Leadership - Board of directors & staff
The Cloquet Educational Foundation Board of Directors is comprised of community leaders who are committed to the students of Cloquet public schools and their academic priorities.
The Board works to advance its mission by securing, developing and growing contributions from loyal friends, caring businesses and volunteers to support students, teachers and other district staff.
Staff:
Jody Acers,
Executive Director
Karrie Osvold,
Grant Manager
Board of Directors 2023-2024
Laura Hansen,president
Karin Sabyan, vice-president
Makenzie Korby, treasurer
Ryanne Battaglia
Jenny Blatchford
Dick Brenner
Sarah Buhs
Mary Jane Lundberg
Steve Micke
Del Prevost
David Pritchett
Tom Proulx
Karin Sabyan
Adrienne Strickland
Matt Yorston
CEF 2023-24 Board of Directors Back: Sarah Buhs, Dick Brenner, Mary Jane Lundberg, Karrie Osvold, Tom Proulx, Matt Yorston, Ryanne Battaglia, David Pritchett, Adrienne Strickland
Front : Jody Acers, Director, Laura Hansen, Karin Sabyan, Makenzie Stafford
A Note from Laura Hansen, CEF President:
The 2023-2024 school year is upon us. Fall sports are winding down, winter sports will be here before you know it and this is the “busy season” here at the CEF! The Board awarded more than $40,000 in grants at our board meeting in October, and we are on track to award more in the winter and spring.
I am Laura Hansen serving my sixth year on the CEF Board. I continue to be amazed by the community support we receive for education in Cloquet. I have an active family – my oldest is in his second year at Lake Superior College, my youngest is a junior at Cloquet High School, my husband and I work at Reliable Insurance. We enjoy finding time to support the various activities the school district has to offer, many of them supported by the CEF.
I spent a lot of time volunteering at Churchill School when my boys were younger as PIE president, and I felt fortunate to be asked to be on the CEF Board in 2017. Giving back to the school district that has given so much to our boys, their friends and our community is a huge honor.
As a CEF Board Member I still volunteer in the Cloquet School District. The annual golf tournament and Blue Jean Ball are my favorite CEF events, as they help us raise money so we can support grants for the students in all schools within the Cloquet School District. The amount of money we have granted out to the district during my time as a CEF Board Member still amazes me. This would not be possible without the support of the community! On behalf of the CEF Board of Directors, thank you to the community for supporting Cloquet students. Thanks to the school staff for bringing us your ideas for unique and new learning opportunities. Thank you to all the CEF board members for the work you put in to support excellence in education. When we all work together, good things happen in our schools.
I look forward to working with all of you as the 2023-24 school year continues!
CEF is fortunate to have community partnership.
One way to be a partner is to become a sponsor
with Invest In Kids.
Another way to partner and become involved is to take a close look at all we do and others partnered in our newsletter to see where you can help.
Also check out our annual newsletter publications
And there it was: I knew from that experience that I loved being a Lumberjack and sharing the limitless possibilities and broadness of education at Cloquet with my fellow students for the present and future. I loved writing about it, talking about it and making sure it went out for the world to see. I took pride in being a Lumberjack and still do.
Note from Jody:
I am Jody (Anderson) Acers CHS class of 1986, wife, mother, daughter, sister, volunteer, Lumberjack fan, historian and now executive director of the Cloquet Educational Foundation.
I want to pass along my commitment to the board of directors that I will work hard for the Cloquet Educational Foundation, be a great steward of its resources and keep my involvement a positive experience for everyone. I look forward to working with the board, the educators, administration and staff of District #94, as well as the greater Cloquet Community!
Yes, there I am in 1986 as a senior high school student and staff member of the school newspaper, The Pine Needle. I remember those days. Working under deadlines and putting together the paper for posterity as Mrs. Shultz and Mr. Buytaert (JB) guided us through the process of putting out an excellent product. These were days without the ease of digital journalism, and I learned stuff about editing, photography, art and working with my fellow staff members. We dug through the “news” of high school before there was “snapping”, twitter, Insta, and Facebook. We had to think through creative layout and communicate effectively about what our visions for the various pages. The staff used a dark room for developing photos and wrote copy on a typewriter. We were “Ambassadors of CHS” on paper at least.
Fast forward 33 years – I am, and have always been, as interested, invested and excited to share with anyone what Cloquet Schools has to offer: dedication to excellence,
creative learning opportunities, support for teachers and commitment to growth for Cloquet students of all ages and abilities. I am grateful to those along the way who mentored me in these areas and taught me real skills, including Mrs. Shultz and Mr. Buytaert. I want all Cloquet students – past, present and future – to feel the same excitement about their education as I did.
I am eager to build on the many activities and initiatives of the CEF by awarding innovative grants to benefit our students. I am so proud the CEF funds the student activities that generate excitement, real-world skills and lasting memories. I genuinely look forward to fun and festive fund-raising events like the Blue Jean Ball. I am also excited to implement a few new things into an already solid organization, such as creating a larger network of CHS alumni and friends and retooling some of our social media avenues. There is much to do, and with your help, ideas and support I am confident in our shared future together and the future of our students.