School Board of Directors & Committees
The DaVinci Academy Board of Directors consists of parents, teachers and a community representative. All members are elected to the board, unless an opening occurs mid-term, in which case the board has authority to fill that position.
Our school charter provides the board with the following major duties and responsibilities:
- Providing overall direction for the development and growth of the school
- Selecting and evaluating the school’s key administrative staff
- Establishing and approving all major educational and operational policies
- Approving the school’s annual budget and overseeing all fiscal affairs
- As needed, acting as a resource for school staff
- Approving the school’s personnel policies and monitoring compliance
- Approving all major contracts
The board has established various committees, which focus on key components of school operations. As circumstances warrant, committees are abolished or added to address specific needs or challenges. Parent, teacher and community member participation on any of the committees is welcomed by the board.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Curriculum/Technology Committee Meeting
Finance Committee Meeting
Finance Committee Meeting
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Board Members
Matt Manning, President, At-Large Board Member
mmanning@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2021
Mr. Manning currently serves as President of the Board. Mr. Manning is currently employed by Medtronic in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota as a Principal Technician. Mr. Manning received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Business Management from the National American University and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Brown College in Minnesota. Mr. Manning received a Project Management Professional certificate from the Project Management Institute of Minnesota. Mr. Manning has one child attending the Charter School, plus three alumnus.
Melanie Persellin, Vice President, Parent Board Member
mpersellin@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2020
Ms. Persellin has served on the Board since December of 2015, and was elected as Board Secretary on February 22, 2016. Ms. Persellin is currently employed as a partner at the law firm of Jensen, Sondrall, Persellin and Woods, P.A., in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Ms. Persellin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota, and a JD from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. Ms. Persellin has two children who currently attend the Charter School .
Valerie Slaymaker, PhD, Treasurer, Community Board Member
vslaymaker@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2020
Dr. Slaymaker has served on the Board since January of 2015, was elected Board Treasurer on February 22, 2016, and currently chairs the Finance Committee. Dr. Slaymaker is the Vice President of Education, Quality and Research at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and also serves as the Chief Academic Officer and Provost in the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies. Dr. Slaymaker received a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is trained as a scientist-practitioner.
Brian Mueggenberg, Teacher Board Member
Bmueggenberg@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2020
Mr. Mueggenberg has been a teacher since 2012, and graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in mathematics education. He is involved in the kids’ growth and learning throughout the year, including after school clubs, tutoring, math masters, and soccer. He chooses to work at DaVinci Academy for its close-knit community and dedicated families, and is a student favorite in the PTO dunk tank in the spring carnival.
Michelle Ingram, Teacher Board Member
Mingram@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2021
Ms. Ingram has served on the Board since August of 2016. Ms. Ingram joined the DaVinci Community in 2015, she loves the close community feeling from the families and staff that create an environment for success. Ms. Ingram earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota in 2013. She has been teaching since 2009 in 4th and 5th grades. She loves working and learning through technology and is always reading a good book!
Ross Meisner, At-Large Board Member
rmeisner@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2018
Mr. Meisner had two children attend DaVinci Academy, and now serves as a Community board member, having previously served as Board President for four years, as Treasurer for one year, and as a finance committee member for two years. He is a Managing Director in Navigant’s Life Science Practice, which in 2016 acquired the company he had co-founded, Dymedex Consulting. At Navigant his team delivers strategic marketing insights to the medical technology industry. Mr. Meisner previously worked in Silicon Valley and lived in Tokyo for three years. Mr. Meisner received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from DeVry Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Jane Ahlstrom, Community Board Member
@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2021
Andy Wallschläger, Parent Board Member
awallschlaeger@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2020
Mr. Wallschlaeger has served on the Board since February 2014 and was a member of the Policy, Human Resources and Facilities Committees. Mr. Wallschlaeger is currently employed as a board certified Pathologist Assistant and Teaching Specialist at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Mr. Wallschlaeger received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota, and holds Fellowship status with the American Association of Pathologist Assistants (AAPA). Mr. Wallschlaeger has two children who currently attend the Charter School.
Mark Guy, Parent Board Member
mguy@davincicharterschool.org
Term expires: 2019
Mr. Guy was elected to the Board on February 22, 2016. Mr. Guy is an international development professional with experience in the areas of early childhood development, child welfare and protection, and global health. Mr. Guy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Economics from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Guy serves as a Global Development Program Officer serving the GHR Foundation and the Better Way Foundation, and he manages strategic programs across the United States, and in the countries of Zambia, Tanzania and Lesotho. Prior to his work with the GHR and Better Way Foundations, Mr. Guy served as a Senior Program Associate at PATH, a global health nonprofit organization. Mr. Guy is the parent of two children enrolled at the Charter School.
Agenda & Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes 2018-19:
Board Committees
Chair: Valerie Slaymaker
Vice Chair(s): Brian Mueggenberg
Manages the finances of DaVinci Academy with the highest integrity and ensures professional accounting practices are followed.
Meeting Minutes 2017-18:
Chair: Andy Wallschlaeger
Vice Chair: Matt Manning
Reviews and recommends appropriate and supportable compensation and bonus programs for teachers and staff that are in DaVinci Academy’s best interests and aligned with its business mission and strategy to reward and retain quality employees.
Agenda:
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Meeting Minutes 2017-18:
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Chair: Andy Wallschlaeger
Vice Chair: Matt Manning
Documents and tracks current policies and practices, reviews and recommends changes to existing policies and practices, and drafts and recommends new policies and practices, as needed.
Meeting Minutes 2017-18:
Chair: Mark Guy
Vice Chair: Melanie Persellin
Coordinates all fundraising and grant application activities conducted at the school to ensure those opportunities are maximized.
Meeting Minutes 2017-18:
Chair: Michelle Ingram
Vice Chair: Matt Manning
Agenda:
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Meeting Minutes 2017-18:
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Communication Committee
Facilitates quality communications within DaVinci Academy and from the school to stakeholders and the general public.
Facilities Committee
Chair:
Vice Chair: Andy Wallschlaeger
Reviews, prioritizes, and recommends budgetary and other actions to the administration and the DaVinci Academy School Board in order to maintain and enhance the school’s buildings and grounds. This includes, but is not limited to, the recommendation of additions and upgrades to facilities, development of budgets necessary for short- and long-term facility maintenance, and review and selection of facility maintenance-related bids and contracts, and prioritization and recommendation of large equipment purchases.
This is an Ad-Hoc group committee specifically working on the school expansion. They are not currently seeking additional members.
High School Ad Hoc
Chair: Holly Fischer
Takes a leading role in assisting the administration and the DaVinci Academy School Board in developing a plan to expand the school to include grades nine through twelve. This will initially include assistance in hiring a high school coordinator to oversee the project and in creating a vision for the future high school program.
This committee was disbanded when it completed its task.
School Director Search Committee
Chair: Doug Hiatt
Coordinates all activities associated with identifying, interviewing and recruiting potential candidates to fill the school’s open School Director position.
This committee was disbanded when it completed its task.
Technology Committee
Chair: Mike Hebert
