JULIE HAY, MANAGING PARTNER

At her core, Julie Hay is a creative. She is emboldened by challenge, novelty, and the idiosyncrasies of people and place. Julie brings fifteen years of cross-sector experience in project development, policy, advocacy, and education to her managing partner role where she oversees communication, research, grant writing, and strategy.

Julie has written, reported on, and managed millions of dollars in state and federal grants for businesses, municipalities, and agencies. Her technical expertise extends into the municipal realm, where she helps clients navigate zoning, tax abatements, land use issues, and funding opportunities.

Julie earned her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Michigan, where she developed her writing voice and love for civic engagement. She is a champion of green spaces, blue spaces, and the brownfields in between. Decades of domestic and international travel have informed her appreciation for the amenities and environments that allow people, plants, and animals to thrive. She always welcomes an opportunity to brainstorm solutions, talk strategy, or ponder the meaning of life; unless, of course, she’s on deadline.

KELLI KABERLE-MENGEBIER, MANAGING PARTNER

Kelli Kaberle-Mengebier loves community, connectivity, and seeing the best in people and situations.  At HKM, Kelli leads fundraising, board development, and legislative advocacy efforts. Though Traverse City is her favorite town, she is equally comfortable with the hurried pace of Lansing and Washington D.C., where she serves as a conduit between clients and legislative funding opportunities.

As managing partner, Kelli draws upon varied professional experiences that have allowed her to refine her innate communication skills and deepen her understanding of the important axiom between audience and message. Her resume highlights include a decade-plus tenure at the American Cancer Society, where she served as the senior director of community development for New York and New Jersey, a dynamic role as an MTV casting director, and more recently, a return to her philanthropic roots as a major gifts officer at Munson Healthcare Foundations.  

When she’s not skillfully matching resources to projects, Kelli, a proud alumna of Michigan State University, is likely serving on a nonprofit board or conversing with innovative thinkers who, like her, want to leave this world better than they found it. 

ARIC ARMBRUSTER, Senior Associate

Aric Armbruster joined HKM in 2022 when he artfully integrated his project management, communications, and systems design knowledge into HKM’s dynamic world of community consulting. With a B.S. in mechanical engineering and an M.B.A. from Wayne State University, Aric brings fifteen years of private sector experience to his role as senior associate, where he oversees project management and supports fund development and strategy efforts.

Merging the creative with the concrete is a hallmark of Aric’s approach, and clients appreciate the coherent framework he brings to complex projects. His calm curiosity guides him to identify relationships, patterns, and constraints across settings. Aric finds personal fulfillment in building relationships with clients and communities and being a part of something bigger than himself.

In between volunteering with youth athletics and non-profit boards, he enjoys outdoor sports of all seasons and following his wife and two boys on adventures into the woods and the waves.