Beat the Streets Detroit

Board Members

Mark Churella Sr

Executive Director Mark Churella

Churella was raised in Farmington, Michigan. As a student at Farmington High School, he was selected as a High School All-American in wrestling in 1975 and won was a state champion three years. He has been inducted into the Farmington High School Sports Hall of Fame.  Churella attended the University of Michigan where he was a member of the Michigan Wolverines wrestling team from 1976 to 1979. As a wrestler at Michigan, Churella compiled a record of 132–13; his .910 winning percentage is the second highest in University of Michigan wrestling history. He won the NCAA national championship in 1977 and 1978 and as a senior in 1979.  His freshman year, he placed third in the tournament. Churella was selected four times as a collegiate wrestling All-American and was also named the most outstanding participant in the 1978 NCAA Division I wrestling championships. Churella also received the 1979 Big Ten Medal of Honor for proficiency in scholarship, athletics and community service. When he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1979, Churella was the school’s all-time record-holder in career wins, single-season wins and career falls.  Churella’s collegiate success foreshadowed his qualification for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but the US’ boycott of the event prevented the opportunity.  After graduating from Michigan, Churella served as the head wrestling coach at UNLV from 1979 to 1984. While holding that position, Churella established the Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational Tournament, later renamed the Cliff Keen Invitational. After UNLV discontinued its wrestling program, Churella returned to the University of Michigan as an assistant coach from 1985 to 1987. Churella later went into the insurance services business and became the president and CEO of FDI Group, in Novi, Michigan. Three of his sons, Mark, Jr., Ryan and Josh were wrestlers at the University of Michigan. Churella returned to the program as an assistant coach from 2007 to 2008.  Son Josh Churella joined the Michigan Wolverines wrestling coaching staff in 2012. Churella was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1996 and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999.[12][13] He was also a charter member of the Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame.[2] In 2012, he received the Bob Ufer Award for outstanding service to the University of Michigan Athletic Department.  Churella is married and has 3 sons and X grandchildren.

Mike Cox

Vice President Mike Cox

Cox graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1980. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1980 to 1983. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1986 and earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989. He worked for the Oakland County Prosecutors’ office from 1989 to 1990, then the Wayne County office from 1990 to 2002, before being elected Attorney General. Cox successfully ran for re-election in 2006, after receiving the Republican party nomination at the August Michigan Republican Party Convention. Cox left office in 2010 due to term limit. In 2011 he joined the Detroit law firm, Dykema Gosset and in 2012 Cox recently left Dykema Gosset to start The Mike Cox Law Firm. Mike is married and has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Both of his boys wrestled while attending Detroit Catholic Central and his eldest daughter and youngest son both have served their country in the Marine Corps and Navy respectively.
Mindy Herrmann

Board Member Mindy Herrmann

Mindy Herrmann serves as the Executive Director for Beat the Streets Detroit. She is a United States Naval Academy graduate where she rowed Varsity Crew for 4 years. After graduation, she served as an officer in the Marine Corps for 28 years and is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. Mindy and her husband Fred have 2 daughters; Annelie, a 2018 Harvard College graduate who is in her first year at the University of Michigan Medical School and Emma, who is a senior and a cross country team captain at Williams College. Mindy is a true believer in what wrestling can do for a child. “We can agree that all sports are good,” she says, “but nothing can develop grit, self-reliance, tenacity and a solid work ethic like the sport of wrestling.” Mindy relays that one of her biggest goals for the 2019-2020 season is to develop more partnerships throughout the community to better help kids achieve each individual’s full potential – not just from an athletic perspective but also academically and from a life-skills perspective as well. “We love wrestling, to be sure… but ultimately we love this sport for what it does for a kid after he or she steps off the mat.”

Secretary Mark Churella, Jr.

Churella was raised in Novi, MI and attended Novi High School where he was a 3-sport athlete (Soccer, Wrestling & Baseball). Churella attended the University of Michigan and was a member of the Wolverines wrestling team from 1998 – 2002. After graduating from Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, he joined the family insurance business of FDI Group in 2003. Churella has served in various roles within FDI Group and currently is the EVP/COO of George B. Ford Agency, Inc. and VP of FDI Group respectively. Churella is married with 2 children.
Michael E. Wagner

Board Member Michael E. Wagner

Michael E. Wagner is a lifelong resident of Michigan in Detroit. He currently serves as a judge for the 36th District Court in Michigan where he was appointed in 2011. Prior to that, Judge Wagner worked in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for nearly 2 decades. In addition to serving his community, Judge Wagner also served his country as a United States Marine, retiring in 2008 at the rank of Colonel. He received his law degree from Wayne State University Law School, his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and he is a proud graduate of Mumford High School. Wagner has spent a lifetime serving others and is especially committed to the local youth and making wrestling a mainstream sport in Detroit. Wagner says, “as both a judge and a kid who grew up in Detroit, I know firsthand the value of having access to sports in the city. I am committed to bringing wrestling to Detroit. Wrestling is a sport that does not present the economic hardship on family members as many of the more mainstream sports, but does provide the same character building blocks that come with challenge, commitment, perseverance, teamwork and accomplishment. Wrestling is safe, and this is a comprehensive program that targets and develops character, responsibility, self-esteem and other wonderful attributes. This program is intended to provide young people in Detroit and other less affluent communities with the same opportunities and access to this sport as the rest of Michigan and the country. Also, it is important to note that this sport does not discriminate against the girls and young ladies! Everyone can wrestle, irrespective of size and shape…and all are welcome!
Ryan Churella

Board Member Ryan Churella

Coming soon!

Beat the Streets Detroit

Program & Club Directors

Joe Russo

Director of Strategy and Development Joe Russo

Joseph Russo is an educator, coach, and nonprofit leader deeply committed to wrestling and community development. His journey in the sport began at Boys Town High School in Nebraska, where he discovered its profound impact beyond athletics, providing a transformative path during a challenging upbringing marked by parental addiction and periods of incarceration. As a teenager, Joseph’s own experiences led him to a group home, where wrestling became a beacon of stability and personal growth.

Joseph continued to pursue his passion for wrestling while earning a bachelor’s degree in business management at Peru State College, Peru, Nebraska. His coaching career blossomed during his college years, starting as a volunteer coach at HTRS High in Humboldt, Nebraska, and advancing to head coach, a role he held for three years. Guided by the mentorship of Rick DeRoiser, a Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach, Joseph further honed his coaching philosophy over seven seasons at Massebesic High School in North Waterboro, Maine.

In addition to coaching, Joseph has dedicated the past decade to educating and mentoring youth, serving as a 5th-grade teacher in Hamtramck, as a family teacher and program director in various group homes. His commitment to community service extends through Divine Child Wrestling (Dearborn, MI) and his founding of the System Afflicted Youth Independence Network (S.A.Y.I.N.), a non-profit that supports young people aging out of the juvenile residential and court systems.

Joseph’s upcoming role as Director of Strategy and Development at Beat the Streets Detroit is a culmination of his personal journey and professional expertise. It represents a heartfelt mission to empower Detroit’s youth through sports and education, drawing on his own experiences to inspire and guide others towards positive life choices. Joseph resides in Livonia with his wife Jennifer and their three children, Mason, Layla, and Michael, who continue to motivate his dedication to making a meaningful impact within their community.

Kerri Smith

Director of Operations Kerri Smith

Kerri has been with Beat the Streets Detroit since November of 2023.

Kerri understands how important it is to remove barriers for youth in Detroit, having served over a decade working in Detroit Schools.

As a lifelong learner and athlete; Kerri wants to provide life skills, as well as access and opportunity, to children in Detroit through the sport of wrestling.

Beat the Streets Detroit

High School & Club Coaches

Jennifer Berry

Jennifer Berry-Elliot – Parent Chaperone

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Dan Hiens, Romulus/Southeast Fire

Bio Coming Soon

Beat the Streets Detroit

Jeff Kelsey, Romulus/Southeast Fire

Bio Coming Soon

Support BTS Detroit.

Beat the Streets Detroit exists to positively affect the lives of Detroit area youth through the sport of wrestling. All of our comprehensive services are made possible through generous donations and partnerships with individuals, charitable foundations and companies who want to make a great impact within Detroit. By investing in Beat the Streets Detroit, you invest in the future of this great city. We are currently in several Detroit area neighborhoods supporting over 150 students.

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