Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Education
JD - University of Detroit Mercy
Occupation/Experience
Trial Attorney (20 years) / Reserve Deputy - Midland County Sheriff's Office (15 years) / Midland Public Schools Board of Education (14 years) / Assistant Coach - Dow High Boys Lacrosse
Qualifications
I have served on the Midland Public Schools Board of Education for 14 years. During that time, I have held every board leadership role, including all executive positions, and have chaired every committee. Throughout my tenure, Midland Public Schools has consistently improved educational outcomes across all grade levels, developed innovative initiatives to attract and retain top-tier educators, and reached meaningful, impactful agreements with the Midland City Education Association (MCEA) on time and without highly contested negotiations. I have participated in the hiring of two superintendents and numerous administrators, and I helped secure the successful passage of the district’s first bond measure in 2015.
I have served on the Midland Public Schools Board of Education for 14 years, holding every leadership position and chairing every committee.
During my tenure, the district improved student outcomes, strengthened educator recruitment and retention, and reached timely agreements with the Midland City Education Association without contentious negotiations. I helped hire two superintendents and numerous administrators and secure passage of the district’s first bond measure in 2015. This service has given me broad experience managing the complexities of a district of Midland’s size.
We have made great strides in improving communication and transparency across all district operations.
A Board of Education trustee’s primary responsibility is to represent the electorate with honesty, integrity, and courage. The role requires making difficult, sometimes unpopular decisions while keeping politics out of school governance. I base every decision on what best serves students.
A Board of Education trustee also helps shape the district’s vision, establish policies to advance it, and hire and evaluate the superintendent.
The Board of Education’s most urgent priority is securing passage of the sinking fund proposal on the November 2026 ballot. My fellow board members and I have worked diligently to explain the district’s critical need for this funding and the importance of voter approval.
Led largely by Dr. Penny Miller-Nelon, the Board of Education and administrative team have held town halls, hosted online information sessions, attended civic gatherings, and met with residents in neighborhoods across the community. We are using every available opportunity to inform voters and encourage participation.
All of the information surrounding the state of the district and the sinking fund can be found on the district's website, www.midlandps.org
Education
2 yrs Dallas College-Northlake campus, Apprentice, Journeyman, Master firefighter, fire instructor 1/2/3, fire officer 1/2, EMT-P University of Texas SW Medical School/residency Parkland Hospital
Occupation/Experience
Firefighter City of Dallas 33 years/Paramedic City of Dallas 25 years
Qualifications
Lieutenant Dallas Fire-Rescue, Station Officer-station 10, station 47, station 27, Midland Citizen's Academy, VP Central Michigan Labor Council, Midland County EMS Board, City of Dallas Paramedic Advisory Board, Dallas Fire Academy Continuing Education Instructor, President Michigan Coalition for Civic Policy, Steward United Steel Workers local 14009, Adjunct Instructor American Heart Association, Lead Instructor Emergency Management Resources LLC, Paramedic-Liver transplant unit, Children's Medical Center, Dallas
Although I have experience in basic lesson planning and instruction for firefighter continuing education, I believe my greatest qualification is as a task-oriented firefighter officer. Gathering information quickly, formulating a plan and acting on that plan in an emergency requires excellent communication, decision making and mental flexibility as well as the ability to remain calm in an intense situation. As a command officer at a one of Dallas 58 fire stations, I had to perform administrative duties as well as human resources, team building, training and community relations.
Moving Midland Public Schools forward in curriculum development, building infrastructure, increasing student enrollment and community outreach.
The roll of a board member is to make decisions on these areas but also to be present in the community. Being seen and answering questions from taxpayers is critical for good communications and good will in the supporting community.
I feel the most pressing needs are addressing our aging infrastructure. Currently our schools average 67 year of age and the lifespan of a school in America is about 60 years. We've built one school since 1968. One. Updated schools are essential in modern instruction but can also attract new families to the area.
A component of addressing that need is educating the taxpayers that this is now critical and no longer a wish, it's something we must do in order to even have a Midland Public Schools.
Secondary issues are screen time for our younger students and AI instruction. I feel both should be limited in favor more traditional methods that better encourage writing and reading skills.
Education
High School, Saginaw Township. A.A. Delta College. Bachelors in Music Therapy, Michigan State University. Graduate work in Organ Performance, Central Michigan University
Occupation/Experience
Professional musician since eighth grade and currently Director of Music/Organist at the historic First Presbyterian Church, Bay City, MI. A guest columnist with Midland Daily News since 2023 and a writer on Substack with "A Sarcastic Prophet" since 2025.
Qualifications
The ability to direct, perform, and administer programs and worship with all ages and abilities, volunteers and professionals alike. Public speaking. Advocate for my autistic/mentally ill son in the MPS district for over 20 years. Collaborative choral accompanist for over 30 years and a substitute teacher for 4 years in Midland Public Schools..
I do not have a Ph.D in administration, yet I have been trusted to successfully administered peoples and music budgets of all sizes in over 6 Mid-Michigan congregations for the last 35 years. I do not have a law degree, but have spent 20+ years advocating for my son (who has Asperger's and Schizophrenia) with knowledge learned the hard way about the rights and responsibilities of Midland Public Schools to our special needs kids. I have no finance degree, but have successfully navigated the finances of being an independent contractor for 45 years. My Music Therapy degree required training in statistics and taught the importance of process, not just being product oriented. I am a single mom with the time, desire and intellect to serve.
The ability to listen deeply and speak with respectful honesty is imperative for any person seeking to work on a board responsible for the education of other peoples children. While Midland Public Schools board is chock full of professionals in business, finance, administration and law, the board has not been competent in explaining its actions to the public as evidenced in the failure of the last bond. The MPS board has relied too long on the Superintendent to be our public face and has simply expected the public to rubber stamp their agenda with a vote. Each school board member should be in creative collaboration with the superintendent to publicly promote the face of Midland Public Schools and to answer to the scrutiny of the public.
Most pressing for MPS is demographic shifts, aging infrastructure and the ability to fund our programs without being redundant and wasteful. We will need to fund a bond issue to tear down two schools, consolidate our middle school into 5/6 and 7/8, and create one high school while building new infrastructure to house and promote career technical programs and preschool. The stress we put on 2 separate sports teams has stalled this agenda. While we do STEM and IB well, and we provide many opportunities for our special needs kids, we are lacking in the appropriate education for those kids who are not college bound. In addition, as to my own experience with my kids, our reading programs must stress phonics and end the whole language model.
