Golden Apple Award Recipients

2024

Dr. Leadriane Roby
Ph.D.'12, Educational Leadership

View her biography

Dr. Donald E Thompson
B.A.'68 English; M.A.'71 Educational Leadership; Ed.D.'73 Educational Leadership

View his biography

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

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

View her biography

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
Read her biography

Dr. Wayne "Rusty" Stitt
M.A.'99, Educational Leadership; Ph.D.'10, Educational Leadership
Read his biography

2018

Dr. Manuel Brenes

Dr. Manuel Brenes
Ph.D.'12, Evaluation, Measurement and Research
Principal, San Juan Diego Academy

Tracy Daniel

Tracy Daniel
B.A.'87, Physical Education; M.A.'94, Physical Education
Physical education instructor and coach, Comstock Public Schools

Dr. John Severson

Dr. John Severson
B.S.'87, Secondary Education; M.A.'94, Educational Leadership; Ph.D.'13, Educational Leadership
Superintendent, Muskegon Intermediate School District

2017

Dr. Dennis McCrumb

Dr. Dennis McCrumb
B.S.'71, Physical Education and Mathematics
Professor and Program Coordinator of Educational Leadership, WMU College of Education and Human Development

Dr. Richard Sanchez

Dr. Richard Sanchez
Ed.D.'72, Educational Leadership
President, Navarro College

2016

robert ezelle

Robert Ezelle
B.S.'94, Physical Education
Chief Operating Officer, Boys and Girls Club

teresa neal

Teresa Neal
M.A.'00, Educational Leadership
Superintendent, Grand Rapids Public Schools

von washington

Von Washington Jr.
M.A.'94, Educational Leadership
Executive Director of Community Relations, The Kalamazoo Promise

2015

Dale Schreuder

Dale Schreuder
B.A.'72, Elementary Education; M.A.'77, Educational Leadership
Retired Superintendent, Bloomingdale Public Schools

Rigoberto Rincones-gomez

Dr. Rigoberto Rincones-Gómez
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

Stephanie Burrage

Stephanie Burrage
B.A.'90
Executive director of school achievement services at Wayne RESA

Ana Gil-Garcia

Ana Gil-Garcia
Ed.D.'91 
Professor of educational leadership and development at Northeastern Illinois University 

2013

Garrett Boersma

Garrett Boersma
Ed.D.'79
Retired Assistant Superintendent for Special Education, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA)

Linda Powell

Linda Powell
B.S.'70; M.A.'71

Retired Business Management, Marketing and Technology Instructor, Portage Northern High School

Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams
B.A.'98; M.A.'04
Principal, Ferndale Public Schools

 

 

2012

Mark Reiney

John Mark Rainey
Ed.D.'07
Grant Administrator, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators

Kali Lghtfoot

Kali Lightfoot
B.A.'67
Executive Director, University of Southern Maine National Resource Center for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes

Kimberly A. English Davis

Kimberly A. English Davis
B.S.'87
Principal, Detroit Charles H. Wright Academy of Art and Science 

 

 

2011

Betty Ongley

Betty Ongley
B.S.'47; M.A.'58; Certificate'84
Retired Teacher, Counselor and Guidance Director, Portage Public Schools 

James Menchinger

James Menchinger
B.A.'62; M.A.'66
WMU Coordinator of Student Interns
Forensics Co-Coach, Portage Northern High School 

Cynthia Green

Cynthia Green
B.S.'80; M.A.'93
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, Kalamazoo Public Schools 

Leisha Crawford

Liesha Crawford
B.S.'84
Teacher for the Physically Impaired and Otherwise Health Impaired, Alger Middle School, Grand Rapids Public Schools

 

 

2010

Liliana Rodriguez-Campos

Liliana Rodriguez-Campos
M.A.'00; Ph.D.'02

Jethro Jaye Johnson

Jethro Jaye Johnson
M.A.'75

Dennis Patzer

Dennis Patzer
B.S.'75; M.A.'86

2009

The Late Dr. Geoff Balkam

The Late Dr. Geoff Balkam
Ed.D.'79
Superintendent, Climax-Scotts Public Schools

Ms. Mary Blakely

Mary Blakely
M.A.'85
Principal-Superintendent, Youth Advancement Academy

Ms. Pamela K. Ide

Pamela K. Ide
M.A.'94
Teacher and Mentor Coach, Winchell Elementary School, Kalamazoo Public Schools 

Dr. V. Clayton Sherman

Dr. V. Clayton Sherman
Ed.D.'75 
Chairman, Management House Incorporated

2008

Mr. Willie Gill, Jr.

Willie Gill, Jr.
B.S.'70
Assistant Principal, Kettering High School

Dr. Bruce Kocher

Dr. Bruce Kocher
B.S.'59; M.A.'60; Ed.D.'75
Vice President for Academic Services, Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Mrs. Janet Lee

Janet Lee
B.A.'70; M.A.'98
Principal, Climax-Scotts Elementary Schools

2007

Mr. Dene William Hadden

Dene William Hadden
B.S.'69; M.A.'74
Principal, South Haven High School

Dr. James Hawkins

Dr. James Hawkins
B.A.'63
Superintendent, Ypsilanti Public Schools

Mrs. Rhonda Vander Veen

Rhonda Vander Veen
B.S.'84
Elementary Teacher, Portage Public Schools

2006

Mr. Fred Decker

Fred Decker
B.S.'64; M.A.'68
Retired faculty in Intercollegiate Athletics, Western Michigan University

Mr. John Dominguez, Jr.

Mr. John Dominguez, Jr.
M.A.'70
Retired Director of Migrant and Bilingual Programs, Van Buren Intermediate School District

Mrs. Leta Schoenhals

Mrs. Leta Schoenhals
B.A.'42; M.A.'65; Ed.S.'68
Retired School Counselor, Portage High School

2005

Dr. Josephine Barry-Davis

Dr. Josephine Barry-Davis
Ed.D.'72
Assistant Professor, WMU Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies

Dr. Craig Misner

Dr. Craig Misner
B.S.'69; M.A.'72; Ed.D.'84 
Superintendent, Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency (KRESA) 

Image

Dr. A. L. "Mike" Sebaly
B.A.'33
Professor Emeritus, WMU Department of Education and Professional Development

2004

Mr. Terry Kuseske

Terry Kuseske
B.A.'72
Teacher, Hamilton Middle School

Mrs. Vivian Davis

Vivian Davis
M.A.'85
Counselor, Albion High School

Mrs. Bertha McNeal

Bertha McNeal
B.A.'63; M.A.'75
Retired Music Teacher, Milwood Middle School

2003

Mr. Van Dickerson

Van Dickerson
B.A.'78; M.A.'93 
Principal, Phoenix High School Alternative Education, Kalamazoo Public Schools

Dr. Sandra Gagie

Dr. Sandra Gagie
Ed.D.'78
Owner/Director, Gagie School, Kalamazoo 

Mrs. Vickie Winfield

Vickie Winfield
B.A.'71; M.A.'79 
Retired Principal, Winchell Elementary School, Kalamazoo Public Schools

2002

Mrs. Kathleen Adams

Kathleen Adams
B.S.'72 
Teacher, Upton Middle School, St. Joseph Public Schools

Dr. M. Arthur Garmon

Dr. M. Arthur Garmon
B.A.'70; M.A.'75 
Associate Professor, WMU College of Education and Human Development  

Mrs. Joy Reinstein

Joy Reinstein
B.S.'64; M.A.'72 
Teacher, Sunset Lake Elementary School, Vicksburg Community Schools

2001

Ms. Nancy Amar

Nancy Amar
B.S.'71
Retired Teacher, Portage Public Schools

Ms. Christie Enstrom

Christie Enstrom
B.A.'76; M.A.'80
Principal, Woodward Magnet School for Technology and Research, Kalamazoo Public Schools

Dr. Robert Hamet

Dr. Robert Hamet 
B.S.'62; M.A.'64; Ed.D.'74
Retired Superintendent, Comstock Public Schools

2000

Diane E. DeFord

Dr. Diane E. DeFord
Ph.D.'78
Professor, Ohio State University


 

Judy Brush Douglass

Judy Brush Douglass
B.A.'69
Teacher, Louise Peacock Elementary School, Corunna, MI

Charles Glaes

Charles Glaes
B.A.'76; M.A.'82
Principal, Vicksburg Middle Schools

1999

Dr. James O. Ansel (Posthumous)

Dr. James O. Ansel (Posthumous)
B.A.'35
Retired Faculty, WMU College of Education and Human Development
Retired Teacher and Principal, Michigan Public Schools

Judy McGowan

Judy McGowan
B.A.'66 
Retired Teacher, Milwood Middle School

Martha J. Orloff

Martha J. Orloff
Physical Education Program Aquatic Coordinator, Texas A&M University

1998

John M. Gazella

John M. Gazella
B.A.'68
Teacher, Corunna Public Schools

Bettie Goodman

Bettie Goodman
B.S.'63
Professor, Mott Community College

Patricia M. Reeves

Patricia M. Reeves
B.A.'79
Superintendent, Vicksburg Community Schools