Member of the Board of Trustees since 2023

Aaron is the parent of Kazoo graduates, Hannah & Hayden. He is a member of the Building and Grounds Committee.

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In her former life, Anne was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Anesthesia at Stanford University Medical Center. Her position centered around the teaching of residents through patient care. She now works in refugee resettlement under the auspices of Samaritas. Her focus is with children, with whom she works on acquisition of English language skills, development of academic skills, and communication/collaboration between home and school. Anne has been part of the Kazoo School community for 23 years. She uses all she has learned about progressive education at Kazoo School to make her work with young new Americans exciting and fun. Anne serves on the Harvard Schools Committee, where she interviews applicants for Harvard College. She has three children who all attended Kazoo School. The youngest graduated Kazoo School in 2015. They all point to Kazoo School as foundational to their subsequent academic success. An active participant in the Kazoo School Community for many years, Anne was the recipient of the 2011 Kazoo School Community Leadership Award. Anne’s roles include two seasons as Girls on the Run Coach, two years as National History Day Coach, and one year as Kazoo School Capital Campaign Co-Chair. This is Anne’s 3rd time serving on the Kazoo School Board. She is currently Vice Chair Emerita, and is on the Finance and Development Committees.

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Member of the Board of Trustees Since 2024

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Jenine Hinkle is an attorney with broad experience in marketing & advertising, franchise, and technology transactions in the automotive and retail industries. She is a graduate of USC School of Law and U.C. Irvine, where she majored in English Literature. Born in Kalamazoo, raised in Southern California, and happily back in the Kalamazoo community since 2022, Jenine is thrilled to be a Kazoo parent and values the school's commitment to justice and focus on the whole child. She and her husband love spending time outdoors (preferably by the water) with their two kids.

Member of the Board of Trustees Since 2021

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Lauren is a political science professor at Western Michigan University, where she teaches public policy and law. She directs an internship program and enjoys working with young people starting to think through decisions about career and life. She is a Kazoo parent and appreciates the outdoor-centered education at the Kazoo School and the emphasis on the education of the whole child. Lauren enjoys spending time outside with her wife, Melinda, and their two children.

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2023

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Levi is a carpenter and small business owner in Kalamazoo. He specializes in customizing living spaces, and is passionate about preserving and renovating existing homes and buildings, thus reducing the human footprint on natural spaces and increasing sustainability. Levi and his wife, Corrine are parents of Kazoo kids. His family appreciates Kazoo’s commitment to teaching the whole child, as well as being outside and connecting with nature. He is grateful to be part of a community that not only fosters individual personalities, but also helps them to grow and thrive as members of that community.

Member of the Board of Trustees Since 2021

Monica Beltran is a program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she manages the foundation’s investments to promote efforts to support thriving children, working families and equitable communities. More specifically, Monica focuses on maternal and child health, health equity, and the intersection of health, early childhood education, and economic security. Monica and her family are originally from Colombia, and have lived in Florida, Nebraska, and Colorado prior to relocating to Kalamazoo, MI in 2019. The Beltrans joined the Kazoo School community in 2022 looking for a place where their son, Daniel could learn in a nurturing and inclusive environment.

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Nora Neill is an Associate Professor of English at Grand Rapids Community College where she not only teaches composition classes but contributes to teams dedicated to enhanced equity and inclusion on campus.  Her students say she’s a compassionate, flexible and caring educator.  Nora’s educational foundation started at Kazoo School in the 1980s and early 90s where her love of language arts was supported and celebrated.  Kazoo School was a place to be herself; where she found adventure and peace outdoors; where she built confidence as a learner and person; a locus of community and care; a place outside her childhood home where she was seen as a creative writer, an identity she still cherishes.  Because of the small class sizes, the commitment to anti-racist education and the devoted teachers, Nora and her spouse send their child to Kazoo School.

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2025

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Patti Hilliard is a psychotherapist at Kerby Psychological Services in Kalamazoo, where she is working to specialize in complex trauma and chronic pain. She has experience supporting LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse individuals and is passionate about trauma-informed care in the community. Patti first fell in love with Kalamazoo while attending Kalamazoo College, where she studied computer science, and later returned to raise her family. After staying home with her children, she decided to pursue her passion for working with people and earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University. Patti’s two children attended Kazoo School through elementary and middle school before graduating from Portage Central High School, and both are now attending college in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. During her years as a Kazoo School parent, she was an active presence in classrooms and community events. Patti deeply values Kazoo School’s commitment to nurturing each child’s love of learning, emotional growth, and connection to nature—qualities she believes helped her children become passionate and caring humans who have the capacity to move through the world as their most authentic selves. 

Member of the Board of Trustees since 2026

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Sandy Standish is a retired educator with early childhood, PreK-12, and post-secondary experience. Upon her retirement as Superintendent from Comstock Public Schools, Sandy was the founding Executive Director of Kalamazoo County Ready 4s, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting early childhood education. With a deep commitment to education, Sandy brings both professional expertise and a collaborative approach to supporting the staff, students, and families at Kazoo School. Sandy has two grandchildren currently attending Kazoo School.