Leadership
Board of Directors
The HPEH board provides oversight, direction, and accountability as the organization serves neighbors facing hardship.
Governance
Guiding HPEH with experience and care
Tonya Dykes
Founder & CEO
tonya.dykes@1hpeh.orgTonya Dykes, the chairperson of HPEH, received her MBA from Keller Graduate. She has been a staple in her local community by providing hot home-cooked meals, non-perishables, clothing, school supplies, and toy drives to underprivileged communities in Detroit since 2010. For the past four years, the organization's Thanksgiving dinner drive has served the houseless and seniors living in low-income buildings in Detroit and Highland Park, exceeding 400 individuals each year. In 2021, Tonya organized a drive and delivered over 600 pounds of meat, fans, gasoline-filled containers, canned goods, sanitizer, masks, gift cards, laundry detergent, clothing, and many other items to those affected by Hurricane Ida in Hammond, Louisiana, the founders' hometown.
Keviyan Richardson
President
keviyan.richardson@1hpeh.orgKeviyan Richardson is a Detroit-based community advocate, urban development professional, skateboarder, and creative community builder dedicated to creating stronger, more connected neighborhoods through community-driven development, arts, recreation, and youth engagement. A lifelong Detroiter, Richardson developed a passion for skateboarding at a young age and has used the sport as both a creative outlet and a vehicle for community connection. His work extends beyond skateboarding into urban planning and neighborhood development, with a particular focus on creating spaces that reflect the needs, culture, and aspirations of the communities they serve. Richardson studied Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he developed a deeper understanding of the relationship between people, place, and the built environment. He has applied that knowledge through hands-on community work, including his involvement with the Oakland Avenue Artists Coalition and the American Riad project in Detroit's North End. As a community placemaking coordinator, he helped organize residents, volunteers, and partners around a project designed to transform an underutilized neighborhood site into a space for arts, culture, gathering, and community ownership. Richardson has also played an important role in the development of the Chandler Park Skatepark. As a local advocate and experienced skateboarder, he provided community insight throughout the skatepark's design process, helping ensure that the space would serve both experienced skaters and people learning the sport. Following the park's development, he continued contributing to the community by teaching skating and introducing new participants to skateboarding. His community involvement includes work in urban agriculture, youth programming, neighborhood improvement, arts and culture, and recreational programming. He has also served as a community resident advisor with the Chandler Park Conservancy and was selected as a member of CultureSource's 2025 cohort representing the Oakland Avenue Artists Coalition. At the center of Richardson's work is a simple philosophy: communities should have an active role in shaping the places they call home. Whether through neighborhood development, skateboarding, arts and culture, or youth engagement, he seeks to create opportunities that strengthen community connections and give residents greater ownership over their future. Richardson's work reflects a commitment to Detroit and to a broader vision of community development—one in which residents are not simply recipients of development, but active participants in designing, building, and sustaining the places where they live.
Chantilly Wells
Vice President & Finance Manager
chantilly.wells@1hpeh.orgChantilly Wells received her MBA with distinction in Non-Profit Business Management from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan. She has worked as a registered Behavioral Technician with extensive experience supporting people living with autism under the age of 21, and with seniors battling dementia and Alzheimer's. Her roles have included providing meals and housekeeping services to families within the metro Detroit community as a caregiver, ensuring all activities of daily living were met with care and safety.
Della Reese James
Volunteer & Donation Coordinator
della.james@1hpeh.orgDella Reese James volunteered with HPEH for three years before becoming a board member. She has over 20 years of serving those in need, from leading clothing drives to providing lunches. Della currently also works at a nonprofit mission organization that shares the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached. She finds it humbling to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ by serving others.