our board

The Board of Directors is a diverse group of parents and community members committed to meaningful educational experiences for children. Joanna Hastings serves as a member ex officio without vote as Head of School. The Board sets and oversees school policies, hires and oversees the Head of School, maintains financial oversight, and plans for the long term future of the school. Members serve three-year terms, with the potential of re-election for a second term. To inquire about serving on the board, click here.

Karen Godwin

Karen Godwin is the Secretary of the board.  She is currently heads up the B2B Markets U.S.sales team for Google with a deep focus on talent and leadership development as well as growing mid-market businesses through the power of Google's media platform.  Karen has twenty years of experience with marketing, product management and sales primarily for global companies and brands such as Kodak, Excite@Home, Webcrawler, Midas and a handful of Silicon Valley startups.  After a decade in San Francisco, Karen and her husband Michael, who is a native of southeast Michigan, moved to Ann Arbor to be near family as they raise their son, Oliver. 

"Joining the Board of Summers Knoll will allow me to be more than just a consumer of the magic that this school weaves for my son and his classmates.  There is no doubt that collaboration with this team will be a rich learning experience and I am honored to offer my talents and passion during this next phase of exciting growth for the Summers-Knoll community."

Paul Schutt

Paul Schutt is the President of the Board and chair of the Executive Committee. He is the co-founder of Issue Media Group, a media company that has created online magazines in 19 regions in the US and Canada.  In 2004 Paul sold the technology company he co-founded and led for 10 years, The Collective.  Paul also co-founded the Cleveland-based technology firm "Easy2 Technologies" in 1999, and he continues to serve on the board of directors.  Paul also serves on the board of trustees of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

"My wife Megan and I feel fortunate that our son Oliver wakes up each morning and attends Summers-Knoll. The school's emphasis on experiential learning with a community focus is a perfect fit for our son and our worldview.  I am excited to be part of a team that is working to help the school grow and therefore allowing it to offer opportunities to more parents and families."

Russ Olwell

Russ Olwell is the Treasurer of the Board and the Chair of the Finance Committee. He is currently Director of the Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Communities at Eastern Michigan University, where he is also professor in the department of History and Philosophy. Prior to working at EMU, Russ has had experience as an educator for gifted students working at Johns Hopkins Center for Talent Development Summer program, and as a language arts and social studies teacher at Emerson school, Ann Arbor.

 

"Summers-Knoll has provided an exceptional education for our daughter, Laurea, as well as a supportive social environment. Being on the Board gives me a chance to give back to the school and its community."

Gwen Harrigan

2203 Platt Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 | (734) 971-7991 | Fax: (734) 971-9663 | e-mail: info@summers-knoll.org | ©2010-2013 Summers-Knoll School