Our mission
Kalamazoo County Ready 4s will advance fully accessible, high-quality pre-kindergarten education for every 3- and 4-year-old in Kalamazoo County through collaborative leadership with public and private providers.
Our Founding
KC Ready 4s’ origin is rooted in the social justice organizing process that ISAAC uses to identify and address significant issues in our community. ISAAC – Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy and Action in the Community – is an interfaith organizing network of about 30 congregations and organizations working together to build a more just community. One issue voiced by the community was concern for the well-being of our youngest children and their support, safety, and preparation for life.
Based on this community feedback ISAAC’s goal statement was to improve the early childhood experience of all of our county’s children in order to improve school readiness and success, prevent involvement in the judicial system, and enhance the quality of our work force and economic competitiveness of Kalamazoo County.
Our Staff
Kristyn Buhl-Lepisto
Executive Director
Caroline Bearup
Office Manager
Therese Armstead
Director of Program Quality and Learning
Ali Schwartz
Director of Operations
Our High-Quality Team
Dr. Charmane Echols
Leadership Mentor
Mary Baggerman
Behavior Support Specialist
Stephanie Ludwig
Leadership Mentor
Rebecca Hernandez
Occupational Therapist
Heather Hudson
Speech Language Pathologist
Marta Mejia
Family Advocate
Jayne Trombley
Speech Language Pathologist
Renae Schug
Teacher Mentor
Ruby Sledge
Teacher Mentor
Karyn Williams
Teacher Mentor
Holly Wyne
Teacher Mentor
Our Board
Regena Nelson, PhD
President
Professor & Chair, Teaching, Learning & Educational Studies, Western Michigan University
Dallas Oberlee
Vice President
Senior Associate, Social Policy Research Associates
Joanna Dales
Secretary
Vice-President, Donor Relations, Kalamazoo Community Foundation
Scott MacCallum
Treasurer
Principal, UHY LLP
Mindy Miller
Member-at-large
Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Programs & Services, Kalamazoo RESA
Honorable Namita Sharma
Immediate Past President
Judge, Kalamazoo County District Court
Dr. Cheryl Dickson
Board Member
Associate Professor Pediatrics Associate Dean Health Equity and Community Affairs, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
DeVon Jackson
Board Member
Quality Process Lead, Stryker Instruments
Elizabeth Jackson-Spaner
Board Member
Coordinator for Early Childhood, Kalamazoo Public Schools
Dan Jaqua
Board Member
President & Owner, Jaqua Realtors
Shirley Johnson
Board Member
Community Volunteer
Todd McDonald
Board Member
Principal, Chief Operations Officer, CSM Group
Sarah Neumann
Board Member
Superintendent, Parchment School District
Consuelo Shank
Board Member
Client and Community Relations Director, PNC Bank
Sheri Welsh
Board Member
President & CEO, Welsh & Associates, Inc.
Tim Bartik, PhD
Honorary Member
Senior Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute
Say Hello
For more information, please contact:
Kristyn Buhl-Lepisto
Executive Director
(269) 366-9140
Address
Kalamazoo County Ready 4s
161 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 600
Kalamazoo, MI 49007