Our Team
Monica Liggins-Abrams, MPA, MA
(She/Her/Hers)
Founder & Lead Consultant
Ms. Liggins-Abrams is the founder and lead consultant of Liggins Abrams Consulting (LAC), a firm specializing in strategic consulting and change management. Ms. Liggins-Abrams is an educator, scholar, and practitioner with nearly fifteen years of experience spanning a variety of leadership roles in various sectors (K-12; higher education; education technology; and industry) with expertise in a wide variety of functional areas (Grant management; Operations; Sales; Student success and retention; Diversity, equity & inclusion; Accreditation; Strategic Planning; Evaluation). Throughout her professional career, she served in highly-visible organizational roles and provided advisement in a multitude of areas to senior leaders and C-Suite Executives. Learn more about Monica and her education and expertise.
Adriana Cardoso Reyes, MSW
(She/Her/Ella)
Consultant
Ms. Cardoso Reyes has focused her educational and professional experiences on improving the Latinx community experiences in Southwest Michigan driven by her lived and professional experiences. As a first-generation college student from Guanajuato, Mexico, she is passionate about increasing educational and leadership outcomes for the Latinx community. She is an experienced bilingual, bicultural leader with a strong record of success in leadership positions in higher education and in community organizations.
In addition to her work to uplift the Latinx community, she brings deep expertise in strategic planning and accreditation. Ms. Cardoso Reyes currently serves as the associate director of institutional accreditation and planning at Western Michigan University (WMU). She also serves as a volunteer peer reviewer with the Higher Learning Commission. Adriana has deep expertise in leading the development of strategic planning processes at large, complex organizations, as well as assisting in the facilitation of strategic planning sessions. In her work, she centers equity and has a keen ability to align strategic direction with measurable actions, which draws on her experience not only in accreditation but grant management. Her professional, lived experiences and education position her to be a great asset to organizations of all sizes in their strategic planning efforts.
Adriana holds a master's degree in social work from WMU and is currently pursuing a Ph.D.in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University.
Dr. Erika Carr
(She/Her/Hers)
Consultant & Proposal Writer
Dr. Erika Carr serves as the Director of the Office of Pre-College Programming at WMU. Dr. Carr, a first-generation college graduate, has over 20 years of pre-college outreach and college access experience and teaches courses in WMU's Higher Education Student Affairs program on Women in Higher Education, First-Generation College Students, and College Student Development. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and an M.A. in Counseling in Higher Education, both from WMU. Since 2001, Dr. Carr has worked with first-generation and low-income students to increase their access to higher education through federally funded McNair, Upward Bound, and GEAR UP TRIO programs. She has directly supervised the State’s MI GEAR UP Program (formerly the King, Chavez, Parks College Day) and WMU Upward Bound programs since 2006 and has successfully renewed funding for both projects. Additionally, Dr. Carr contributed a chapter to the Pre-College Programming in Higher Education (Sheth & Tremblay, 2019). Her chapter, Importance of Research in Higher Education, highlights the need for pre-college programs to document which interventions and services impact change.
Ruth Ann Buntin, MBA
(She/Her/Hers)
Nonprofit Strategist & AI Consultant
Ruth Ann Buntin, MBA
(She/Her/Hers)
Nonprofit Strategist and AI Consultant
Hailing from the vibrant culture of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Ruth Ann Buntin exemplifies a steadfast commitment to empowering communities and driving meaningful change. As a first-generation college graduate, her journey has been defined by a belief in the transformative power of human ingenuity and collaboration. Through her work in the nonprofit sector across the U.S. and eighteen emerging economy countries, Ruth Ann has championed Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), focusing on the gifted natural talents, ingenuity, and resourcefulness inherent in every community.
With extensive experience in operations management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement, Ruth Ann has consistently guided teams through complex challenges—multifaceted issues requiring innovative thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and adaptability to navigate interconnected systems and competing priorities effectively. She fosters collaboration across diverse stakeholders, aligning their efforts to achieve shared goals and deliver meaningful outcomes. Currently, as a Healthcare Operations Manager at the University of Michigan Health Services, Ruth Ann applies these principles to improve organizational efficiency and address pressing challenges with innovative solutions.
Beyond her professional roles, Ruth Ann’s passion extends to mentoring youth refugees and inspiring them to realize their potential. Her work reflects her unwavering belief in the power of human creativity and resourcefulness to drive sustainable progress.
Ruth Ann’s vision also includes the strategic integration of artificial intelligence into healthcare delivery, enhancing the ability to tailor solutions to meet the unique needs of communities worldwide. Holding an MBA with a focus in Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Change Management from Western Michigan University, she bridges the gap between academic insights and real-world challenges.
With a dynamic and collaborative approach, Ruth Ann partners with organizations to build solutions that honor the strengths of individuals and communities, driving lasting and measurable impact.