OUR PEOPLE
At the heart of any good company is good people. Choice is no exception. Our people come from all over the state and have a wide array of educational, professional, personal, and cultural backgrounds. We are all brought together by the shared passion of helping children.
We also focus on developing one another through meaningful relationships, challenging work, constructive feedback, sound professional training, and a true commitment to nurturing the career path of each team member.
Jacob Allen
Jacob graduated from Central Michigan University, receiving his B.S. in Business Administration and Economic Theory. A former U.S. Marine, he enjoys spending his time outdoors kayaking, hunting, and gardening. He also spends time on the weekends working on his family’s tree farm in Lake Isabella.
Kerri Barrett
Kerri is eager to partner with school leaders and boards to achieve their visions for their schools. Kerri lives in the West Michigan area with her husband Colin and their two beautiful children.
Brian Beaudrie
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, volunteering in his community, playing golf and watching sports, especially football.
Jessica Carey
Abby Cervone
She has worked in the education industry of HR for over five years and truly enjoys having a positive impact on our employees and students. Abby enjoys cooking, golfing, and spending time with her husband and two dogs Niko and Nora!
Kristen Crawford
In her free time, Kristen loves to travel, read, run, and ride her bike.
Ali DuBois
Amey Dryer
Amey and her husband Todd live in Brighton, MI with their two energetic boys Cole and Noah and their mischievous dog, Ruby. The boys keep them both very busy with baseball, ninja warrior, swimming, and gymnastics.
Paul Ezel
Michael Gorham
Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, consisting of his wife and five sons, as well as pursuing his passion for music. He sings and plays the guitar and loves the joy creating music brings to other people.
Rebeka Hays
Laura Helder
Ross Hinkle
He played hockey at Davenport and loves to camp, travel and experience new things with his wife and two kids. He is excited to join the Choice Schools family and has a personal mission to make a difference in our communities.
Autumn Hernandez
Sara Hogle
Robert Holst
Bayleigh Ivan
When off the clock, Bayleigh enjoys taking her dog to the dog park and finding new hiking spots to explore.
Amanda Konopaska
Nicole MacEachron
In her free time, Nicole loves to be outdoors, spending time with her family and friends and coaching volleyball.
Stacey Maycroft
Before joining Choice, she was a payroll assistant at TrueNorth where she became the “go-to” person for all topics. She assisted with employee benefits and participated in the onboarding process for new staff. Stacey’s daughter encouraged her to apply for the position because she works at New Branches Charter Academy. Stacey and her husband will be celebrating 30 years of marriage this year.
Katie Nykamp
Outside the office, you can find Katie enjoying the summer weather with family, camping, riding her side-by-side, or out on the lake. In the winter months she enjoys watching the Detroit Lions, and always enjoys a good book and running.
Laura Moellering
She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at Eastern Michigan University, and 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. Laura finds great satisfaction in designing programs that met student’s educational and emotional needs.
She is excited to be with Choice where she is able to be part of a community that genuinely respects families and believes in every student’s ability to achieve at high levels. When she isn’t engaged in work, she can be found on Lake Michigan, ideally with one of her three daughters, or curled up with a good book or podcast.
Kristin Molyneux
Kristin graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and earned her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. Kristin and her husband have been married for over 14 years and have two blissfully beautiful children. Her family is very involved in their church and loves to spend time with family and friends. She enjoys taking her family to different parks, traveling, and visiting exciting places. It is always a learning moment in the Molyneux household.
Lauri McCollum
Sara Mooney
Sara earned her master’s degree in business administration and her bachelor’s degree in business administration in international business and sports management from Davenport University. She is in the process of completing her second master’s degree in education with an emphasis in adult learning and higher education at Grand Valley State University. She was a recipient of the 2014 Davenport University Outstanding Young Alumni award. In her free time, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband, family, friends, and her dog Woody.
Kurt Naber
In Kurt’s spare time, he loves spending time with his wife Kathy and 2 sons (both of whom are attending WMAES).
Shatara Morris
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and serving in various outreach activities and ministries with New Hope Baptist Church where she is a member.
Ashtyn Overweg
When off the clock, Ashtyn enjoys traveling up to her family cabin in McBain, MI, and exploring he outdoors as much as possible.
Carrie Paddock
Carrie and her husband, Burt, have been married for 17 years and have two daughters, Hannah and Rylee. They enjoy basketball in the winter and beach time in the summer!
Cheryl Paull
Mandy Patouhas
Kelsey Peterson
In her free time, Kelsey enjoys volunteering with Special Education Ministries in Holland, Michigan, as well as spending time with her husband and mini Goldendoodle Milo.
Dani Phenix
She still enjoys arranging flowers and crotchet crafts for her friends and families.
Yolanda Ramirez-Salto
Yolanda values family and when not at work, she enjoys reading, being around horses, playing volleyball and spending time with friends.
Joshua Rochette
Nadia Samaha
Jennifer Shiels
Jennifer graduated from Central Michigan University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and minors in finance and legal studies. From there she pursued a career as a public accounting professional with Deloitte, obtaining her Certified Public Accountant license in 2010 and gaining experience performing single audits on charter schools across the Midwest. Since leaving public accounting in 2012 Jennifer has ventured into several industries bringing budgeting and financial reporting experience from wealth management, not-for-profits, hospitality and wholesale food distribution companies.
In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids camping, hiking and biking. She also values maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeks to incorporate healthy eating along with being active. Jennifer resides with her family in West Michigan.
Caryn Slater
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family and two dogs. She loves DIY projects, traveling, and exploring her city.
Nicholas Stage
Rachel Sterchele
Sarah VanderBaan
Free time for Sarah includes traveling, yoga, and spending time with her family relaxing in Northern Michigan. West Michigan is where Sarah calls home. Volunteering is important to Sarah as she serves on the Executive Board of Family Hope Foundation.
Sarah is excited to work at Choice and collaborate with general education and special education staff to meet the needs of all students.
Nicole Tuinstra
Nicole likes to bowl in her spare time with her family. She also has participated in the Shadblow Theater summer concert for the past 2 years. Nicole also likes to spend time with her husband and 2 daughters as well as her extended family.
Nicole is excited to make the transition to Choice Schools Central Office. “I am excited to work with the Curriculum and Instruction team and the Special Education team. My new role will allow me to work with both general education and special education teachers, which will benefit all of our students.”
Sarah K. Wildey
Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the School of Education and Human Development at Brenau University and completed her Master’s degree from the School of Business at Michigan State University.
Tiffany Wilhelm
Matt Witkowski
Kristen Zizio
In her free time, Kristen enjoys camping in the summer and spending time with her friends, family, and two cats. Originally from the east side of the state, Kristen enjoys exploring all that West Michigan has to offer.
Our partners’ perspective
When we hired Choice it was like a light bulb turned on. They are extremely supportive of our vision and allow us to be who we want to be while providing the foundational support for our students, staff and school community success. We would not be where we are today without
Choice Schools."
- Susie Schlehuber, Founder and School Leader at Lake Superior Academy
Choice Schools has created and implemented a vision for every child to learn and grow based on his/her needs. They have instilled this mission in their educators, who strive every day to provide the tools for students to reach their full, unique, and empowered potential and purpose.”
– Lisa Gillon, Principal at Livingston Classical Academy
I have worked with Choice Schools Associates for the last 13 years. The service and support that Choice provides its leaders and schools is top notch. They have figured out a successful formula to support the schools in each facet of operation - human resources, finance, operations, and curriculum and instruction. Their support allows me to focus on the daily operation of my school.”
– Terry Larkin, principal at New Branches Charter School Academy
I could not be happier, prouder, more grateful, amazed, awestruck and relieved by our decision to partner with Choice Schools Associates to operate Ivywood Classical Academy. What an adventure this school has been. Every curveball that came our way we managed to HIT OUT OF THE PARK, thanks to our amazing partnership we have built with Choice. I recommend Choice Schools to anyone who is looking for a trustworthy, competitive, experienced, and mission-driven organization. They are simply the best.”
- Tyler Horning, Founder and Board President at Ivywood Classical Academy