Social Medium's Board

Andrea Smith-Knieper

Executive Director

Andrea is a passionate social worker who obtained her Bachelors of Social Work in 2000 from Western Michigan University.   She continued and earned her Masters of Social Work in 2001 from Wayne State University. 

In her 20+ years as a social worker, Andrea has worked and volunteered in many agencies.  As a Hospice Social Worker,  she specialized in grief, loss, and the importance of creating meaningful memories and relationships.  As a Clinical Social Worker, she provided therapy to individuals with co-occurring severe mental illness and severe substance abuse; specializing in MI, CBT and DBT.

Many experiences both professionally and personally led to founding Social Medium.  Social Medium is a reflection of Andrea’s deep belief in the healing power of support, art and community. With her background in both art and talk therapy, she knows the profound impact these tools can have on well-being. She believes that through creativity, support and community, we can make a lasting impact in addressing the mental health needs of today’s young people. 

Dan Knieper

President

Dan is an automotive engineering executive with over 20 years of experience.  As a Michigan Tech grad with an Electrical Engineering Bachelor's degree, he started at Continental Automotive in 2000.  Throughout his career there, he gained increasing responsibility including leading international and multi-disciplinary teams, even spending 2 years in  Germany. 

Dan's career called for a change in 2020, when a startup electric transmission company, Sigma Powertrain, lured him in.  Since then, he has been leading the Software and Controls organization for Sigma.

Through a wonderful twist of fate over 12 years ago, he met Andrea, and fell in love with her kind heart. Together, we are so proud of our 3 grown kids. It is my pleasure to work behind the scenes at Social Medium to do my best to keep the mission moving forward!

Wendy Brender

Treasurer

Wendy’s life-long passion for art began when she was a little girl and first started designing and creating her own clothes and jewelry. She has a gift for helping other people shine their brightest and positively influences the vibration in any room.  Wendy worked in fashion and publishing for over a decade, most of which was in Manhattan with Polo Ralph Lauren communicating the lifestyle of a brand while maintaining a budget. She’s gone through many life transitions and knows firsthand how art, community involvement and hard work can be transformational.  Wendy has a Bachelor's degree in Advertising with an emphasis on Fashion and Art. The role Wendy is most proud of is that of being a mother to a little boy — you can often find this dynamic duo seeking out beauty on their daily walks, taking in the newest exhibit at a museum, tasting seasonal treats, cheering on the sidelines of sporting events or traveling to explore new destinations at home and abroad. 

Hillary Nusbaum

Secretary

Hillary has been a Co-Responder Clinician with Oakland Community Health Network since 2021, and is currently working with four Law Enforcement agencies: Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp, and the City of Rochester. She is the first of four Co-Responders in Oakland County, and enjoys being part of the Crisis Outreach Team. She is trained for Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), and completed the FBI's 40-hour regional Crisis Negotiation Training. She previously acquired her Masters in Social Work from Wayne State University in 2010. She has been in private-practice for 13 years, working with individuals that are impacted by Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, and/or other behavioral difficulties. She has also worked as a School Social Worker for 11 years, 7 of which were working specifically with children in a basic classroom setting, who meet the criteria for an emotional impairment within the Special Education program. I am thrilled to be a part of the Board for Social Medium!