​The Governing Board of PoWeR! Book Bags meets quarterly. 

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Board of Directors

 

Kara Gregory, Ph.D.

President, Executive Director, and Founder

Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Family and Child Ecology with an emphasis on child development, social-emotional development, literacy, play and early childhood education. 

M.A. Eastern Michigan University in Early Childhood Education

B.S. Central Michigan University in Child Development and Education

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Kara co-authored multiple editions of two textbooks: Guiding Children’s Social Development and Learning and Scaffolding Emergent Literacy. She created Playful Literacy and You! (PLaY), an early literacy training program for teachers for the State of Michigan. It was developed in early 2000. Kara taught Child Development and Early Childhood Education courses at Michigan State University and in private and public schools working with infants, toddlers, kindergarten, first graders and college students. She has also worked as an independent education consultant for the Oakland Intermediate School District.

Her volunteering activities in the community have included serving as a current member of the past Vice-President of the Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library Board, a member of the Front Street Writers Advisory Board, and the National Writers Series Mentor to Front Street Writers' Writer in Residence. She is currently on the advisory board for the North Ed Writers Studio.

 

Leslie McInerney

Treasurer

BS degree in Education from Central Michigan University with a major in Child Development and minor in Reading.

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Leslie successfully taught school for 28 years, including 15 years in Kindergarten. She owned a private business, directing, and teaching in her preschool, Come Grow With Us. She worked with students in all grades teaching, reading, and tutoring. Leslie maintains all of the financial records, purchasing, and the day to day financial operations. In concert with Kara, she also handpicks and orders new books for our programs.

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Aimee Lehmann, M.P.H. 

Secretary

Communications & Fundraising 

Author, MPH of Maternal and Child Health, member of the Board of Weave 

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After teaching English to children in the Peace Corps in Kenya, and running refugee camps in Southern Sudan, Aimee is now a writer and works in community engagement. 

 

Penny Campo-Pierce

Volunteer Coordinator

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Penny manages PoWeR! Book Bags programs at Grace Episcopal Food Pantry. She runs a tight ship coordinating volunteers at PoWeR! tirelessly. Her volunteers love her! Penny has served with many community non-profit organizations before she fell in love with the mission of PoWeR! Book Bags.

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Denise Palmer, B.S.

Fundraising & Social Committee

 

Nora Balgoyen

Community Connections 

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All of our Board of Directors are active volunteers in PoWeR! Book Bags,

as well as other local non-profit organizations.

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