will you bring to a Board position?
A: I am a hard worker, and I possess strong communication skills. I build and foster meaningful professional relationships and strive to support my colleagues and communities in any way I can.
Eliza VanZweden, Kalamazoo County:
Q: Have you been involved with the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan previously? If yes, how?
A: Over the last few years, I have been involved with Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan as a community member. My involvement has included attendance and active participation in HFM dinner talks, women’s retreat, Lansing Days, camp(!) and other community events.
Q: Please briefly describe why you want to serve on HFM’s Board of Directors.
A: I have lived with a rare bleeding disorder my whole life, but only recently got involved with HFM the last 4 years or so. As someone who did not have hemophilia or a bleeding disorders community prior to that, it has been an incredible experience getting involved with HFM programming and meeting the amazing people behind the scenes and in the community.
I want to be able to help maintain these programs for people new to the community (especially with rare bleeding disorders who may not feel like they are included) and want to encourage more young people to get involved.
I also hope my skills and unique perspective will be able to help the Board and HFM serve all community members.
Q: What do you believe are the most important duties of a Board member?
A: I believe the most important duties of a Board member are to be active and engaged, while keeping the best interests of the bleeding disorder community at the forefront. For me, this would look like showing up to board meetings and other HFM events, actively listening to see where I can offer ideas and help, taking responsibility for project tasks, and being quick to communicate.
A board member also serves as an “ambassador” of the foundation to the general public. As a board member, my duty would be to maintain good conduct and represent HFM in alignment with its mission and values, while also making connections relative to HFM’s needs where I can.
Q: What skills, resources, connections, and/or experiences will you bring to a Board position?
A: Throughout my education and job training as an engineer, I often manage projects that involve different stakeholder groups and require effective communication, delegation, problem-solving, and milestone management. These skills have helped me advance in my
career and I will also bring my project management strengths to help the HFM board in any way I can.
Through my experience as a research assistant while in school, and now as a scientist at my job and freelance grant writer, I have experience authoring technical documents and writing and submitting complex NIH grants. And while I have limited fundraising experience, I think my writing strengths may help the board secure funding from grant opportunities.
As a community member, I have had the amazing opportunity to be in the NBDF National Youth Leadership Institute (NYLI) program over the last 2 years. Through this experience, I have designed and led sessions targeted towards teens at the annual Bleeding Disorders Conference, developed close relationships with NBDF leadership and other leaders in the community, and had the opportunity to attend the WFH World Congress to connect with bleeding disorder patients and providers from all over the world.
As an engaged advocate within the community, I am always taking the opportunity to speak up. I am passionate about advocating for the community’s interests during Lansing Days and Washington Days and want to continue encouraging young people to get involved.
Membership Organizations
What is a membership organization?
A membership structure is not unique to HFM, though not every nonprofit organization adopts this model. Membership organizations, like HFM, prioritize their constituents by providing them a formal pathway for participation in key decision-making. Each year, our members gather at SpringFest—our annual conference, to review the progress of the organization and when necessary: to vote on issues.
The membership program is outlined in HFM’s by-laws and an excerpt may be found below.
Why should I join as a Member?
Membership is a way for you to have a voice as many formal decisions are made. Have you ever wanted to vote on board members? Members have that privilege. At times, members have been called upon to vote on changes to our by-laws and other issues. Through membership, you have a chance to shape the future of HFM.
What benefits will I receive as a Member?
In addition to voting privileges, members are invited to a members-only reception at Springfest—HFM’s annual conference. Members will also receive some special swag and the appreciation of your community!
How do I become a Member?
Please fill out the form below. There is a $40 yearly fee per household, or you may opt to become a lifetime member for $1,000. Membership serves first-and-foremost as an opportunity to take an active role in the community. If you or a member of your immediate family have a bleeding disorder and find the yearly fee to be cost-prohibitive, please reach out to Carrie McCulloch at cmcculloch@hfmich.org. Scholarships are available.
HFM by-laws regarding membership:
Membership
Section 1:
Membership: Membership in HFM shall be open to all persons interested in furthering the purposes of the foundation. Payment specifically directed as annual membership dues or lifetime membership, or the waiver of payment of dues, attains membership.
A. The Board of Directors may grant honorary or special memberships.
B. The Board of Directors or designated committee sets membership dues and shall make determinations regarding requests to waive membership dues
Section 2:
Privileges of membership: HFM Membership entitles voting privileges at all general membership meetings.
Section 3:
Membership meetings include Annual Meeting, Special Meetings, Notice of meetings.
A. HFM’s Annual Meeting takes place each year at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors.
B. Special Meetings of the membership may be called at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
C. Notification of the Annual Meeting or Special Meeting will be provided to the membership by mail and/or email providing time, place, and purpose of the annual or special meeting not less than 10 days in advance of such meeting.
D. Election of Board of Directors will take place at the Annual Meeting with voting privileges limited to those members of the organization who are 18 years of age or older and in good standing with their membership.
