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Name
Steven Meyer
Education / Experience
I was first elected to the Utica Community Schools Board of Education in 2020 and elected by my colleagues to serve as treasurer in 2025. My wife and I are both UCS graduates, and we are proud to have three sons in the district. I also serve as an ex officio member of the Utica Schools Foundation for Educational Excellence and am a Century Club member. From 2019–2022, I served as board chair of the New Day Foundation for Families, supporting families facing the financial challenges of cancer. I have worked at Oakland University for 20 years and currently serve as Assistant Dean for the School of Education and Human Services. I earned my Ph.D. in Education in 2016 and received the 2025 OU Staff Community Engagement Award.
Phone
248-343-5141
My roots run deep in Utica Community Schools. My wife and I are graduates of the district who returned to this community to raise our family. I want all students to have even more opportunities than we had and be empowered to change their future and world.
When I first ran in 2020, I had one consistent campaign message. After years of watching the district move backward, I believed we needed to hire a superintendent who could move the district forward through a community engaged strategic plan. In 2021, we hired, and I supported, a superintendent with decades of experience in this district and community. Someone who could lead us forward. In 2023, the superintendent presented, and the Board unanimously approved, the UCS Empowered Strategic Plan.
I did exactly what I said I would do. If you look around it's easy to see the district now has direction and moving forward. Yet, there is more work to do, and I believe I have earned the community's trust to keep going.
My priorities are expanding opportunities for student achievement, ensuring fiscal responsibility and accountability, and continuing to implement the UCS Empowered Strategic plan.
I am proud that UCS achievement levels exceed regional, state, and national averages, while our focus remains on the success of every student. As Board Treasurer, I have worked to ensure that a strong percentage of our budget reaches the classroom. Our audits demonstrate strong financial controls, and UCS has earned national recognition for financial transparency.
Our strategic plan reflects extensive input from staff and our community, establishing clear goals to support student success through cultures of empowerment, caring, and transformation.
Safety must remain a priority for our school district. Thanks to our partnerships in the community, we are moving in the right direction with improvements to our school facilities, an increased focus on wellness, the development of safe school policies and protocols, and providing training for staff. We must continue working with local law enforcement and our community on best practices and ensuring our students and staff have safe and positive learning environments.
I recognize the critical need to further expand our Career and Technical Education programs and its importance to the economic vitality of this region. Our business community works closely with our schools to provide students with an advantage for the high paying jobs that are located right here in our community.
During my time on the Board, we have tripled the number of business credentials our students are gaining in high school and expanded programming and opportunities. These programs include cyber security, the Utica Health and Human Services Academy, and expanded construction trades, computer programming, law enforcement and sports medicine.
I will always be a voice and advocate for CTE education as long as I am on the board.
Name
Daryl Robinson II
Education / Experience
Eastern Michigan University (B.A.S. in Business, Psychology, & Communications). Healthcare technology and enterprise learning leader with over 8 years of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, and workforce readiness, alongside 15+ years of healthcare operations and people leadership managing multidisciplinary teams and operational performance.
I am running for the Utica Community Schools Board to focus on Results & Readiness for every student. As a husband, father, and healthcare technology learning professional, I believe strong schools are built on transparency, community trust, and supporting educators. The Three R’s in education are the foundation, but Results & Readiness are the future. As families move into Shelby Township, Sterling Heights, Utica, and surrounding areas, we must keep UCS a district families actively choose. My goal is to ensure district governance remains transparent and accountable while equipping students with the tools needed for real-world success.
The primary issues facing our district are ensuring student readiness for an evolving workforce, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and strengthening community engagement. To address these, I will advocate for future-focused learning options—including technology readiness, career exposure, and skilled trades—alongside strong academic foundations. I will work to support educators, ensure tax dollars directly benefit classrooms, and foster open communication between leadership and families. Strong schools require collaborative, accountable leadership.
School safety requires continuous evaluation, modern infrastructure, and transparent community partnerships. While UCS has implemented important safety procedures, ensuring an adequate environment for all buildings requires constant vigilance, updated security protocols, strong mental health support systems, and proactive communication with families and local emergency services. I support regular safety assessments to ensure every building across our district remains a secure, supportive learning environment for students and staff daily.
While UCS offers valuable programs, expanding career exposure and skilled trades awareness is vital for complete student readiness. Success after graduation takes many paths. I advocate for strengthening partnerships with local businesses, trade unions, and technical institutes to broaden hands-on vocational opportunities, apprenticeships, and industry certifications. Every graduate should leave UCS equipped with a clear, actionable path toward a rewarding career, whether entering higher education, skilled trades, or the evolving workforce.
Name
Mary K. Smolenski
Education / Experience
Doctorate in Counseling Education and Supervision, Master of Art in Counseling, Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, and Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences.
Phone
586-944-3232
As a parent within the district, I know how important it is to send your child off to school each day with confidence that they will be safe, cared for, and challenged academically. As a Board of Education member for almost twelve years, I take great pride in knowing that our parents trust us with the education of their children.
Students are at the heart of every decision we make on the Board of Education. Being behind the work of so many incredible staff members that support the achievements of our students motivates me to continue my work with Utica Community Schools.
Our role as the Board of Education is to create and enforce policies, adopt a budget, and appoint a superintendent. It is also imperative that we keep student achievement in mind in our decision making process. As is our practice, it is essential that we pursue these duties with transparency and responsibility.
We also focus on celebrating the accomplishments of our district through our monthly UCS Champions item and through recognitions of individuals and groups, such as our seven National Merit Scholars Semifinalists who will be recognized at our October meeting for being among the top 1% of all graduating high schoolers nationwide.
The safety of our students and staff is our top priority at all times. Utica Community Schools has a comprehensive safety plan that is unique to each school, however we must continue to evolve our safety plans as new technology and best practices are developed. To help support safe learning environments throughout UCS, we have invested in facility improvements, wellness initiatives, security specialists and security resource officers, as well as professional development for our staff.
Career exploration for our students begins in 6th grade when they research a career interest for our Career Focus Luncheon, an annual event that pairs students with representatives from our community and business partners.
As students prepare for high school, they are offered the unique opportunity of enrolling in one of five specialty programs that focus on specific areas of interest, such as health and human services, mechatronics, design engineering, and more.
We have also expanded our Career and Technical Education pathways in recent years so that students can pursue their passions and achieve industry-recognized certifications prior to graduating to support them in pursuing a career after graduation.
