Speakers

President and Campaign Chair Debi Hollis is an Interior Designer who lives in Royal Oak, Michigan. Her involvement with Honor Flight Michigan began in 2008 when she took her first flight as a guardian. Inspired by her Dad’s military service, she remained a part of the program as we transitioned to the memorial project.  Debi values the lessons she has learned from the men and women of the Greatest Generation and wants to pay tribute to them with this memorial. 

For more information:
https://michiganww2memorial.org/

Emily has served on NOHLC's Board of Directors since 2013 and is currently serving as president.  She has been active in the Stewardship and Land Acquisition Committees for twelve years.  She is also Chair of the Oakland County Cooperative Invasive Species management Area *(CISMA).  She is a Conservation Steward in Michigan and co-founded the Oakland Phragmites and Invasive Species (OPIS) Task Force. Emily earned her bachelor's degree in geology from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. and her master's degree in environmental science from Duke University.  She worked for 18 years in environmental consulting, investigating and remediating contaminated soil and groundwater at industrial sites  throughout the mid Atlantic states, Ohio, and Michigan.  Emily is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio.  She has extensive experience in preschool and K-12 education, particularly educating students with special needs, and was a founding school board member of the M.O.D.E.L. Community School, a charter school for students with autism in Toledo. 

For more information:
https://www.nohlc.org

Paul Wells didn’t expect to become Birmingham’s fire chief when he began suiting up for the Oakland County city more than two decades ago. It was more of a natural progression as his career evolved with training, expertise and leadership roles.

He agreed late last year to serve as interim chief when John Connaughton retired from the position after nearly four decades. Then, Wells officially said yes to his department’s top position.

Birmingham City Council appointed Wells, 41, fire chief on Aug. 5. He will oversee at least 30 firefighters, most trained as paramedics, to cover a community of about 20,000 residents and 1,400 businesses including those within The Rail District. The Rail District has become known for its art galleries, antique shops and restaurants.

While managing an annual spending plan of about $6 million, Wells wants to invest in technology and training so that the agency can continue to be the best department possible. “I want to make sure we’re always striving to be the latest and the greatest,” Wells said.

Wells began with the Birmingham Fire Department as an emergency medical technician and firefighter in August 1998.

Over the years, he has served as EMS coordinator, lieutenant/paramedic, captain, and assistant fire chief. He graduated from the Eastern Michigan University Fire Staff and Command Executive Leadership Program in 2017 and received a bachelor’s in science degree in fire administration in 2018. 

Wells has been married to his wife, Amanda, for 14 years. They have two children – Evelyn, 12, and Pauly, 10. Pauly and his dad share an April 8 birthday.