Colleen McLellan

Executive Director, Heidelberg Project

Colleen is a lifelong believer in community-building programs. With roots in the performing arts, she has helped establish a local radio station in New Orleans; shaped volunteer opportunities in primary care around the US; and secured record volunteer and voter turnout for Michigan institutions. As a fundraiser for mission-driven work, she has served organizations like the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Wayne County Court Appointed Special Advocates, E. Warren Development Corporation, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Colleen was a member of the Michigan Arts and Culture Council’s Rising Leaders cohort in 2023–2024, and a member of Change Collective’s 2025 Detroit cohort. She studied Dance and English at Kenyon College and continues to teach around the metro area. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of New Orleans. She lives in Detroit’s beautiful East English Village and in her visual art practice, tends toward stained glass, painting, and her kids’ crayons.