I bring professional experience in financial management, budgeting, reporting, and accountability, along with firsthand experience as a parent in Grandville Public Schools. I was born and raised in Grand Rapids and have built my career around working with people, solving problems, and being accountable for important decisions. I am a parent of two boys attending Grandville schools and currently serve as Treasurer for the West Elementary PTC. As a YMCA group fitness instructor, I also value teamwork, communication, and bringing people together toward a common goal. I would bring a collaborative, thoughtful, and fiscally responsible perspective to the school board, always keeping students and our community at the center of decisions.
One of the biggest challenges facing Grandville Public Schools is maintaining long-term financial stability while continuing to provide the high-quality education and opportunities our students deserve. I would approach this by carefully reviewing spending, prioritizing classroom and student needs, evaluating programs and contracts for effectiveness, and maintaining a responsible fund balance. I would also seek input from teachers, staff, families and the community before making significant decisions. As a financial professional, I understand the importance of using data, asking questions and planning ahead. My goal would be to make thoughtful financial decisions that protect our students and position the district for long-term success.
I believe effective leadership starts with listening and being accessible. As a mom of two young children in Grandville Public Schools & Treasurer of the West Elementary PTC, I am already connected to families and our school community. Being an instructor at the YMCA, has also given me the opportunity to build relationships with people throughout our community. As a school board member, I would continue to attend school and community events, listen to students, families, teachers and staff, and create opportunities for open communication. I want people to feel heard and know that their perspective matters! I believe strong communities are built through communication, trust and teamwork.
Campaign Phone
616-644-1380
Age
46
My experience begins with showing up. As president of Parents and Teachers for Central Elementary, I listen to educators and families, bring people together, and help turn ideas into action. That work has taught me to set priorities, ask thoughtful questions, and follow through. I also spearheaded the community initiative that led the Grandville City Council to adopt an ethics policy. Combined with ten years in the Air Force, these experiences have prepared me to approach policy with integrity, careful listening, and respect for the board's responsibility to govern collectively. I have also attended board meetings and reviewed district policies and budgets to better understand how local school governance works and serve with sound judgment.
Grandville's top challenges are reliable funding, filling specialized positions, and giving educators the support to meet each student's needs. The board cannot control every source of revenue, but it can plan responsibly and keep students at the center of its choices. Grandville continues to face difficulty filling some special-education and student-support positions. As a trustee, I would listen directly to employees, monitor hiring needs, and support competitive pay, manageable workloads, planning time, and useful training. Those conditions help educators notice challenges early and respond before they become larger. The goal is to give educators the conditions they need to focus their expertise on students and help all children succeed.
I believe community trust begins with showing up and listening. As a PTC president, I have learned that people are more likely to participate when they are personally invited and know their perspective matters. I would stay visible at school and community events, speak directly with students, educators, families, and taxpayers, and make sure people feel welcome to ask questions and share their experiences. I would communicate clearly about board decisions and seek out voices that may not always be heard. As a trustee, I would bring those perspectives to the board while respecting privacy and the board's responsibility to govern collectively. That is how I will build trust and invite more people into the work of strengthening public schools.
Campaign Phone
6167196780
Age
46
I bring experience as an educator, university professor, former school psychology program director, and current school board member. I have served twice as president of the Michigan Association of School Psychologists and as its Legislative Action Chair, working with policymakers on education issues. These roles have required me to balance competing priorities, consider different perspectives, and work collaboratively with people who do not always agree.
Grandville’s challenges include maintaining strong academic programs and student supports while managing limited resources, responding to increasingly complex student needs, and ensuring new initiatives are aligned with what teachers and students need most. I would approach these challenges by carefully evaluating data, listening to educators and families, prioritizing resources where they have the greatest impact, and making thoughtful decisions that balance immediate needs with the district’s long-term stability.
I would interact with the community by being accessible, listening carefully, and seeking input from families, educators, students, and community members. I believe strong decisions come from understanding different perspectives and communicating openly about the issues facing the district. I would continue to attend school and community events and welcome questions and feedback.
Campaign Phone
6166104765
Age
56
I’ve spent 33 years in education as a teacher, building principal, central office administrator (including superintendent), and faculty member in the educational leadership program at GVSU. Currently, I spend my professional time working with principals who want to become superintendents. Part of my work in central office was to bring policy recommendations to the Board of Education for approval. This involved helping them get clarity on a policy's meaning and how it would impact students, staff and community.
An issue that education is grappling with is how AI will play out in PK-12 (higher education is also dealing with it). My hope is that we can help students use AI responsibly and keep the productive struggle that is so important to learning.
Recruiting and retaining high-quality educators needs to be a priority. My experience as an educator and administrator and volumes of research tell me that the educators interacting directly with students are the most impactful in terms of their learning.
I have been troubled by the polarization that has found its way into schools and even board rooms. This motivated me to take a two year endowed professorship for the Center for Civil Discourse at GVSU. Schools need to remain the marketplace of ideas.
Board of education members provide district leadership with insights as to how the community may prioritize issues within education. A key for any board member is to lead with their ears, listening to feedback, concerns, aspirations, etc. that community members bring and conveying that appropriately. I would want to represent the community with this in mind. Parents entrust schools with their children and their tax dollars, so the responsibility is very high.
Campaign Phone
6166484598
Age
60
Candidate Information
Married .. 3 kids that graduated from Grandville .. loved going to all the school carnivals ,football and rugby games along with competitive cheer… miss the school spirit!
I been a leader all my life I’m a problem solver and the experience I have gained through 38 years on the same job working with different people identifying problems and working together as a team solving problems and making our work environment one of the best in our line of work.. being a former owner of a business has also taught me valuable lessons in dealing with young kids and teenagers and public and just serving the needs of the community is something I want to grow upon and develop better skills to make a difference and make the school district the envy of all!!!
I think that the kids coming to the Grandville School District are expecting the best of everything .. education .. teachers.. community support .. school spirit.. facilities..I think class room sizes is an issue based on what some people have discussed with me and I truly think bringing everybody together and come up with solutions from teachers.. parents.. and community we should be able to solve problems by putting the kids needs before anything..When we work together nothing can stop us and we will be the best at working for the kids and their challenges that they face.. I will depend heavily on the parents and community to make Grandville Schools the School everybody wants their kids going to.
I will be there to listen to their concerns.I will do my best at all times to get a solution or an answer that they deserve and hopefully gain the trust.I am here to try to make Grandville a safe place for all kids and a fun experience and a learning one for all… Patience and understanding will be a must along with respect. So working together as a team and showing the community nothing is out of reach when we come together for the kids and differences set aside for the better of our loved ones!
