Rachel Graham – Illinois

Rachel Graham is the director of programs at the Lefkofsky Family Foundation based in Chicago, IL. In her role she oversees all of the Foundation’s education grantmaking focused on supporting middle level education. Through this work she runs the foundation’s middle grades support program, Success Bound, and supports systems change work. With her training as a school psychologist and current role as both a program implementer and funder, she would bring a unique set of experiences to the Board of Trustees.

Andrew Maxey – Alabama

Dr. Andrew Maxey currently serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at Tuscaloosa City Schools in Alabama. Prior to this position, Andrew served as Director of Middle School Education from 2015 – 2018 and Principal of Rock Quarry Middle School from 2011-2015. He has been a frequent contributor to AMLE Magazine and currently serves on the Affiliate Advisory Committee. In 2018, Andrew was a founding board member of the Alabama Association for Middle Level Education, an AMLE state affiliate organization, and currently serves as the immediate past president. He also serves on state-wide planning and advisory boards that provide professional supports for middle level educators.

Stephanie Patton – Ohio

Stephanie Patton currently serves as a school leadership coach for Columbus City Schools. She provides coaching to 5 middle school principals and 4 middle school assistant principals and leadership interns. Prior to this position, Stephanie was the principal of an all-girls middle school focusing on equity, girl empowerment, and high academic standards. She has served as a middle school administrator for 14 years of her 18 years of school leadership. She has been a member of AMLE for years and has participated in AMLE Leadership Institutes. Most recently, she served as a committee member the designed the AMLE Schools of Distinction program.

Karen Weller Swanson  – Colorado

Dr. Karen Weller Swanson currently serves as a middle school science teacher at Timberview Middle School in Colorado Springs. She has been a middle-grades advocate for 25 years and served in multiple capacities for AMLE, including on the Research Advisory Committee and as editor of Research in Middle Level Online journal. Dr. Swanson has been a frequent presenter at AMLE conferences, both as a middle school practitioner and editor of RMLE Online and as a middle school practitioner. Dr. Swanson represented AMLE at the US Department of Education, in the development of the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study, and at the 2015 Middle Grades Expert Meeting.