Helping Our Communities Thrive – Area Superintendents

All of our communities thrive. Area Superintendents. All four area superintendent photos in the background

At Choice, we currently have four superintendents. Each one brings expertise and talent to the position. Coming from various educational journeys, they all have one thing in common – putting kids first. It doesn’t matter if it is a school construction project or curriculum development, they are always actively seeking the best for kids. They juggle many responsibilities but continue to put the staff and students at the forefront. We are thankful for their continued dedication and servant leadership. 

“Our superintendents are natural leaders with passion and have a drive for carrying out the Board’s vision,” said Sarah Wildey, Choice CEO and President. “It didn’t take long for us to recognize that each one of our superintendents are deeply committed to making big things happen for the kids and families that we serve. We feel so grateful for their wealth of experiences and knowledge as part of our Choice Family.”

An area superintendent has seven main oversight areas:

  • Governance and Board Relations
  • Community Relations
  • Staff Relations
  • Business
  • Finance and Compliance
  • Instructional Leadership
  • School Safety and Security

Let’s meet our area superintendents 

Stan Rathbun Staff Member

Stan Rathbun

Schools serving: Battle Creek Montessori Academy, Muskegon Montessori Academy for Environmental Change, New Branches Charter Academy, and West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science

Education has always been Stan’s passion. He came to Choice Schools in July 2009 from Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation where he served as the executive director for five years. Previous to this role, he served the Mt. Pleasant community for eleven years in the role of executive director for the United Way of Isabella County where he worked with public schools to develop school foundations and created permanently endowed funds to benefit their educational programs.

Laura Moellering Area SuperintendentLaura Moellering

Schools serving: Benton Harbor Charter School Academy, Bradford Academy, Creative Montessori Academy, Dove Academy, Four Corners Montessori Academy, and Three Oaks Public School Academy

Laura is an education expert. She has spent nearly her entire career in charter schools and has been with Choice since May of 2017. Starting her journey as a high school English and psychology teacher, she moved into leadership roles first as a curriculum director and then as a charter high school principal. After that, Laura moved to a central office position where she oversaw curriculum and instruction and mentored school leaders within a diverse portfolio of charter schools.

It was during her master’s program in curriculum and instruction that Laura truly came to appreciate the opportunity that charter schools presented for students and families who desired a different educational experience.

Ron Wiens Board LiaisonRon Wiens

Schools served: Lake Superior Academy and Second Home Child Development Center. Ron also serves as Choice’s Chief Strategic Operations Officer.

Ron has always had a heart for helping others succeed. He serves from a place where he hopes all kids reach excellence in everything they do and serves with compassion and commitment. He joined the Choice team in April 2006 after being a manager and a clinician in the field of social work for over 30 years. Ron received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and his master’s from the University of Chicago. 

Kurt Naber Area SuperintendentKurt Naber

Schools serving: Ivywood Classical Academy, Livingston Classical Academy, and Will Carleton Academy

Kurt has lived a life of serving kids in charter schools. He started his career teaching in 2001 at a charter school in Big Rapids. After serving as a middle school and high school math teacher and a K-8 principal and executive director, he came to Choice with an enthusiasm to lead our classical schools. He is the newest member of our area superintendent team and started in July of 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University and his master’s from Jones International University.