Women’s Council Celebration Luncheon

Victoria Burton-Harris, J.D. is passionate about ensuring that justice and equity go hand in hand.

As a family law and criminal defense attorney in Detroit, Victoria witnessed the overcharging of defendants, requests for excessive bail, and vindictiveness on the part of prosecutors. She realized that effective change must begin with the gatekeeper to the criminal justice system–the county prosecutor.

In 2021, she was appointed Chief Assistant Prosecutor in the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, the first Black woman to hold the position. She teaches at the University of Michigan Law School.

Victoria is committed to eliminating the inequities of the criminal justice system, which disproportionately impact those who are low income, people of color, youth, and those with mental health and substance abuse disorders. She advances diversion programs, legal processes to expunge past criminal records and consumer protection measures.

She serves as the board chair for We the People Opportunity Farm, a nonprofit working to reduce recidivism and offer a fresh start, and as board chair of the Washtenaw Justice Project.

Amy Cell, MBA, CPA, is a workforce powerhouse with a passion for empowering underserved individuals through Amy Cell Talent, the talent consulting and recruiting firm she founded in 2015. Amy and her team have helped hundreds of start-ups and small businesses attract, retain, and develop talent. She supports and promotes programs that help job seekers overcome obstacles to employment.

Previously, Amy served as a senior vice president for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. She directed talent programs for the State of Michigan and launched groundbreaking initiatives to aid employers and the most vulnerable job seekers.

Amy has raised money for college scholarships and volunteers for many area nonprofits. She has served on the boards of the Washtenaw Community College Foundation and the Desai Accelerator and Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. She has transformed countless lives through her commitment to equity.

Shannon Polk, J.D., D.Min., is a transformative leader dedicated to guiding the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) to greater heights of equity and inclusion and a stronger impact on the lives of Washtenaw County residents.

Since becoming its President & CEO in early 2022, Shannon has increased the AAACF board and staff diversity by race, gender, sexual orientation, and faith. She has increased the accessibility of the staff to the broader community and invited new partners from marginalized communities that were previously underrepresented. She advanced a work-life balance policy to benefit parents returning to the workforce and support team members with caregiver responsibilities.

Shannon is a tireless advocate for maternal health, a skilled diversity, equity and inclusion facilitator, and an ordained minister and pastoral leader. Shannon’s faith drives her compassion for the marginalized and gives her the courage to pursue justice, equity and belonging on their behalf.

The Ann Arbor (MI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated is a dynamic group of African American women committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and others of African ancestry. They are part of The Links, Incorporated, founded in 1946 in Philadelphia. Its members, professional and accomplished African American women, are friends who transform their communities through service. There are over 17,000 members in the U.S. and abroad.

Since 1979, the Ann Arbor (MI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated has impacted Washtenaw County residents through countless hours of volunteer service personally and as a group. They address needs including literacy, the arts, homelessness, and the chapter’s current focus, Black maternal and infant health.

Members utilize their professional expertise to lead transformational conversations, initiatives and programs that create opportunities for systematic change to benefit marginalized people.

The Links, Incorporated has had and continues to have a positive impact on Washtenaw County.