Learning through connection.
Our Team
Doug Ammeraal
Doug has spent over twenty years in middle school education. During the first eleven years, he taught Math and English, with the past ten leading as a building administrator. Currently he serves as the principal at Mona Shores Middle School in Muskegon, Michigan. He is committed to understanding strong leadership, modeling a servant’s heart, maintaining relentless optimism, and empowering others to succeed. In addition to educational leadership, Doug has brought his leadership and passion into the coaching and non-profit worlds as well. He spent ten years coaching basketball at Hope College and West Ottawa, along with spending twenty years at Camp Sunshine, as a counselor, volunteer recruiter, and leadership team member.
Mike Domagalski
Mike has been a leader in many aspects of K-12 education for nearly 25 years. Recent accomplishments include being the President of the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA), serving as Chairman of the East China Educational Foundation, being recruited for speaking engagements and presentations at the state and national level, and being acknowledged for creating multiple professional platforms where educators collaborate and grow, including the once popular #MEMSPAchat on twitter or “X”. As an elementary and secondary school teacher, coach, principal and administrator, Mike has thrived by showcasing his high energy, innovative mindset, and a unique ability to adapt and change in order to produce positive outcomes for students, teachers, and administrators. His foundation of teaching and learning comes from his passion for building positive relationships and connections through social and emotional perspectives, and he has consistently used these strengths to lead individuals, groups, and schools in a positive direction.
Amanda McKay, Ph.D.
Dr. Amanda Mckay has been an educator for over 20 years. She has held various positions, including secondary teacher, secondary assistant principal and principal, and elementary principal, and is now supervisor of student programs for an intermediate school district in Michigan. Amanda is also an adjunct professor for Central State University in the College of Education.
Amanda centered her dissertation thesis around teacher communities of practice. During her time as a school leader, she has successfully implemented school change around topics of school improvement, diversity equity and inclusion, social-emotional learning, and instructional practices. Amana’s further interests and areas of study are collective teacher efficacy, organizational change, cultivating resiliency and educators, and design thinking. She is also an advocate for designing a variety of learning pathways to meet the needs of students, teachers, and school leaders.
David McKay
David McKay is an experienced middle level leader. He currently serves as the principal of a middle school in the Metro Detroit area. Dave’s areas of passion include collaborating with grade level and subject area teams to build capacity. He has extensive experience in mathematics curriculum instruction and team development. He has developed data analysis processes, using data to drive instruction; and to celebrate educator and student growth. David has a master’s degree in K-12 Education Administration from Michigan State University and secondary teaching certifications in math and social studies.
David Simpson, Ph.D.
With 19 years of administrative experience, David has dedicated his career to fostering innovation and deeper learning in schools. As a middle school principal in Grand Rapids, Michigan, David has led at both the elementary and secondary levels, consistently prioritizing student achievement and well-being. His work centers on empathy-driven strategies to implement Project-Based Learning and systems-based approaches that support social and emotional learning. A passionate advocate for creating cultures of thinking, David has collaborated with schools to integrate Dr. Ron Ritchhart's groundbreaking work from Harvard’s Project Zero. These efforts have empowered educators and students alike, resulting in authentic, sustainable improvements in teaching and learning. David holds a Ph.D. in K-12 Educational Administration from Michigan State University, where his research focused on teacher learning in both formal and informal contexts.
Travis Thomsen, Ph.D.
Travis has over 13 years of administrative experience at varying levels and locations. He spent much of his early career as a middle school science teacher and assistant principal in Southern California prior to moving back to Michigan. Travis served as the Director of West Michigan Academy of Arts and Academics for four years where he was recognized as a finalist for Michigan Administrator of the Year. He has served as principal at Portage North Middle School for the last seven years. Over that period of time, Travis and his team led the school through a complete overhaul of instructional delivery focused on proven adolescent reading strategies coupled with an intense and robust tier two and three intervention program. Travis was also instrumental in the research and design of two new middle schools within Portage Public Schools. Travis also earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University with a research focus on adolescent literacy.