East Grand Rapids — Though she’s new to leading the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation, Amy Turner-Thole is a familiar face in the organization, as well as in the district and the East Grand Rapids community overall.
The parent of two EGRPS graduates, and a former EGR Board of Education trustee who also served as the district’s ex-officio representative to the foundation board, Turner-Thole started in her new role as the foundation’s executive director in September, following the departure of Amy Stuursma.
She told SNN she comes from a family of educators, and describes herself as a “huge advocate” of the public school system.
“Public education runs through my family’s blood. I’m the sister, daughter and granddaughter of public school teachers, so I care deeply about public schools,” she said. “I believe strongly that public schools are the foundation of every community. They’re certainly at the heart of East Grand Rapids, but I think they’re foundational to every community in the state.”
Turner-Thole has spent much of her career in communications, most of it education-adjacent. As a television reporter for Fox 17, she covered education issues. Later, as an independent consultant for nonprofit organizations like First Steps Kent, she was heavily involved in the Ready by Five early childhood millage.
As an East parent and board trustee, she saw the impact of the foundation on the district’s learners through its contributions to STEM, robotics, theater, the high school renovation project and other programs and causes it supports.
“I love that our foundation is really a bridge for parents, community members, alums, others who support public education,” she said. “It’s a bridge between the community and our schools, and it’s a way that we can invest in experiences and opportunities and enhancements for kids’ education.”
Only a few weeks into her tenure, Turner-Thole said it’s a bit soon to talk about her long-term goals for the organization, but she’s thrilled to be a part of it.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our community for recognizing the importance of investing in opportunities for our students, and I appreciate the trust and confidence that they have in the foundation, and I just thank everybody for their support.”
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