Bridgman Foundation for Educational Excellence
enhancing and enriching learning opportunities
MEET OUR BOARD
Our Board of Trustees are comprised of involved citizens within and around the community that volunteer their time on behalf of the students within the Bridgman School District with a purpose of enhancing and enriching their learning opportunities. If you have a passion for education and are willing to help in any capacity, please contact us at info@bridgmanfoundation.org .
Allan Barker
Chairman
Interim Secretary
​Allan Barker had the privilege of growing up in the Bridgman Community. Allan attended Bridgman Schools from kindergarten through his high school graduation. He has always taken pride in his community in making personal connections and appreciates the beautiful environment with Lake Michigan to raise a family. He has been blessed with his wife Melissa and six children (4 have graduated Bridgman High School and two still attending Bridgman schools) who have provided a path for him to grow personally. He currently commutes two days a week to his office in Lisle, Illinois. But Allan chooses to commute because his priority is to raise his family in Bridgman. Allan also had the honor to serve on the Bridgman Volunteer Fire Department for more than 15 years after high school. Allan began his federal government service in December 2002 with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). His first career was with American Electric Power/D. C. Cook Nuclear Plant beginning after high school graduation in June 1976 through January 2002.
Since mid-2008, Allan’s federal government job function has been the Region III Government Liaison Officer. Region III covers the eight States of the mid-west. In this role, Allan serves as the region’s principal liaison between the USNRC and federal, state, local and Native American tribal government entities and other federal agencies on the regulation of nuclear materials and facilities. Allan has a BS degree in mechanical engineering technology.
Allan enjoys gardening, caring for his 19 chickens and five goats, and teaching Sunday school at Sawyer Highlands Church where he has been a member since 2010.
Linda Gedeon-Kuhn
Vice Chair Fund Development
Linda L. Gedeon-Kuhn is a 29-year resident of Bridgman, Michigan. She and her husbanh, Gerald, have three sons, all graduates of Bridgman High School.
She is delighted to be able to give back to the community by serving on the board of The Bridgman Foundation of Educational Excellence. "Our area is fortunate to have such a good school system. I am very happy to serve on the Board and give back to the school system that gave my sons such a great educationa and prepared them for college as well.
Linda has served in other capacities in the community:
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City Commissioner in Bridgman (14 years)
- Parks Commissioner
- Police Commissioner
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City of Bridgman Planning Commissioner
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Planning Commission Recording Secretary (currently)
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City Zoning Board of Appeals
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Zoning Board of Aeals Recording Secretary (currently)
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Board Member of the Michigan Municipal League
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MML Workman's Compensation Fund Board Member
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MML Elected Officials Academy Board Member
- Level Three Graduate of the EOA
Shane M. Peters
Trustee
After graduating from South Haven High School in 1988, Shane Peters attended Alma College where he graduated in 1992 with a degree in Sociology—already employed at the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department he worked there until 1995 when he was married and moved to Grand Haven and worked for the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department and then the Muskegon County Friend of the Court. In the summer of 1996 a unique experience presented itself to Shane when he became the Student Services Director at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s Careerline Tech Center. Shane continued his education and received his Masters in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University. After 9 years at CTC, Shane felt he was being led to be a high school principal in a “traditional” high school. Shane and his family moved north where he was the Middle School/High School Principal at Mason County Eastern Schools in Custer, Michigan. After just one year there the position as high school principal in South Haven became available, an opportunity for Shane to return to his Alma Mater and lead the Class B High School that provided him with so many opportunities as a student. Even from the beginning of his educational career, Shane had his eye on becoming a District Superintendent, being familiar with Bridgman from working in Berrien County and living part time in Bridgman, he felt that this was place he not only could be successful as a school leader but that his family could grow and thrive. Shane, his wife, Jill and their three boys, Cullen, Logan and Tanner, moved to Bridgman in June 2011 where he began his job as Superintendent of Bridgman Public Schools on July 1st, 2011. Because of his interest in enhancing educational experiences, Shane also joined the Foundation as a Trustee immediately.
Jamie Starbuck
Trustee
Jamie is a 1996 graduate of Bridgman High School. She attended Western Michigan University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. Jamie completed her education with a master’s degree in Business Administration from American Sentinel University. She has worked for Spectrum Health Lakeland for 19 years as a Clinical Microbiologist and Clinical Educator for Spectrum Health University.
Jamie and her husband Dan have 3 children who attend Bridgman Public Schools. Together, they own and operate Starbuck’s Blueberry Farm.
Jamie is excited to be a part of the Bridgman Foundation of Educational Excellence to make a difference in the lives of our students and community.
Cathy DeMuth
Trustee
Cathy graduated from Illinois State University in 1992 and then went to work in Peoria,IL in the social service field for the next 18 years. In 2010 Cathy married her husband, Brian, and she and the girls made the move to the Morris, IL area. Since that time she has volunteered on a regular basis at the girls' schools, has been a Girl Scout leader, a volunteer at a therapeutic horseback riding program and served on the board of Sunrise Center North, the same therapeutic horseback riding program where she also volunteered on a weekly basis.
After selling their property in 2013, Cathy and her husband decided that they wanted to look outside of Illinois in the hopes of relocating one day and simplifying Brian's work life. In July of 2015 they bought their home in Sawyer and the more time they spent here they fell in love with the area. When Bridgman schools called in July of 2016 to say they had an opening for the girls, they took that as their sign and made the move.
Their two daughters, Brooke and Sky are at RMS and they could not be more pleased with Bridgman Public Schools. As parents, they place a high value on education and feel that the community and school personnel feel the same as they do about supporting their children. Cathy feels the fact that the Bridgman Foundation for Educational Excellence even exists is a testament to the community's commitment to providing children in our area with great schools. Cathy is really excited about being involved with the Foundation and becoming more involved in the community.
John Royse
Treasurer
Growing up, John spent a great deal of time in Bridgman and is now thrilled to be a full-time resident. Recently retired, he now has time for part-time consulting, giving back to worthwhile causes in the area, and pursuing personal interests such as travel, music, and biking.
John has an MBA (Washington University in St. Louis) and a Bachelor’s degree, with majors in Computer Science and Economics (Denison University in Ohio). He has 30+ years’ experience in various IT consulting and management positions in the Healthcare, Financial Services, Insurance, and Manufacturing industries.
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Passionate about the value that a strong school system delivers for students, teachers, families, and the entire community, John has always been a proponent of volunteering with students. He has experience with Junior Achievement and various STEM programs and also currently sits on the Board of the OutCenter of Southwest Michigan.
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John and his husband, John Bonkoske, have 4 grown children in their 20’s. Both value excellence in education as an anchor, bringing growth and stability to a community.
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John is honored to serve as a Trustee and looks forward to serving the Foundation and becoming more involved in the community.
Rita de Pedro
Vice Chair Projects
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Rita is no stranger to southwest Michigan. As a child growing up in Michigan City, Indiana, she often made short trips to the area with her family. In 2014 after retiring from Motorola, Rita moved to Michigan from the Chicago suburbs to be closer to family. She built her dream home in Bridgman and loves living in a small town on Lake Michigan with friendly people and a great school system. Her interest in the STEM project led her to serve the community as a member of the Bridgman Foundation for Educational Excellence’s board of trustees. She is passionate about education’s ability to prepare young people to lead productive and happy lives. Rita has degrees from the University of Detroit, New York University Madrid’s study abroad program, and Loyola University of Chicago. Her work life included teaching in grades 7 – 12 and human resource leadership positions in various Fortune 500 companies. She spent 18 years at Motorola and thoroughly enjoyed implementing and leading human resource projects and working with global co-workers in multiple disciplines. Before retiring, she served on boards for a non-profit arts organization and her homeowner’s association. In her spare time, Rita spends time with her many nieces and nephews, travels, sings in local choral groups, works crossword puzzles, cooks and bakes for family and friends, reads, and keeps in shape at a local gym.
Deb Mensinger
Trustee
Mrs. Mensinger and her husband, Dennis, have two sons Brandon and Christopher, both graduates of Bridgman High School. Providing a quality education for their children has always been a priority for the Mensingers. Deb began “shopping” for a school when Brandon was 2 years old. Impressed with both the academic and extracurricular opportunities Bridgman offered, as well as the award winning faculty and state-of-the art facilities, Bridgman Public Schools became their school of choice. They were a school of choice family until moving to Bridgman in 2004. Deb was a past member of the Berrien County ISD (now Berrien RESA) Parent Advisory Committee representing Bridgman Schools and participated in the Michigan Alliance for Families Leadership Development Series. Deb attended Western Michigan University where she studied business administration. She worked at AEP’s Cook Nuclear Plant for 20 years in the Human Resources and Training Departments. Currently, Deb is the Branch Manager at Edgewater Bank in Bridgman. Mrs. Mensinger has served as a trustee for the Bridgman Foundation for Educational Excellence since 2008 and has served in the roles of Vice Chair-Projects and Nominating Chair.
Wayne Hall
Trustee
I grew up in Portage, MI and graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Economics. I am currently employed by Whirlpool as a Sales Strategy and Business Operations Sr Manager, after holding previous roles in accounting and supply chain. Additionally I'm currently serving as a member of the Bridgman School Board and Corridor Improvement Authority.
My wife Amy and I had been living in St Joseph, Michigan before moving to Bridgman in 2019. However we are definitely not new to Bridgman, as our sons Noah and Parker who currently attend BES will be 4th generation Bridgman Bees.
I've seen first hand the profound impact a great educational foundation can mean for an individual and community. I appreciate the efforts of the foundation and the opportunity to contribute in continuing in providing Bridgman students with amazing educational opportunities.
George Lepeniotis
Legal
George Lepeniotis is a member of the Krieg DeVault firm's Business, Acquisitions, and Securities Practice Group. He practice concentrates in the areas of corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and construction, and litigation. George helps clients navigate a variety of legal matters by combining his experience as a lawyer with his past experience in the banking industry and as a real estate developer and contractor.
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George is also co-host of WNIT Economic Outlook where he travels weekly throughout the Michiana area to bring viewers interesting content shaping the region's economy. Prior to joining Krieg DeVault, George served as a Partner with Lee, Groves & Zalas in South Bend, Indiana, and as a Managing Partner of GRD Investments where he oversaw the daily activities of the company's real estate and medical facility development group.
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George graduated from Chicago Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois and from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
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He is a member of many professional and civic associations and has had many articles published in legal and professional publication.
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George and his wife Mandy have long called the Bridgman area home. He is a Bridgman alumni (Class of 1990) and his daughters Ana and Amelia both attend Bridgman Public Schools.
Kelly Dargus
Trustee
Kelly holds a Master’s degree in education. She taught elementary education for 12 years before switching gears to career education in 2014. She is currently employed at Berrien RESA as a Career and Technical Education Consultant.
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Kelly and her husband Brian reside on a small farm and own Dargus Ag, LLC, an agronomy consulting business that works with local growers in Southwest Michigan.
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Kelly’s three children attend Bridgman Public Schools, one child in every building!
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Kelly is looking forward to using her background to help make educational decisions that will directly impact students and educators.