Who We Are: Staff & Board Biographies
Admin & Teaching Staff | Family Consultants | Board Members
Michelle Graves joined the Allen Creek staff in 2002. Before coming to Allen Creek she worked as an education consultant for the High/Scope Foundation. During her 22-year stay at High/Scope she traveled extensively throughout the United States leading training workshops, presenting at national conferences, observing and giving feedback to teachers in a variety of classroom settings, and authoring several books and articles. Her own classroom experiences include daycare settings, private non-profit preschools, and special education elementary schools. Her interest in children comes from deep within, and she is committed to their emotional and physical safety and to developing genuine relationships with them based on mutual respect. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, two sons and two cats. When not working, she enjoys gardening, biking, dancing and reading. |
Kalpana comes to Allen Creek with over fifteen years of experience in the field of early childhood education. She holds a degree in Arts, a post-graduate diploma in Education of the Physically Disabled from the University Of Mumbai, India. She published her dissertation on “Development of Speech and Language Program for Disabled Children.” Kalpana is certified as a ‘Parent Educator’ through the Parents as Teachers training, Born to Learn Curriculum conducted by Parents as Teachers National Center Inc. A resident of Ann Arbor for the past 16 years, she has worked across several learning environments from Playgroups, Pre-School to Montessori settings and has taught diverse group of students including those challenged by autism, learning disabilities, speech impairments, as well as children functioning at or above grade level. She encourages students to learn by incorporating creative learning ideas and various hands-on activities to stimulate students’ social, emotional, physical, and academic growth. Kalpana, enjoys working with fellow teachers to develop new activities and refine teaching techniques to provide the best environment for the healthy development of children. |
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Marcia joined the Allen Creek teaching staff in 2010. While her grandson attended preschool at Allen Creek (2006–2008) she was in graduate school at Erikson Institute in Chicago studying early childhood development. Graduating with a Masters in Early Childhood Education and Illinois Teaching Certification (2009) she returned to her home in Ann Arbor and now holds Michigan Teaching Certification with an Early Childhood Endorsement (ZA). During graduate school she spent a year in a top notch Reggio Emilia (RE) inspired preschool. "The heart of the RE philosophy holds the image of the child as strong, capable, and with rich resources. This is a powerful vantage from which to explore the beliefs and practices one brings to education." Teaching is the beginning of a new chapter in her professional life. A software engineering position with Bell Northern Research brought her to Ann Arbor after graduation from Western Michigan University in 1985. She also held software development positions with the Ann Arbor companies once known as Medstat and Comshare before resigning to go off to graduate school. She is happy to be working and learning with the Allen Creek community. |
Trisha Miller graduated with honors from Central Michigan University. Her degree is in elementary education, with a major in early childhood development, and a minor in music. Prior to Allen Creek, she worked in various preschool settings. "What I like most about working with children is sharing my love of learning with them. Young children are so curious, and I am thrilled along with them every time they learn something new. I am privileged to have a job where I get to make close relationships with my students. Besides being a teacher, being with my children Spencer and Sylvia is one of my major sources of joy. Another is my relationship with my partner, Sandra. Other things I enjoy are: music, singing, reading, cooking, studying natural health, and walking in the woods. |
Dina Stillings Junior Preschool Teacher Artist, Mother and Teacher. |
Gale Whittier-Ferguson Junior Preschool Teacher Gale has been a teacher at Allen Creek for 11 years, and she has worked with children in a variety of settings since High School. She holds an MA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education. Gale and her husband, John, have two grown children, one in college and one a Sr. at Huron High School. Their family includes Leo and Hazel, 2 rambunctious Airedale Terriers, and Minnow, a black and white cat. Gale likes to challenge herself physically through cycling, weight training, triathlon, and pilates, and she loves to sing, listen to music, speak spanish, quilt, read, and be outside. |
Lesley Kabza Criscenti
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Jaime Byrd
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Family Consultants [back to top]Ivan Sherick, Ph.D Dr. Sherick has resided in Ann Arbor since 1971 moving here after completing his child/adolescent psychoanalytic training at the Hampstead Clinic in London under the leadership of Miss Anna Freud. He then completed training in adult psychoanalysis at the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute, where he is a Supervising Child/Adolescent Analyst. He is certified in child/adolescent and adult psychoanalysis. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. He has practiced psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in Ann Arbor since 1971. He has an affiliation with the Department of Psychiatry at University of Michigan, supervising Residents in dynamic psychotherapy with adults and has had a past affiliation with the Department of Psychology at UM supervising post-docs at the Psychological Clinic. Ivan is a founding member with his wife Judie of Allen Creek Preschool. He has served on the Board and has been a Family Consultant. His wife, Judie, is a past President of the Board. They have a son, Dan, a plastic surgeon residing in Ann Arbor, and a daughter Chaya, a trained MSW, who lives in Denver. He and Judie enjoy eight grandchildren.
Ellen Grosh, MD Linda Kreger, Ph.D Susan Tuttle Darrow, MSW, ACSW, LCSW-Michigan Board Members, Committee Members and Officers [back to top]Michael Marcantonio
Cathy Weinert
Michael Singer, Ph.D Andrew R. Boschma
Michael Shulman, Ph.D
Michael J. Thomas
Susan Tuttle Darrow, MSW, ACSW, LCSW-Michigan
Andrea D. Bernardini, AAMS
Daniel Schairbaum
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Marcia Healey
Trisha Miller
President of the Board, Chair of Marketing Committee, Member of Finance Committee and Building Premises Committee
Cathy attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1979 with a BGS degree. She served for 2 years in Micronesia as a Peace Corps Volunteer, then attended and graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked for 12 years in Chicago before moving to Ann Arbor in 1999. She and her husband, Daryl, have 2 children, 2 siamese cats, and fish. Her children attended Allen Creek from 1999-2008.
Dr. Michael Singer holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Washington, and a post-doctoral fellowship in child clinical psychology from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Singer is a graduate of the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute in adult, child and adolescent psychoanalysis. He is currently on the teaching faculty of the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute and is Supervisor in child and adolescent psychoanalysis. He has served as co-director of the Institute’s Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Educational Program and the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Fellowship Program. He is an adjunct clinical instructor, teaching and supervising residents, in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Singer has served as consultant to area child care agencies, including Pound House Children's Center, Allen Creek Preschool, and Child Care Network. Dr. Singer is in full time private practice of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in Ann Arbor with adults, children and adolescents. He also provides couples therapy and works with parents in parenting guidance. 
Andy attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1987 with degrees of Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accounting. After graduation Andy became a Certified Public Accountant and has worked for a variety of companies, including Arthur Andersen & Co and Domino’s Pizza LLC. Andy is currently working in Ann Arbor as CFO of MKM Ventures LLC. After donating a kidney to a friend in 1997, Andy sought out volunteer opportunities with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM). Andy has increasingly expanded his role at NKFM to where he currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee, Board Treasurer and Chairs the Administration & Finance and the Ann Arbor Golf Classic Committees. Andy became involved with Allen Creek in 2005 through friend, fellow Board member, and former ACP parent Michael Marcantonio. For over three years Andy has assisted ACP in a variety of financial and advisory capacities, including service on the Finance and Miller Expansion Committees, both of which he now Chairs.
Michael Shulman is a clinical psychologist working in private practice with children, adolescents, and adults. He earned his B.A. at Wesleyan University in Letters, and his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Shulman completed adult psychoanalytic training at the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute, on whose faculty he now teaches, has served as the Program Chair of the Michigan Psychoanalytic Society, and is current Co-Chair of the Committee on Psychoanalysis and Undergraduate Education of the American Psychoanalytic Association. He is also deeply involved in graduate education locally, teaching on the faculties of the University of Michigan (Instructor in Psychiatry), and Madonna University (Associate Professor in Psychology). Dr. Shulman lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Dr. Meryl Berlin, a child and adult clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, and their two daughters.
Since graduating from the University of Michigan in 1996 with a BSME degree, Michael has worked for Johnson Controls, Inc. in Plymouth, MI. Michael's career has been focused on automotive product and business development. He currently leads cross-functional teams in the identification and development of innovative automotive products and processes. Michael's two daughters were students at Allen Creek, and he accepted a nomination to the Board of Directors after his younger daughter graduated from Allen Creek in 2009. Michael and his wife have lived in Ann Arbor since 2001.
Michigan native; Ann Arbor resident since 1963. BA degree University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1957. MSW, University of Michigan, 1976. Clinical training, Child and Family Service Agency, Washtenaw County and the Psychological Clinic, University of Michigan. 1979-1993, Clinical Social Worker, University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Supervised Social Work Interns, medical students, and Residents and Child Fellows in evaluating and treating children and adolescents and in working with parents; Directed the Divorce and Family Loss Clinic at CAPH. After retirement from the UM continued to work there teaching psychotherapy to Social Workers in the hospital and seeing patients in Adult Psychotherapy; taught Child Development as Adjunct Faculty in the UM School of Social Work. Family Consultant at Allen Creek for approximately 10 years. Susan helped Allen Creek locate its first home and through the years has offered assistance in capital development. Active in the community, Susan also serves or has served as s Board Member and past Board President of Huron Valley Child Guidance Clinic; Board Member of Great Lakes Performing Artists Association; and Board member and Board President, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Andrea attended Western Michigan University on a full ride basketball scholarship before graduating from Stetson University in December of 2000. While at Stetson, she helped to create One Voice for Volusia, a non-profit organization for the Department of Juvenile Justice. After graduation, she was employed by Capital Resource Group to head the creation of the securities department. In 2002 she joined the Investment firm of Charles Schwab as a Vice-President-Financial Consultant. She then joined Chisholm and Dames Investment Advisors in the beginning of 2007 as a portfolio manager. Andrea is a member of the Washtenaw Estate Planning Council, The Wellness Community Board and the Downtown Ann Arbor Rotary Club.
Daniel Schairbaum is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group at Dykema Gosset. He earned a BA in Political Science from Hope College and a JD from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, graduating Cum Laude.
