ANONYMOUS SCOTT & NATALIE BERNECKER KV & JENA LACKS
Transcript of ANONYMOUS SCOTT & NATALIE BERNECKER KV & JENA LACKS
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East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association Annual Report 2019-2020
ANONYMOUS
SCOTT & NATALIE BERNECKER
KV & JENA LACKS
JOE & KATY LEVANThank You to our 2019-2020 Sponsors
You can only have one: Rose’s caramel corn, an ice cream cone from Jersey Junction, or a Yesterdog. Which do you choose? Let’s go with Yesterdog with a Rose’s caramel corn chaser. But I love all three of the traditions and with the proliferation of chains, it’s great that each is local and has endured.
What was your path from East Grand Rapids to where you are now in life?My law practice in Washington DC is representing politicians, as well as corporations and individuals that engage in the political process. Growing up in EGR gave me unique political opportunities, starting with my going as a 4 year old (I don’t remember, but have a picture to prove it) to see President Ford vote in his hometown precinct, and later, while in high school volunteering on Congressman Paul Henry’s campaign (with hisdaughter as one of my debate partners). I also volunteered on Ronna Romney’s US Senate campaign when I was in college and have fond memories of her campaigning in Gaslight Village. At a more fundamental level regarding “path in life,” however, I believe that the reason so many East grads go on to lead interesting and successful careers is because the community as a whole values education and has high expectations.What specific thing did you learn in East that has enabled you to be successful?This one is easy. I spent most of my high school time focused on debating, and while I had some great partners (Stokes Young and Maggie Bergin) that helped lead the team to then record success, the driving force of the team was Coach Becky Knack. I’m confident that Mrs. Knack’s willingness to invest time and resources in the team was underappreciated at the time, but I now know
East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT2
VIRTUAL CUPOF COFFEE Charlie Spies ’91Charlie Spies, now a Member at Dickinson Wright PLLC in Washington DC, provides political law counsel to national politicalorganizations and campaigns, having served as election law counsel to the Republican National Committee, then CFO and Counsel for Mitt Romney’s 2008 campaign for president. He co-founded Restore Our Future, the largest conservative super PAC in history, and then Right to Rise USA (supporting Jeb Bush) in the 2016 election cycle. He frequently speaks on political and election law issues on Fox News, CNN, Fox Business Network and other national television and radio. He’s a graduate of the University of Michigan and Georgetown University Law Center, and has been married to his wife Lisa for almost sixteen years.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known then?For many families it’s a sacrifice to pay higher taxes to live in East, and parents are willing to do that because of the quality of the schools and community.
Do you stay in touch with many people from East Grand Rapids?I still have family in town and two nieces are now at the high school, which has made me start following high school sports again.
What advice do you have for young East alums who are just starting out? You have the benefit of families and a community that expects excellence and is able to provide the tools to succeed. Everyone will have challenges and high expectations can seem like a burden at the time, and personal and professional success will be defined in your own way, but at some point you will look back and know how blessed you were to go to EGR.
Who else would you like us to have a virtual cup of coffee with?From my class: Adam Herz, Jeff MacKeigan and Bruce Conely (to talk about his military service).Bonus question: What are you glad we didn’t ask you about? My win/loss record playing tennis…or whether I could swim faster than my sisters!
Want to read more? Visit egrsf.org/coffee.
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Try as we might, I don’t think anyone in education knows the answer to that question.
Ten years ago, as our school district was struggling to save vital programs from being cut because of budget shortfalls, I don’t know if anyone would have predicted the astonishing, groundbreaking enhancements we’ve seen in our schools over the last few years.
Not only were we able to preserve elementary Physical Education, Art, and Music, early literacy education, and the K-12 World Language Program, but we have also seeded new offerings including the Middle School Innovation Lab, the Gone Boarding class at the high school, our championship Robotics teams, the Science Olympiad program, and Lego League teams in our elementary schools.
At the same time, we’ve been able to introduce “old school” enhancements such as high-interest, multi-genre classroom libraries in all our schools and the March Madness Book Project in our elementary schools. Together, these programs are putting tens of thousands of books into the hands of our students, helping our children become lifelong readers and learners.
Truly, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of our community, and our shared commitment to the power of public education. All of those programs and enhancements were preserved, seeded, or supported thanks to donations to the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation.
Think about that. Even while East Grand Rapids was forced to make cuts, we were fund-ing innovative new programs. While other districts were closing schools, we were opening up new opportunities for our children. All thanks to you.
So where do we go from here? Again, no one knows for sure. There will be tough times and challenges ahead. There always are. But thanks to foresight, careful planning, and the Foundation’s Now&Forever campaign, with your help our schools will be ready to meet those challenges. Together, we’re investing in our students, because the future belongs to Pioneers.
Amy StuursmaExecutive DirectorEast Grand Rapids Schools Foundation
EXCECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE
What’s Next?
EGRSF FOUNDATIONBoard of DirectorsJill Miller | President
Brian Schwartz | Vice PresidentDavid Hojnacki | Treasurer
Beth Skaggs | SecretaryNick AdamyTom Blower
Jennifer BruceXiangyu Chen ‘21
Stephanie DoublesteinDavid HallJoel IakiriSara Irwin
Rob KowalewskiRaenah Lindsey ‘20
Melissa MarshJenny McMahon
Megan MillerTrish ReidKelli SmithMeg Zerfas
Ex-officioDr. Heidi Kattula
EGRPS Superintendent
Brad LaackmanEGRPS School Board Member
StaffAmy Stuursma
Executive Director
Maria AllenAlumni Relations Coordinator
Rosanne MackAccountant
Carole McDonaldOffice Manager
Jay ForstnerCommunications Director
that what she taught with debate was the building blocks for both life and career success. The most important skill for debating is learning and under-standing both sides of issues so you can effectively advocate on either side. Now, almost 30 years after my high school, we live in a hyper-polarized world where people choose their news sources to affirm existing beliefs and rarely hear, much less learn, other sides of issues. It would be nice to have Mrs. Knack force Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow to argue the opposite positions also!
What were you like in school?Probably exactly what you would expect for someone who excelled on the debate team...
Did you have a favorite teacher or class? It’s tempting just to crib off my classmate Katie Michell’s answers to this question [Mr. Frazier and Mr. Letherby in middle school, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Froysland, and Mrs. Mitchell in high school] because we had many of the same classes and I appreciate the middle and high school teachers that she listed. I would also add Mr. Sink, who went above and beyond helping me with math and again Mrs. Knack with debate.
If you had to choose one moment in one location to serve as the signature moment of your East school experience, what would it be? Because I was so focused on debate it would have to have been the Harvard tournament. We were the first EGR team ever invited to the exclusive Harvard Round Robin...and bombed there. I still recall one of the other coaches snarking about how EGR shouldn’t have been invited, so it was a great sense of vindication when we then recovered and made the finals of the full Harvard tournament.
AnonymousJoe Aardema & Mary LucasMatt & Michelle AbrahamRay ‘71 & Kristin AbrahamAndrea AdamsNick & Shellie AdamyBrian ‘97 & Sarah ‘97 AdloffAshley Agerson ‘97 & Julia BeckerMatt & Alyssa AlbersThe Alguire FamilyMatthew Allard, ‘90Joel Allchin &Deanna Hoopingarner-AllchinBrett & Carlye AllenJaret Allen, ‘16Kyra Allen, ‘19Marty & Sue ‘56 AllenMike Allen, ‘84Steve ‘86 & Maria AllenTerri Burg Amann, ‘71Bryan & Molly AndersonChris & Leslie AndersonJerry & Betsy ‘76 AndersonKelsey AndersonSam & Joy AndersonBrad & Jen ‘00 AndrzejewskiJohn D. ArendshorstShannon & Erica ArmstrongScott & Elizabeth ArnoldGreg & Kristi ArtzPhilippe Assaf & Coeli FitzpatrickMike & MariBeth AvendtJeff & Anita AveryJack & Lauren Aylsworth
Chris & Emily BackusWade Bagnall & Elizabeth Fausone
Todd & Carman BainesDave & Katie Baker
Patrick & Sarah BakerStephen Baker & Lucy Shair
The Balon FamilyJohn ‘75 & Kathy
Jameson ‘78 BarbourChris & Kim Bardeggia
J. Spencer BarnesMemorial Foundation
Max ‘90 & Becky BarnesTony ‘87 & Gwen ‘87 Barnes
David ‘60 & Sibley ‘62 BarrettSam & Ben Basham
Jason Batts & Tami SytsmaNancy Batts
Holden BaudoBill ‘67 & Diane Baxter
Ryan & Sarah BeachJeremy Beard, ‘93
Kelly & Nicole BedoreChris & Emily Beggs
Andrew ‘92 & Jennifer BehlerBill & Amber Behrendt
Steve Belkin, ‘65Michael & Stacey Bell
Pat & Marcia BellGeorge & Charity Bennett
Christian & Susanne BentleyMargaret S. Benton, ‘72
Jeffrey Bergers, ‘73John & Pat Bergstrom
Bill ‘90 & Jenny ‘91 BergstromDavid Berles, ‘55—In honor of Mary Kay Berles, ‘57Mark ‘87 & Shelly BerneckerBob & Val BerneckerScott & Natalie Bernecker, ‘89Matt & Erin ‘91 BertkeJohn R. Bertsch, ‘61Beusse & Porter Family FoundationRoger & Marcia BeutnerGail BirdEmily BishopJason & Amy BishopKurt & Michele BishopMichael & Amy BishopThe Bissell FamilyJim ‘75 & Sharon BlackburnMartin & Catherine BlagdurnJonathan & Amy BlairChristopher & Analisa BlakleyChris & Laurie BlanchardCarla D. Blandford, ‘58Charles & Patricia BloomDan & Tarah BockheimLorraine BoerJohn & Lindy BollingBrett & Kim BoltThe Bombery FamilyMeredith Bonner, ‘08Bill Boorstein—In memory of Donna BoorsteinJoe & Kristen BorakStefano & Kari BordoliMatthew & Jennifer Borgula
4 East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | EGR Schools Foundation Endowment Fund Supporters
Tim & Kathy BornDrs. James & Joan Borst
Tom & Alexis BoydenMichael & Jennifer Boyle
Bill & Allison BradenShannon Brady
Mark & Amy BraggTodd & Bonnie Brandstadt
Benjamin & Adrianne BraunCaroline Breault-Cannon
Mike & Bethany BregenzerJustin Brenneman, ‘02
Scott & Emily BrewRick & Pat Brewer
Brett Brinker & Heather Slay ‘89Steve & Winnie Brinks
The Brouwers Agency, LLCCarl & Betsy BrownDan & Lynne Brown
Spencer & Noelle BrownDennis & Jennifer Bruce
James & Kathleen BruinsmaScott Brundage
Patrik & Lena BrundinJackie Burdick
Elle BurgessJohn & Bonnie Burke
Brandon & Elizabeth BurnetteJim & Mel Burns
Kevin & Julie BurnsSue Burns— In memory of
William J. Lee, ‘56Dirk ‘63 & Lisa ‘76 Buth
The Butler Family
The East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation’s Donor Roll Call recognizes those individuals, businesses and organizations that have supported the Foundation from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. This list also includes all supporters who made a pledge to our Now&Forever campaign through December 31, 2019. The Foundation’s Board of Directors gratefully acknowledges all who have generously supported our mission through their gifts. We also thank individuals who have secured matching gifts from their employers, as well as the employers who have supported their employees’ generosity through matching gifts. This list reflects all outright gifts and does not include participants in Foundation-sponsored events such as Sip & Support or golf outings.
THANK YOU
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David & Carol Distel— In honor ofAlec ‘15, Justine ‘16 & Caroline ‘21 DistelMarty Ditkof, ‘75Brad ‘88 & Kim ‘89 DitmarKristine DiVitaChris & Sommer DockeryCindy Oosting Dodge, ‘80Alice Dodgson ‘55— In honor of the Michael Dodgson FamilyDennis & Amy DonohueJason & Stephanie DoublesteinRick & Traci ‘88 DouglasJim & Kelly DoyleAndrea DudleyRobert & Linda ‘65 DudleyNadav & Karen DujovnyEric & Lindsay DumaisTed & Claudine DuncanChad & Sara DupinChad & Gretchen DutcherMichael Dykstra & Margaret BaderRobert & Kathleen Yukon ‘70 EagerThe Eardley FamilyEGR Class of 2008EGR Class of 2018Gary & Suzanne EberleJohn & Steph EckleyJohn ‘69 & Louise ‘69 EdisonJohn & Penny ‘52 EdisonMaggie Edison, ‘08Patricia H. Edison, ‘45The Edleman FamilyKendra EdwardsAndrea EggertNnaemeka & Ngozi EgwuataMary ElderkinKelly Eldred & Pam StanleySue Spicer Elliott, ‘65Brian ‘78 & JoAnn EllisConstance Ellis
Frances Ellis— In honor ofKatherine Miller, ‘05
Michael ‘80 & Lynette EllisSusan Ellis
Jim & Harriet EngbersThe Enriquez Family
Kirk ‘85 & Kirsten EssenmacherMatt & Emily Eugster
Bruce ‘56 & Peggy Osier ‘56 Fairbanks
Hank ‘63 & Marcia FairchildKailey Faris
Tom & Kathryn FaturosDino & Katie Favale
Daniel Fechtner & Mei MahEzra FechtnerMax Fechtner
Domenic & Dee FedericoMichael & Jenny ‘87 Fee
Matt Feyen & Nicole HaglundDavid & Elizabeth Filkins
Jason & Emily FillJarett & Jessica Fitnich
Jeff & Katie ‘97 FlermoenOmar & Elizabeth Flores
Jens Forsberg & Martha EscobarBen Forstner, ‘18
Jay & Julie ForstnerSam Forstner, ‘14
Dan & Joanne FowlerTom & Mickie ‘46 Fox
Lynn & Alice FrancisSara Frank
Ashley FrayerCharles & Julie Frayer
The Fredrickson FamilyWilliam French ‘86 &
Jennifer DawsonCampbell ‘01 & Alice Frey
David & Judy Frey
Molly BuxtonMike ‘89 & Lisa ByamCharles & Lucy CaldwellBrian & Ann CallahanBrian & Sarah CalnanChris & Lisa CamffermanCarol Campbell, ‘81 David ‘86 & Britt CampbellMarie CanepaTom & Sarah CannonLaura Caprara, ‘85 Cathryn Butler Carmichael ‘75—In memory of Claudia Azkoul Walters, ‘75David & Jodi CaryChad & Cherrah CasserlyChris & Rona CaswellMatt & Sarah CavanaughDaniel & Michelle CaveraDavid & Angela ChandlerChris & Beth ChappusTodd & Amanda ChasseeRebecca ChavezNia ChenRoger & Sue ‘65 ChittendenJeff & Tamara ChristiansJason & Elizabeth ‘95 ChristophersonYiJia ChuKestutis & Ingrid CivinskasAdam & Kim ClarkLandon & Marissa ClarkJennifer Clary, ‘88Mike & Jodi ClayHarry & Michele CoffillBrian & Jennifer ColesThe Collins FamilyBarbara ConeTrina ConnellyPat ‘91 & Nancy ConnorCarolyn ConnorsPhil Conrad & JJ Loew
Andrew Conway ‘93—In memory of Terry ‘64 &
Julie ‘89 ConwayDan ‘58 & Linda Conway
Jeff ‘94 & Sarah ‘94 ConwayDave ‘57 & Nancy Cook
Thomas CookAndrew & Rachael Cooley
Joe ‘82 & Amy CorettiMeagan Cornett-WrightPatrick & Jade Coulston
Scott & Kim CountsDave & Dori Couvreur
Ryan & Amber CoxBrian & Jordan Craig
Greg ‘99 & Kim CraneCrescent Floral & Gifts
Michael & Mary Ann CreteRick & Pam ‘88 Cross
Scott CusterTodd & Kortne Custer
Custer, Inc.Erik Daly ‘00 & Jessica Bloom ‘00
Dustin & Jill DanielsBill & Margie Darooge
Brad ‘93 & Amy DaroogeGeorge ‘72 & Barbara Huhn ‘72 Davis
Collin & Nicole DawesDevin & Michelle ‘97 Day
Joe & Angie DayJeff & Jill Dean
Scott & Heather DeKorteRich & Liz ‘98 Della Croce
John & Mary DerschRob & Allison DeVilbiss
Mark & Lisa DeVriesSeth & Kate DeVries
Nikolas & Karen DickeJim & Steph Diepstra
Rebecca M. Dietz
LAST FALL, after more than two years of planning, organizing, and hard work, the final donations came in to push the cash portion of the Now&Forever campaign across the finish line. Together, our community met its goal and raised more than $6.4 million through Now&Forever. This bold, innovative effort creates a sustainable source of funding for our schools. More than 900 families, including more than 130 EGRPS staff members, contributed.
“Nothing on the scale of Now&Forever has ever been attempted by a public school district in Michigan,” says Foundation Executive Director, Amy Stuursma. “Raising more than six million dollars in cash pledges was an ambitious goal, but we are very fortunate to live in a city that understands the value of public education. This is a remarkable, community-wide success that will support our students and our schools now and for generations to come.”
Along with $2 million to be raised through planned giving, the funds raised will build the Foundation’s endowment to $12 million. When that number is reached, the growth and investment earnings will generate approximately $600,000 each year to benefit our students and our schools without reducing the principal amount. That means that over the course of students’ thirteen years in East schools— from kindergarten through high school graduation— the Foundation will contribute $7.8 million to their education.
“With this campaign, our community has helped secure the future of our schools,” Stuursma says. “We’ll be able to continue to offer educational opportunities we can’t even imagine today. This is a monumental accomplishment for East Grand Rapids and a pioneering achievement for public education.”
6 East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
John M. Frey, ‘58 Tripp ‘99 & Lucy FreyKate FrillmannKelly FroehlichDan & Shelly ‘91 FullerThe GabacksMichael & Kristin GartrellThe Gasper Family—In honor of daughters Elli & NayaChristy GastAndre & Kristen GauriTed & Mary Louise GedraPakky & Lauren GerkinTom Getz & Margaret Burrows-GetzCasey & Nancy GillespieKevin & Katie GingrasSasko & Danche GjorgijevskiCraig & Rosalie GlowneyRick & Carol GodfreyMeg Goebel, ‘75Parin & Liz GohelSean & Stacey GoodmanTom & Kristin GootjesTim & Emily GorashkoChad ‘84 & Jennifer GouldDoris Cole Goyette, ‘55Jim GrabowBill & Linda GrahamHelen Fairbanks Graham, ‘81Justin Gray & Carrie WaltonJohn & Deanna GreenJoshua & Kristy GreenbergRalph Greene, ‘57 Thomas & Carrie GreenwayJonathan & Jennifer GreerKatherine Ford Gregg, ‘77Sharon GremelKristin GriffithMartin ‘90 & Erin ‘90 Grin
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | EGRSF Endowment Fund Supporters continued
Dale & Linda GroganChristopher Gutek
Mike & Worth HagesThe Hagler Family
David & Jenny HallDavid & Elizabeth HammMarcia Hammerslag, ‘53
Brian & Karey HamrickMichael ‘63 & Sheila Hannah
Lynn HappelMichelle Harper
Bill Harris & Gloria TrentStuart ‘75 & Eleanor Hartger
Greg & Jane HazleAndy & Peggy Head
Jack & Lisa HealeyGlenn Hefner & Silvia Garbagni
Paul & Kerry HegeleLee & Linda HegstrandDavid & Nancy Hejna
Boyd & Jane HendersonBetsy Hall Herberick, ‘75
Mark & Tina HesslerGerry & Nancy Hickey
Brian & Marissa HicksChris & Beth Hill
Mary HillyardMichael & Metka Hingson
Tom & Sue Hoane—In memory of Jon Hoane, ‘88
David & Kim HoekstraMark ‘94 & Beth ‘92 Hoekstra
Mike & Stephanie HoekstraDirk Hoffius, ‘61
Mark ‘81 & Lisa HoffmanDavid & Susan Hojnacki
Peter & Allison HoulihanAmorak Huey & Ellen Schendel
John & Janyce Huff
Travis HughesLaura Huizenga, ‘76—In honor of Kenneth MaatmanGary & Cindy HumphriesStuart & Shannon HuntBrad & Karen HunterE. J. Hunter—In honor of Megan Miller John Hunting, ‘49Jen HutchingsJustin & Allison HuttThe Joel & Shannon Iakiri FamilyMargaret P. Idema, ‘67Fil & Elizabeth IorioWin ‘65 & Kyle ‘70 IrwinGraham ‘94 & Sara IrwinJason & Katie ‘96 IsraelsMike ‘54 & Roberta JacobsonRobert Jacobson, ‘89 Mark & Lauren JacobyJanae JancaDoug & Dawn JenkinsAaron & Nikki JohnsonErik & Lisa JohnsonGerri JohnsonGrace JohnsonAndy & Mary JohnstonTim & Lori ‘79 JohnstonJulian & Judith JosephKevin & Patty KabatSteve & Joee KamDavid & Nancy ‘75 KammeraadGlenn Karpf & Andi OwenNancy KastPeter & Heidi KattulaThomas KawelMary Ann KeelerMike & Sue KeilKeil Lasik Vision Center
Norman Keller—In honor of Scott Mitton
Dennis Kellermeier &Barbara Jourdan
Sean & Jenelle KelschJohn & Jessica Kemppainen
Chris KenwardChad & Paula Kerr
Theresa KeyesDave & Jenny Khorey—
In memory of Candy PrevetteTom ‘71 & Vicki ‘70 Kimball
Erika King & Robert BeaseckerAllison H. Kinney
Bob ‘82 & Sue KirchgessnerBrad & Michelle Kirk
Chip & Elizabeth KleinhekselRichard Klinkner, ‘55Chris & Amy Knape
Herbert & Glenna Knape—In memory of Teddy Knape, ‘03
Mike & Megan KnubleAllison Koetsier
Derrick & Karen KooistraKelli Kopen & Chris Calhoun
Chad & Andrea KosterRob ‘84 & Julie Kowalewski
Kenneth & Heather KrajewskiThe Kratt Family
Anne Lawford Krawczak, ‘60—In memory of the Lawford Family
Steven & Amie Jo KreitzerSteve & Mary ‘64 Kretschman
Melissa KriegMatt ‘04 & Alissandra ‘04 Kruer
Christian ‘84 & Susan KruppNicholas ‘00 & Layla ‘00 Kuhl
Katie KuiperStephen & Jamie Kusmierczak
POWERINGCOMMUNITY
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CLASS OF 2023 FIRST DAY | LEADERSHIP & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Tom & Sally ‘85 Kyros FamilyBrad ‘94, Kotoe & Julie Laackman—In honor of Bonnie LaackmanHeidi Lacks, ‘07Kurt ‘02 & Jennifer LacksKurt ‘73 & Lori ‘76 Lacks Family—Jennifer Andrzejewski ‘00,Kurt V. Lacks ‘02,Katherine Tracy ‘05,Heidi Lacks ‘07Brad & Susan LaffreyRobert & Lucy LafleurKathy Muir Laidlaw, ‘59—In memory of Bill Muir, ‘54 Holly LampenJill Lampen Maria LaneuvilleThe Lang FamilyLindsey LantzKatherine LarsonDale & Shirley LauschTony & Heather LawrencePhilip M. Leech, ‘58Lucas & Joni LeeteLarry ‘65 & Mettie Metcalf ‘65 LeighAndrea LeistraJoe & Katy LevanBob ‘73 & Susan LevineDavid & Stacey LevittGreg & Tracey LewisRichard & Heather ‘92 LewisStev & Dawn LewisChuck & Jan LippertBlakeslee Benjamin Lloyd, ‘61Mike & Kathy ‘74 LloydJames ‘55 & Barbara LogieCasey ‘03 & Jami LongoChris & Sharon LongstrethScott & Elisabeth LoosMark & April Lothschutz
Dr. F. Raymer & Susan Lovell—In honor of the 3 Lovell children and
6 Lovell-Turner grandchildrenRandy ‘88 & Lisa Lovell
The Lowe FamilyPaul & Elizabeth Luce
Jurgen & Becky LudersGenie Lyman and the late Dick Lyman
Judson ‘71 & Lynn LynchDoug & Stacey Maas
James MacDonald ‘81 & Kit YoonMacDougal Family Foundation
Gary & Pamela MacDougalRandy & Marcia MacGeorge
Paul & Rosanne ‘83 MackBill & Amy Mackay
Jeff ‘91 & Shannon MacKeiganJohn & Rosemary MacKenzieJo Ann Monger Maentz, ‘56
Matt Mahoney & Melissa ConwayDonald Malcolm & Jean Magolan
Judie MalecThe Malewitz FamilyRaj & Marta Malviya
Leena MammenAlan & Hope Margherio
Ryan & Beth MarinLynne Boyles Marino, ‘77
Matt & Amy MarlowBill & Melissa Marsh
Matt & Christine MartinRebecca Martin
Scott & Becky MartinHezi & Ilanit Marx
Darrell & PK ‘74 MasonBenjamin ‘00 & Jessica Massie
Nancy J. MassinghamBenjamin & Sarah Masterson
Chris Matthysse &Kelly Clum-Matthysse
Randy & Amanda MillwoodAndrew Milnes
Joel & Melissa MitchellJohn Mitchell & Gina Ang
Scott MittonJeff & Allison ‘88 MontagueMarc & Charlene Montpetit
The Moo FamilyJohn & Ann Mooney
Whitney MooreThe Morant Family
Anthony & Polly MoreyDave & Joy Morgan
James & Carolyn MorseSteve ‘95 & Rhiannon Morse
Jim & Courtney MoskalBetsy Muir, ‘84
Dave & Sara MulderKristine S. Mulder, ‘71
Todd & Kelli MulderinkElisha Murphy
Patrick & Jean-Marie MurphyPaul Murphy & Leigh EickeBrian ‘93 & Kristie Murray
Honorio Valdes Murua &Tina Murua
Dean & Lisa NargiPaul & Valerie Nelson
Bob & Ellen NelsonThe late Marjorie Neubig
The Newsom FamilyThe Nguyen Family
Jack NicholsJamie & Venta Norris
Norris, Perné & French LLPTom & Diane Northway
John S. O’Brien, ‘75Joe ‘72 & Britt ‘86 O’Malley
Isidore & Cary Okoro—In memory of Ruth Corrine Hammer
Susan McCaffreyLarry & Julie McCahillPatrick ‘87 & Kate McCarthyAmy McCoy, ‘84Audrey McDonald, ‘15Cecelia McDonald, ‘06Ian ‘08 & Veronica McDonaldJames McDonald, ‘12Michael & Carole McDonaldPierce McDonaldRichard & Noel McGarrityKC & Pattie McGovernTerry McIlhargeyThe McInerney FamilyMatt & Katie ‘93 McIntoshAndy & Mandy McIntyreKevin & Nancy McIntyreKerry McKeeHeather McKinney-RewaJim ‘81 & Susan ‘82 McLainJohn & Jen McMahonPaul & Laura McMahonSteve & Jenny McMahonChris & Michele MeaderDavid ‘57 & Linda MehneyHank & Liesel MeijerJohn & Jane ‘79 MeilnerSpencer ‘07 & Kaitlin ‘07 MerpiSam ‘63 & Barb ‘64 MetcalfRandy & Hillary MeulenbergBob & Beth MilanowskiAnne B. Miller, ‘61Brian & Megan MillerLorie MillerMatthew ‘86 & Jill MillerNorman Stanley Miller, ‘61 Patrick & Katherine ‘05 MillerPete & Liz MillerSteve & Katie Millman
8 East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Scott & Lindsay OlssonMike & Cathy ‘86 OosseJack ‘56 & Margie ‘56 OostingOnder & Carol OrsThe Orsini FamilyColin & Leanne OsborneJohn & Ellen OsterhartLance & Kim OwensKris Pachla & Anne Marie CarsonTracy PackardDon & Melissa PadgettChris & Joan PanopoulosBrett & Dana ParentMatt & Kerry ParentAaron & Bess PaskvanGlenna Paukstis, ‘55—In memory of Jimmy GerkenHoward & Stacy PaulRobert PaulScott Peelen, ‘76Scott & Pam PenneyElliot Pennington & Jennifer WolfAndrew & Alison PeotMark & Amy PereiraMark & Barb PeriardDan Persinger & Claire WhitmanSteve ‘70 & Alicia PestkaRyan & Katrina PetersJames & Stephanie PhelpsKevin & Leslie PhilippsJoerg & Katharina PicardSteve & Joanne PlattTodd & Kelly PlawinskiKen & Shannon PontiusJim & Amy PouillonJohn Preston & Melissa VanderZydenTim ‘00 & Susan PriceMark & Becky PullenSteven Putt & Cheryl Van Til
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | EGRSF Endowment Fund Supporters continued
The Pyper FamilyChris & Michelle Rabideau
James Racinowski ‘00 &Madonna Saia Racinowski
Cheryl RadeckiThe Raines Family
Jerrel K. Ralph, ‘49Mark & Lisa ‘93 Rapoport
Muhammad Rasoul &Sabina Hubjer-RasoulThe Ratchford Family
Michael ReaganMike & Betsy RedmanGreg & Carolyn Reese
Beth ReidMike & Trish ‘89 ReidRandy & Kris Renker
Ryan & Whitney RennerPhil & Deb Rewerts
Robert ‘49 & Margaret RiceBrian & Meg ‘93 Richards Paul ‘70 & Susan Richards
Rachel RiesBrian & Bridget Rieth
David & Molly RizorGeorge & Heidi Roberts
Karl & Stacy RobertsLarry & Sally Robson
Steve ‘80 & Amy RockwellKelsi Rode
The Rogers FamilyRobert & Cassandra Rood
Lisa M. RoseRusty & Laura Ross
Al & Kim RossiMichael & Betty Roth
Ed & Ann RoubalJeff & Lisa Royce
Dennis L. Ruffin, ‘57
Peter & Jessica RuppertGuillermo & Bridget SanchezJim & Rory SanfordBuck & Judy SaundersTim SaundersCynthia Savara, ‘75 Bill & Barb SaxtonJeff Schad & Marilyn LankferMatt ‘90 & Diana SchadTim & Cindy SchadHenry “Fritz” ‘62 &Karen ‘63 Schaefer— In honor ofMr. Bert Froysland, beloved EGREnglish teacherBruce & Marti Scherpenisse—In honor of their children & grandchildrenShelley SchmidtAnnie SchmiederJohn & Judy SchneiderBill & Shelly SchramMatthew & Margaret SchulteGary & Lorna Deaver ‘72 Schultz Joel & Julie SchultzeAndy & Kateri SchuttBrian Schwartz ‘84 &Elizabeth Welch ‘88Mark SchwartzSteven & Mary SchwartzJames ‘87 & Deb SearsRob ‘81 & Julie Sears— In honor ofRachel, Sophie & Sam SearsJohn ‘63 & Prim ‘64 SebastianMike Sebastian, ‘65Amna Seibold, ‘75Michael & Monica SekulichBrian & Racqel SelfJim & Mindy SeufertThe Seyferth FamilyNancy B. Seymour, ‘62
Tom & Kris ShannonBob Shapton &
Mary Reagan ShaptonThe Sharpe FamilyMary Ann Sheline
Tim & Ann SheridanThe Sherman FamilyRick & Stacy Shorey
Sherri Norian Shovers, ‘75Andrew & Tamara ShreinerMark ‘76 & Lisa ‘76 Shuart
Greg & Sara ShubelJon & Gretchen SiebersJim ‘66 & Sheryl Siegel
Todd Sippel & Angela DahlPhil & Beth SkaggsBrent & Diane Slay
Aaron ‘93 & Jill SmithAllan, Melissa, Keaton ‘17 &
Halsey ‘19 SmithChristopher & Kelli Smith
Danielle SmithDavid Smith ‘63 & Peggy Child ‘64
Jason & Latchezara SmithJay & Helen Smith—
In honor of Amy Stuursma, ‘89Bob & Colleen Smith
Sara Smolenski &Linda Burpee ‘74
Diana SnoeyerDave Snyder, ‘86—
In honor of all past & current studentsStephanie Socie
Rich & Abby SorotaDaniel Spear
John & Nikki Speer—In honor of Carlye Allen
Sean ‘94 & Anna SperlingCharles Spies, ‘91
POWERINGEXCELLENCE
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2019 HEARTS OF GOLD FOOTBALL GAME
Jenell SpindleThomas StankewiczJoe & Jill StankowskiEric & Sarah StarckMatthew & Jennifer StaresAlbert & Joan Stauffacher—In memory of Irma Grace StauffacherJanet L. Stauss ‘65 TrustSusan Stearns—In memory of Linda KehmAndrew & Pamela SteersJohn & Katie ‘98 SteinMartin & Rachel SteinJohn & Jennifer SteinerKASOE Steiner FamilyBrian ‘96 & Amy SteketeeBrian Sterling & Carla BoydRichard & Mary StevensClay ‘89 & Kris StifflerKaren Henry StokesJim & Ashley StormsGeorge & Monica StoverTim & Sarah ‘97 StravelerDale StreeterScott & Angela StropkaiDale & Sharon StubbsKaren Steffensen Sturges, ‘58Jim & Ann StuursmaPeter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 StuursmaJudy SubarTim & Karen ‘86 SullivanMary Sunshine, ‘75 Keith & Meghan SwaymanStacey SzczepanskiEric & Stacey TannerCharles ‘58 & Joyce TappanPaul & Beth TaylorWill & Kelli TempletonMichael & Liz Terhorst
Chris & Teri TesserisCorey & Stephanie Thelen
Peter & Lisa TheutNick & Amy Thole
Andy & Kate ThomasCharley ‘87 & Janine Thompson
Winona TinholtThe Tippett Family
Todd & Mary ‘90 TjoelkerHannah Tobin
Mark & Marsha TompkinsStevee Tompsett
Rock ‘56 & Kathy ‘58 TonkelJeff & Julie Towner
Tom & Amy TownsendAdam & Gretchen Townshend
Dick ‘72 & Kathleen ‘73 TupperTJ & Sarah Turnage
Brett & Julie TurnerSteve & Denise Twinney
Dan & Anna TyrerCharles Ulrich & Laurie Dahlstrom
Lisa ValantyThe Van Dis Family
Alice Van EssOwen Van Winkle
Kevin VanceTanya Vanden Bosch
Chris VandenBerg ‘74 &Betsy Neubig
Shirley A. VandenBergThe Vander Molen Family
Brian VanderBeeNicole Vanderplow
Richard & Debra VanderZydenChris & Sarah VanDevenNate & Keri VanDrunen
Bradley & Julie VanHooseThe Vanorden Family
Casey & Lindsey WilliamsDouglas & Andrea Williams
Kyle Williams & Vanessa BradleyMatt & Trish Williams
Mike & LeeAnne WilliamsNeil & Dawn Williams
Andy & Erin WinkelCharlie Winslow & Judy Sopeland
Alex & Julie ‘96 WisemanThe Wisniewski Family
Dean ‘80 & Nell WittingSteve & Stacey Wojciechowski
Muriel D. Wolf—In memory of Richard N. Wolf, ‘50
Bob ‘92 & Tracy WolfordRobert & Susan Wolford
Dave & Jan WolletJohn Wondergem
John & Patty WoodhouseRobert C. Woodhouse, Jr., ‘72
John WoodsLaura Woolford
Douglas & Tamara WurlEric & Kathy Wynsma
Seth Yanik & Sherry SharrardPeter ‘79 & Lynn Yardley
Chris & Janice YatesBruce C. Young, ‘74
Sarah YoungsChad Zagel & Ellie Frey
Michael & Kathy ZagoBryant & Marcia Zanko
Amy ZdraveckyJoe & Katie Zemaitis
Ben ‘94 & Meagan ‘97 ZerfasKyle & Gloriana Zimdar
Brad & Fleur Zylstra
Aaron & Jennifer VanZeeNick & Amanda VeltingFernando & Katie VicenteEdward & Caitlin VolovlekScott ‘90 & Marni ‘90 VynTrent R. WadsworthBreanna WagenmakerJim WalkerStrick & Leanna WalkerThe Walson FamilyBryan & Angie WaltersDamian & Deanne WaltersThomas C. Wanty III, ‘77Elizabeth Warnshuis, ‘75Mark & Wendy WassinkKyle & Kristin WatsonMary K. WeadockTim & Lisa WeaverScott & Jennifer WebbCraig & Carmen WeigelEric & Courtney WeilerCarlos O. WeissJim ‘85 & Susan Weiss—In memory of Susan Emmons Nolan, ‘85 Brad Welch, ‘91 Charles B. Welch, ‘05James & Jane Welch FoundationVirginia M. Welch, ‘65Dan & Lynee WellsEric & Leah WendlingJohn H. WertTy & Kathy WessellChris & Jodi WestgateGeorge Whinery, ‘66Ben & Emily WhiteSteve & MeiLi WieringaMatt & Erica WikanderCharles Wilkinson—In memory of Patricia Wilkinson
POWERINGCREATIVITY
10 East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | Memorial Gifts
JEFFREY ARMBRECHT, ‘96Gary & Chris ArmbrechtPAUL E. BEARD, ‘96
Laurie BeardMOLLY CAVARA, ‘20
The Stuursma FamilySTEVE CHAMBERLAIN, ‘77
Tim Ainsworth, ‘77Tom Ainsworth, ‘77
Class of ‘77 classmatesDENISE M. DELANO, ‘85
Dennis ‘91 & Merritt DeLano-TaylorANDREW DENNEN, ‘69
Joy Dennen Scher, ‘60MATT FOUCH
EGRPS Teacher & CoachThe Bruce Family
Hannah Stuursma, ‘18RIC GADBOIS, ‘81Tom Ainsworth, ‘77RALPH GARLICK
Barbara ConeSUE GARLICK
Barbara ConeTom Ainsworth, ‘77JIM GRUEL, ‘78
Tom Ainsworth, ‘77ZACK HOUSE, ‘11
Martha ReamonHARRY, EVELYN &
CHUCK ‘64 LAWFORDAnne Lawford Krawczak, ‘60
FRANK LETHERBYFormer EGRPS TeacherAnn Louise Bushweit
Paul & Connie ChardoulChase Collins ‘63, John Collins ‘66, Chris
Collins ‘70, Liz Collins ‘78Barbara, Timothy ‘80 & Michael ‘82 Cone
Bob & Jeanine DaileyJoe Felkner
Friends & neighbors of Miami BeachRick & Carol Godfrey
Chester & Elaine GrantWin ‘65 & Kyle ‘70 Irwin
Cindy Koster, ‘89Frank S. & Anne M. Letherby
Nancy LetherbyScott & Vickie Lizenby
Ric & Lisa LoydChuck Novak & Gary Pritchard
Marilyn & Jeanette NovakJames Ogilvie
Peter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 StuursmaChuck & Lill Thompson
Beverly VanWeesBob & Barb Woodrow
RICHARD LYMANJim ‘56 & Betsy BartonBill ‘67 & Diane Baxter
David H. ‘55 & Mary Kay ‘57 BerlesBob & Val BerneckerGenevieve Bratschie
Mary CarringtonRoger & Lee Clark
Paul & Nancy ClodfelderLowell & Nell Dana
John & Penny ‘52 EdisonRobert & Rudean Fairman
David & Judy FreySuzanne Fuller
Meg Goebel, ‘75Bob & Diane Hall
Libby Headrick, ‘57John & Sarah ‘76 Jackoboice
Michael & Susan JohnsonTom & Margy JonesThe Knuble Family
Jon & Katherine ‘85 LimeRay & Susan Lovell
Genie LymanRobert ‘79 & Susan ‘79 Lyman
Jim & Carolyn MorseJack Nichols
Marcia OettingLinda B. Patterson
Barbara A. RichardsonKaren H. Stokes
Peter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 StuursmaRonald & Geraldine Urbanski
Edith G. VasuMark & Wendy Wassink
Mark & Allison ‘89 WhiteDick & Barbara Young
2019 DONOR ROLL CALLEndowment Fund Supporters
JIMMY GERKEN FUNDBob & Val BerneckerWayne BrownBrad ‘88 & Kim ‘89 Ditmar—In honor of the Snyder-Glendening weddingGreg McAleenan, ‘75Ryan McAleenan, ‘05Jacob Rabideau, ‘14John Steketee, ‘75Peter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 Stuursma—In honor of the Snyder-Glendening weddingTim & Karin ‘77 TurmelleNate VanderPloeg, ‘04Tom White, ‘76
LINDA KEHM KINDNESS COUNTSSCHOLARSHIP FUNDLakeside Elementary PTO
DR. WINIFRED W. MULDER &MS. KRISTINE S. MULDERMOTHER/DAUGHTER FUNDCarole McDonaldKristine S. Mulder, ‘71
MARJORIE M. NEUBIG FUNDFOR SCIENCE INSPIRATIONThe late Marjorie NeubigChris VandenBerg ‘74 & Betsy Neubig
RIDENOUR FUNDJulie Ridenour, ‘70
WE THE PEOPLE FUNDLuke & Stacie GriemsmanJeff & Allison ‘88 MontagueStephen Michael MooreJim & Marie PrestonStafford Smith & Ritsu Katsumata
SENSE &SENSIBILITY
High School Drama
CREATIVE ARTS FROZEN JR.
Elementary Musical
For more infomation visit us online at egrsf.org 11
PATSY MARTINJohn Martin, ‘72
SHERMANMASSINGHAM, ‘40
Nancy MassinghamTOBY MCCARTHY, ‘77
Class of ‘77 classmatesJIM MCINERNEY, ‘63
Larry ‘65 & Mettie ‘65 LeighSam ‘63 & Barb ‘64 Metcalf
John ‘63 & Prim ‘64 SebastianRICHARD MOREY
EGR Admin Lead TeamEGR Board of Education
GRANT HIGHLIGHT8th Graders Attend Hamilton
Pete Miller, EGRMS social studies teacher, has been dreaming of sharing “Hamilton” with his 8th grade students for years. Together, Miller and the Foundation worked out a plan for families to share the cost of tickets when the show came to Grand Rapids. A grant of $9,558, funded by donors to the Foundation, made it possible. “It ties directly with a huge chunk of our curriculum,” Miller said. “Our job is to take something that might feel a little bit dry and make it relevant.” Miller said, “Everyone seemed to be blown away by the show. Even some students who wouldn’t consider a musical to be their thing still walked away with an awe that somebody created that from scratch.”Student Marley Shelton said, “I thought it was an amazing opportunity for all the 8th graders because we were learning about this time in history, so to see it come to life was amazing.” Eighth grader Riley Padgett thought the show was “Really exciting. It helped that we’d just had a unit about this period in social studies; I don’t know if I would have understood most of it if we hadn’t.”Miller provided another unique opportunity for the 8th graders. Mikey Winslow (EGRHS ‘04), a Hamilton cast member, came to the middle school the morning after the students went to the show to speak to the entire grade in the Learning Commons about his experience in the cast, his journey from East to Broadway, and his dance comeback after a total hip replacement in 2018. Winslow also reminded students that he had once been a student in the very same learning commons. “I was shy and middle school is hard,” he said. And then he encouraged them to pursue their goals step by step, seize opportunities to dance in their own lives, do their best, and be themselves.
MARJORIE NEUBIGEvie Bowers
Dennis & Denise CitronSusan VandenBerg Cupaiuolo, ‘68
John ‘69 & Louise ‘69 EdisonTwink Frey, ‘56
Tom ‘74 & Mary ‘75 FullerLe Valley Chevrolet Buick
GMC Truck Inc.Phyllis A. Maiale
Christian MatthewsBarbara Mayo-Johnson
Michael & Carole McDonaldHarvey Motulsky & Lisa Norton
Tom Northway & Diane St. ClaireMary E. Schaff
Margaret SheppardBrent & Diane Slay
Peter ‘58 & Joan SteketeePeter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 Stuursma
Tim & Karin ‘77 TurmelleChris VandenBerg ‘74 & Betsy Neubig
Shirley VandenBergDavid ‘67 & Beverly Verdier
Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business
Western Michigan UniversityDepartment of Accountancy
Aleicia WoodrickDick & Barbara Young
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | Memorial Gifts
RANDY PHILLIPS, ‘78Tom Ainsworth, ‘77James & Kay Fuger
BOB PORTERFormer EGRPS CoachCharles Jennings, ‘57
DR. RICHARD H. SIDELLTom & Mary Sidell ‘61 James
PATRICIA SMITH, ‘60Steve Smith, ‘58
JAMES WILKINSON, ‘75Charles Wilkinson
PATRICIA WILKINSONCharles Wilkinson
RICHARD N. WOLF, ‘50Muriel D. Wolf
WE THE PEOPLEState Competition
POWERINGEDUCATION
Martha Teichner, ‘65Nick & Amy Thole Peter ‘72 & Jeanne UhlGreg & Deb WeaverDave & Stephanie ‘79 WhitfordBrad & Fleur Zylstra
$100 - $249AnonymousGary & Chris ArmbrechtScott & Elizabeth ArnoldLaurie BeardBeechwood School’s Out PartyPatrick & Marcia Bell—In honor of Matthew BellChuck & Pat BloomRen ‘55 & Cj BranderRick & Pat BrewerScott R. BrundageBrandon & Elizabeth BurnetteThomas & Sarah CannonCharlene M. Chadbourne, ‘61Jeffrey & Tamara ChristiansPaul & Barbara ClaessonGeorge & Mary Ann CoroneosDennis ‘91 & Merritt DeLano-TaylorRich & Liz ‘98 Della CroceDennis & Amy DonohueRichard ‘57 & Patricia DunwellPaul & Bridget FarrTom & Kathryn FaturosDonald & Carol FirlikMichael J. Fishman, ‘56Andrea Fotias, ‘75Robert Goodrich, ‘58Ralph Greene, ‘57Shelly GullettThomas ‘69 & Janis Hollingsworth
Charles Jennings, ‘57Hunter & Claudia Judson
Dennis Kellermeier & Barbara JourdanKelli Kopen & Chris Calhoun
Arnold & Kristin LeeNick ‘62 & Gail Leech
Philip M. Leech, ‘58Gregory & Tracey Lewis
Daniel Lorenz & Aletta VanderPlaatLisa Brown Lyman, ‘79
Paul & Rosanne ‘83 Mack— In honor of Peter ‘14,
David ‘15 & Thomas ‘17 MackJason ‘98 & Jennifer Madden
Jim McColl, ‘55Terence McIlhargey
Christopher & Michele MeaderWally Melson, ‘44
Sam ‘63 & Barb ‘64 MetcalfJack Nichols
James Ogilvie & FamilyKeith Paluska
Sheila PantlindLinda B. Patterson
Larry Prange & Suzanne KnechtRichard J. Pryce, ‘55
Mike & Trish ‘89 ReidJay Reminga, ‘83
Julie Ridenour, ‘70Larry & Sally Robson
L. Roland & Marjorie RoeggeKurt & Jodi Rushmore
Robert ‘53 & Karen ‘53 SchermerBill & Shelly Schram
Andrew & Kateri SchuttBrian Schwartz ‘84 & Elizabeth Welch ‘88
Steve & Mary SchwartzDanielle Smith
Joe & Katy LevanMacDougal Family Foundation
Jeff & Allison ‘88 MontagueAndrew Norden & Shanna TenClay
George & Heidi RobertsBuck & Judy Saunders
Bob Shapton & Mary Reagan ShaptonMark & Allison ‘89 White
Laura A. Young, ‘78
$250 - $499Tom Ainsworth, ‘77
Mark & Lynn Barger ElliottJeff Bergers ‘73 & Cindy Braak
Mike & Bethany BregenzerJack & Mary Lou ‘51 Campbell
Richard Chalker, ‘58—In honor of the Class of 1958
James & Courtney ‘97 CinglieStuart & Rita Citron
Phil Conrad & JJ LoewThomas M. Cook, ‘61
Gregory ‘99 & Kimberly CraneMichael & Mary Crawford
Dino & Katie FavaleRobert & Marie Griffin
Chip & Terry Hurlburt—In honor of Barbara Cone
Paul & Dee McGrawRichard K. Miller, ‘62
Marc & Charlene MontpetitJoe & Lisa Newhouse
Adam & Tricia OphoffChris & Joan Panopoulos
Howard & Stacy PaulSmith Roberts ‘94 & Jenny Berglund
Tim SaundersAndrew & Logan Schmidt
$5,000 OR MOREJohn M. Frey, ‘58John Martin, ‘72Hank & Liesel MeijerMeijer, Inc.
$2,500 - $4,999Terri Burg Amann, ‘71Dan ‘58 & Linda Conway
$1,000 - $1,999Gary Graeff & Kim KrauseTom & Mary Sidell ‘61 JamesThe Lingwood Aguayo FamilyBill & Melissa MarshChris & Michelle RabideauDiego Rojas & Lindsay SnyderDr. & Mrs. Larry D. Snyder Rich & Abby Sorota
$500 - $999William E. Alt, ‘70David H. Berles, ‘55—In honor of Mary Kay Berles, ‘57John & Janet Boyles— In appreciation for the wonderful education their three children experienced in the EGR school systemThe Bruce FamilyFred & Kathleen BurkhartPhilip C. Chamberlain, ‘55—In honor of the Class of 1955Erik Daly ‘00 & Jessica Bloom ‘00Michael & Jenny ‘87 FeeRick & Carol Godfrey— In honor of Emily Bergstrom & her class of 2019 classmatesScott & Mary GorslineMichael ‘63 & Sheila HannahBrad & Karen HunterErika King & Robert BeaseckerThe Larsen Family
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | EGRSF Annual Fund Supporters
4 Winter 2019 | For more infomation about EGRS Foundation’s grant program visit egrsf.orgEast Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT12
CLASSROOM LIBRARIES
5For more infomation visit us online at egrsf.org 13
Steve ‘58 & Barb Smith Peter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 StuursmaKeith & Meghan SwaymanScott ‘90 & Marni ‘90 VynCharles WilkinsonThe Wisniewski FamilyMichael & Robbyn WnekMuriel D. WolfBruce C. Young, ‘74Glen Young, ‘55Rodger J. “Skip” Zwemer, Jr., ‘67
$20 - $99Diane Alt, ‘70Tom & Deb AnkneySam & Ben BashamRoger & Cindy BeraRoger & Marcia BeutnerBarbara ConeEGR Class of 2019John & Stephanie EckleyHarvey Fixler, ‘62Betsy FleetwoodOmar & Elizabeth FloresJill Fouch & the late Matt FouchLynn & Alice Francis Sharmon Elizabeth Frantz, ‘67Denny ‘59 & Mary Ann GrayT. Gregory James, ‘69Julian & Judith Joseph Sarah Porter Jury, ‘69Anne Lawford Krawczak, ‘60Andrew LawlorRichard & Heather ‘92 LewisBrad & Emily LordenArend & Nancy LubbersMatt & Amy MarlowJohn Martin, ‘72
Nancy MassinghamMichael & Carole McDonald—
In honor of Pierce McDonaldSharon McKee, ‘62
Dick Morrill, ‘40The Oosse Family
Vince & Natalie OwenSteven ‘70 & Alicia Pestka
The Potter FamilyRobert & Janette ‘52 Reid
Joy Dennen Scher, ‘60Hannah Stuursma, ‘18
Courtney ThomasCandace Titus
Mark & Marsha TompkinsDennis & Carroll Velie
Kristen Von Doersten, ‘94Julie Dooge Waite, ‘78John & Carroll Wiener
UNITED WAYDONORS
AnonymousCarlye Allen
Catherine BlagdurnSteven Brinks
John BurkeHeather Carlson
Sara EdlemanJill Fouch
Brad FreiburgerDoug Jenkins
Betsy KrattAnthony Morey
Tim SaundersMarjolijn van der Velde
Dean Witting, ‘80
MATCHING GIFTSAmazon Smile Foundation
AstraZeneca PharmaceuticalsAvanade
AXA FoundationBank of America Foundation
Benefit MobileCDK Global, LLCDell Technologies
Delta Air Lines FoundationFLIR Systems
GE FoundationGenentech, Inc.
MedtronicNovartis
PayPal Giving FundPfizer Foundation
Salesforce.orgSteelcase FoundationTEGNA Foundation
Total Quality LogisticsTravelers
Unist, Inc.VMware Foundation
Wells Fargo FoundationWorkday
HONORARY GIFTSIn honor of Dave Mehney’s
80th birthdayRichard ‘57 & Patricia Dunwell
Jim & Carolyn MorsePeter ‘89 & Amy ‘89 Stuursma
GRANT HIGHLIGHTColumbia University Teachers College
“My experience at Teachers College was both affirming and inspiring. Their approach to teaching and learning is data-driven and allows for teacher and student choice, which is powerful. I already have implemented several strategies and practices into my teaching that have increased engagement in reading and writing. I can’t wait to build upon this foundation so that all students may benefit from my learning at Teachers College.”
—Sara Edleman, EGRHS Teacher
“Teachers College provides the best professional develop-ment I have had in my 22 years of teaching. It not only provides practice and modeling for how we work with the students by having us go through the sessions as a student would, but it provides the current and relevant research behind why it is so effective.”
—Jill Smith, EGRMS Teacher
“I left Teachers College feeling energized and inspired. The sessions at the Book Clubs for Middle School and High School Institute were engaging, informative, and useful. I know my students will benefit from what I’ve learned.”
—Erika Iannuzzi, EGRMS Teacher
1959
CLASS OF 2019 | GRADUATION DAY
There were more than a dozen reunions in 2019, a record-setting year for the East Grand Rapids Alumni Association. The gatherings ranged from the class of 1949’s 70th reunion in July all the way up to the class of 2014’s 5th reunion over Thanksgiving weekend.The number of reunions held last year is evidence that the Alumni Association is making great strides in connecting East alums no matter where they live or how many years have passed since they graduated. Already, there are eleven reunions planned for 2020, with more being scheduled every month.
2020 REUNIONS
All that is in addition to the alumni content on our website, which includes Class News and the popular “Virtual Cup of Coffee” alumni profiles. This spring, Alumni Relations Coordinator Maria Allen will once again hold an Alumni Happy Hour in Florida. The second annual event will be Wednesday, April 8 from 5:30-7:30pm at the North Palm Beach Country Club. More events at other locations are in the works.Homecoming will be another chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Stop by the Alumni Tent Friday, September 25 at the football game for refreshments, East swag, and more. Join us!Finally, in November, the Community Service and Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner will honor longtime EGRPS Custodial Supervisor—and East legend—Bruce Towne, along with CDR Bill Krissoff, MD, Medical Corps, United States Navy (Ret.), an orthopedic surgeon who honored his fallen Marine son Nate in an extraordinary way. After Nate was killed in action in Iraq, Dr. Krissoff, at age 60, decided to walk away from his thriving practice to join the United States Navy Medical Corps. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, caring for injured soldiers. Tickets will be available on our website (egrsf.org) later this spring. Get yours early. This event is expected to sell out quickly. If you’d like to organize an Alumni Happy Hour in your area, email Alumni Relations Coordinator Maria Allen at [email protected].
Want more alumni news? Visit www.egrsf.org/alumniAre you getting the Pioneer Post quarterly alumni newsletter in your email?Send a message to [email protected] to be added to the mailing list!
East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
ALUMNI NEWS | Reunions
14
POWERINGTRADITION
1949
1957
1969
1984
1947Doreen (Collins) Carbaugh 1948Barton Hamilton1949Robert Campbell1950Barbara (Friend) Van EssClifford Mitts, III1951R. Parke Collins1952Karen (Hagstrom) Dopke1953Nancy (Lawyer) Barrows1955John WardropJames Freeman1956L. Peck Green1957Jean (Whyte) Wilson1958Carla (Hudson) Miller1959Ross Stephens1960Thomas McAllister1961Bruce Meyer, Sr.1963James McInerney
1964Mary Gwen Warnshuis
Jack BarrowsJudith (Wyer) Ekkens
1965Gracia Blanchard
Linda Sutton1969
Andrew Dennen1974
Shelly (Ayars) MickamWilliam McCormack
1977Stephen Chamberlain
1978Randall Phillips
1981Eric ‘Ric’ Gadbois
Mark KayThomas Ditmar
1984Darcy (French) Hoppman
1996Greg Williamson
2004Robert Wisniewski
Former EGRPS StaffMatt Fouch
Dale LancasterFrank Letherby
Jeane SwartHelen Wade
ALUMNI NEWS | In RemembranceWe extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the following alumni and former EGRPS staff who died since our last publication. They will be greatly missed.
We apologize for any errors or omissions. Please help us stay informed by calling us at (616) 235-3535 or emailing to [email protected].
For more infomation visit us online at egrsf.org/alumni 15
1949 (7/25)1955 (9/17-18)
1965 (9/11-12)1970 (9/25-26)
1975 (TBD)1980 (9/25-26)
1990 (TBD)1995 (7/11)
2000 (8/1)2010 (TBD)
19891979
1989
2014
POWERINGPERFORMANCE
16 East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | 2019 Sip & Support Sponsors
$2,500AnonymousBright FormatCDK Global, LLCThe Brad Ditmar TeamNorris, Perné & French LLP
$1,500CIBCFounders Brewing CompanyHoekstra Transportation, Inc.K.V. & Jena LacksJoe & Katy Levan - Varnum LLPMiller JohnsonNew Mill CapitalValleau, VanDeven & Massie Dentistry for ChildrenVisbeen Architects
$1,000Pat & Nancy ConnorJoel & Shannon Iakiri
Keil Lasik Vision CenterMeijer, Inc.
Rose’s on Reeds Lake
$500David & Mary Kay Berles
Scott & Natalie BerneckerTom & Alexis Boyden
Dennis & Jennifer BruceDave & Nancy Cook
Mark & Lauren JacobyNick & Amanda McVay
Brian & Megan MillerMatthew & Jill MillerTim & Denise Myers
Brian Schwartz & Elizabeth WelchThe Sippel Family
Phil & Beth SkaggsThe Thole Family
Jack & Jennifer Zinser
$250Erik Daly & Jessica Bloom
José Babushka’sK3NOW
Barbara KellerLolë Grand Rapids
Reagan Marketing +Design, LLC
Tim & Cindy Schad
SUPPORTERSDave & Dori CouvreurScott & Mary Gorsline
Last year’s Sip & Support spring friend-raiser marked the second year we’ve gathered at the EGR Community Center to celebrate our schools. After ten years of Hurrah! parties, we created Sip & Support in 2018 as a partnership between our schools, our city, Gaslight businesses and our community as a whole. Our schools are an enormous part of what makes East Grand Rapids such a wonderful place to live. Hurrah!, Sip & Support, and now Recharge! give all of us an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones while supporting our schools’ tradition of excellence.
GRANT HIGHLIGHTMindful Moments In Music
Many afternoons at the high school, an enthusiastic group of special education students can be found marching, singing, smiling, and tapping their drumsticks to the beat at Cardio Drumming, a unique after-school activity funded by a grant from the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation.The grant supports both the high-energy, after-school Cardio Drumming Club and the more mellow, in-class Mindful Moments music programming for MOCI (ModerateCognitive Impairment) students. Both weeklyprograms are led by musician John Nowak, EGR ‘11, and both harness the power of music to enhance social-emotional learning, fine motor control, spatial awareness, and focus.“During mindful moments in music, any worries about other school work, or interactions with other students, tend to disappear,” Nowak says. “Those are replaced by this activity that’s positive and fun.”
For more infomation visit us online at egrsf.org 17
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | 2019 Gerken Open SupportersEvery spring, the EGR Team Boosters and the Foundation join together for the Gerken Open at Thousand Oaks Golf Club. The Gerken Open supports the Boosters and the Jimmy Gerken Fund, which was established to remember Jimmy and ensure that athletics and co-curriculars—the activities Jimmy loved most—remain an integral part of our students’ education. The Jimmy Gerken Fund also pays for student activities during Kabookie Week, keeping Jimmy’s memory alive while encouraging students to continue to experience personal excellence, just as Jimmy would have wanted.
The 2020 Gerken Open will beWednesday, June 10, 2020.Register online to play or be
a sponsor of the event at egrsf.org.
Thank you to all our 2019 sponsors! $1,500
AnonymousScott & Natalie Bernecker
Brad Ditmar Team, Keller Williams Realty
Fox AcuraHoekstra Transportation, Inc.
Hope Network FoundationLEAD Marketing
Meijer, Inc.Miller Johnson
S. Abraham & Sons$500
Law Offices of Sean Patrick CoxTwo Men And A Truck / GR North
$250 Competitive Edge
Fredrickson Supply, LLCGeckobrands
Grand Rapids Label Co.John & Lindel Hoff
LaFleur & Godfrey, Inc.Micro Kickboard
Northstar CommercialRonda Auto Centers
StifelSUPPORTERS
Josh BruwerMike & Megan Knuble
Scan this QR code below with yoursmart phoneto watch thisprogram inaction!
Louise Neesley
Deanna Allchin . . . . . . . . . . . The Israels FamilyMichael Arthur . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie ConnorKaelynn Benham . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lexi WisemanJenny Bergstrom . . . . . . . . . Madelyn CampbellMeredith Bonner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam ConnorSteven Brinks . . . . . . . . . Olivia Miller & FamilyHolly Brownley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie BrandstadtJohn Burke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers FamilyMary Buzalski . . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers FamilyCaroline Cannon . . . . . . . . . Madelyn CampbellAndrea Eggert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cai LewisMary Elderkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie ConnorTim Farmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie ConnorJill Fouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Israels Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anabel Miller & FamilyAshley Frayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryson Steketee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lucas Parent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Will ParentKristin Griffith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Britt SteketeeErin Grin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Kimball FamilyErin Harmon . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackson Brandstadt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie ConnorMatt Harold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie ConnorMary Hillyard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reece Mellish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anabel Miller & FamilyJanae Janca . . . . . . . . . .Vince & Natalie OwenDoug Jenkins . . . . . Michael & Mary CrawfordNancy Kast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lucca BordoliThomas Kawel . . . . . . . . . . .Jackson BrandstadtHolly Lampen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam Connor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Addie Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Miller & FamilyLindsey Lantz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam Connor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Israels Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vince & Natalie OwenChristine Mapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie Connor
Amy Marlow . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Miller & FamilyKatie McIntosh . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers FamilyKerry McKee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louisa FilkinsHeather McKinney-Rewa. . . . . . . . . . Kyra AllenNatalie Meadows . . . . . . . . .Jackson BrandstadtSocorro Mercado-Blackport . . . . . . . . Kyra Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackson BrandstadtKaitlin Merpi . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie Brandstadt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ella WisemanCheryl Radecki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4th grade class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyra AllenPatrick Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackson BrandstadtKatie RietKerk . . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mitchell StuursmaCassandra Rood . . . . . . . Olivia Miller & FamilyShelly Schram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam Connor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Israels FamilyDanielle Smith . . . . . . . Anabel Miller & FamilyChris Stabile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers FamilyStacey Szczepanski . . . .Vince & Natalie OwenWinona Tinholt . . . . . . . . . . . The Israels FamilyScott Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyra AllenMary Tjoelker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lucca BordoliStevee Tompsett . . . . . . . . . .Meredith WisemanKevin Vance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyra Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anabel Miller & FamilyTad VandenBrink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyra Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackson BrandstadtKatie Vicente . . . . . . . . . . . . Madelyn CampbellCarmen Weigel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyra Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reece MellishBill Westers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie ConnorLaura Woolford . . . . . . . . . . . The Albers Family
2019 DONOR ROLL CALL | Appreciation Star Award SponsorsGifts to the Foundation were made to honor stars in our school community. Below is the list of gifts made during 2019 recognizing a special teacher, staff member or school employee. Thank you to the many contributors and to the many outstanding staff members who make East Grand Rapids Public Schools a great place to learn!
18 East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation & Alumni Association 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
POWERING THE FUTURE
For more infomation visit us online at egrsf.org 19
2019 DONOR ROLL CALLClass Reunion Gifts
Reunion gifts are a great way for East alumni to give back to the schools and community that gave them their start. Different classes plan their gifts in different ways. We can help figure out the best way for your class to organize its gift. Every gift is appreciated, and you can decide the best way to do it for your group. Thank you for supporting the schools that helped make you who you are!
CLASS OF 1984 | $2,245Mike Allen
Larry BridgeKaren Simon BuddeWayne Christiansen
John FullerCarole Clodfelder Hammerslag
Julie Zinser HorlingsMelissa Moore Janes
Re KnackDana Lubner
Betsy MuirKristin Barrett Selvala
Class of ‘84 gift
CLASS OF 1989 | $1,677Jennifer Murphy KubicPeter & Amy Stuursma
Allison Hall WhiteClass of ‘89 gift
CLASS OF 2019 | $1,141Class of ‘19 graduation gift
CLASS OF 1959 | $1,880Joan Brink BergsteinssonTory Gold BuchenBrooks CorlMary Ralph DeanDorothy Albers DousePolly Sweet HeavnerKaty Meyer HillaryKaren Olsen HoltPhyllis KravitzBob Kress Kathy Keller Laidlaw Margaret LenzJohn LillieStewart MacIntyreHolly Holt PalmerMargaret RoblingSusie McBride SebastianGillian Martin SorensenJim ThomsonJudy Henry Vana
CLASS OF 1964 | $595Jill Golden Baltzer
Suzy CookRichard Coombs
Gregory E. V. DodgsonPatrick Fox
Mary Whittier GoreClarissa Pond Hesner
Mary Cornelius KretschmanMichael Montgelas
Susan Whittier
CLASS OF 1979 | $1,333Missy Canepa AgnelloMichael Boeschenstein
Mark FinkelsteinRandy Ford
Flip GoodspeedJohn Hoff
Stacy Sawyer HunterKaren Lundeen Kurgan
Rick MarvinStacy Fetty Montgomery
Jeff ShullPeter Yardley
Class of ‘79 gift
GRANT HIGHLIGHT | Gone BoardingA little over a year ago, East Grand Rapids High School art teacher Terry Szpieg wrote a grant request for more than $21,000 over three years from the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation. Szpieg wanted to start a class at the high school called Gone Boarding, in which students would design and build their own skateboards, surfboards and snowboards.The Foundation Board took the leap and approved the grant, but nobody knew if enough kids would be interested in it to make it worthwhile. So when students were given the opportunity to sign up for Gone Boarding last spring, and 157 students said they wanted to take the class, Szpieg knew he had a hit on his hands.Twenty seniors were selected to take the inaugural Gone Boarding class. Szpieg is thrilled to see how it’s taking shape. “This class is so much fun,” he says. “It’s new. It’s different. It’s exciting!” Gone Boarding enables students to learn real-world STEAM concepts including physics, drafting, and aerodynamics while designing and building their own boards. “This class can have a far-reaching impact by getting kids involved,” Szpieg says.
On any given day, the class is a hub of activity, with teams and individuals at different stages of their projects. “The kids are really enjoying the class and they’re putting
a lot into it,” he says. “I’m just so glad we have the support of the schools and our community to make this possible. And it’s only going to grow from here. The
grant is for first semester this year, next year, and the year after that. Long term, this is going to make a huge difference in students’ lives.”
Thank you to the members of the Louise Neesley Legacy Society REN BRANDER ‘55
LINDA KEHM*LOUISE HITT NEESLEY*
MARJORIE NEUBIG*PETER AND JOAN SECCHIA
RICH AND ABBY SOROTAJANET L. STRAUSS*
Every donationto supporteducation isan investmentin the future.
“As a member of the East Grand Rapids community, Louise recognized the importance of education and understood the value of our schools and the impact the Foundation can have on our public schools. By making the Foundation part of her estate plan, Louise demonstrated her understanding of how important our schools are to our community.”
—Amy Stuursma Foundation Executive Director
If you have any questions about the Louise Neesley Legacy Society, or any aspect of planned giving, pleasecontact us. We’d be happy to talk to you about making a lasting investment in our community and our children’s future.
Funding school programs gives students of today and tomorrow every opportunity to succeed. A donation made through planned giving takes that investment in the future one step further. Planned giving to the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation is an investment in education for generations to come.
When individuals name the Foundation in their estate plans, they become part of the Louise Neesley Legacy Society.
For more information, please contact Amy at (616) 575-9906 or [email protected]*deceased
THANK YOU to our Foundation office volunteers in 2019! Kim Bardeggia | Bethany Bregenzer | Pam Penney | Mari Persons | Amy Rockwell