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At its meeting on October 19, the Detroit Public Schools Foundation elected two new members to its board of directors. Ms. Laura Kopack is an attorney by profession, with years of volunteer service in the non-profit arena. She has deep ties in the Hispanic community and is expected to bring the perspectives of this community to board deliberations. Currently she serves as the Director of Governmental Affairs and Community Relations for the Mechanical Contractors Association of Detroit. Her interest in career and technical education is in line with this need in the community, and thus will be a true asset to the board.
Dr. Nat Pernick joins the Foundation as the Founder and president of the Detroit College Promise. Dr. Pernick understands the central role that schools and education play in the vitality of any community. He believes that the potential for college scholarships is a strong motivator of student persistence and success. The Detroit College Promise is modeled on The Kalamazoo Promise whereby every graduate of the district is promised a scholarship for their post-secondary education. With the Detroit College Promise joining the DPS Foundation, as a program area of the Foundation, it is appropriate that Dr. Pernick join the board to continue to achieve the goal of enhancing the community through school engagement.
At its meeting the board also elected officers for the year. Serving for the 2015-2016 year are:
Chairman – Jerome Watson
Secretary – Tammy Klugh
Treasurer – Shawn Wilson