Staff and Board of Directors
Karla
B. Kwast
Executive Director
Karla B. Kwast graduated from Central Michigan University in 1995 with
a BS degree in Accounting. She has also taken many classes and seminars
in the Special Education field. Karla has served on the Board of Directors
since 1994 and has been Executive Director since November 2000. She
is a member of the Mt. Pleasant Lion’s Club (Past King Lion 2010) and
a member of the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. She
also finds time to volunteer her spare time to other non-profits in
the area.
Jeremy
Murphy
Board of Directors— President
Jeremy Murphy joined BCF’s Board of Directors in the summer of 2008. In November of 2008 he was inducted as Co-Treasurer of the board. Jeremy was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, MI. He attended Central Michigan University and earned a Bachelor’s degree with majors in accounting and information systems. He is a member of the Mt. Pleasant Lion’s Club, and is active with Special Olympics, Ducks Unlimited and serves on the city’s Audit Committee. He is currently an accountant with Labelle Management, and previously was employed by Special Olympics where he started as an accountant and eventually became their Chief Financial Officer.
Jeremy likes to spend his spare time with his wife Aimee, their two children Maggie and Charlie at their home in Mt. Pleasant, MI. He also enjoys the Red Wings hockey team and boating in the summer.
Robert
R. Storrer Jr.
Board of Directors— Vice President
Bob Storrer serves as the Vice-President of our Board of Directors.
He is the eldest son of one of our founders, Sherry Raynor, and has
been active in BCF since its inception. Bob attended school in the
Lansing, MI area including classes at Lansing Community College and
then later at Central Michigan University. He is employed at the Saginaw
Chippewa Indian Tribe Behavioral Health Department in the Substance
Abuse Division. Bob has worked in the substance abuse field for over
10 years and is also a presenter at the National Rural Institute of
Alcohol and Substance Abuse, held in Wisconsin at the University of
Wisconsin Stout.
He has one son, Brandon and a faithful dog Bernie.
Kathleen
Brazil
Board of Directors— Secretary
Kathleen A. Watson Brazil received a BA in Elementary Education from Wichita State University. She moved to East Lansing, MI in August 1962. She taught 2nd grade for 3 years in the Lansing, MI public schools. She began graduate work in Special Education for the Visually Impaired. After a maternity leave she began teaching at the Michigan School for the Blind. She completed a Master’s program in Special Education for the Visually Impaired with additional certification for the Mentally Impaired in 1969. She did additional post-graduate work in Emotional Impairment (including autism), Learning Impaired, and the Physical or Otherwise Health Impaired. Kathleen taught at the Michigan School for the Blind for over 28 years in a variety of programs. The last 4 years of her career she served as the Special Education Consultant for Michigan Department of Corrections. She retired in 1997 after being a Special Educator for over 32 years. Since retiring she maintains Special Education involvement by serving on the Board of Directors for Blind Children’s Fund. She also serves on the board of a local Civitan service club. She and her husband have 2 sons and 2 grandsons. Kathleen is a member of the East Lansing Garden Club. She loves flowers, books, knitting and a new hobby of collecting fossils from her ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Paula
S. Arndt
Board of Directors— Co-Treasurer
Paula S. Arndt has served on the Board of Directors for Blind Children’s Fund for 2 years (2006-present) as our Treasurer. Though her area of expertise in not in visually impaired or even the non-profit sector, she is an asset to our Board. Paula is the Broker/Owner of Broadway Realty in Mt. Pleasant, MI. She is fully accredited in her field; she holds both an ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) and GRI (Graduate, REALTOR Institute) designation. Paula has served on the Board of Realtors, holding officer positions and also many committee positions over the years. She has served on the CMAR RPAC/Political Affairs Committee 2000-2006, The Membership Committee 2000-2006, Standard Forms Committee 2005-2007, Banquet Committee 2004-2007 and currently serves on the MLS Committee. Paula worked on MAR’s Convention Task Force 2005-2006 and was an integral part of making the 2005 Convention at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort a successful event. In other words, she is a go-getter!
Paula her 2 children, Chad & Amber, live at Lake Isabella, MI
Carrie
L. Owens
Board of Directors—Director
Carrie L. Owens is a retired teacher and Professor. Currently she works
part time at Oakland University in Rochester, MI as a University Supervisor
for teachers who are getting endorsements to teach students with Autistic
Impairments, Emotional Impairments, and Learning Disabled. She has
been a teacher/professor for 50 years, teaching pre-school to graduate
level, all categories in Special Education, self contained classrooms
for Emotionally Impaired, residential treatment facilities, Halfway
Houses between delinquency and prison, maximum security prisons, adults
and teachers of adults, and senior citizens.
Carrie has a BS in Elementary Education and Secondary Social Studies
and English. She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instructional Materials,
an ABD in Leadership and Helping Relations, and a K-12 certification
in Special Education. In addition to serving on the Blind Children’s
Fund Board of Directors, Carrie is also a member of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Loyal Opposition to
the Status Quo (LOSQ), the Williamston Seventh Day Adventist Church and
the Haslett Women’s Club. Carrie loves to read, cook, travel, entertain,
garden, sightsee and genuinely and sincerely loves people.
