Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees exists "solely to identify and fulfill the mission of the school, plan for its needs, develop policy and select and sustain the Head of School". Trustees are elected volunteers who are responsible to ensure that the school maintains and develops its financial strength. It works hard to preserve the values of the past and at the same time deal with the demands of the present and future for change.
Officers
Diane Haig, Chair
Lives in Rochester with daughter, Eileen, Class of 2013, and husband, Paul. Chief Knowledge Officer, Applied Manufacturing Technologies. Board Member: Crittenton Hospital and Paint Creek Center for the Arts; Member: Friends of Kresge Library, Meadowbrook Festival Committee, Oakland University President's Club. Volunteer: Michigan Humane Society, Animal Welfare Society. Kingsbury Country Day School: Auction Chair 2008, Country Fair Chair 2007, Art Reach Coordinator 2006-08.
Deborah Kresge McDowell, Vice-Chair
Trustee, Kresge Foundation; Chairperson, Crittenton Hospital Gourmet Gala Benefit; Chairperson, Auction '88; mother of three alumnae; consultant, Mary Kay Cosmetics; resides in Lake Angelus with husband, Paul.
Emily Katich, Treasurer
Currently employed as a Senior Audit Associate for Grant Thornton LLP. She received her undergraduate degree in Accounting from Walsh College. Resides is Oxford.
Rebecca Ehle, Secretary
Resides in Rochester with her husband Daniel Mears and their daughter Olivia, class of 2013. Received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1987 and Masters Degree in Social Work from Wayne State University in 1989. Employed since that time as a psychotherapist. Past vice president of the Kingsbury Parent Association 2007-2009, Kingsbury Country Fair chair 2007.
Trustees
Katharine "Katie" Altherr, Trustee
Kingsbury alumnae and a graduate of Cranbrook-Kingswood. She attended both Albion and Oakland Universities, earning a degree in communications with a minor in studio art. Katie has extensive experience as a tutor for dyslexic children, having taught at the Meadowbrook Center for Learning Differences in Rochester. Her love of skiing was nurtured during her years at Kingsbury and Katie went on to become a downhill ski racer at Cranbrook. She still serves as a part-time ski instructor at Pine Knob. Katie is a successful freelance photographer and resides in Bloomfield Hills.
Dr. Chiara Buysse, Trustee
Emergency room physician; Parent of Autumn (Class of 2011) and Lulu (Class of 2021). Chiara resides in Rochester with her husband Tom.
Francie Diebboll, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Owner, Pines End Pottery; mother of eight alumni; past President, Parents’ Association; past Chair, Country Fair; Chair, Strategic Plan ’02; resides in Washington with husband, Bob. Coordinates alumni activities at Kingsbury.
Howard Dibble, Trustee
Owner, Alpha Engineered Refrigeration Company. Past Parent, volunteer and father of alumni Eric '08, grandfather of Frank, 2016 and Sam, 2018. Resides in Oxford with wife, Audrey and son Eric.
Robert Files, Trustee
Currently employed as an Engineer for General Motors Corporation - Powertrain Division and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. He received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his Masters of Engineering Management from the University of Michigan. Bob is an avid golfer and has enjoyed co-chairing two of the Kingsbury Golf Outings in the recent past and will be a co-chair of the 2008 Kingsbury Golf Outing. He served as president of Kingsbury Parents Association from 2006-2008. Bob is the father of three boys, Joey (Class of 2011) and two who currently attend Kingsbury: Danny (Class of 2015) and Ben (Class of 2020). He resides in Lake Orion with his wife, Christine, and his three sons.
Julie Frontera, Trustee
Resides in Rochester Hills with husband Rene and son Alex (Class of 2013).
Dora Higbie, Trustee
Resides in Beverly Hills with husband Stephen B. Higbie, Kingsbury alumnus and son of Kingsbury founder.
Tim Hudson, Trustee
R. Timothy Kohler, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Attorney; Board Member, Macomb County Bar Association; Member, State Bar of Michigan; Member, Macomb County Bar Association; Trustee & Director of Macomb County Bar Foundation; past President, Parents' Association; father of two alumni; resides in Washington Township with wife, Sonia.
Pradeep Kokate, Trustee
President, Process Control & Engineering Inc., located in Auburn Hills. Father of three alumni; resides in Oxford.
The Honorable Eugene A. Moore, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Retired Chief Probate Judge, Oakland County; past President, Michigan Probate Judges Association; President, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; Director, National Center for Juvenile Justice; Chair, Kingsbury Trustee Committee; resides in Oxford with wife, Mary.
Tara Noftz
Mother of current Kingsbury student Mackenzie (Class of 2015). Resides in Oxford. Graduate of Michigan State University. Auction Co-Chair 2008.
Michael Rowe, Trustee
Currently a Senior Consultant with Proteus International and formerly served as a senior human resources executive with Activision, Disney and PepsiCo in California and New York. Undergraduate degree in economics from University of Michigan and graduate degree from Cornell University. Originally from southeastern Michigan and moved back with his family in 2007 with the express intent of enrolling his two young boys at Kingsbury. Currently resides in Leonard with Kingsbury students Tyler (class of 2015) and Trevor (class of 2018).
Karen Schwartz, Trustee
Mother of two Kingsbury alumni: Amber and Justin. Wife of Pat, former Parent Association President and Board Member. Karen taught at Kingsbury for 10 years, then retired, but still substitute teaches whenever possible. Pat and Karen were instrumental in building the Justin Schwartz Center when their son passed away. She also co-chaired several auctions as well as the Kingsbury Fair.
Donald Stephanic, Trustee
Owner of Stephanic Consulting, Inc.; President of Western Engineered Products, Inc.; Member of the Industrial Advisory Board, Lake Superior State University; father of two alumna; resides in Clarkston with wife Betsy.
Alan Whitted, Trustee
Currently employed as Head of Global Press Shops & Dies at Chrysler; father of three including two Kingsbury alumnae; resides in Oakland Township with his wife, Juli.
Ex-Officio
Thomas Mecsey, Head of School, Kingsbury Country Day School
Former Athletic Director and Teacher at Cranbrook-Kingswood Middle School. Winner of the Cranbrook-Kingswood President's Award, Excellence in Teaching Award and Miro Award. Father of Three: Laura, Katie and Bryan. Tom and his wife, Cindy, currently share two homes, one in Bloomfield Hills and Higbie House on the KCDS campus.
Emeritus
Sara B. Booth, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Retired Teacher/Administrator, Roeper School; former Trustee, Detroit Institute for Children; resides in Leelenau with husband, Fred.
Ben Carr Blake, Trustee
Father of 3 Kingsbury alums: R.C., Laura and Suzanne, resides in Romeo with wife, Sue. Former teacher and Parent Association President. Ben served as a trustee and secretary of the Board for decades. Ben may be one of very very few Yale graduates who also drove a school bus! He had a regular route in Kingsbury's early years. He is also the author of "Kingsbury: The First 50 Years."
Denis M. Callewaert, PhD., Trustee and Lifetime Member
Professor of Chemistry, Oakland University; President, Oxford Biochemical Research; Textbook Author; Chairman, Auction '90; past President, Parents' Association; father of two alumnae; resides in Metamora with wife, Karen.
William S. Couch, Trustee and Lifetime Member
General Partner, Stone Farm, LLC; past Chairman of Special Giving, Crittenton Hospital; past Chairman, Kingsbury Board of Trustees; past President, Parents' Association; past Country Fair Chairman; Member, Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance; father of two alumni; resides in Washington with wife, Ellie.
Stephen B. Higbie, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Locomotive Engineer; alumnus of the founding class of Kingsbury; resides in Beverly Hills with wife, Dora.
John W. Melstrom, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Senior Partner, Fenner, Melstrom, & Dooling CPAs; Member, Crittenton Hospital Finance Committee; Member, Advisory Board of Health Enhancement Center Oakland University; past President, Parents' Association; father of two alumni; resides in Dryden with wife, Violet.
Jocelyn Scofield, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Interim Headmaster, Kingsbury 1971; past Teacher, Kingsbury School; past President, Kingswood Alumnae Association; past President, Metamora Carriage and Driving Association; resides in Metamora.
James L. Scovic, Trustee and Lifetime Member
Manager and Independent Investment Broker, Securities America, Inc.; Owner/Operator, S A Plan Services; Past President, Parents' Association; Past Country Fair Chairman; Past Auction Chairman; past President, Rochester Adams High School Athletic Boosters; Member, St. John Fisher Church and Music Program; father of two alumni; lives in Lake Orion with wife, former Kingsbury teacher, Sheila.
Founder
In Memory of our Founder:
Annette Higbie Gallogly, Founder and Lifetime Member
Past Board Trustee, Cranbrook School; past Board Trustee, St. Peter's Home for Boys; past Board Trustee, Metamora Club; mother of three alumni.
