December 12, 2017
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017
LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the reappointments of Susan Medendorp of Lansing and Denise Smith of Detroit to the PreK-12 Literacy Commission.
Housed within the Michigan Department of Education, the 13-member commission advises and assists in matters relating to the assessment, professional development, education programming, socioeconomic challenges, best practices, collaboration, parental engagement, and teaching of literacy.
"Susan and Denise have done great work to help improve literacy around Michigan and I remain confident they will continue to do well on this commission," Snyder said.
Medendorp is the center director of Abrams Teaching Lab at the Michigan Dyslexia Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and elementary education with special education endorsements for ages 0-25 in emotionally impaired, learning disabilities, and mentally impaired from Calvin College. She also holds a master of divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary.
Smith is the executive director of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and previously served as vice president of early learning at Excellent Schools District in Detroit. She holds a dual bachelor’s degree in communications and French from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, Calif.
Medendorp and Smith will serve four-year terms expiring Oct. 31, 2021.
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