WE ARE THE STAFF MEMBERS
Craig Alston, also known as ‘Judge Alston,’ in the Bay County area is the legal advisor for River Jordan Inc. He has over 40 years of legal experience and provides River Jordan with great perspectives as he served Bay County for 25 years as a district judge. He provides legal services in the areas of estate planning, elder law, Medicaid law, estate and trust administration, probate matters, real estate, and business law. Craig is truly a civil servant of his community through past and present endeavors as seen through his involvement with his church as a Deacon, Jaycee’s, Lion’s Club, Red Cross, Bay County Women’s Center, Bay County Heart Association, and more.
Karen Whitaker has a background in sales and brings her skills to River Jordan to procure donations for our organization. As the mother of two children adopted from foster care she is aware of the struggles facing young adults aging out of foster care.
Over the years, she has worked as a volunteer for many organizations and her childrens’ schools but most recently for CASA. When she read about River Jordan Inc, she knew she wanted to be part of it.
Kristin Krol became first involved with River Jordan after attending an open house. She volunteered during the summer of 2021 as a life skills coach and continued involvement during a year of AmeriCorps service before joining the board. She holds a BS in biochemistry with a minor in psychology and is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher. She currently works at Hemlock Semiconductor. She is passionate about mental wellness and sharing the work of River Jordan through video media and client testimonials.
Michael Davis-Thomas is a former foster youth that serves as a peer support specialist and the men’s transitional house manager for River Jordan. He uses his experiences with the foster care system to advocate for foster youth. Michael is currently working on a double major in Political Science & Law with a minor in Public Administration. He has worked closely with the National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI) on issues such as homelessness and lack of education opportunities among transition age foster youth and has helped build a Foster Care caucus for the state of Michigan. Michael is a leader, inspiration, and mentor for foster youth in Bay County.
Social Work interns from Saginaw Valley State University in both Bachelor’s and Master’s programs serve as life skills coordinators and case managers at River Jordan. River Jordan runs 100% off the power and motivation of volunteers. Social Work interns assist River Jordan enrollees in developing individualized transition plans, creating monthly goals, understanding their rights, finding education or employment opportunities, finding needed resources, and developing community connections.
Occupational Therapy interns from Saginaw Valley State University in the Master’s program serve as life skills coordinators at River Jordan. River Jordan runs 100% off the power and motivation of volunteers. Occupational Therapy interns assist River Jordan enrollees in developing individualized transition plans, creating monthly goals, understanding their rights, finding education or employment opportunities, and host life skill training sessions.