Our Leadership

Linda Bielskis has spent the last 25 years working for non-profit, social service organizations. Having worked in many roles for a variety of organizations, Linda has developed her skill set through direct care prevention and counseling positions, supervisory and development roles and in various leadership positions. Having worked for organizations such as the YWCA, National Council on Alcoholism and Addictions, Catholic Charities, Intake Assessment & Referral Center, Genesee Community Health Center and New Paths, Inc., she has spent her career in organizations serving people living with mental illness and addiction disorders, as well as the complexities including issues related to access to healthcare and chronic illnesses, trauma, grief and loss, generational poverty, domestic violence, and parity. Linda is also an Administrative Surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International. 

Linda earned her bachelor’s degree at Central Michigan University in Psychology and Management and her master’s degree at the University of Houston. Her focus of study was clinical psychology where she conducted thesis and post-graduate research in the area of behavioral neuroscience. She continued her education at Baker College in Flint earning a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in healthcare. Additionally, having a passion for the dynamics of workforce culture and its impact on service delivery outcomes, Linda has pursued ongoing training, education and application in the areas of nonprofit leadership, governance, transition management, and work culture dynamics.   

As a committed leader in the human service field, Linda has also been involved in programs supporting talent into the field. She has supervised countless interns, has served as a nominated mentor for the Midwest Addiction Transfer and Technology Research Institute and worked as adjunct faculty for Saginaw Valley State University where she taught general psychology, child development, abnormal psychology, and adolescent psychology. Linda has served on a number of volunteer boards and committees over the years including past chair of the Genesee County Continuum of Care, past chair of the Committee to End Homelessness, member of Pets are Worth Saving (PAWS), current chair for the Shelter of Flint and current Treasurer for Partners 4 Recovery. Linda is a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC) and as a registered yoga teacher (RYT), she is also a member of Yoga Alliance and Yoga International.

Akilah is a public health professional with extensive experience in practical and research-based work with persons living with HIV, both domestically and abroad. Particularly interested in the way HIV/AIDS affects marginalized populations, she has dedicated her career to the advancement of those communities. Akilah early on, developed a passion for understanding cultural differences in the context of health care. She has close to a decade of experience working with marginalized populations of color.

With a bachelors in Anthropology and a Masters of Public Health degree, Akilah has robust knowledge in understating and implementing evidence-based programming.  Akilah currently serves as the Vice President of Community Research and Advocacy where she oversees the newly formed Community Research and Advocacy Department. This department manages the organizations community-based research endeavors, statewide HIV/STD hotline and mobilization project Status Sexy.

While acknowledging how far health care has come, she also understands how far it has to go. She believes there is no rigid formula for delivering health care; rather, each situation must be examined through an individualized holistic lens and considered in the context of our many diverse differences. Akilah looks forward to continuing to utilize her knowledge to implement community-lead best practices to improve the quality of care for people living with HIV and affected by HIV.