Kalamazoo Valley Community College Presents "Inspiration Celebration: Women's History Month at Kalamazoo Valley"

In celebration of Women's History Month, the college is hosting a luncheon for faculty, staff, students and community members. Four noteworthy women will serve as panelists and will be recognized for their achievements. They are: CEO and Founder of Merze Tate Explorers, Sonya Bernard-Hollins; Superintendent of Pennfield Schools, Stephanie Lemmer; Kalamazoo Valley Community College Trustee Emeritus Susan Miller; and Kalamazoo Valley Community College Library Archive and Serials Supervisor Nancy Young.

The event takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29 in Room 4240 at the Texas Township Campus.

Sonya Bernard-Hollins is an award-winning journalist, author and CEO of Season Press LLC, a publishing and editorial consulting firm in Kalamazoo. Her passion for writing, history and travel come together in her work as founder of the Merze Tate Explorers, the world's only non-profit travel writers' academy for girls. Her passion for hidden African American history has led to the publication of several local history books co-produced by her husband, Sean. Her book "Jammin' in Kalamazoo," was put to music by Branford Marsalis and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. She is a graduate of Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University and serves on the KVCC Foundation Board of Trustees.

Stephanie Lemmer is serving in her 21st year of public education and is the superintendent of Pennfield Schools in Battle Creek. Her teaching career started in the Slovak Republic. She then moved to the Chicago Public Schools, and later Kalamazoo Public Schools. She became a literacy consultant for Kalamazoo RESA and started her administration career in the Comstock Public Schools as an elementary principal. She returned to Kalamazoo RESA and served as the director of Head Start for Kalamazoo County, and from there she served as superintendent of Centreville Public Schools before moving into her current role in Pennfield.

Susan Miller served Kalamazoo Valley Community College for 20 years from 2003 - 2023, offering her time and talents as Secretary of the Board, Chair of the Board of Trustees' Audit and Governance Committee and serving as a Director for the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation. She was consistently a gracious and driving force for community college student success and inclusion, providing collaborative leadership during times of transition for the college. She is a distinguished alumna of Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Nancy Young is Kalamazoo Valley's serials supervisor and has been employed by the college for 42 years. She started out as a work-study student before becoming a periodicals assistant in the Texas Township Campus Library in 1982. Over the years, her position and duties have evolved. In her current role, she is in charge of serials and college archives, which are available in print and electronically. Her past voluntarism has included working with Alzheimer's patients. She can be seen volunteering all around campus assisting with events like Get it Done and Welcome week, but her passion project is Valley Food Share, which she finds very rewarding.

Marketing Project Manager Earlene McMichael will serve as the emcee for a panel discussion about inspiring women mentors and lifting up the next generation of women leaders. Kalamazoo Valley President L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D. and Provost and Vice President for Instruction and Student Services Paige Eagan, Ph.D., will offer remarks. A luncheon featuring lemon chicken, build-your-own spring salad, roasted potatoes and asparagus, and assorted dessert bars will be served.