Groundswell Staff
Allison Palm, Place-based Education Specialist
Allison is a nonprofit professional who was born and raised in Grand Rapids. She graduated from Albion College with a degree in Mass Media Communication Studies and Sociology. She later earned a master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Grand Valley State University. Throughout her career, she has worked at several local nonprofit organizations of various missions; primarily with those in education, community engagement, the arts, and social justice.
Allison will be planning Groundswell Professional Learning opportunities, assisting educators in connecting with community partners, and visiting schools to observe and support classes as they pursue their action projects!
Allison lives in downtown Grand Rapids with her husband and loves spending time at Lake Michigan, hiking local trails, and creating art.
Office Address: 356 DeVos Building C
Email: [email protected]
Clayton Pelon, Director
Clayton Pelon has been the director of the Center for Educational Partnerships within the College of Education and Community Innovation for many years.
He helped to create the Groundswell Stewardship Initiative, and has been a driving force behind the initiative all these years.
Office Address: 362 DeVos Building C
Email: [email protected]
Cait Portko, Office Coordinator
Cait is the Office Coordinator for the Center for Educational Partnerships here at the College of Education and Community Innovation and provides administrative support for all department programs, including Groundswell.
Cait lives in Grand Rapids and enjoys reading, gardening, and time with family and friends.
Office Address: 396 DeVos Building C
Email: [email protected]
Student Staff
Elana "Lana" Burns, Communications Assistant
Lana Burns is a sophomore at Grand Valley State University, majoring in journalism with plans to minor in advertising and public relations.
At Groundswell, Lana serves as a communications assistant. In this role, she supports a range of projects, including managing social media content, contributing to the newsletter, and assisting with behind-the-scenes updates on the website.
Outside of school and work, Lana enjoys spending time with friends and family. She also takes an interest in reading, writing, and video editing.