MEET THE ADVISING & COACHING TEAM

Prior to joining MCAN’s staff, Lacey served as a College Completion Corps coach at Montcalm Community College. During her two service terms, Lacey worked to build authentic relationships with low-income students and first-generation college students while supporting them in their college journeys. She was integral to the creation and expansion of the college's success coaching program, the MCC Express. Before that, Lacey worked for five years as a consultant in the Montcalm Community College Writing Center, where she focused on building supportive relationships with students. During her time in the MCC Writing Center, she worked with her director and campus staff to create an online platform to better serve students who struggled with transportation, childcare, or other barriers to access. These experiences fueled Lacey’s commitment to making college more equitable, inclusive, and accessible.

Lacey earned her Associate of Arts and Science from Montcalm Community College and then transferred to Ferris State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and professional technical communication. During her time at community college, she was pushed to continue her education by instructors and friends who saw potential in her that she didn't see in herself at the time.

Outside of work, Lacey enjoys watercolor painting, gardening, cooking, reading, camping, and watching her family speed skate.

Prior to joining MCAN, Chad worked for nearly a decade as a full-time English instructor at Montcalm Community College, where he taught composition, speech, and literature. He also directed the establishment, development, and operation of MCC's writing center, which now supports hundreds of students each semester. Before his time at MCC, Chad taught high school English for 15 years.

As a student, Chad attended Montcalm Community College before transferring to Central Michigan University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in education and a Master of Arts in English language and literature. Both of Chad’s parents were teachers and taught him the power of education to open the doors of opportunity. By pursuing his own teaching degree, Chad was able to build a career of helping students and working with them to hone the skills and habits necessary to achieve their postsecondary goals.

Outside of work, Chad loves to spend time with his wife and adult children. He enjoys reading, listening to music, playing drums and guitar, watching sports, keeping tropical fish, and spending time near large bodies of water. In addition to teaching, Chad has coached basketball at various grade levels for nearly 30 years in the Central Montcalm and Fulton school districts.

Prior to coming to MCAN, John spent 26 years as a teacher and administrator in Bay City Public Schools. Most recently, he served as an assistant principal at Bay City Western High School, where he led a team in advancing its college-going culture. They developed college fairs in the fall and a skilled trades fair in the spring, expanded career-focused course offerings, and strengthened partnerships with the two local higher education institutions and the Bay Area Community Foundation. In addition, a section of the school was transformed into the "Beyond High School Boulevard" where students and staff can use the space to host college-going activities and events.

As the child of two college graduates, John’s postsecondary attendance was never a question. He initially aspired to study architecture in college, but with little guidance on navigating his college transition, John arrived at Central Michigan University without a clear direction. After eight and a half years of classes and over 200 credits earned, John graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education. He then went on to earn a Master of Arts in Athletic Administration, also from CMU. While teaching in the Bay City Public Schools, John developed a love for curriculum development and data analysis, and he returned to school to obtain a Specialist in Education degree from Saginaw Valley State University. The lack of guidance during John’s transition to college meant extra time and increased student debt, and he uses that experience to help high school students make informed decisions about their postsecondary plans.

John is married and has two children. His oldest is serving in the Marine Corps with aspirations of becoming a welder, while his youngest child is a junior at Saginaw Valley State University. Outside of work, John enjoys watching sports, camping, and spending time with his family.