Meet the Board (2024-25)

Affiliate Faculty of Instruction,
Grand Valley State University

Grand Rapids Metropolitan Area, MI

Bobbie Biby is an Affiliate Instructor at Grand Valley State University.  She has over 25 years of teaching experience and for several years worked for the Education Professional Standards Board – Commonwealth of Kentucky, the accrediting agency of Kentucky teacher education programs.  Bobbie believes, like so many others, that education is the great equalizer and that great teachers are vital in providing opportunities for all.  She is a board member on the Dyslexia Correction Foundation.  She participated on the School Improvement Team at Cummings Elementary and has served on a Michigan MEAP Standards Committee.  Bobbie’s family is rich with Spartan pride and graduates, including her husband, Bruce (MSU ’88), and two of her three children, Megan (MSU ’15), Kip (FSU ’17), and Taylor (MSU ’17).

Interventionist & Instructional Coach,
Haslett High School

Haslett, MI

Stephanie Livingston is the interventionist and instructional coach at Haslett High School where she is also the school improvement chair and leads the district’s crisis team. She has additionally served as an English teacher and interim associate principal. Her areas of professional focus are affirming student identity and voice, developing systems of support so that all students can be successful, and promoting literacy strategies across content areas. She holds a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching from MSU and Master of Library and Information Science from Wayne State. She is a member of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and Michigan Council of Teachers of English.

Principal, Steele Elementary School,
Mason Public Schools

Mason, MI

Craig Kueffner is the principal of Steele Elementary School, a 1st-5th grade building with 500+ students at Mason Public Schools in Mason, MI.
Prior to his current role, Craig served as the Director of Student Supports for Mason Public Schools. In this position, he led and implemented social emotional learning system development, the growth of summer and before and after-school offerings, and served as the student success resource for staff. Additionally, Craig worked with the school district’s diversity consultant and district leadership to support equity, diversity and inclusion training and professional development for staff as well as ensure programmatic alignment of the district’s strategic plan and DEI efforts.
Previously, Craig served as the assistant principal at Mason Middle School for five years, and before that, he was a high school and middle school English teacher for Haslett Public Schools. Craig received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University in 1998 and his Master of Arts in K-12 Administration from MSU in 2007. He is a member of the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principal Association, and a former member of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan Association of School Administrators, and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE.)

Deputy Chief Officer, Examinations,
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)

Chicago, IL

Steven has worked in assessment and measurement for over 20 years. Prior to joining NCSBN, Steve worked for Instructure, Twig Education, Adtalem Global Education and enjoyed a long tenure with the assessment team at the Michigan Department of Education. As an independent psychometric and assessment consultant, Steve has worked with numerous certification boards in the healthcare, law, and financial sectors. Steve is also an adjunct professor of Mathematics, Statistics, Research Methodology, and Psychology for multiple providers of higher education.
 
Steve received his Ph.D. in Measurement and Quantitative Methods from the MSU College of Education in 2014. He earned his Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and Master of Science (Applied Experimental Psychology- Neuroscience/Cognition concentration) from Central Michigan University.

CEO,
Communities In Schools of Michigan

Lansing, MI

Mallory DePrekel is the CEO of Communities In Schools of Michigan, a statewide nonprofit that provides integrated student supports to 40,000+ students in Michigan. She is a 2010 graduate of the College of Education and a member of the original Urban Educators Cohort Program (UECP) cohort. Mallory currently lives in East Lansing with her husband and two young sons.

Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education

East Lansing, MI

Scott is a career educator—he has taught High School German in mid-Michigan, ran an after-school and summer program for elementary students in the Bay Area of California, taught English and Special Education on a rural island in the Philippines as a Peace Corps volunteer, and taught 4th and 5th grade in New Mexico near the Navajo Nation. Scott completed his Ph.D. in the CITE program at MSU in 2019, and has been working in the Department of Teacher Education as faculty ever since, where he works to help future teachers adopt explicitly anti-racist stances and practices to bring with them into their classrooms.   

Secretary and Chief of Staff,
Michigan State University Board of Trustees

East Lansing, MI

Stefan Fletcher has served as the Secretary and Chief of Staff to the Board of Trustees since January 2023. In this role, Dr. Fletcher supports the Board in the fulfilment of its general supervisory responsibility for the university. Dr. Fletcher is the internal and external liaison and adviser to the Board with custodial and management responsibility for the Board’s bylaws, ordinances, policies, and other records
Dr. Fletcher holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – Superior (UWS), a law degree from the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Law, and a Ph.D. from the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program at MSU’s College of Education. Dr. Fletcher served in a variety of shared governance leadership roles while in Wisconsin and Michigan, including two terms as the Student Government Association President at UWS and four terms as the President of the MSU Council of Graduate Students.
Before returning to MSU, Dr. Fletcher was the Director for Administrative Policies, Projects, and Academic Fellowships at the University of Wisconsin System Administration, overseeing systemwide policy and project management in addition to a fellowship program for advanced degree students. Dr. Fletcher currently serves as the chair-elect for the Association of College and University Policy Administrators (ACUPA), the organization for policy administrators in higher education. Dr. Fletcher joined the College of Education Alumni Board in October 2022.

Elementary Teacher,
Fitzgerald Public Schools

Warren, MI

Becky Girling is a fifth-grade teacher at Mound Park Elementary.  She has been working with at-risk students during her professional career. In addition, she has been a mentor to new teachers in her district and a cooperative teacher for student teachers from various universities in Michigan. She has held many leadership positions across her district and helped design, implement and pilot new curriculum. Becky has won many awards over the years, including District Teacher of the Year and also a finalist for Elementary Teacher of the Year in Macomb County in 2019. Becky has been a club sponsor for a multitude of student programs.  In addition to teaching, she has been a coach for the YMCA Girls on the Run and STRIDE programs for over a decade. She has been awarded many grants to help innovate her teaching and positively inspire student learning. Becky is passionate about teaching our youth that they have the ability to achieve greatness.

Executive Director of Academic Services,
Muskegon Public Schools

Muskegon, MI

Dr. Jennifer Hammond serves as the Director of Academic Services for the Muskegon Public Schools. She believes in serving the underserved by having high expectations for teacher and administrator performance as well as promoting strong home-school connections. Prior to this role, she served as the principal at Grand Blanc High School where she helped to implement an Early College program, increased access and performance in Advanced Placement coursework and increased student
involvement in Career and Technical Education. Jennifer was also an Assistant Principal at Troy High School where she managed student discipline, professional learning communities, student activities, teacher evaluation, and developing the master schedule. Dr. Hammond was a high school math teacher in Houston, Texas, Hamtramck, Michigan, and Troy, Michigan. She attended Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and received her Education Specialists and Doctorate in educational leadership at Oakland University. Jennifer served as the President of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, is a member of the Muskegon Women’s Club and the Muskegon Rotary.

Retired Director of Adult Studies Program,
Virginia Wesleyan College

Norfolk, VA

After earning three degrees from the College of Education (B.A.- Elementary Education/Social Science; M.A.- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education, Ed.S.- Curriculum), Rich’s career in the field began as a middle school teacher but most of his professional experience over 35+ years has centered on providing leadership for the development and delivery of adult/continuing education programs and services in a variety of administrative roles including serving as a Community Education Coordinator (East Lansing Public Schools and MSU), Director of Continuing Education (Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, Virginia), Director of the University of Virginia Regional Center (Hampton Roads, Virginia), and Director of Adult Studies at Virginia Wesleyan University (Norfolk, Virginia).   Additionally, Rich has served as a board member and officer for several professional associations including the National Council for Community Services and Continuing Education and the National Coalition of Lifelong Learning Organizations as well as receiving appointments to various community non-profit boards related to advocacy and long-range planning for economic development, parks and recreation, vocational education, military education, aging/elderly concerns, and public broadcasting, 
 
Now retired, Rich and his wife, Jill (a career K-12 science educator who also earned three degrees from the College of Education) have been long-time supporters of the University and the College through the Annual Fund (John Hannah Society) and started the first alumni club in the state of Virginia when they moved there from Michigan in 1980.  Rich is honored to be a member of the College’s Alumni Advisory Board and to be able to support the board’s strategic planning initiatives in service to the students, alums and faculty who have contributed to the College’s long-standing and well-deserved high national rankings in so many program areas.

Senior IS Operations Consultant,
Baylor Scott & White Health

Dallas, TX

Vaughn Hubinger graduated from Michigan State University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology.  Vaughn has supplemented his degree with a passion for the health field, which has allowed him to work in the industry since graduation.  Early in his career he found himself gravitating towards information systems and business which led him to his current role as an IS Operational Consultant within Baylor Scott & White, a large healthcare system in Texas.  Vaughn continues to be an advocate for students and professionals that explore all opportunities, and allow their interests to drive their career.  

School Behavioral Health Unit Supervisor,
Office of Health and Nutrition Services,
Michigan Department of Education

Lansing, MI

Scott Hutchins is a School Mental Health and Medicaid Consultant for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) in the Office of Health and Nutrition Services. Hutchins is a life-long learner dedicated to servant leadership with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University in Elementary Education. Prior to going to MDE, he served as a public school teacher and administrator for 20 years. Hutchins is passionate about being a champion for ALL learners and is committed to being better than he was the day before

Founder/CEO, Black Male Educators Alliance; Assistant Professor, MSU

East Lansing, MI

Curtis Lewis is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education and the Founder/CEO of Black Male Educators Alliance, a non-profit organization.  He specializes in the philosophy and implementation of restorative practices and culturally sustaining pedagogy in K-12 schools. His research and experience focus on strategies for recruiting, engaging and retaining Black male educators in K-12 schools, and the inequities within those schools that are preventing students of color from attaining success and a liberatory educational experience.  Furthermore, he specializes in K-8 mathematics teaching and learning, school leadership development, dismantling school structures and practices that devalue student voices and obstruct schools’ ability to engage in liberatory educational practices.  He is a recipient of the Michigan Chronicle’s Men of Excellence award for his work around the State of Michigan and beyond.

Adjunct Professor,
Grand Valley State University

Grand Rapids, MI

Lynette Moyer is a retired teacher from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She earned two degrees from the College of Education (B.A. – Elementary Education; M.A.- Curriculum Development). She spent the beginning of her career as a middle school teacher and then transitioned to an elementary teacher. During her time teaching, she had a passion for working with the interns from the College of Education. She previously served on the board for six years and is excited to return to help facilitate the growth of the college. In her free time she enjoys traveling to various MSU sporting events across the country. 

Retired International Educator and School Improvement Consultant
 
Grand Rapids, MI

Tonya began her career as an elementary and special education teacher and consultant in Kent County. In 1984, she became the Principal at Caledonia Elementary School (named a National Exemplary School in 1988) and, in September 1988, became the High School Principal at Caledonia High School (named a National Blue Ribbon School in 1994). In 1996, Tonya traveled to Thailand to become the High School Principal at International School Bangkok. She moved to New York City in 2001 to serve as the Junior School Principal at the United Nations International School. In 2007, Tonya joined the Chinese International School in Hong Kong where she served as the Primary Head of School until returning to Grand Rapids to retire in 2018.  
 
Tonya graduated from MSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education (1972) and a Master’s Degree in Special Education (1976).  
 
Tonya currently serves on the Advisory Board for the All of Us Research Program: West Michigan and volunteers at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Kent County and for Corewell Health Hospice.  She is honored to have joined the College of Education Alumni Advisory Board in 2023.

Fifth Grade Teacher, Hayes Intermediate School

Grand Ledge, MI

An educator for over 20 years, Matt Powers is currently a 5th grade teacher at Hayes Intermediate School in Grand Ledge Public Schools. He has also taught 3rd through 6th grades at Maplewood School in Maple Valley Schools.
 
Matt has a long family lineage of Spartans – his grandfather, grandmother, mother, sisters, aunts and in-laws all earned degrees from Michigan State University. Matt met his wife and fellow educator, Shannon, at MSU. They have two daughters, the youngest continuing the family’s Spartan legacy.
 
Over the years, Matt developed his leadership skills serving on a variety of committees and teams. He’s served as chair of Elementary Science and Grade Level committees as well as member on School Improvement, District Improvement, PBIS, MTSS, MIBLSI and MICIP teams. Matt has also spent the last seven years mentoring new teachers.
 
Matt is passionate about improving the work environment of his colleagues, most recently serving as an active union member with the Maple Valley Education Association where he held long-term positions of Vice President and Negotiations Team Member. He is also active in the Eaton County EA as Vice President and PAC Chair.
 
Always quick to fill a need, Matt joined the Thornapple Kellogg School Board in 2019, working alongside colleagues to complete a ‘Needs Assessment’ and pass a bond for $36 million. The efforts facilitated numerous improvements, including smaller class sizes and strengthened curriculum.
 
Coaching is another way Matt serves his communities. Building on his affinity for athletics and competition, Matt coached his daughters’ youth league teams in numerous sports. Matt transitioned to coaching 7th grade boys and girls basketball at Maple Valley.
 
Middleville UMC is another home for Matt. He is the Vice Chair of the Trustees Committee. Matt is an active member of the Discipleship Formation Committee, formerly known as the Christian Education Committee.

Social Studies Educator,
Grand Blanc High School

Grand Blanc, MI

Nathan Riek is a high school social studies teacher at Grand Blanc High School.  He teaches American Government, AP Government, and African American History.  In addition to his teaching he has involved himself in the community as a coach (football, baseball, basketball), and as an academic club sponsor (Model UN).  He has participated in scholarship, “Deliberating Public Policy with Adolescents” and is a presenter at the 2020 NCSS Conference.  In 2018 he was the Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year, and one of five American Legion’s Teacher of the Year in entire State of Michigan.

Executive Director,
Macomb Academy/Macomb Intermediate School District

Clinton Township, MI

Anne-Marie Sladewski joined the Alumni Board in 2018, having earned a doctorate degree in educational administration in 2016 from MSU.  She is a proud public school educator, with experience mounting 40 years and counting from multiple states, serving in the capacities of central office and building-based administrative positions at the local district and regional levels. Anne-Marie also worked as local district and regional levels consultant, coach and mentor, and as a teacher at various levels in both general education and special education learning environments.  Anne-Marie also serves as a co-chairperson of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (DEL) Advisory Committee; a member of the Michigan Educational Research Institute (MERI) Advisory Council; and, as a delegate on the Michigan Department of Education Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). Anne-Marie also is currently the chairperson of the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education (MAASE) Professional Learning Committee.

Doctoral Candidate,
Higher, Adult, & Lifelong Education,
Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Theresa is a graduate student starting her second year in the HALE Ph.D. program, studying Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and English from Marquette University and her master’s degrees from Trinity College Dublin (Irish Literature) and Loyola University Chicago (Higher Education). She’s so excited to one day be able to add MSU Alumni to the list! She currently serves as a Graduate Career Advisor in MSU’s Office of Graduate Career Development in the Graduate School and is broadly interested in the supports the university can provide to students during their transition out of the university. She is excited not only to bridge Alumni and Student voices for the College of Education, but also for the opportunity to build relationships within the MSU Alumni network. Through this opportunity, she hopes to support Alumni networking opportunities for current students.