Adjunct Faculty

Kinfu Adisu

e-mail: adisuk@gvsu.edu
office: 314C DeVos Center
phone: 616-331-7263

Micki Benz

Ryan Cotton

e-mail: ryancotton@hotmail.com

Ryan Cotton is the village administrator of Spring Lake, MI. He is studying for his Ph.D. in Political Science at Western Michigan University and earned an MPA from the University of Kansas.

Jacqueline DeBuler

Jayne Dissette

e-mail: dissettj@gvsu.edu
office: 358C DeVos Center
phone: 616-331-5805

Jayne is full-time staff as an Academic Systems Supervisor for Academic Computing at GVSU. Coming from small business management she has worked in non-profit and public institutions since 1996. Jayne has a BS in Computer Science Information Systems and Master of Business Administration.

Areas of interest and study include management information systems, emerging technologies, teaching and learning in higher education and software development. She also serves as adjunct to Computer Science Information Systems and Seidman Management.

Maria Gajewski

e-mail: gajewsma@gvsu.edu
office: 374C DeVos Center
phone: 616-331-7238

Maria Gajewski is Research Coordinator for the Community Research Institute. Her duties at CRI include conducting community-based research and program evaluations. Some recent projects include Giving & Volunteering in Kent County 2005 and the ongoing evaluation of Central City Weed & Seed.

Maria holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Grand Valley State University. Before joining the Johnson Center in 2003, she was Development Coordinator for Milestones of Southwest Michigan, and is an Americorps alumnus. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

She Maria's blogs at Never the Same River Twice

Kenneth James

e-mail: jamesken@gvsu.edu
room: 036 Zumberge Library
phone: 616-331-2242

Kenneth James is assistant vice president for Affirmative Action at GVSU. Prior to coming to GVSU in 2008, James worked at Mercy Health Partners (formerly Hackley Hospital), and was responsible for all non-clinical intercultural training and leading the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Prior to that, he worked for eight years as affirmative action director for the City of Muskegon. James is also the director of Muskegon Community College’s Intercultural Community Leadership Academy.

James earned a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Valley in 1996 and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Kentucky State University in 1994. An active community member, he serves as a board member of the West Michigan Strategic Alliance, Muskegon Foster Grandparents, Urban League of Muskegon, among other organizations. For the past 10 years, James has served as a board member and facilitator for the Institute of Healing Racism.

Susan Johnson

e-mail: FourBays91@aol.com

Sarah Keranen-Lopez

e-mail: keranesa@gvsu.edu
room: 104 Eberhard Center
phone: 616-331-7112

Kathy Kremer

e-mail: kremekat@aquinas.edu

Dr. Kremer ia Assistant Professor of Sociology at Aquinas College. She holds a B.S. and M.S. from Minnesota State University-Mankato, a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology from Iowa State University, and worked in community organizations and community development from 1982-1997. Recent publications include “Encroachment and Historically Agricultural Areas” published in the Journal of Applied Poultry Research in 2005, and “Integrating Information Literacy into a Discipline-Specific Course in the First Year: A Case of Sociology 101” in the monograph The Role of the Library in the First College Year published in 2007.

Dr. Kremer served as Chair of the Minnesota Housing Partnership from 1990-92; Co-Chair of the Community Interest Group of the Rural Sociological Society from 2003-04; Chair of College-University Relations for the American Association of University Women of Iowa from 2005-06, and currently serves on the Community Action Grants Panel of the American Association of University Women. A Minnesota native, Dr. Kremer enjoys river kayaking, biking, and international travel.

Peter A. Letzmann

e-mail: peter@letzmann.com

Peter A. Letzmann is an attorney, mediator, consultant and speaker. He graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law 1972 and his BA from Wayne State University. He has attended the FBI's Police Legal Advisors Academy and other continuing education courses for municipal attorneys. He is currently in private practice, but was the City Attorney of Troy, Michigan for seventeen years, a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Pontiac and an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Detroit.

Letzmann has made hundreds of presentations regarding legal issues and leadership aspects of government. He taught in the graduate school of Public Administration at Oakland University and has been an instructor / lecturer at MSU, EMU, Oakland Community College, Kellogg Community College, Washtenaw Community College and others. Letzmann is certified as an instructor by the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Training Council, Fire Fighter Training Council and Department of Labor (Act 54). Letzmann has been published in various periodicals, including the Journal of the State Bar of Michigan and the Detroit Lawyer, MAMA Legal Briefs, The Public Corporation Law Section Quarterly, the Michigan Municipal Review, the Michigan Township News, the Michigan Police Journal and the MML's Guide for Newly Elected Officials. He has been a guest columnist in various newspapers. He has received recognition from various groups, including the Michigan Municipal League's Award of Merit, the Bert Bergoyne Award from the Public Corporation Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan Municipal Attorney's Distinguished Service Award, and others.

Bruce Nanzer

e-mail: brucenanzer@comcast.net

Bruce Nanzer is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Community Leadership program at Aquinas College. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Western Michigan University and an MBA from the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Nanzer teaches courses in community leadership, public policy, public administration, management and organizations. His research and scholarship pursuits involve communities, civil society, and sustainability.

Cara Neiboer

e-mail: cnieboer@shrr.com

Ashley Nickels

e-mail: nickelas@gvsu.edu
room: 1201 Kirkhof Center
phone: 616-331-2748

Korrie Ottenwess

e-mail: KOttenwess@kazoocmh.org

Korrie Ottenwess works in the Quality Management Department of Kalamazoo Community Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services. As the former Research Manager for the Community Research Institute at Grand Valley State University, Korrie Ottenwess conducted community-based research and program evaluation for nonprofit and public organizations throughout the community including organizations such as Spectrum Health, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and Heart of West Michigan United Way. Mrs. Ottenwess was with the Johnson Center for Philanthropy from 2001 to 2009.

Ottenwess has a B.A. in Communications and a Master's in Public Administration degree from Grand Valley State University. Prior to joining the Community Research Institute in 2001, her worked in fundraising at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids and at Aquinas College. She also has spent time working with township planning and zoning and youth programming.

Jeremy Pyne

e-mail: pyneje@gvsu.edu
room: 266C DeVos Center
phone: 616-331-7219

Jeremy Pyne is a GIS Specialist for CRI where his specialty is demographic mapping and community based research. He has earned his Masters of Public Administration and Bachelors of Science in Geography and Planning degrees from Grand Valley State University - Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Jeremy plays bass for Winnie Cooper, Chance Jones, and formerly Joyride.

Scott Pederson

e-mail: sep@gr.hys-law.com

Michael Reagan

e-mail: MikeReagan@ProactionAlliance.org

Michael Reagan is President/CEO of Proaction Behavioral Health Alliance, a statewide non-profit health care organization based in Grand Rapids that provides substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention services. Reagan, who has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, was inducted into the Pi Alpha Alpha Honors Society in 2006. Current affiliations include:

• President, Association of Michigan Licensed Substance Abuse Organizations, 1997 to present
• Board Member, Citizen Alliance on Prisons and Public Safety, 1997 to present
• Board Member, Mental Health Association of Michigan, 2005 to present
• Member, Advisory Committee to Chief Kevin Belk , Grand Rapids Police Department, 2004 to present
• Board of Trustees, State Associations of Addiction Services 2207 to present
• Board Member Partners in Crisis, statewide advocacy for persons who have a mental illness or substance use disorder and are incarcerated, 2008
• Chair, Heart of West Michigan United Way Partner Agencies Steering Committee, 2007 to present

Joe Soper

e-mail: soperjo@gvsu.edu

Josef R. Soper recently (December 2007) retired as Court Administrator from the 61st District Court (Grand Rapids) thus ending twenty-eight years in the top executive position and bringing to a close (so far) a thirty-two year career in the justice system.

Dr. Soper’s degrees come from Eastern Michigan University (BA, Psychology), State University of New York at Albany (MA, Criminal Justice), and Western Michigan University (PhD, Public Administration). He has been teaching as adjunct faculty for Grand Valley since 1982 and has taught a variety of courses including Public Policy, Organization Theory, Criminology, and Social Research Methods.

Having served on many nonprofit boards locally, he is currently Board President for the Children’s Assessment Center. He has a strong interest in public policies that impact abused children. Now that the time is available in retirement, he builds dollhouses and donates them to local nonprofit organizations that focus on children.

Dee Ann Sherwood-Bosworth

e-mail: sherwood@gvsu.edu

Dee Ann has 10 years of experience in evaluating the impact of organizational and leadership development programs. Dee Ann has served a consultant to Spectrum Health System in Michigan, Sutter Health System in California and Princeton University in New Jersey to quantify the results of organizational cultural competence initiatives. She has served on several community boards in West Michigan, including United Way- Project Blueprint, the Regional Alliance for Diversity in Public Purchasing and Safe Haven Ministries. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Dee Ann earned dual Master's of Public Administration and Master's of Social Work at Grand Valley State University. She has also earned a Health Care Management Certification from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. Currently, Dee Ann is a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University, with a dissertation focus on leadership development. She will be presenting some of her research at the Employers of Excellence Conference in January 2009, in collaboration with the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business.

Dee Ann is the principal of Sherwood Bosworth and Associates, specializing in Return on Investment (ROI) analyses of organizational and leadership development programs. She teaches graduate level research methods as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University and policy/practice courses as an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University. She resides in Rockford, Michigan with her husband and three children.

Jennifer Stockdale

e-mail: stockdaj@gvsu.edu

In 1996 Jennifer Stockdale worked with the Michigan Community Foundation’s Youth Project at the Council of Michigan Foundations and later repositioned as Program Director at the Community Foundation for the Holland/Zeeland Area.

Undergraduate Studies in Psychology and Human Resources were completed at the College of St. Elizabeth, NJ. Jennifer maintained a Graduate Assistantship with GVSU and the Johnson Center throughout her graduate work in obtaining her MPA. Jennifer graduated in 2003 and maintained working as Research Coordinator at the Johnson Center for the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide until 2005.

Jennifer resides in Holland with her husband Todd, and three young boys.

Barbara Van Duren

e-mail: vandureb@ci.wyoming.mi.us

Barbara VanDuren serves as Deputy City Manager for Wyoming, Michigan. She has served in this capacity since 2000. Previously, Barb was the City Manager for Wayland, Michigan, working for the City from 1989 - 2000. Barb has a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from Central Michigan University and Master's in Public Administration from Grand Valley State University. She credits her educational experience at GVSU for propelling her into the field of local government administration.

At the present time Barb serves on the Michigan Local Government Managers Association Board, and The Rapid (Interurban Transit Partnership) Board. She is also an Adjunct Instructor for the School of Public Administration at Grand Valley State University.

Barb and her husband John Crofoot reside in Wyoming, Michigan, and have two grown sons. They enjoy family, friends and travel.

Elizabeth White