Membership Committee Co-Chairs
Michelle Sturgis is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and a resident of Champaign, IL currently serving her community as the NAACPCC Membership Committee Co-Chair.
Her formal education was accomplished in her native state of Kentucky graduating from Ballard High School, completing an Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems from Jefferson Community College, a Bachelors Degree from Western Kentucky University, and a dual Masters Degree – MBA (Masters of Business Administration) and MIS (Management Information Systems) from Sullivan University.
Over the years, Mrs. Sturgis has held several positions in information technology, administrative, substitute teaching, and college faculty positions, while also mentoring school aged children, and being an advocate for the empowerment of girls. Her current position is an Adjunct teaching computer courses.
She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. of Eta Omega Chapter, military wife married 24 years (retired Army), mother of 5 children (2 left in college) and 3 grandchildren, CEO/Founder of Sturgis I.T. Academy for Girls, NAACPCC Membership Co-Chair, NAAPCC Education Committee Member, Mentor, Mentor for Unit 4 School District, Black Men, Boys, and Books Committee, PTA committee member of Garden Hills Academy, and an Author. Past educational projects include, sponsoring a Summer Math and computer literacy program for children. Her current focus, and passion includes mentorship and writing children’s books that will focus on empowering teenagers with leadership tools, positive self-esteem, and technology skills that will develop the whole person in preparation for their future.
During her leisure time, Mrs. Sturgis enjoys supporting her children’s college sports events in swimming and track, reading, writing, gardening, jazz, opera, and attending an amazing play.
Lynn Laskowski has lived in Champaign for five years after retiring from Von Maur in Bloomington/Normal, IL. She taught in the Unit 5 schools in Normal, IL after graduating from Illinois State University.
As a young teen, Lynn began looking for something she felt was in the world bigger than what she had been taught, so six years later she heard about the Baha’i Faith whose mission is the Oneness of Humanity. Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Faith taught we must eliminate all prejudice of race, nationality, gender, anything that keeps us divided, only then can we have peace. Along with seven million Baha’is throughout the world, she been working toward that end since. A short time after coming to C-U she became involved with showings of the film Racial Taboo, helping to facilitate the discussions after. That group is now called the Race Relations Sub-Committee continuing to bring people together. Lynn is a facilitator for the Second Sunday “Oneness of Humanity” programs held at the Baha’i Center in Urbana and a frequent attendee of the Champaign Community Coalition.