SAEF board welcomes new member, Hope Salyer

Hope Salyer, a 2014 graduate of Stockbridge High School will join the SAEF board as of Jan. 1, 2021.

by Sally Meitz

The board of the Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation will soon welcome a new member. As of Jan. 1, 2021, Hope Salyer will be joining the 11-member board, replacing Chuck Wisman who recently stepped down after serving on the board for 12 years.

Salyer, a 2014 graduate of Stockbridge High School, attended Eastern Michigan University where she received a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in journalism. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Stockbridge Community News and is employed at the Ann Arbor Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center where she does public relations work.

The SAEF’s mission is to fund programs and projects that create or enhance educational opportunities available to residents within the boundaries of the Stockbridge Community School District. Salyer believes she has a unique perspective to add to the SAEF Board. She was the recipient of an SAEF Scholarship when she was a senior at SHS and later interned for the Stockbridge Community News with a Foundation grant. She volunteered at the annual SAEF fundraiser, the Festival of Tables, while still in high school. She is well acquainted with the ways the SAEF benefits the community and knows that the mission of the foundation cannot be fulfilled without successful fundraising. This is an area where she hopes to have a positive impact.

“Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic,” Salyer explained, “I’m planning to utilize my experience with public relations and social media to offer new and innovative ideas for fundraising since the typical in-person event fundraisers aren’t really an option right now.”

Board members are looking forward to working with their newest member. Board president Jenn Hammerberg said, “ I am so excited to welcome Hope to SAEF. I look forward to incorporating the experience of a Stockbridge community resident who grew up here, has benefitted from the educational programs that SAEF supports, and will bring it full circle. This is precisely what SAEF is here to do–support our students, create community involvement, and pay it forward by keeping our resources in our community. Welcome, Hope.”