Oakland County Executive’s 
40 Under 40 Announced
(Oakland County Executive, Jan 27, 2017)
Waterford, Michigan — Beginning Monday at 9 a.m., the public can cast an online vote to choose the winner of the Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 under 40 Class of 2017.
Nearly 400 applications and nominations were reviewed by a panel of judges, looking for the top 40 young professionals and thought leaders who live or work in Oakland County. The 40 honorees have achieved excellence in their field and contributed to the quality of life in their communities. Of that group, the three candidates who scored the highest are placed before the public vote to determine a 2017 winner. This is the sixth year of the Elite 40 program.
“I am continually amazed at the caliber of young leaders we have,” County Executive L. 
Brooks Patterson said. “We think the whole class is superb and the top three are outstanding. The future of our county is very bright and the region is in good hands.”
Voting continues through Friday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. Individuals may vote once every 24 hours at Elite40.com. Among other opportunities, the top vote getter will introduce Patterson at his State of the County Address on Feb. 8. Online voters must choose between:
Richard J. Chalmers, D.O., 36, Director of Family Medicine Residency, McLaren Macomb Hospital
Chalmers lives in Rochester Hills and is a graduate of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He began his family practice in 2010 with the McLaren Medical Group and was named director of the family medicine residence program at McLaren Macomb Hospital in 2015. He is an assistant clinical professor at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is director of the hospital’s Medical Outreach Clinic, which treats uninsured patients at no cost. Chalmers has been to Guatemala three times as part of a team of doctors, 
nurses and volunteers through DOCARE International, providing care to more than 3,000 patients. He volunteers to educate underprivileged high school students interested in medicine. “It is an honor to be allowed to take care of a patient and I find it very fulfilling to train medical students and resident physicians to do the same,” he said. Chalmers is married and has two sons.
Carrie Schochet, 37, CEO/Founder, Purple Squirrel Advisors
Schochet is a Rochester Hills resident who heads a Troy-based boutique executive search firm that connects unique C-level and senior executives with leadership positions in finance, accounting, human resources, operations, sales and marketing. She is also founder of CFO Next, a group she launched in 2013 when she discovered a lack of resources and networking opportunities for transitioning or unemployed senior financial executives. The group placed 60 people into new career opportunities in the first two years and assisting another 20. She is 
a passionate philanthropist, raising funds for a number of non-profits, including ALS research, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Power Company Kids Club. In 2016, she co-founded 100 Businesses Who Care to connect executives who want to make an impact in metropolitan Detroit. The group is set to give a $50,000 donation to a local non-profit twice a year starting in 2017. Schochet is married and has three children.
Brooke Wilson Vitale, 29, owner, Love & Buttercream LLC
Vitale of Royal Oak is the force behind Love & Buttercream, a Royal Oak-based specialty bakery she opened in 2012 after turning a hobby into her passion. She began perfecting recipes in her parent’s lower level kitchen and selling the results at farmer’s markets. Her from-scratch recipes meant business. The bakery’s cookies were named HOUR Detroit’s “Best Cookie” in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Love & Buttercream was also named Eater’s “Top 5 Bakeries in Metro Detroit.” The bakery, which has a location in Birmingham, provided wedding cakes and desserts for 400 couples in 2016 and is the exclusive provider for wedding cakes for the
Infinity and Ovation Yacht Charters on the Detroit River. Vitale, who is a Michigan State graduate, has provided baked confections for various charitable events, including a 1,000 cookie display to benefit children with cancer and providing cakes for Celebration of Life parties for seriously ill children.
The members of the 2017 Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 Under 40 class are:
Hallie Armstrong, 36, Senior Naturopathic Doctor, Beaumont Health
Matthew Baumgarten, 32, Berkley City Manager
Andrea Carollo, 37, Realtor, Max Broock Realtors
Richard J. Chalmers, 36, Director of Family Medicine Residency, McLaren Macomb Hospital
Alicia Chandler, 37, General Counsel – Continuing Care, Trinity Health
Nathan Clinton-Barnett, 32, Vice President of Clinical Services, Safe Balance LLC
Alex Delavan, 34, Director of Sponsored Programs, Oakland University
David DeLind, 30, Principal Marketing Specialist, DTE Energy
Derek Dickow, 37, Founder, Steward Media
Matt Einheuser, 31, Watershed Ecologist, Clinton River Watershed Council
Joanne Forbes, 34, Department Chair of Art, Design/Humanities, Oakland Community College
Sean Forbes, 34, Co-Founder, DPAN.TV The Sign Language Channel
Kristin Griffith, 30, 2nd Grade Teacher & Elementary Technology Educator, Auburn Hills Christian School
Anthony Grupido, 21, CEO, Handsleight LLC
Sherikia Hawkins, 35, City Clerk, City of Pontiac
Michael Hohf, 31, Sr. Vice President & Financial Advisor, Advance Capital Management
Adam Jahnke, 33, Principal and Co-Founder, Vault Equity Partners
Yasser Khan, 37, Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer, IBM Miraclesoft
Jessica Knapik, 38, Program Analyst, Walsh College
Anjan Kumar, 38, Assistant Director of Medical ICU, Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates – St. John Hospital & Medical Center
Andrew Kurecka, 29, Manager of Outcomes Research, MedNetOne Health Solutions
Samantha Mariuz, 25, Director of Authorities, City of Auburn Hills
Sam Marzban, 34, Detective Sergeant, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
Tylar Masters, 37, President, Tylar & Company
Dustin McClellan, 26, Pontiac Director, The Power Company Kids Club
Maureen McGinnis, 38, Judge, 52-4 District Court
Shaun Moore, 38, Director of e-Learning, Oakland University
Tany Nagy, 37, Owner, Pulse Design Studio
Jeena Patel, 36, Partner, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP
Emily Paula, 26, Human Resources Business Partner, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Katya Pruett, 37, Manager Public Relations and Communications, BorgWarner Inc.
Katheryn Rohrhoff, 34, Staff Nurse, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital
Carrie Schochet, 37, CEO/Founder, Purple Squirrel Advisors
Pratheep Sevanthinathan, 36, Owner, Seva Law Firm
Kayla Smith, Executive Director, 26, Hazel Park Promise Zone Authority
David Tessler, 34, VP & Co-Owner, Rain Marketing Inc.
Leyanna Torres, 32, Principal Product Engineer NAOSS Packaging Manager, ZF TRW
Kathryn Tuck, 37, Director of Foundation Giving, Leader Dogs for the Blind
Brooke Wilson Vitale, 29, Owner, Love & Buttercream LLC
Danielle Zuccaro, 34, Director Human Resources, Common Ground
