Board Directory

Officers and Members :

                            --- President

                Mike Acrey --- Vice-President

                 Candy Severson --- Secretary/Treasurer

                        Halle Luedtke --- BPM Representative

                            Sonja Rogers--- BVA Representative

                                    Mike Zemaitis --- Parent, BSCA planning

                    Loretta Greener --- Community Member

      Genna Peterson --- Parent Member

Contact: Candy Severson  cseverson@birchwood.k12.wi.us

MIKE ACREY – VICE-PRESIDENT: Mike Acrey worked at General Motors in Arlington Texas. He began vacationing in the Birchwood area in the late 1990's. He retired after 30 years at GM in 2004 and moved permanently to Wisconsin to retire in 2006. In 2009 when The Birchwood Cafe and adjoining Laundromat came up for sale Mike and his wife Betsey came out of retirement. He joined the board in 2011 as a community member and began his service as Vice-President in 2013. Mike is also active with the Lions Club.  Mike and Betsey sold the Cafe in 2021.  Mike finds enjoyment on the golf course. Mike has three sons and 10 grandchildren.

CANDY SEVERSON – SECRETARY/TREASURER: Candy Severson and her husband, Jon, retired to the Birchwood area in 2002. She graduated from the College of Education at the University of Minnesota with a major in math and a minor in business. For the majority of her career she was a registered representative at Merrill Lynch where, in addition to handling client accounts, her responsibilities included training office staff. She joined the Governance Board as a community member and secretary in 2010. She has been a senior volunteer at Birchwood School. When asked why she volunteers and serves on the board, her answer is that it is all about the kids, helping provide the best educational options. She enjoys genealogy and walks with her dog.

 LORETTA GREENER – PARENT MEMBER: Loretta Greener lives in Rice Lake and has was school bus driver for Rice Lake. She and her husband own Greener's Budget Lumber in Birchwood and enjoy being a part of Birchwood's community. Their son is open enrolled in the Birchwood Blue Hills Charter School.  She is providing leadership within the Governance board by leading fundraising planning to get some fun and new ideas to raise money for our schools.

GENNA PETERSON – PARENT MEMBER: Genna Peterson, her husband Mike and three boys live on the scout camp on Long Lake.  There they spend their time enjoying the great outdoors and working on their little hobby farm. Genna works for a large animal vet and Mike is employed by the Boy Scouts of America. Genna moved to the Rice Lake/ Birchwood area 6 years ago to build a life with her husband. Once the time came to decide where their children would attend school, Mike and Genna went to an open house at the Birchwood schools. After sitting in on presentations given by the students at the Montessori and Charter school, they chose to open enroll their son into the Montessori school. Genna is a new member to the governance board and excited to help where ever she is needed.