ELi Board Welcomes Merem Frierson

Above, ELi’s Board, clockwise from top left: Stephen Thomas, Travis Stoliker, Merem Frierson, Michael Lawrence, and Alice Dreger.

At its board meeting on June 19, the East Lansing Info (ELi) Board of Directors welcomed its newest member, Merem Frierson, bringing the Board to a total of five community members. Frierson brings significant administrative experience along with substantial experience in East Lansing Public Schools, a main reporting area for ELi.

Many in the East Lansing community know Frierson from her service, before retirement, as Principal of East Lansing’s MacDonald Middle School and through her current volunteer tutoring and mentoring in the East Lansing Public Schools. Frierson joined us at last week’s ELi Open Office Hours at Black Cat Bistro and had the opportunity to meet several members of ELi’s reporting team as well as readers.

Frierson says she sees ELi as “a vital source of news for the East Lansing community” and adds that it is essential that the residents of East Lansing “have a format for being kept up-to-date on current issues.” She notes that she is particularly excited about ELi’s support and encouragement of student journalism.

Alice Dreger, ELi’s Publisher and President of the Board of Directors, says that it’s a huge benefit to ELi to have someone with a deep understanding of East Lansing public schools on the board, as well as to have Frierson bring her substantial experience with organizational administration.

Stephen Thomas, Vice President and Secretary of ELi’s Board, writes of last week’s board meeting, “Merem hit the ground running. She jumped right in with thoughtful questions and comments. I’m really looking forward to working with her and getting more of her perspective from her experiences in the East Lansing school system.”

Frierson graduated from MSU in 1973 with a B.A. in elementary education, and continued graduate work in MSU in counseling. She also obtained Leadership Matters training from the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Association. She has been a resident of the area for almost thirty years and her children are both graduates of MSU. (Her daughter Rachel works for a non-profit organization in Detroit and her son Christopher works in the film industry in New York City, producing primarily documentary works.)

Frierson’s professional career began with teaching science in the Detroit Public Schools and reading instruction for the Detroit Police Academy. She then moved on to become a teacher in the East Lansing Public Schools. In addition to being the Math Curriculum Chairperson and the Quiz Bowl Advisor, she served as Associate Principal and Principal at MacDonald Middle School.

Besides serving on the Board of ELi, Frierson also serves on the Board of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in Barry, Eaton, and Ingham Counties) and is a member of the East Lansing education sorority Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK), which supports and promotes excellence in teaching.