School: Kenowa Hills Middle School
What are your first priorities as principal?
To support staff and students. Also, I hope to maintain the professional and collaborative school culture that already exists at KHMS. Lastly, I hope to grow teachers’ instructional capacity, which will have a positive influence on student growth.
What are you most looking forward to as principal here?
Working with the staff and students. I am also very excited about our ‘Journey to Excellence’ with personal mastery teaching system.
What and where was your previous job?
I have spent my entire career here at Kenowa Hills. I was at the high school for seven years where I taught, English, broadcast journalism, debate, forensics and introduction to communication and speech. I then spent two years as the assistant principal at the middle school. Prior to this I was an assistant collegiate basketball coach for four years: two at Central Michigan and two at Eastern Michigan. When I came to Kenowa Hills, I coached basketball at Grand Valley State University for five years.
What are some of your hobbies and interests?
I love sports. I love to watch games and I love coaching. In the summer, I spend a lot of time at my cottage where I love to swim, fish, ski and tube.
What and/or who inspires you?
I am inspired by the staff I get to work with on a daily basis. In all of my years as a professional, I have never encountered a more positive, collaborative, flexible staff that continuously put kids first. It is beyond inspiring.
What makes you laugh?
Simply put, everything. I love to laugh. I have always been taught not to take myself too seriously and I have managed to do just that.
What is your favorite movie?
“Hoosiers.” I love that it is about basketball, but more importantly that it is a story about believing in yourself and those around you. It is a story of perseverance in the face of adversity and the importance of accountability. It is an analogy of what we try to teach students daily.
What college degrees did you earn?
I have bachelor’s degree in language arts and a minor in speech and theater arts from Eastern Michigan University, and a master’s in education from Grand Valley.
Spouse and children?
I am single but I have plenty of nieces, nephews and godchildren I love to spoil. I also have a 6-year old boxer named Cakes.
