Leadership

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is a dynamic team of community members who volunteer their time and expertise to develop quality early childhood education in our community. According to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, our Board must always include the following members:

an experienced accountant or financial manager
a specialist in early childhood education and/or development
an attorney familiar with issues that impact the people we serve
members who have children currently or formerly enrolled in our program
members with expertise in education, business administration, or community affairs

Our Board of Directors meets monthly to discuss issues pertinent to the program and actively participates in strategic planning for the entire agency.

Member	Board Position	Occupation/Employer
Lynette Schwalbe	Board Chair	Professor, MSU-Billings
Genia Castro-Waller	Vice Chair	Owner/Operator Graphic Finesse
Eric George	Treasurer	Executive Director, Stockman Bank
Heidi Jensen-Christison	Secretary	Planning Manager, Interstate Engineering
Dr. Erin Allen		Pediatrician, Billings Clinic
Chase Brown		Attorney, Netzer Law Office
Sue DeVries		Retired
Connie Begger		Realtor, Select Property Brokers
Daniel Brooks		Business Advocacy Manager, Chamber of Commerce
Jessica Robinson		Policy Council Liaison

Policy Council

Our Policy Council holds equal power to the Board of Directors, and it’s made up of elected parent representatives from each classroom. The primary purpose of the Policy Council is to assist in making important decisions regarding policies, hiring and termination of employees, curriculum, and budget decisions. Policy Council members are both the voice of the classroom parents at the monthly Policy Council Meeting and the voice of Policy Council when reporting back to their Parent Committees. Policy Council members have a broader involvement in the education of all Explorers Academy children. Members play a role in building relationships between Explorers Academy and the community in which we all live.

“Being part of Explorers Academy’s Policy Council and parent committee gave me the confidence to be part of my child’s PTA. It taught me that I had a say and I have a voice!” – Amy

Policy Council Position	Name
Chair	Paul Law
Vice Chair; Interview Committee	Jessica Robinson
Treasurer; Finance, Grievance Committees	Lindsey Killham
Secretary	Jackie Corcoran

Interview, School Readiness, Health Services Advisory Committees	Christin Cunningham
Interview, School Readiness Committees	Camee Oldchief
Health Services Advisory Committee	April Wallace
Interview Committee	Doug Anderson/Riverstone
	Cestra Dodson
	Jessica Heid
	Suzanne Brown
	Melina Flatmouth
	Ayla-Torres-Binion
	Brandy Alexander
	Bessie Schmitt
	Leslie Stokoe
	Jennie Busenbark/ECI

Management

Our Management diligently oversees all operations of Explorers Academy related to the children and families we serve in our community.

Department	Director	Contact
Executive Director	Janice King	Email
Community Relations	Megan Martin	Email
Education	Jessica Pingle	Email
Enrollment and Attendance (ERSEA)	Anna Mason	Email
Family and Community Partnerships	Michelle Martonen	Email
Finance	Richard Geiger	Email
Human Resources	Mandy Hurr	Email
Nutrition	Kathy Huck	Email
Operations	Christopher Belcher	Email