UDM board adds members, elects new leadership

University of Detroit Mercy has named two new members to its Board of Trustees and named a new chair and vice chair. 

The new trustees are Christopher Kouza ’02, chairman and founder of Koucar and Kouza Capital, and creative brand consultant Marlena Peleo-Lazar ’72. Both were approved at the Board’s June meeting and they began their service at the October meeting. 

Also at the October meeting, former Ford Motor Company vice president James Holland ’89 began his service as chair of the Board and president and owner of Hamilton, Anderson Associates, Rainy Hamilton Jr. ’78, began his service as the vice chair. 

“University of Detroit Mercy is thrilled to add Chris and Marlena to the board. They bring with them a wealth of experience and ideas that will help move the University forward,” said University President Donald B. Taylor. “Jim and Rainy have already made important contributions to the University through their work on the board, and we look forward to their leadership.” 

Kouza, who graduated from Detroit Mercy Law, is a licensed attorney and businessman. After several years handling litigation for privately held business and banking institutions, he was hired as director of managed assets and first vice president at Peoples State Bank. In 2010, he stopped practicing law for third-party clients and embarked on the path to becoming an independent entrepreneur, purchasing real estate assets for development and distressed businesses in the hopes of setting them up for long-term success, mergers and acquisitions of military defense tech companies.  

Paleo-Lazar received degrees in Media Studies and English before embarking on a career in advertising, where she had a long, storied career. She rose in the creative ranks to become senior vice president, global creative director on such brands as Kellogg’s, Procter & Gamble, Starkist, Sears and more. Most notably, Paleo-Lazar was the chief creative officer for the McDonald’s Corporation where she was responsible for developing and implementing the company’s most successful campaign— “I’m lovin’ it.” Today she acts as a brand and creative advertising consultant with institutions across the country. 

Holland has served on the Board for 10 years. During his 35-year career with Ford, he held positions of increasing responsibility across the world and at home, retiring as vice president, Vehicle Component and Systems Engineering. 

Hamilton established his own Detroit-based architectural firm in 1994. Since that time, Hamilton Anderson Associates has designed major commercial projects including, hospitality, higher education, multifamily residential and community-based projects in Michigan, Nevado and Georgia. His mission is to contribute to the positive evolution of urban environments. He has been with UDM’s Board of Trustees since 2023. 

Detroit Mercy’s 27-member Board of Trustees is responsible for the University’s overall governance, including strategic planning, financial oversight and hiring the president.