Members of the FHPS Board of Education

Kristen Fauson
President
kfauson@fhps.net
Term Expires 2026

Kristen, her husband, and their family moved to Forest Hills 10 years ago. When moving back to Michigan, their primary concern was finding an excellent school district for their three children. Their search quickly led them to Forest Hills and their kids currently attend Forest Hills Central Middle and High schools.

She has been actively involved in the district since moving here. She has worked as a substitute teacher, volunteered in their children’s classrooms, and she continues volunteering today with their sports teams, musical groups, and as an Odyssey of the Mind coach for the past 10 years.

She owns Launch College Consulting, which allows her to work with local families to help guide their college-bound students to find a college where they will continue to grow and thrive after FHPS. She grew up in a household that prioritized education and after high school, she received her BA from Cornell University and her Ph.D. from Georgetown University. Her father was a superintendent in Ottawa County, so she understood from an early age the importance of strong working relationships between the board, the superintendent, and the community. She believes an active and engaged board can transform the educational experience for our children.

Kristen Covelle
Vice President
kcovelle@fhps.net
Term Expires 2024

Kristen Covelle and her family have lived in the Forest Hills school district since 2004. She, and her husband, Brad, have two children currently in the Spanish immersion language program. She currently teaches English and journalism at Caledonia High School.  In the past, she has coached competitive cheer, political and legislative debate, directed plays and musicals, and advised clubs.  In the Forest Hills community, she currently coaches Odyssey of the Mind and leads a Girl Scout troop, has served on several PTO boards and continues to volunteer, and has directed a Spanish play through Forest Hills Community Services.

She has a strong personal commitment to serving others. She employs her natural curiosity for diverse perspectives by listening broadly to community opinion and suggestions for districtwide improvement.

Kristen received her bachelor’s degree in English, American Language and Literature – Secondary Education from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree in English, also from EMU. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing, photography, traveling, and spending time in the summer outdoors.

Mary Vonck
Trustee
mvonck@fhps.net
Term Expires 2024

Mary Vonck grew up in Illinois and earned an engineering degree from the University of Illinois. She completed her MBA at the University of Michigan.

Mary moved to Michigan after college to accept a position as a sales engineer and became a registered professional engineer for the state of Michigan. She and Ray, her husband, have lived in Forest Hills since 1991 and have four children who graduated from Forest Hills schools. As an empty-nester, she enjoys traveling with her husband…especially to see her kids.

Mary’s early experience as a school volunteer and PTO officer fueled her interest in board service. She has since served on academic, athletic, and music booster boards and currently oversees Project Charlie for the district. Her board service has included roles on both the curriculum and finance committees, she has served as the foundation liaison, and she oversees the Student Advisory Council. She is grateful that Forest Hills was able to afford her children the opportunity to thrive at many of our traditional schools, as well as Goodwillie and Ada Vista. She thus embraces Superintendent Behm’s vision to continue to customize the classroom experience, especially secondary redesign, always focusing on doing what is best for kids.

Maggie Terryn
Secretary
mterryn@fhps.net
Term Expires 2026

Maggie Terryn has lived in Grand Rapids since she graduated from Calvin College with a degree in education 20 years ago. In that time she has served as a middle school teacher, an instructional coach, a school administrator, and currently a college professor working with education students. She has always been familiar with the caliber of the educational experience in Forest Hills, therefore, it was a priority for her and her husband to be a part of the district as their children became school age. They have a sixth-grader at Goodwillie and an excited-to-start-school kindergartener at Knapp Forest.

She has enjoyed being involved in the district as a room parent, an Odyssey of the Mind coach, a university supervisor for student teachers in the district, and most importantly as a proud parent. She is looking forward to being a member of the board to be able to continue the work of strengthening the bond between our schools and community. She believes that school boards play an integral part in building strong schools, supporting teachers, answering the question, “Is this what is best for our kids?” and giving community members the opportunity to experience important and inspiring milestones in education.

CJ Michaud
Treasurer
cmichaud@fhps.net
Term Expires 2028

CJ Michaud was born and raised in Forest Hills and is a graduate of FHN! He is humbled to be serving the community that served him so well and is proud to now be raising four children in the district with his wife, Rebecca.

CJ attended Grand Valley State University before receiving his Doctorate in Pharmacy from Ferris State University. He spent a decade as Spectrum Health’s cardiothoracic intensive care unit clinical pharmacist before transitioning to industry where he now ensures accurate diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. He has authored research manuscripts, including the International Heart Transplant Guidelines, lectured at events across the country, and is a board member for the Michigan Society of Critical Care Medicine. CJ also has a passion for music and you may still find him playing piano in local restaurants, guitar in church, or behind the drums in a Forest Hills musical pit orchestra! He enjoys coaching his kids’ sports teams, working in his garden, and biking with his family in Ada.

CJ serves on the Finance Committee. He is an evidenced-based problem solver who meets new challenges with energy and optimism. Above all, he believes in a diverse and unified Forest Hills community focused on doing what is best – and being the best – for our kids.

Malorie Ninemeier
Trustee
mninemeier@fhps.net
Term Expires 2028

Malorie, her husband and newborn son, moved to Forest Hills in 2015, specifically because of this strong school district and family-oriented community.  Today, her two young children are growing up in the caring, capable hands at Thornapple Elementary, where she is also Co-Treasurer of the PTO.  Being an engaged parent was something that she witnessed from a young age, with both parents involved in coaching sports and volunteering at school.  The teaching profession is also near and dear to Malorie, as her mother taught in Michigan for 34 years, and her brother works in the College of Education at Michigan State University.

Malorie met her husband, Scott, at MSU, where she studied hospitality business.  After graduating and working in the industry for some time, she then pursued her Master of Science in accounting at UMass, Boston.  Now a CPA, Malorie works for Corewell Health, where she is a manager in financial reporting.  Even though she is no longer in hospitality, Malorie has always had the compassion to serve others.  That, paired with with drive to ensure all students have a safe, equitable and successful place to learn, she decided that volunteering on the Board of Education would be a wonderful way to give back to our community.  She was honored to join this fantastic group on the Board and looks forward to learning her role while on the Curriculum Committee.

Holly DeBoer
Trustee
hdeboer@fhps.net
Term Expires 2028

Holly is passionate about serving others and advocating for the students, parents, community members, teachers, and staff in her support of a strong academic environment where students become resilient problem solvers, independent critical thinkers, and respectful, responsible citizens in our ever-changing world.   Though she initially attended college for a short period of time, the cost and uncertainty as to what field to pursue led her onto the working path.  This journey eventually led her to own a business in the hospitality and event industry, taking advantage of an untapped market and providing new products and services.  With her devoted team, Holly has grown the business into an invaluable experience within Michigan for weddings, non-profit organizations, and private events.  She works closely on design and style elements to make each event unique to her clients.

As she journeys on the path that lies before her, Holly is guided by her unwavering faith and seeks out the truth to make the right decisions in all aspects of life; Romans 8:28 is her source of guidance and truth.