Our Staff
Khalilah Burt Gaston
President & Executive Director
Khalilah Burt Gaston is the founding Executive Director of the Song Foundation, shepherding its efforts to invest in ideas, people, and organizations that amplify equity, power, prosperity, and joy in Southeast Michigan. A trained urban planner and passionate advocate for equitable communities, her work has been featured in Dwell Magazine, The New York Times, Chicago Public Radio, and the Harvard Family Research Project. Khalilah has held a variety of other positions in the private and private sectors. These include her prior role as Program Officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where she was the foundation’s lead architect of Hope Starts Here: Detroit’s Early Childhood Partnership and managed a grant portfolio of $500 million. She received a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and Communication and a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Lee Pennington
Senior Program Manager
Lee is a people-first innovator and team builder who is inspired by leaders challenging the status quo of individualistic work practices in favor of collective care. Their past experience includes supporting the launch and expansion of first-time business owners in consulting, contracting, and hospitality by providing project management, administrative, social media, and event-planning support. Prior to the Foundation, they were Senior Project Manager at Glidepath Strategies, a boutique consulting firm specializing in nonprofit management. Lee also has an extensive background in care work, both in educational facilities and private homes. They graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.
Lamar Weir
Program Officer
Born and raised in Detroit, Lamar Weir is a dedicated professional with a diverse education, policy, and workforce development background. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Education from American University. With experience across nonprofits, government agencies, and school districts in Michigan, North Carolina, and Florida, Lamar has developed expertise in various sectors. His career includes roles at the Song Family Office, Detroit Public Schools Community District, US House of Representatives, the Yunion, and Teach for America. Lamar’s commitment to the intersection of education, policy, and community drives his work at the Song Foundation, where he contributes to transformational change in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.Outside the office, Lamar enjoys visiting local libraries and playing tennis, balancing his professional pursuits with personal interests.
Our Board
C’Ardiss Gardner Gleser
Board of Directors
C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser is an advocate for social impact and racial justice work. CC began her career in the tech sector, later transitioning to non-profit work to better fulfill her purpose and passion. CC moved from working in nonprofits to the funding side to increase her impact and is now entrenched in the philanthropic sector. CC was the first Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at Satterberg Foundation, whose mission focuses on promoting a just society and sustainable environment. In 2021, CC left Satterberg Foundation and founded Black Ivy Collective, which provides consulting and advising services in the philanthropic sector, as well as provides healing spaces for Black artists, scholars, and social justice advocates in community. She is currently a fellow with Compton Foundation and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. CC currently serves on the boards of Andrus Family Fund, Charlotte Martin Foundation, EPIP (Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy), and Grist Media.
Omari Rush
Board of Directors
Omari Rush engages the arts as a passion and profession, and in each mode, he enjoys discovery and deepening impacts. As executive director of CultureSource in Detroit, he advances efforts to have creative expression thrive in communities. His complementary civic service ranges from recently completing an appointment to the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (serving three governors, two as their council chair) and a term as chair of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, to currently working as a board member of SeaChange Capital Partners, the Song Foundation, and the Ann Arbor Treeline Conservancy. Omari earned degrees in music from the University of Michigan and Florida State University, and though a lapsed clarinetist, he now primarily plays on a Rivendell Clem-L bicycle, which he rides daily.
Linh Song
Board of Directors
Linh has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, supporting child advocacy, public schools, anti-trafficking within international adoption, and tech startups. Born and raised in the Midwest by Vietnamese refugee parents, she is her family’s firstborn American and committed to addressing social, racial, and economic inequities. She serves on Ann Arbor’s City Council, as co-chair for Michigan Reproductive Rights for All, and as a board member for Jewish Family Services Ann Arbor, Michigan Municipal League Foundation, and the Skillman Foundation. Linh holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Dug Song
Board of Directors
Dug is a champion for growing community wealth—economic, social, cultural, and environmental—to build a more just and inclusive future for all. He is cofounder of the Michigan Founders Fund, and serves on the boards of the Detroit Regional Chamber, the National Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Wallace House for Journalists, and the advisory board of Venture for America in Detroit Previously, Dug cofounded Duo Security in 2010, leading the company to acquisition by Cisco in 2018.