Student Shorts at Michigan CentralStudents + families: sign up
Detroit Film ClubPartner with DFC
Menu

Leadership

The mission only matters if the people can carry it.

Detroit Film Club is built by people whose backgrounds answer a real organizational need: creative direction, operations, people leadership, technical problem-solving, capital strategy, mentorship, brand strategy, and direct industry practice.

Portrait of Detroit Film Club founder Ronnie Kirk
Founder / creative direction / program strategy

Founder & Creative Executive

Ronnie Kirk

Organization-wide strategy + industry-to-youth pipeline

Ronnie is a Detroit filmmaker, producer, writer, director, and production leader who combines firsthand film and television experience with youth creative-workforce development. His work spans partnerships, curriculum, budgets, staffing, production operations, and public-facing programs.

At DFC, he sets the creative direction and builds the bridge from a student's first idea to professional training, completed work, public exhibition, industry relationships, and ownership.

Why Ronnie is here

Ronnie sets DFC's creative and organizational direction, connecting students' first ideas to professional training, completed work, public exhibition, industry relationships, and ownership.

Los Angeles Film SchoolFilm + television productionYouth workforce developmentDetroit creative economy
01 / Governance

Board of Directors

The board is positioned around the capabilities DFC needs to grow responsibly: operations, people leadership, systems thinking, emerging media, capital, and community visibility.

Portrait of Detroit Film Club treasurer MarNeishia Walker
Treasurer / Partnerships & Student Onboarding

MarNeishia Walker

Community partnerships + family onboarding

MarNeishia brings community-centered program experience shaped by her work with Franklin-Wright Settlements, one of Detroit's longstanding family-service organizations. At DFC, she leads the bridge between partners, parents, and students, turning interest into a clear onboarding process while keeping communication, scheduling, documentation, and financial administration aligned.

Why MarNeishia is here

MarNeishia brings community-centered program experience shaped by her work with Franklin-Wright Settlements, one of Detroit's longstanding family-service organizations. At DFC, she leads the bridge between partners, parents, and students, turning interest into a clear onboarding process while keeping communication, scheduling, documentation, and financial administration aligned.

marneishia@detroitfilmclub.org
Headshot forthcoming
Vice President

Harvey Brown

People leadership + organizational accountability

Harvey strengthens DFC's leadership culture and internal accountability. He brings more than two decades of experience leading teams, managing high-responsibility environments, resolving conflict, and maintaining consistent operating standards. At DFC, that translates into stronger staff expectations, sound judgment, risk awareness, and the steady oversight required to serve young people responsibly.

Why Harvey is here

Harvey strengthens DFC's leadership culture and internal accountability. He brings more than two decades of experience leading teams, managing high-responsibility environments, resolving conflict, and maintaining consistent operating standards. At DFC, that translates into stronger staff expectations, sound judgment, risk awareness, and the steady oversight required to serve young people responsibly.

Headshot forthcoming
Director

Jalon Jones

Process integrity + operational follow-through

Jalon is DFC's process-minded board voice, focused on whether plans are complete, responsibilities are clear, and important steps are not missed. He helps pressure-test production logistics, equipment stewardship, compliance, timelines, and follow-through so ambitious ideas are supported by reliable systems.

Why Jalon is here

Jalon is DFC's process-minded board voice, focused on whether plans are complete, responsibilities are clear, and important steps are not missed. He helps pressure-test production logistics, equipment stewardship, compliance, timelines, and follow-through so ambitious ideas are supported by reliable systems.

Headshot forthcoming
Director

Brendan Blue

Emerging media + youth creative perspective

Brendan represents the next generation of creators DFC is building for. His developing expertise in animation and digital storytelling helps the board evaluate how programs can prepare young people for evolving visual formats, new creative tools, and careers beyond traditional film production. He also brings a dependable execution mindset to projects that must move from concept to completed asset.

Why Brendan is here

Brendan represents the next generation of creators DFC is building for. His developing expertise in animation and digital storytelling helps the board evaluate how programs can prepare young people for evolving visual formats, new creative tools, and careers beyond traditional film production. He also brings a dependable execution mindset to projects that must move from concept to completed asset.

Portrait of Detroit Film Club director DeJuan Ford
Director

DeJuan Ford

Capital development + creative industry strategy

DeJuan understands how creative projects move from vision to viable opportunity. His experience across performance, producing, investment, and relationship-building strengthens DFC's approach to fundraising, strategic partnerships, project packaging, and connecting student work to a wider film ecosystem.

Why DeJuan is here

DeJuan understands how creative projects move from vision to viable opportunity. His experience across performance, producing, investment, and relationship-building strengthens DFC's approach to fundraising, strategic partnerships, project packaging, and connecting student work to a wider film ecosystem.

02 / Strategic advisory

Strategy That Helps the Mission Scale

Strategic advisors help DFC connect the quality of its programs and productions to a clear brand, stronger systems, and wider opportunity.

Portrait of Detroit Film Club strategic advisor Ryan Pearson
Strategic Advisor

Ryan Pearson

Brand strategy + scalable content systems

As a brand strategist at Tubi, Ryan works at the intersection of audience behavior, cultural relevance, creative campaigns, and content systems. He advises DFC on how to connect youth programming, original productions, partnerships, and audience growth under one coherent public identity, while building creator workflows that can scale with the organization.

Why Ryan is here

As a brand strategist at Tubi, Ryan works at the intersection of audience behavior, cultural relevance, creative campaigns, and content systems. He advises DFC on how to connect youth programming, original productions, partnerships, and audience growth under one coherent public identity, while building creator workflows that can scale with the organization.

03 / Program delivery

Mentors & Instructors

Students learn directly from practitioners who can connect creative instinct to discipline, set expectations, portfolio development, and professional behavior.

Portrait of Detroit Film Club instructor Virgea Golden
Filmmaking & Multimedia Instructor

Virgea Golden

Cross-department production + portfolio development

Virgea gives students a cross-department view of professional production. Her experience across acting, producing, art direction, locations, and production safety helps students understand how departments connect, where their abilities fit on a working set, and how to build a portfolio beyond one class. She has led DFC youth filmmaking and portfolio development at Madison Carver Academy.

Why Virgea is here

Virgea gives students a cross-department view of professional production. Her experience across acting, producing, art direction, locations, and production safety helps students understand how departments connect, where their abilities fit on a working set, and how to build a portfolio beyond one class. She has led DFC youth filmmaking and portfolio development at Madison Carver Academy.

Headshot forthcoming
Mentor & Acting Coach

Christopher Collins

Performance craft + professional readiness

Christopher gives students access to a working actor who understands the demands of performance on independent sets. Recognized for roles including Tookie in McGraw Ave and King in Chedda Boys, he coaches character choices, rehearsal discipline, camera awareness, set etiquette, and professional conduct. His role is to help young performers turn raw talent into repeatable craft and professional readiness.

Why Christopher is here

Christopher gives students access to a working actor who understands the demands of performance on independent sets. Recognized for roles including Tookie in McGraw Ave and King in Chedda Boys, he coaches character choices, rehearsal discipline, camera awareness, set etiquette, and professional conduct. His role is to help young performers turn raw talent into repeatable craft and professional readiness.

Work with the team

Bring DFC into your school, organization, or production.

Start a partnershipContact MarNeishia