Meet the Staff

Sommer Dawson, Executive Director

sdawson@accentpontiac.org

Sommer K. Dawson (Brock) is a dedicated servant leader with a passion for improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups. She has worked to fulfill this desire by serving in various fundraising capacities at several nonprofit organizations in southeast Michigan and by providing consulting services. Currently, Sommer serves as Executive Director at Accent Pontiac. 

Mrs. Dawson has just completed a term as Immediate-Past-President of the Greater Detroit Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals where she has served in various roles including chair of the National Philanthropy Day committee and vice-chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) committee. In addition, Sommer is a member of the Community-centric Fundraising (CCF) Global Council, a past board member for Identify Your Dream Foundation, Pontiac Community Foundation, and The Art Experience. A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Sommer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Oakland University.

Sommer is the founder of No Nonsense Fundraising, LLC which helps to expand the reach and impact of small nonprofits, she is a graduate of Leadership Oakland XXVII (27) and a member of Oakland County Elite 40 under 40 class of 2018. She enjoys spending time with her children, Jacoya, age 24 and Trent Jr., age 11; and traveling with her husband, Trent, Sr.

Sommer has presented fundraising workshops for countless nonprofit organizations and for groups as large as 50. Satisfied workshop clients include Co.act Detroit, Pontiac Funders Collaborative, Micah 6 Community, and Leadership Oakland. Additionally, Sommer has presented for The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Global Conference, AFP ICON in 2021 and 2022.

Dr. Tia Harvey, Education Director

tharvey@accentpontiac.org

Dr. Tia Harvey is the Education Director at Accent Pontiac and has been in this role since February 2023. Previously, Tia was the Program Director and founding bucket band teacher at Accent Pontiac.  As a percussionist, she is building a career as a chamber musician, music educator and music activist. Tia is passionate about making music in non-traditional venues and commissioning new works as a creative with her musical colleague and flautist, Dr. Chelsea Koziatek, in their ensemble Consuming Arts. In music education, she practices increasing the agency of music creation for empowering students, specifically focusing on racial and gender based inequities in music and society.

In addition to Accent Pontiac, Tia is a percussion instructor at the MSU Community Music School, Detroit. She holds degrees (M.A., M.M., D.M.A.) from Michigan State University and the University of Central Florida (B.M.). Tia currently resides in Pontiac, Michigan, with her husband, Erik, and cat, Ezra.

Darcy Miller, Director of Development and Communications

dmiller@accentpontiac.org

Darcy Miller is the Director of Development and Communications at Accent Pontiac and began this role in April 2022.

Darcy started out in marketing where she mastered the basics of market research, acquisition, and customer service. As a copywriter and media relations manager at Durr, Inc. (Plymouth, MI and Warwick, England), she honed her skills in communications and media relations, helping to develop and expand the company’s brand throughout Europe and the United States.

At Donor Services Group (Los Angeles, CA), she started out in the trenches as a fundraiser and moved on to donor relations. Later she taught cultivation and advocacy, and assessed, analyzed, and advised on clients’ messaging and campaign performance. Clients included the NRDC, Habitat for Humanity, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the Human Rights Campaign, and the DNC, among others.

She then founded Via Strategic to work closely with both domestic and international organizations, specializing in ground-up fundraising strategies, extensive donor relations plans, and meaningful brand messaging, while volunteering Via Strategic's services to small nonprofits. At Michigan State University, she studied political philosophy at James Madison College and later studied behavioral economics and human-centered design, specializing in creating powerful narratives. In 2014, she received a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from SUNY-Purchase. She is a long-time photographer and loves to travel.

Ebony Simms, Program Assistant

Ebony Simms is the Program Assistant at Accent Pontiac and began this role in September 2018. Ebony is a para-professional at Pontiac Middle School and has been employed by the Pontiac School District for 22 years. She is a proud parent of 3. Her daughter, De’Onnie, was an original member of Accent Pontiac, joining the program in September 2016. Ebony began her journey with Accent Pontiac as a parent, transitioned into a parent volunteer, and is now proud to call herself an employee with the Accent Pontiac family. She greatly looks forward to new beginnings of working with students, parents, and volunteers.

Norbert Burrows Jr., Program Assistant

With a passion for creative expression and community empowerment, Norbert Burrows Jr. brings energy and dedication to my role. Outside the office, he expresses his creativity through music production, writing and videography. He is driven by a vision to establish a foundation supporting young men from underprivileged backgrounds, providing them with opportunities for growth and success.

Rolando Ybarra, Music Production and Percussion Teacher

Rolando Ybarra is the Music Production Teacher and Percussion Teacher with Accent Pontiac. Rolando is a graduate of Flashpoint College where he studied audio engineering with a focus on music recording. He started out playing the drum-kit when he was 9 and has been playing music ever since. Currently he is the percussionist playing cajon in his Pontiac based Mariachi-Punk band, Pancho Villa’s Skull. In his band Rolando has spent time touring and playing the cajon, amongst other percussive instruments, all over the U.S. He also records, mixes and masters all of their releases. Outside of percussion, recording and touring, he likes to sing and dance cumbias with his mom, is a dog lover, Pit Bull advocate, and active member of the Pontiac community.

Sarah Cracknell, Lead Brass Teacher

Chase Meister, Lead Woodwind Teacher

Clark Floer, Percussion Teacher

Clark is a musician and a native of Pontiac helping percussionists and performers. Recently he has worked with local area front ensembles in award winning drum lines. Sharing his knowledge from percussion performance ensembles, he specializes in mallet percussion. Clark is excited to join Accent Pontiac as program assistant and assistant percussion instructor.

Rupert Tyler, Woodwind Assistant Teaching Artist

Jaylen Gill, Brass Assistant Teaching Artist

Jaylen Gill, current music teacher at Pontiac, Academy for Excellence for the 2024-2025 school year. With a Bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Arts Technology and double minor in Africana Studies and General Business from Western Michigan University.

Zachary Merkle, Woodwind Assistant Teaching Artist

Zachary is a senior at Oakland University studying Flute Performance with a minor in music theory. He is one of the Assistant Woodwind Teachers at Accent Pontiac and a flute teacher in the Southeast Michigan area. Zachary loves to play the flute and has performed with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, Macomb Symphony Orchestra, in addition to playing for events such as churches, musicals, and operas.

Raashan Giles, School Liaison

Through our partnership with the Pontiac School District, Raashan Giles serves as Accent Pontiac’s School Liaison and has been in this role since September 2022. He served as a Police Officer for over 18 years before coming to Pontiac Schools, with over 10 years dedicated to working with urban youth in Detroit Public Schools. Specializing in gang intervention, he successfully negotiated peace treaties between several rival neighborhoods resulting in a decrease of violence in both schools and the community. In addition, having worked closely with school administrators throughout the district, he, along with his unit, conducted regular peace initiative assemblies addressing the causes and consequences of violence in the community and introduced alternative methods to address conflict peacefully.

Raashan is a native of Detroit, having attended both primary and secondary school there before attending Saginaw Valley State University where he received a bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology and Sport Management.

His hobbies include spending time with his children, coaching and training kids, and playing sports.

Deja Rubio, Student Teaching Assistant

Malcom Shirley, Student Teaching Assistant

Malcolm Shirley is a 15 year old who now lives in Pontiac but is originally from Detroit, MI. He plays the trumpet. He has his ups and downs, but he loves his instrument and is very competitive and confident. Although he gets ahead of himself, he can recognize others' talent and is helpful to others when he is needed. Currently in his freshman year at Pontiac High School, Malcom has been in Accent Pontiac for 6 years. He’s a leader at AP, someone people can look up to and admire. As a student teacher he will do whatever he can to help and make sure people are satisfied. He’s been to many places like a jazz camp and to different cities with his music. Due to those “adventures,” and meeting new people, he is a better person and more reliable. Throughout the time he spent with new people and in new environments, he’s becoming a better Malcom than he was before.

Board of Directors