The Partnership Plan is proud to announce the appointment of three new board members to our Board of Directors team. Joining the board are Catherine (Katie) Bang, Shannon Foster Borchardt and Chris Lauer.
Katie Bang is the Vice President - Trust & Estate Services at Lake Elmo Bank. Katie brings a wealth of financial and development knowledge to our board. When asked why she was interested in joining the board, Katie replied “I am a Stillwater resident, born and raised, and I understand the importance of supporting the school district to help students thrive. I have heard only great things about the work the Partnership Plan does for the schools and communities they serve.”
Shannon Foster Borchardt is an elementary school teacher at Stonebridge Elementary. Shannon has been a teacher in District 834 for 19 years and has previously taught at Marine Elementary and Lake Elmo Elementary. In fact, just this past year, Shannon was one of the amazing teachers who was nominated for TPP’s Partnership Award, which celebrates teachers and staff in District 834 who make an incredible impact on the schools they teach at and the children who are lucky enough to learn with them. The Partnership Plan is excited to have Shannon’s years of experience and knowledge of the district as we move forward.
Chris Lauer is an Insurance Agent at Valley Agencies. When asked why he was interested in serving on TPP’s Board of Directors, Chris said, “I love the idea of empowering teachers to teach and children to learn in new ways. We see the impacts of successes and failures in education every day. The Partnership Plan provides venture capital for a better society.”
As we welcome our new board members, it is also time to say goodbye to 4 board members who’s terms expired this year: Connie Paiement, Chris Getchell, Malinda Lansfelt and Sara Kubiak. All four of these individuals have had an incredible impact on TPP and our programs. Connie was an important part of the Finance Committee and served as Treasurer and on the Executive Board for several years. One of the most important things that we do is manage our financial resources and Connie has been an integral part of helping us do so wisely. Chris was an invaluable member of the Grants and Development Committee. With his knowledge as a teacher in the district, he helped guide the Grants committee in creating a matrix to use as we give out classroom grants and he spearheaded the idea to give $300 grants to every first-year teacher the district hires. Malinda’s perspective as an administrator and principal in District 834 has been so valuable to our team and we appreciate her many contributions throughout her years on the board. Sara served on our Executive Board, most recently as Board Chair. Her business savvy and passion for TPP and our schools was much needed as TPP navigated staffing changes this past year. All four of these individuals have given so much of their time and talents these past years to make TPP, and our school district, better and we are so grateful for their service.
The Partnership Plan’s Board of Directors is made up of teachers, administrators, community members and a liaison from the District 834 School Board. The board meets monthly, except for July and December. There are still openings on the board. If you are interested in joining our board of directors, please reach out to Rick Robbins at robbinsr@partnershipplan.org.