Meet your Counselors

Mr. Michael Phipps: mphipps@denisoncsd.org      (Counselor for students last name A-K)

     Mr. Phipps graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in Psychology and Education. After serving as an elementary guidance teacher for a year he attended Buena Vista University to obtain his Masters in School Counseling. Mr. Phipps served as the high school counselor for Remsen St. Mary's High School in Remsen, Iowa for 3 years. The 2013-14 school year began his time as the high school counselor at Denison. 

   The best thing about being a counselor is getting to know students and making sure they are successful. It isn't always an easy job but when you see your students become successful it makes everything worth it. His goal for his students is that they are prepared for whatever they want to do after high school.

   He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters and riding bike when the weather is nice.  Mr. Phipps has been in over a dozen plays and musicals and really enjoys acting on stage. Mr. Phipps likes meeting and talking to all students, so stop in his office anytime to talk about life, success, and whatever else is on your mind.

Mrs. Dana Marten: dmarten@denisoncsd.org (Counselor for students last name L-Z)

     Mrs. Marten graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in English and a certification in teaching and coaching.  She later completed work at Wayne State College to earn her Masters in School Counseling.  Mrs. Marten taught at Twin Rivers and Charter Oak-Ute before teaching at Denison Middle School where she taught 8th grade language arts.  Currently, Mrs. Marten is in her eighth year as the school counselor at Denison High School where she enjoys talking with the students about their classes, activities, and future.  She also is an assistant coach for the boys' track team.  

     In her free time, she enjoys reading, golfing, and spending time with her family.  Her husband Jay is an agent for Farmers Insurance in Denison.  She has two children; Jackson is a Chiropractor at Milsop Chiropractic in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Kennedy is in graduate school at Cleveland University Overland Park, Kansas.