Our Counselors & Support Network
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson
Counselor
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Eastern Michigan University. She received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership from Wayne State University. Her 40 years of educational experience spans K-12 teaching in both regular and alternative settings (including 5 reservation school districts), administration and coaching within radically diverse settings. She specializes in professional development inclusive of compassionate team building, evidence-based strategies to motivate and excite ALL learners, and school improvement planning. Her passionate and highly zany presentation style leaves her audiences filled with great zeal and joy for teaching and learning. Dr. J has won numerous awards including, People Magazine’s “Above & Beyond Award”, EMU’s “Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Humanitarian Award”, and EMU’s “Alumni Teaching Excellence Award”. She is co-author of the book, We’ve Gotta REACH EM’ to TEACH EM’.
Favorite Picture Book:
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
Favorite Picture Book:
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
Mary Kathleen Walsh
Co-Counselor
Kathy Walsh is the Past President of the “Michigan Association of Teacher Educators”, an organization dedicated to the improvement of teacher training and President of “Extreme Teaching for Extreme Times, LLC” Educational Consulting. She holds a M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction from Eastern Michigan University. Her 20 years of educational experience includes elementary and university teaching, professional development in over 2000 schools including 7 reservation school districts, private schools and charter academies. She is the 2016 recipient of the EMU Alumni Achievement Award! Kathy is also a renowned parent educator, puppeteer, mime and expert in positive behavior support and student motivation. Kathy is a certified True Colors Trainer. She has won many awards including, “Extraordinary Woman of the Year” and Kappa Delta Pi International Honor’s Society for Educator’s, “Exemplary Educator Award”. She is co-chair of EMU’s University Diversity Council and co-author of the book, We’ve Gotta REACH EM’ to TEACH EM’.
Favorite Picture Book:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Favorite Picture Book:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Melanie Maggetti
Associate Counselor
Melanie Maggetti is the Associate Counselor of the Pi Chapter at Eastern Michigan University. She began her time with KDP as Secretary in 2010, progressing to President for the next two years, then holding the position of Immediate Past President, to present day Associate Counselor. She dedicated herself to this organization because she believes in the passion of its members and the greatness they achieve together. She has also served as a University Liaison for the Michigan Association of Teacher Educators for the past year. Melanie graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2013 with a Liberal Arts degree in Elementary Education and currently holds her Provisional Elementary Teaching License with endorsements to teach Mathematics and Language Arts at the middle school level. After graduation, she has worked as a long term seventh grad mathematics substitute in Belleville, a Para Educator for two wonderful boys in Ypsilanti Schools, a Teacher at Sylvan of Ann Arbor, and a nanny for a sweet four year old in Ann Arbor. Melanie has been on the Pi Chapter Arizona trip 4 times! When she has free time, Mel enjoys bike rides, long walks, reading books, and hanging with friends and family.
Favorite Picture Book:
Who Pooped in the Park? Grand Canyon National Park by Gary D. Robson
Favorite Picture Book:
Who Pooped in the Park? Grand Canyon National Park by Gary D. Robson
Dr. Thomas Gwaltney
Emeritus Counselor
Dr. Gwaltney has been a member of Kappa Delta Pi for more than 50 years. He was secretary of a Alpha Etan Chapter in southern Missouri and president of the Delta Chi Chapter at Southern Illinois University while pursuing the Ph.D. His wife was already a member of KDP when they met at their initiation into Phi Kappa Phi, All Disciplinary Honor Society. He has three daughters and all became educators. All five of them are members of both the honor societies named above. Altogether, his family has seven of our degrees from EMU, and they are proudly TruEMU!
Dr. Gwaltney had the pleasure of being an educator from grades one through the doctoral level in three states, both peninsulas of Michigan and three countries. He had the honor to be a teacher, an administrator, a professor and held other roles in education for just over 50 years, with 41 years at Eastern Michigan University! He enjoyed almost every minute of his career.
Favorite Picture Book:
Dr. Gwaltney had the pleasure of being an educator from grades one through the doctoral level in three states, both peninsulas of Michigan and three countries. He had the honor to be a teacher, an administrator, a professor and held other roles in education for just over 50 years, with 41 years at Eastern Michigan University! He enjoyed almost every minute of his career.
Favorite Picture Book:
Dr. Michael Sayler
Dean of the College of Education at Eastern Michigan University
Dean Sayler has been a member of Pi Chapter since 2015! He earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., and his Master's and Doctoral degrees in Educational Psychology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Before becoming Associate Dean at University of North Texas in 2002, he served as associate and assistant professor there for 12 years. Sayler’s research interests include educational psychology, and gifted students and their emotional needs and well-being. He is an excellent Dean of Education! We love that he honors Honor Roll students with an Honor Roll t-shirt every year!
Favorite Picture Book:
Favorite Picture Book:
Thomas Ulmet
Midwest Regional Chapter Coordinator
Pi Chapter fondly calls Thomas "The Dude." It's a long story that predates our current Webmaster and Treasurer! Thomas is extremely helpful and answers our questions quickly. He helps us stay connected with other Chapters in our Region. He is inspired by any teacher who sees his or her students with all their potential and can instill a love for learning in them despite the challenges that face educators today.
Favorite Picture Book:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Dumb Bunnies books by Dav Pilkey
Favorite Picture Book:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Dumb Bunnies books by Dav Pilkey
Chris Beaman
Director of Marketing & Communications for KDP
Pi Chapter has a fond nickname for Chris as well, we call him "The Man." Several of us met him for the first time at the Michigan Regional Officers' Conference --he came when Thomas couldn't make it! We loved his speech and started looking for him at other things. We ran into him all over the place at Convo 15! Chris is passionate about education because future generations depend on the decisions made now. Schools are where our students obtain the knowledge and skills to become tomorrow's leaders.
Favorite Picture Book:
The Rainb by Marcus Pfister ow Fish
Favorite Picture Book:
The Rainb by Marcus Pfister ow Fish