Board of Trustees

Leah Hooks, President
Leah is an alumni parent and held the position of Administrative Assistant at Stepping Stones for ten years. She has been on the Board of Trustees for the past two years and is currently President of the Board. Leah has been the Auction Chair in the past and is currently on the Head of School Search Committee and the Fund Development Committee. As one of our founding parents of Stepping Stones, Leah’s connection to Stepping Stones began in 1983. Her three children attended our program throughout Children’ s House and Elementary and graduated as sixth year from the Upper Elementary Program. Leah attended St. Mary’s College and Wayne State University, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science. Her interests include reading, travel and enjoying her adult children.

Kelly Gest, Vice President
Kelly is a parent of a Children’s House student and an Elementary I student and she has been associated with Stepping Stones for six years. Kelly is currently the chair of the Fund Development Committee and is the immediate past president of the Board of Trustees. She also has chaired the facilities committee and the governance committee and was a member of the executive committee, as well as serving as the Vice President. Kelly is a self-employed Landscape Architectural Consultant, and earned her MLA from the University of Pennsylvania and BA from Syracuse University. Kelly’s interests include raising happy healthy children, recreational activities to enjoy Michigan’s beautiful out of doors, explorations of the art and design worlds, cooking and enjoying locally harvested foods, and supporting “green” environmental initiatives. Her vision for the school is to create a unique, diverse and academically excellent Montessori School which uses sustainable principles in its operations and financial management.

Bill Boersma, Treasurer
Bill is a parent of a Children’s House student, an Elementary I student, and an Elementary II student and has been associated with Stepping Stones since 2003. Bill is currently the treasurer of the Board of Trustees and has served on the Board for two years. He is a member of the Facilities and Finance Committee and is Co-chair of the Head of School Search Committee. Bill owns and manages an insurance brokerage company and an insurance consulting company in downtown Grand Rapids. He earned his B.A. degree in business from Calvin College in 1990. He enjoys playing with his kids, Hobie sailing, skiing, canning, photography, making breakfast, landscaping, triathlons, and on and on and on…

Laurie Zwier, Secretary
Laurie is a parent of four alumni students and has been associated with Stepping Stones for six years. Her expert organizing skills were utilized as chair of the community committee in the planning and coordinating of welcome back parties, fall festival for the community, the annual snow ball dance, the international festival, picnics and retirement events. Laurie is a nurse with the Spectrum Health-Kresge Cardiac Catheterization Lab and the Meijer Heart Center, Butterworth Campus. Her interests include doing laundry, cooking, camping, and doing fun things with her kids! Laurie’s vision for the school is for SSMS to continually strive for excellence in the Montessori spirit by maintaining an environment that provides the students with the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, physical and societal skills necessary to fulfill their dreams.

Leslie Curry, Member at Large
Leslie is an alumni parent and former Board Member and former President of the Board of Trustees. Her connection with Stepping Stones began in 1986 when her children began their Montessori education. They were students here from 1986 to 1998 (Children’s House through sixth year). Leslie has been on the Board previously for eight years and currently is a member of the fund development committee, head of school search committee, and the tuition assistance committee. Leslie is an attorney and is employed with the Legal Aid of Western Michigan. She graduated from Hope College with a B.A. degree and earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan. Leslie’s interests include music, theatre, reading, and public policy.

Wilma Kiefer, Staff Representative
Wilma is an ex officio non-voting member of the Board and is an Elementary II Montessori teacher and has been on staff for eighteen years. She is the staff representative to the Board and is currently a member of the website committee. Wilma graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts and received her Elementary Montessori Training at the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center in Chicago. Wilma has also completed the Montessori Model UN training and was instrumental in providing this unique experience for our Elemenary II students. Wilma’s interests include outdoor fun, reading, gardening and bird watching. Her vision for the school is that Steppng Stones be a place of creativity, accountability and excellence.

JD Loeks, Member at Large
JD is a parent of an Elementary I student and has been associated with Stepping Stones for the past four years. He is currently on the finance committee. JD earned his BA from Calvin College and his MBA and MS in Finance at the University of Denver. He is currently employed by Celebration! Cinema. JD’s interests include anything outdoors, reading and of course movies!

Marcia Maynard, Interim Head of School
Marcia is an ex officio non-voting member of the Board and is the Interim Head of School. Marcia has been associated with Montessori Education since 1972 when her daughter entered Marywood Montessori School in Grand Rapids. Marcia has been a Children’s House directress at Marywood and Stepping Stones and was the administrator of Stepping Stones from 1984-89. Her three children have attended Montessori schools and her youngest daughter graduated from Stepping Stones in 1988. Marcia earned her MSW from Western Michigan University, her BA from the State University of New York, her State of Michigan Elementary Teaching Certification from Aquinas College and her Montessori Preprimary Credential from AERCO-Ithaca Montessori Training Center in Ithaca, New York. Marcia has worked in the field of Montessori for fifteen years as a teacher in private Montessori Schools and as administrator of Stepping Stones. Throughout her more recent social work career of fourteen years, Marcia has kept a close connection to Montessori through volunteering in local Montessori Schools. Her interests include spending time with family and her seven grandchildren, reading, skiing, golfing, being with friends, and enjoying the family cottage “up north”. Marcia’s vision for the school is for Stepping Stones to be an academically excellent program which supports the education of life long learners…and brings joy and creates passion in the minds of those it serves and that our students have a global view of our world and realize their ability to positively impact others.

S. Maria Tardani, Member at Large
S. Maria Tardani was one of the founding members of Stepping Stones Montessori School. As one of the original Montessori teachers on our staff, S. Maria has been associated with Stepping Stones since its inception in 1983. Her Montessori experience of more than 25 years, twelve of which were with Stepping Stones as an Elementary I teacher, has been an asset to our Board of Trustees. Her previous experience at Marywood Montessori School as a Children’s House and Elementary I teacher and as the administrator of the program gives S. Maria a first-hand knowledge of the Montessori philosophy and method of teaching. This is S. Maria’s first year on our Board of Trustees and she is currently a member of the fund development committee. S. Maria is employed by and is a member of the Dominican Sisters of Marywood. She has a B.A. degree and certification in Preprimary and Elementary I Montessori. Her other interests include gardening and reading. S. Maria’s vision for Stepping Stones is to see SSMS grow and flourish so that children in the area may experience the joy of a Montessori education.