Team Players

John F. Kelly has 35 years of concurrent experience in higher education, civil government and the military. He received a Fulbright Fellowship in 2001 to teach and conduct research on comparative federalism at the University of Windsor in Canada. He currently holds the rank of Visiting Associate Professor of Political Science at Windsor. He served as a member of the Board of Governors of Wayne State University in Detroit from 1998 to 2002. Dr. Kelly is creating several initiatives to encourage economic development by optimizing the advantages of globalization through higher education and government entrepreneurship.

Professor Kelly holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Wayne State University. Dr.Kelly has a Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University and is a diplomate in military law from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General School at the University of Virginia. He completed graduate studies at the Walsh School of Foreign Policy at Georgetown University. His BA is from the University of Michigan with Honors. He is also a practicing attorney as a principal in the firm of Schwartz Kelly & Oltarz-Schwartz. Dr. Kelly served as a Special Attorney General in Michigan from 1995 to 1999. He is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and the Michigan Supreme Court and all lesser Federal and State bars as well as the US Court of Military Appeals.

John was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1978 from Detroit and Eastern Wayne County. He was elected to four, four-year consecutive terms in the Senate. In 1994 he stood for election to the U.S. Senate requiring he retire from the State Senate. He has served from 2002 on the Michigan Film Advisory Board as the elected Vice-Chair under three previous appointive chairmen.

Suzanne has shown a tremendous talent for marketing in the film industry, having vaulted the local "InZer0" SciFi series into a well-respected example of Detroit filmmaking, indie style!  As publicist for ThoughtCollide, her guidance and leadership helped to bring hundreds each month to screenings of our local indie film directors.  The response these films and the crowds Suzanne has helped to grow, helps to set the stage for the development of a strong film industry.

Suzanne works in Marketing and Advertising at Crain's Publishing and has a vast knowledge of Detroit resources in the film and other creative industries.  Her enthusiasm and experience are incredible assets to the DWIFF team.

"Just Super!"

Shane Sevo has lived in the metro Detroit area since ‘87. Shane graduated from Belleville High in ‘96 and pursued a bachelors in mechanical engineering at Cedarville University of Cedarville Ohio.  Shane soon found that his career aspirations were more in line with his IT internship and personal exploration of the convergence between the creative arts and technology through 3D rendering and animation.

Shane launched Wade Trim's multimedia services group and in 2006, Shane was featured in USA today as one of the “New Faces of Engineering” by National Engineers Week.

Shane is the Director of the Superhouse Media Group and Superhouse Film, a local film collective that competes nationally in film competitions-- and usually ends up winning something, too!  Shane also is a Manager of the DWIFF Film Challenge, a popular part of the festival.  Last year's challenge was a big success, with a sold out crowd attending the screening of the final film entries!  It's great to have Shane on our team.