By Sterling McGinn
There are several new faces on the Tahquamenon Area Schools (TAS) Board of Education following the November 2024 election. The Newberry News caught up with the new trustees to find out their backgrounds and what goals they have in store during their terms.
Amanda Kitzman
Kitzman graduated from Newberry High School (NHS) in 1999 and moved to Colorado Springs shortly after graduation, where she completed an internship with a youth organization called Rock the Nations. Her work included doing service projects and conferences throughout the Southwest.
“When that was complete, I came home for a five-year stint,” she said. “Not knowing what I wanted to do next, I ended up working at our public library and mentoring students. I then migrated down to Charleston, South Carolina. I started my own business as a wedding planner while also working as a lead overnight nurse at a veterinary emergency hospital.” During this time, she also ran volleyball clinics for high school and college students.
“I eventually moved home for family and found that I missed my small town of Newberry. When I came back, I was able to get connected with the people who bought the Old Bank and helped launch Illimin8 with several other volunteers,” she said.
Kitzman remains a mentor at Illumin8 and she also served at TAS as a 7-12 online learning mentor.
She currently works in the office at the Village of Newberry.
“When I heard there was an opening for the school board, I decided to dive in,” she said. “I have heard a lot of viewpoints and opinions on how our school is run, and I hope I can help be an advocate for both our students and our community. Both deserve to be heard and factored into the decisions that are made. That does not mean that we can give everyone everything that they want, but hopefully we can make everyone feel validated in the fact that they are heard and we as a board are taking everything into consideration to be able to make the best decisions possible for the whole.”
Jeff Puckett
Puckett, a Newberry native and a longtime TAS teacher and coach decided to return to the board and was elected in November.
He is a 1981 NHS graduate who earned an ACS BS in Chemistry with minors in math and philosophy from Northern Michigan University, and a secondary teaching certification. He is also serving a trustee on the Newberry Village Council, serves on the Luce County Ambulance Board, and recently founded the Newberry Quarterback Club.
Puckett hopes that he and his fellow board members can improve community relations and bring some students back to the district.
“We need to continue to improve our facilities, and our curriculum needs to be looked at,” Puckett said. “I hope we are able to secure an effective superintendent for our school system.”
Colleen Duflo
Duflo graduated from NHS in 1993 and has volunteered and coached since her kids were little. Duflo and her husband, Scott, currently have two children enrolled at TAS and she has a daughter who graduated in 2014.
Duflo’s interest in serving and volunteering stems from her parent’s involvement in the community and local government while she was growing up.
“I probably grew up seeing that getting involved is just something you did,” Duflo said.
She noted that she had been asked several times in the past to consider running for a school board position.
“I have been involved in community service and economic development. I decided to run for a seat when I saw the recent vacancies,” Duflo said. “I knew significant challenging changes were coming and I wanted to be a part of working with our community, teachers and administration to navigate those changes.
Duflo said that a school should be the heart of the community and kids count on it being just that.
Michael Havens
Havens was appointed to the TAS board in August of 2024 to fill a vacancy and then ran on the ballot for another two-year term.
He is a Physician’s Assistant and is active in the Newberry Elks Lodge. His wife, Alesha, is a 2nd grade teacher at Newberry Elementary School.
When first appointed to the board, Havens noted the challenges that face the school district including a decrease in student enrollment and the recruitment of educators in rural areas.
He also feels that the district made the right move in closing the old high school building and renovating the newer portion of the facility.
“I think we have a good group of dedicated teachers, and the athletic groups seem to be very stable, and the kids have a great opportunity and safety nest around them they can go to and trust,” he said.
