Board Member of the Week

Tell Us A Little About Yourself?
I'm married to Steve Owens and we have 3 girls-Bridget (freshman at MSU, Abigail a junior and Colleen sophomore at Mattawan.
All 3 of my girls have attended Mattawan schools since kindergarten.  We have lived in the Texas Heights neighborhood since 2004.

We built our home in Mattawan due to great things that we had heard thru friends who already lived here.  I always knew regardless of the district my girls would attend, that I wanted a community where I could be a part of the learning environment and be able to give back to that community.  I wanted a community that welcomed and encouraged it’s members to partake in making it a better place for our children. I have served in several roles with the parent associations and numerous school committees and volunteer groups throughout our years here. I also enjoyed many opportunities volunteering in classrooms during the elementary years which led me to subbing in the district which evolved into a position at the Later elementary where I am currently employed.  This gives me a chance to not only have watched my own children grow but the many others coming up behind them.

What brought You to MPEF?
Through my various volunteer committees in my years at Mattawan, I was fortunate to meet members of the foundation.  I’ve been in the classrooms enough over the years to see the MANY innovative projects and ideas that MPEF has funded that wouldn’t otherwise exist.  When my oldest daughter was in her 1st year or 2 at the Early Elemantary, I remember being at the school one day and a group of people were walking around.  I saw them stop at a classroom, there was clapping and celebration and the teacher was in tears. I asked the office what was going on and they explained the foundation to me and that it was the day that MPEF grants were being awarded.  It was obvious how exciting these were to the teachers. From that time on, it became something that I knew I would be excited to be a part of if given the opportunity.

More about me:
Graduate of WMU; business major
Past employers: AAA Michigan, State Farm Insurance
I spend my spare time watching my girls play basketball, golf and lacrosse and volunteering in various groups in our community and school.