Board of Directors
The Plain Local Schools Foundation and Alumni Association is led by a volunteer board that represents alumni, parents, community members, former educators and advocates for public education.
The foundation is always looking for individuals to serve on event committees, alumni initiatives and community outreach. If you are interested in serving on a committee, contact us today!
Board of Directors
Suzi Lantz
PresidentBoard member since November 2019.
With a background in secondary education, coaching, and curriculum development Suzi has been active in helping individuals, teams and organizations reach their potential throughout her entire career. Suzi is a Partner and Leadership Consultant at GiANT (http://www.giantworldwide.com/). She has worked with organizations across industries to develop leaders who know how to identify and multiply leadership health and core competencies. She believes in empowering everyone to have a voice and has partnered to build GiANT’s DEI Inclusive Leadership program. Suzi and her husband Jason have two children in the district: Caris, who is a junior, and Joshua (JJ), who is a freshman. Both students are actively involved in cross-country, track, and various clubs and activities offered by our wonderful district.
Emily Palmer
Vice-PresidentBoard member since November 2019.
Emily’s background has allowed her to grow and serve students and teachers in social studies, AP, IB, gifted, athletic and academic programs in the Plain Local School District since 2000. She graduated from the University of Akron with a B.A. in Secondary Education and an M.A in Administration and a M.A. in Assessment, Program Evaluation and Data Analysis. Emily currently serves as the Director of School Improvement, Curriculum and Gifted Education at Strasburg-Franklin Local School District. Emily and her husband Chad, a high school STEM teacher, reside in Plain with their children, Isabella, a seventh grader at Oakwood and William, a fifth grader at Glenwood. Isabella and William enjoy participating in various school and community sports including Oakwood Cross Country, Nemesis Swimming and Akron Canton United Eagles Select Soccer.
Danielle Harper
Administrative AssistantBoard member since January 2023.
Danielle has been a Plain resident for over 20 years. She loves Plain’s commitment to excellence and being community-minded. She has a background in education with a B.A. from Walsh University. She has worked in coaching, team development, community connections, and system development.
Danielle enjoys connecting to her community. She leads Love Local, which is an initiative that helps students and families with over 170 backpacks of food each week, holiday meals, and gifts. She also has been the president of a local booster club for eight years and currently is a fundraising director for Cheerville Athletics Ohio.
Danielle has two GlenOak alumni and two current high school students: Brandon who is actively involved as a captain of the cross country team, and participates in ski club and track, and Holly who is heavily involved with cheer and also participates in ski club.
Danielle loves connecting and coaching people by equipping them to pass on to others what they learned. She believes you only need to be one step ahead of someone to lead and equip them to make a difference and grow.
Board Members
Denise Evans
Alumni Association Co-ChairBoard member since 2017.
Denise (Yohe) Evans graduated from GlenOak High School in 1982 and earned her A.A.B. in Business Management from Stark State College in 1984. She and her husband, Dan, have two sons that they are very proud of, Brad (GO 2014) and Brian (GO 2018). Denise is a full-time realtor with Cutler Real Estate for 18 years and is in the top 2% of Realtors in the state of Ohio. Denise loves to volunteer and is very involved in the community, including the Rotary Club of Plain Township, Plain Township Parks, and twirling with the GlenOak Alumni Band. Denise is very proud to be a GlenOak alumni and Plain Township resident and strongly believes in supporting locally owned businesses. Denise and her family give two scholarships each year to GlenOak seniors furthering their education in Video Production and American Sign Language.
Denise loves to travel with family and friends, visiting new places and exploring new adventures. Denise enjoys being social with friends, walking the many local trails with her husband and her dog, Pixel, and learning new skills and hobbies.
Melinda Wiles
Alumni Association Co-ChairBoard member since early 2021.
Melinda is a 1994 graduate of GlenOak High School. Melinda and her husband, Scott, have two children in the Plain Local School District. Dylan is a sophomore and a passionate tennis player. Olivia is a freshman and participates in volleyball, choir, and gymnastics.
Melinda obtained her bachelor’s of nursing degree from The Ohio State University. She also has her master’s degree in nursing. She has previously worked at Aultman Hospital for 20 years. Here, she worked in the Birth Center as their Outreach and Bereavement Coordinator and then in the Center for Professional Practice office. Melinda is currently working as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Nursing at the University of Mount Union. She is involved and supports efforts for pregnancy and infant loss and has also been involved with St. Baldricks to support research for childhood cancer.
Lindsay Bowden
Board MemberBoard member since March 2024.
Lindsay Bowden is a lifelong Plain Township resident, 1999 GlenOak graduate, and graduated from Kent State University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Lindsay is a Vocational Rehabilitation Contracts Coordinator with Coleman Health Services and is passionate in assisting those afflicted with mental health and substance abuse diagnoses in their recovery journey.
Lindsay and her husband, Keith, love the diversity and inclusion our district offers (there is truly something for everyone!) and have two daughters who proudly attend Plain Local Schools; Anna is a junior at GlenOak participating in the Teacher Pathways career tech program and is a National Honor Society member, Student Ambassador, Varsity sideline & competition team cheerleader, and GlenOak gymnast. Ella is a third grader at Middlebranch where she acts as a Student Mentor, participates in Little Eagles cheerleading, and is active outside of school with Elite Volleyball.
Outside of keeping busy with her work, family, and volunteering, Lindsay loves walks with her Great Pyrenees mix, Maggie, and beach vacations anywhere warm & sunny!
Nick Deering
Board MemberBoard member since September 2024.
Nick has been involved in leadership for 20 years and is currently the Vice President of Liquid Custom Apparel. He has led a business profession Connect Group through his church, (Faith Family) for the last ten years and currently serves on the Legacy Team. For the last several years, he has coached youth soccer through Eagles Select and Stark United Premier. He also coaches the JVA team and serves as an assistant coach at GlenOak High School. Working together on projects and bringing the best out of people and situations is something that brings him great joy.
He and his wife, Ryanne, have been married for 17 years and have two sons Roman (14) and Hudson (13) who attend GlenOak High School and Oakwood Middle School. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer, and going to the beach.
Maggie Hatcher
Board MemberBoard member since March 2024.
Maggie has been in education for 16 years, currently she is the literacy specialist at Frazer Elementary. Previously she spent 10 years teaching fourth grade English Language Arts in Plain Local Schools. With experience working at both the elementary and pre-kindergarten levels, as well as in activities outside of the traditional educational setting, she has a diverse background. She is the co-founder of a fourth grade female empowerment group, Fierce Females. Fierce Females encourages students to dream big while supporting each other on their way to achieving their goals. Currently, she is serving as the district literacy team leader and a literacy council team member. All of these positions have given her the opportunity to be part of a team while also taking on leadership positions. She has participated in many curriculum development committees allowing her to collaborate with other educators to ensure student success. Her passion for early literacy is rooted in her belief that literacy for all is a human right. She is committed to working with the students with the most opportunities for growth and removing barriers to foster a love for learning and literacy. She spends her free time with her husband, Tamiko Hatcher, cheering on their three children Maxwell, Tyler, and Avery in their many extracurricular activities.
Judy Leszczynski
Board MemberBoard Member since January 2017.
Judy Leszczynski graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Education. She also has a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Ashland University. Judy is a retired teacher who spent 27 years as an Intervention Specialist in the Early Childhood Department of Canton City Schools. In addition, she was an Adjunct Professor at Walsh University teaching a class in Special Education and one in Integrated Arts. Judy worked with the SPARK program a program that works with preschool children and their families in the areas of literacy and Kindergarten readiness. She also taught Playright, a class for Early Childhood teachers that was based on integrating the arts in all areas of the curriculum. Her children attended Plain Local Schools and she became involved in the Parent groups at their schools especially the GlenOak Booster Club where she served as President for two years. Judy loves to travel and especially enjoys visiting her children and grandchildren who live in Denver and Las Vegas.
Michael Lewers
Board MemberBoard Member since January 2017.
Michael graduated from GlenOak High School in 1991 and achieved his BBA in Finance from Kent State University in 1995. In his role as a Sr. Home Lending Advisor (NMLS ID: 271175) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA he utilizes his more than two decades of home lending experience to assist Home Buyers & Owners with achieving their goals.
Michael, with his wife Jennifer, are proud parents of their two daughters; Angela, a 2018 GlenOak alumni, and Payton, who attends Plain Local Schools. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, fishing, traveling, and volunteering.
Kim Van Nostran Perduk
Board MemberBoard member since 2013.
Kim Van Nostran Perduk is a 1979 GlenOak High School graduate and currently an English Learner teacher (ESL) and the district’s case manager for the program working with our newcomers at the high school level. She is married to Dr. Ambrose Perduk, Jr., whom she met at GOHS. Ambrose is on the Plain Local School Board and has been a chiropractor for 35 years with his practice in Dover, Ohio. Together, they have three sons who have also graduated from GOHS. When not attending Plain Local functions, Kim’s hobbies are reading, traveling, and gardening.
Emily Weiss
Board MemberBoard member since May 2021.
Emily Weiss attended the Plain Local School District for most of her life and graduated from GlenOak High School in 2014. She also stayed close to home for college, graduating magna cum laude and with Honors from Kent State University in 2017 with a B.A. in Applied Communication. After interning with TKG the summer before graduation, she was hired full-time as a Digital Marketer and has been there since 2018. While working at TKG, she has gained various marketing skills such as keyword researching, understanding and applying SEO (Search Engine Optimization), blog and webpage writing, social media scheduling and advertising, and general website maintenance.
When Emily’s not working, you can find her spending time with her friends, family, and husband, taking photos or performing at various community theaters, including Weathervane Playhouse, Avenue Arts, Kent State University at Stark Theatre, North Canton Playhouse, and Players Guild. She has also volunteered for multiple organizations, including Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron for their annual Easter Egg Hunt and Murder in the Mansion event, United Way of Greater Stark County and its Young Leaders Society, and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s ystark!.
Emeritus Members
Deceased
