Golden Apple Award Recipients
2023
Pam Schwallier
B.S.'06, Elementary Education; Ed.S.'16, Educational Leadership; Ph.D.'20, Educational Leadership K-12
View her biography
Jamie Korinek
B.S.'03, Elementary Education.; M.A.'09, Educational Leadership
View her biography
2022
Dr. DeAnna Burt-Nanna
Ph.D.'09, Educational Leadership: Higher Education
View her biography
Dr. Diane Owen-Rogers
B.A.'01, Secondary Education; Ph.D.'14, Evaluation - Interdisciplinary CEHD
2021
Mark Bielang
B.S.'74, Industrial Education; M.A.'81, Educational Leadership
View his biography
Dr. Sandy Standish
B.S.'79, Business Education; M.A.'85, Counseling; Ed.D.'04, Educational Leadership
View her biography
2019
Dr. Margaret McGlinchey
B.A.'77, Secondary Education: Psychology
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Dr. Wayne "Rusty" Stitt
M.A.'99, Educational Leadership; Ph.D.'10, Educational Leadership
Read his biography
2018
Ph.D.'12, Evaluation, Measurement and Research
Principal, San Juan Diego Academy
B.A.'87, Physical Education; M.A.'94, Physical Education
Physical education instructor and coach, Comstock Public Schools
B.S.'87, Secondary Education; M.A.'94, Educational Leadership; Ph.D.'13, Educational Leadership
Superintendent, Muskegon Intermediate School District
2017
B.S.'71, Physical Education and Mathematics
Professor and Program Coordinator of Educational Leadership, WMU College of Education and Human Development
Ed.D.'72, Educational Leadership
President, Navarro College
2016
B.S.'94, Physical Education
Chief Operating Officer, Boys and Girls Club
M.A.'00, Educational Leadership
Superintendent, Grand Rapids Public Schools
M.A.'94, Educational Leadership
Executive Director of Community Relations, The Kalamazoo Promise
2015
B.A.'72, Elementary Education; M.A.'77, Educational Leadership
Retired Superintendent, Bloomingdale Public Schools
M.A.'00, Educational Leadership; Ph.D.'02, Evaluation, Measurement, and Research
Associate Vice President of Institutional Research, Planning, Effectiveness and Analytics (IRPEA), Broward College
2014
B.A.'90
Executive director of school achievement services at Wayne RESA
Ed.D.'91
Professor of educational leadership and development at Northeastern Illinois University
2013
Ed.D.'79
Retired Assistant Superintendent for Special Education, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA)
Linda Powell
B.S.'70; M.A.'71
Retired Business Management, Marketing and Technology Instructor, Portage Northern High School
B.A.'98; M.A.'04
Principal, Ferndale Public Schools
2012
Ed.D.'07
Grant Administrator, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators
B.A.'67
Executive Director, University of Southern Maine National Resource Center for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
B.S.'87
Principal, Detroit Charles H. Wright Academy of Art and Science
2011
B.S.'47; M.A.'58; Certificate'84
Retired Teacher, Counselor and Guidance Director, Portage Public Schools
B.A.'62; M.A.'66
WMU Coordinator of Student Interns
Forensics Co-Coach, Portage Northern High School
B.S.'80; M.A.'93
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, Kalamazoo Public Schools
B.S.'84
Teacher for the Physically Impaired and Otherwise Health Impaired, Alger Middle School, Grand Rapids Public Schools
2010
M.A.'00; Ph.D.'02
M.A.'75
B.S.'75; M.A.'86
2009
Ed.D.'79
Superintendent, Climax-Scotts Public Schools
M.A.'85
Principal-Superintendent, Youth Advancement Academy
M.A.'94
Teacher and Mentor Coach, Winchell Elementary School, Kalamazoo Public Schools
Ed.D.'75
Chairman, Management House Incorporated
2008
B.S.'70
Assistant Principal, Kettering High School
B.S.'59; M.A.'60; Ed.D.'75
Vice President for Academic Services, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
B.A.'70; M.A.'98
Principal, Climax-Scotts Elementary Schools
2007
B.S.'69; M.A.'74
Principal, South Haven High School
B.A.'63
Superintendent, Ypsilanti Public Schools
Rhonda Vander Veen
B.S.'84
Elementary Teacher, Portage Public Schools
2006
B.S.'64; M.A.'68
Retired faculty in Intercollegiate Athletics, Western Michigan University
M.A.'70
Retired Director of Migrant and Bilingual Programs, Van Buren Intermediate School District
B.A.'42; M.A.'65; Ed.S.'68
Retired School Counselor, Portage High School
2005
Ed.D.'72
Assistant Professor, WMU Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies
B.S.'69; M.A.'72; Ed.D.'84
Superintendent, Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency (KRESA)
B.A.'33
Professor Emeritus, WMU Department of Education and Professional Development
2004
B.A.'72
Teacher, Hamilton Middle School
M.A.'85
Counselor, Albion High School
B.A.'63; M.A.'75
Retired Music Teacher, Milwood Middle School
2003
B.A.'78; M.A.'93
Principal, Phoenix High School Alternative Education, Kalamazoo Public Schools
Ed.D.'78
Owner/Director, Gagie School, Kalamazoo
B.A.'71; M.A.'79
Retired Principal, Winchell Elementary School, Kalamazoo Public Schools
2002
B.S.'72
Teacher, Upton Middle School, St. Joseph Public Schools
B.A.'70; M.A.'75
Associate Professor, WMU College of Education and Human Development
B.S.'64; M.A.'72
Teacher, Sunset Lake Elementary School, Vicksburg Community Schools
2001
B.S.'71
Retired Teacher, Portage Public Schools
B.A.'76; M.A.'80
Principal, Woodward Magnet School for Technology and Research, Kalamazoo Public Schools
B.S.'62; M.A.'64; Ed.D.'74
Retired Superintendent, Comstock Public Schools
2000
Ph.D.'78
Professor, Ohio State University
B.A.'69
Teacher, Louise Peacock Elementary School, Corunna, MI
B.A.'76; M.A.'82
Principal, Vicksburg Middle Schools
1999
B.A.'35
Retired Faculty, WMU College of Education and Human Development
Retired Teacher and Principal, Michigan Public Schools
B.A.'66
Retired Teacher, Milwood Middle School
Physical Education Program Aquatic Coordinator, Texas A&M University
1998
B.A.'68
Teacher, Corunna Public Schools
B.S.'63
Professor, Mott Community College
B.A.'79
Superintendent, Vicksburg Community Schools