David Petoskey
Chair of the Board of Trustees | President, Wealthcare Management Services
David (Dave) Petoskey is President of Wealthcare Management Services (WMS), a financial planning firm he founded in 1995 that provides clients with a goals-driven experience synchronizing planning and investing, so they can maximize their income and assets. His exceptional work with business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and families in the Detroit metropolitan area earned him an invitation to be a member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO). Currently serving as the Chair of the Walsh College Board of Trustees and a passionate champion of his alma mater, Dave earned his bachelor’s in business administration from Walsh College with a dual major in finance and marketing.
Lou Schmidt
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees | Retired, President of the HoneyBaked Ham Co.
Lou Schmidt, is the Vice Chair of the Walsh College Board of Trustees and former President and CEO of The HoneyBaked Ham Company, a family-owned company he began working for in 1981. The organization was founded by his grandfather, the late Harry J. Hoenselaar in 1957. The company was sold in 2025 and the family still holds a minority interest in the business. Lou earned both his bachelors of business administration and his master’s in finance from Walsh College.
In addition to serving on Walsh College’s board, he is an active member of Crime Stoppers of Michigan where he is the former Chairman of the Board. He is also the current Vice-Chairman of the Board at Rose Hill Center in Holly, MI. Outside of his business interests, he was inducted into the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 after a 25 year coaching career where he founded the HoneyBaked Hockey Club, an organization that has produced a number of elite players, many of whom have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, and 13 years as Varsity Head Coach at Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, MI.
Haroon Bhatti
Owner and Managing Director, Capital Business Brokerage
Haroon Bhatti runs Capital Business Brokerage, the Farmington Hills-based M&A and business brokerage firm advising Main Street and lower-middle-market companies on valuation, deal structuring, negotiations, and successful closings across a wide range of industries.
A proud Walsh College alumnus who first came to Walsh as an international student, Bhatti earned a B.B.A. in accounting and dual graduate degrees an MBA and Master of Science in finance. His achievements have been recognized nationally through honors from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), including the IBBA Deal Maker Award and the IBBA Chairman’s Circle Award, which distinguishes him as one of the leading business brokers in the country.
Paul Mersino
President and CEO, Butzel
Paul M. Mersino is the President and CEO of Butzel, a Michigan based law firm with a national reach serving its clients since 1854, and serves as Chair of Butzel’s Board of Directors. Mr. Mersino’s primary focus is continuing Butzel’s storied tradition of excellence for the firm’s clients. Butzel has over eight offices in Michigan and an office in Washington, D.C. with nearly 200 attorneys. When not focused on his firm, Mr. Mersino is very active in the community, serving on boards of non-profits, the Detroit Regional Chamber, and other organizations. Mr. Mersino is passionate about the metro Detroit region and about education in particular. He is honored to be a part of the rich Walsh history as well as its future.
Brian Pilarski
Partner, Kapnick Insurance Group
Brian Pilarski is a Partner and Commercial Insurance Advisor at Kapnick Insurance Group, where he focuses on helping organizations design effective risk management strategies and insurance programs. He brings more than 20 years of experience advising private, public, and international clients across a wide range of industries.
Brian holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science Management from Walsh College (2007). Brian values practical, career-focused education and is honored to support the institution’s mission as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Michael J. Plotzke
Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President – Finance and Treasurer Plastipak Holdings, Inc.
Mr. Plotzke is the Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance, and Treasurer of Plastipak Holdings, Inc., a Plymouth, Michigan-based company. Prior to joining Plastipak, Mr. Plotzke worked as a CPA for Doeren Mayhew, Deloitte LLP, and KPMG, where his special focus was mergers and acquisitions and turnaround troubled company management. Mr. Plotzke serves on several nonprofit boards, including Walsh College, Eton Academy, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars, and The Rainbow Connection, a charity granting wishes to terminally and seriously ill children. Mr. Plotzke also serves on the Board of Directors of Barton Malow. Mr. Plotzke earned his Bachelor of Accounting degree and his Master of Science in Taxation degree from Walsh College. Mr. Plotzke is very passionate about not only higher education but also K-12 education as well, as evidenced by his nonprofit board service with Eton Academy and Dollars for Scholars.
Gerald Schafer
Retired Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Development, McDonald’s Corp.
Gerald (Jerry) Schafer has three decades of executive experience overseeing business development efforts, managing operations and leading finance teams for global companies. Prior to retirement, served as the senior vice president of worldwide development for McDonald’s Corporation, responsible for the company’s global expansion initiatives. Previously, served as chief operations officer and executive officer of development for McDonald’s China and earlier as chief financial officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill, implementing multiple finance and accounting functions to support the company’s early stages of growth. Prior to the CFO role, led Chipotle’s first expansion efforts outside of Denver, Co, launching new restaurants in the Midwest. Started career during college in McDonald’s management and worked up through the organization via several accounting, finance and real estate development roles.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Walsh College and is also a CPA. Currently serves on the board of trustees for Walsh College, Next Step Raleigh, Children’s Flight of Hope, and Sarku (250 store Teriyaki chicken concept) and has previously served as a board member and board chair for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham and Wake and for Salad and Go (75 store DT Salad concept).
Dr. Suzy Siegle
President and CEO, Walsh College
Suzy Siegle proudly serves as Walsh College’s ninth President and CEO. Suzy holds a master’s in business administration, a juris doctor, and a doctorate in higher education leadership and management, with her dissertation focused on alternative and innovative operating models for 21st century higher education. She’s a Society of Human Resources Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), a certified executive coach through the Center for Executive Coaching and holds certifications in AI for Business Strategy from MIT Sloan, Augmented Reality through Columbia Executive Education, Applied Neuroscience & Brain Health through the Neuroscience Academy, Neuroscience and Business Results from Wharton Executive Education and Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing from Copenhagen Business School.
Dr. Siegle has worked in higher education for over twenty years. She’s taught business, leadership, law, and entrepreneurship courses, and served in academic administrative roles spanning admissions, advancement, student life/TIX, and operational/legal. She came to Walsh College in 2020 as the Executive Vice President and Provost and was appointed President and CEO in 2022. She currently teaches in its #1 Forbes ranked doctoral program and serves on student dissertation committees. Her research focuses on locus of control psychology specifically as it pertains to helping high-performing leaders and entrepreneurs.