National Kidney Foundation of Michigan names new Chairs for Board of Directors, Scientific Advisory Board
ANN ARBOR — The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) has elected new chairs for its volunteer Board of Directors and its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Heather Henderson, DO, FACP chaired her first SAB meeting on September 20, 2022 and Mark E. Wilson of Dickinson Wright in Troy will lead his first Board of Directors meeting on September 28.
Dr. Henderson (right) is a nephrologist who has served on the SAB since 2018. She will serve as SAB Chair through June 30, 2024. Henderson is a partner at St. Clair Specialty Physicians in Roseville and Program Director of the Nephrology Fellowship at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit. She graduated in 2008 from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
In 2013, she completed her nephrology fellowship at St. John Hospital. In 2015 and 2017, she was voted Hour Detroit’s Top Doc by her fellow MDs and DOs. She has received numerous awards and honors, and is involved in research studying pharmaceuticals for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). She resides in Clinton Township.
“Dr. Henderson’s expertise in chronic kidney disease will be extremely valuable as she leads the SAB forward,” states NKFM President and CEO Linda Smith-Wheelock. “She is dedicated to helping people with CKD and we’re proud to have her representing the NKFM.”
Henderson is replacing nephrologist Khaled Ismail, MD, who joined the SAB in 2016. Dr. Ismail became SAB Chair in January 2020 and extended his term through June 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the September board meeting, SAB members and NKFM President/CEO Linda Smith-Wheelock presented Dr. Ismail with a thank you plaque for his extended service on the Board.
Attorney Mark Wilson (left) has been on the NKFM Board of Directors since 2013. He is the Practice Chair of Dickinson Wright’s national Health Care Group. His law practice focuses on transactional, corporate and regulatory law for large-scale medical practices in several states. He is also General Counsel for a large health system in Mid-Michigan. He has a JD from Boston University School of Law and a Master of Laws from Wayne State University Law School.
Wilson has consistently been named a “top lawyer” by various publications and legal rating organizations for more than a decade. In addition to his role at the NKFM, he is a past president of the Rotary Club of Grosse Pointe and has coached several girls’ basketball teams. He frequently publishes and presents on various aspects of health care law throughout the state. Wilson lives with his family in Waterford Township.
“I’m thrilled to have Mark leading the Board of Directors during these next 2 years,” states Smith-Wheelock. “He’s been a volunteer for the NKFM for a number of years and we’re very lucky to have his leadership skills and sound advice to rely on.”
Wilson succeeds David Shepherd of Henry Ford Health, who has served as the NKFM Board Chair since 2020 but has also been a long-time NKFM volunteer and supporter. Shepherd will continue for another term as immediate past chair.
About the NKFM
The mission of the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan is to prevent kidney disease and improve the quality of life for those living with it. With more than a million people in Michigan affected by kidney disease, the NKFM works to provide life-changing programs and services across the state. For the past 13 years, Charity Navigator — the nation’s leading nonprofit evaluator — has recognized the NKFM with its highest rating of 4 stars for success in sound fiscal management. nkfm.org
