A Beautiful Me's
founder, Karen Palka,
is a mother of three children,
one son and two daughters. In 1991 she formed a graphic design studio, Carousel Creations, only two days before her eldest child was born.

Throughout her journey, she began to realize her own self-worth in her early 40's. As she watched her own daughters and their friends grow, Karen had an overwhelming feeling laid on her heart that her community was in need of knowledge toward self-esteem and independence. In January of 2008, research began to find a self-esteem, mentoring organization that currently existed, but none of them met the criteria that was laid on her heart.

On April 24, 2008 Articles of Incorporation were filed for A Beautiful Me. Days later, Karen attended a non-profit seminar in Lansing, Michigan as she dove directly into the world of 'Not for Profit.' Over the summer of 2008, many friends, business owners and acquaintances were asked questions and gave input as the direction of A Beautiful Me metamorphosized.

On September 1, 2008, during the Michigan Peach Festival, the ground breaking efforts for A Beautiful Me were announced as many young ladies and women marched in the Floral Parade.

On March 5, 2010, A Beautiful Me received notification of tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS.

Board of Directors

MELISSA BRANDT, Trustee
Melissa is a full-time student in the nursing program at Oakland University, with a graduation date of 2012. She also is a part-time nurse extern at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland.

Melissa has been involved in children’s ministry at Community Christian Church in Sterling Heights and attends Woodside Bible Church in Troy.

One of the many ways Melissa volunteers is as a mentor for A Beautiful Me.

JANET REILLY GOLOCHOWICZ, Secretary
Janet has 30 years’ experience in business. She started her career working for a private business as a billing clerk to an accounting manager and finished her tenure there as operations manager. Janet now is an independent distributor of SendOut Cards and works part-time as a travel agent. She graduated from Oakland University with a degree focused on training, development, business administration, labor and employment.

Janet is a member of the Greater Romeo-Washington Chamber of Commerce; she has served as an ambassador and as the communications officer of a Chamber networking group for the past year. She will be the group’s chairperson in 2010. She is also a member of Local Business Network (LBN) and has served as the chapter secretary for more than a year.

Janet has supported A Beautiful Me as a mentor, starting with the initial workshop in 2009, followed by subsequent workshops.

JESSICA HABICHT, Treasurer
Jessica is a finance professional with a BA in finance from the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University and an MBA in finance from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. She has worked at Ford Motor Company, Eli Lilly, and Delphi Corporation.  She lives in Washington, MI with her husband and three sons.  In 2009, she made the choice to stay at home full-time to raise her three young boys.

Jessica first became involved with A Beautiful Me when she attended a workshop at the Romeo District Library in the fall of 2009. She observed the positive impact that the workshop had on the girls in attendance. In 2010, she became a mentor and participated in the workshop held at Welcome to Our House in Washington, MI. She strongly believes in the vision and mission of A Beautiful Me and is proud to be a part of the organization.

DEBBIE MAJCHRZAK, Vice-President
Debbie has owned and operated Sterling Printing & Graphics in Sterling Heights for more than 20 years.

Debbie is very active in her community of Romeo. She has served as a board member of the Greater Romeo-Washington Chamber of Commerce for more than eight years and also is a member of the Romeo Goodfellows. She has served as the Chairperson for the Romeo Area Relay for Life and continues to be active with her support toward that cause. She also is an active supporter of Families Exploring Down Syndrome, Jamie’s Smile and “Metro Parent” magazine. 

Debbie’s strong belief in community support for young women is a driving force behind her support as a mentor for A Beautiful Me.

KAREN PALKA, President / Chairperson
Karen received a degree in commercial art and worked for several advertising companies. Her artistic flair led her to open her own business, Carousel Creations — she has been the creative director and sole proprietor since 1991. Her most recent large-scaled project was co-executive director of the “Blue Water Film Festival” in Port Huron from 2009-2011.

Karen understands the value of giving back, and volunteerism has been a great passion in her life. She currently serves as a board member of the Greater Romeo-Washington Chamber of Commerce, as member of the Northwest Macomb Prevention Coalition (NWMPC), a founding member of the Toastmasters' Confident Communicators Club and past president, and is currently attending Leadership Macomb XV. Karen has served as co-chair of the Romeo High School Beautification Project, as a president of the Washington Elementary School PTO, and as a member of the Romeo Skatepark Committee.

Karen has been involved in children’s ministry for over 14 years and attends Stoney Creek Community Church in Washington.

Karen’s passion is now focused on A Beautiful Me. She is excited about the program’s potential and the positive direction it can lead young women toward confidence and empowerment.