Board of Education President Celebrated as Passionate Education Advocate

OAK PARK — Passion was the keyword Monday night at the , where a standing-room-only crowd gathered to honor .

Katz, whose term ends Dec. 31, will be leaving the board after 22 years of service and was praised as an example of why local boards are valuable.

"I have mixed emotions," Katz said of his impending departure during a reception in his honor before the Board of Education meeting, which was attended by local and state luminaries, educators, administrators, community members and past board members and superintendents.

Guests enjoyed light refreshments and music provided by members of the orchestra as they waited to chat with the man of the hour, who amiably took time to speak with everyone who approached him.

BHS marching band members kicked off the meeting with renditions of the BHS and University of Michigan fight songs, the latter a nod to Katz's devotion to the maize-and-blue school in Ann Arbor.

Paying homage

During the recognition portion of the meeting, Katz received letters of commendation signed by U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Schools Superintendent Mike Flanagan and Oakland Schools, as well as a tribute presented by state Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton on behalf of herself, state Sen. John Pappageorge and Gov. Rick Snyder.

Praise for Katz was plentiful Monday night.

• Board of Education member Mitch Moses: "The reality is, it's going to be a big change for the Berkley school board. A lot of positive policies were brought forth under Marc's tenure." Moses cited the professional manner in which Katz ran the board and the relationship of board members under his leadership as among Katz's accomplishments.
• Barb Gavitt, longtime colleague at Kaplan Professional Education: "He's very well-respected at Kaplan. He's taught literally thousands of students. He gets so many compliments from students who say he's changed their lives. ... He really enjoys teaching and being in front of a classroom, it's really his calling. ... He's kind of an icon in this business."
• Berkley Mayor Phil O'Dwyer: "I have known Marc for all of those 22 years, and he's made a remarkable contribution to the Berkley School District and education in general." O'Dwyer cited a curriculum that allows for a broader range of specialization as among Katz's contributions. "He's really pushed for that great variety."
• Berkley High School Athletic Director Jim Cowdry: "We want to thank you for your support ... but also for sitting in the bleachers all these years." Cowdry presented Katz with an honorary BHS varsity letter.
• Michigan Association of School Boards Executive Director Kathy Hayes: "This is a person who truly does believe in lifelong learning," as proven by the fact that out of the board's 4,000 members, Katz is among only 70 who have reached its highest level of certification. "This is a person who really walks his talk." Hayes presented Katz with a distinguished leadership award.
• State Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton: "(He is) the most passionate advocate of public education that this state really has produced."
• Berkley High School DECA (business club) adviser Beth Cameron: "He is there tirelessly every year at districts and states," where he has served as a judge.
• Former BSD Superintendent Bob Maxfield: "He demonstrates (that) a school board can be a vital community asset."
• Former BSD Superintendent E. Kathleen Booher: "I was honored to serve with Marc. He sets the bar high." 
• BSD Deputy Superintendent of Finance, Facilities and Operations Larry Gallagher: "Your passion and dedication always kept the focus of the students at heart."
• Former Michigan District Optimists Gov. Don Brose: "Marc has a lot of strength and a lot of stamina, especially for a guy who doesn't eat his vegetables." 
• Huntington Woods City Commissioner Jeffrey Jenks: "Marc was willing to continually learn," and worked to build a bridge between the city and the board.
• Board of Education member Roger Blake: "The focus has always been making sure people know what a great school system we have here in Berkley and making sure we have the resources we need."

BSD Superintendent Michael Simeck, who thanked Katz's wife, Nancy, and daughters Jessica and Emily for letting him serve, praised what he said are three of Katz's defining qualities as a board member: He's prepared, smart and "very, very wise."

"He's got this 'dad' quality about him — this 'don't-mess-with-me' quality," Simeck said, recounting his first intimidating interview with Katz. "It makes you want to be the best you can be."

Simeck said the district's administrators chipped in and bought Katz a fountain pen and ink from Fahrney's Pens, Katz's favorite store in Washington, DC, as a gesture of gratitude.

"I want to thank you for being such a great asset to us and such a great leader, sincerely a great leader," Simeck said.

Board Vice President Paul Ellison brought a playful tone to the proceedings by sharing "a few fun facts" to put Katz's tenure in perspective, noting that in 1990 when Katz came aboard:

• U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow was a member of the state House.
• Current Speaker of the (state) House Jase Bolger was only 13.
• Future President George W. Bush owned the Texas Rangers baseball team.
• Future President Bill Clinton was the governor of Arkansas.
• Future President Barack Obama had just finished his second year of law school.

Board members then came to the podium to take turns reading a poem they wrote for Katz and to present him with a gift basket that contained a Snuggie and Godiva chocolates to keep him busy on Monday nights.

"Over the years, I've had the pleasure of serving with so many wonderful board members," said Katz, who added that superintendents, teachers and staff in the district "have made it wonderful to serve."

Through it all, Katz said the best thing about serving the Berkley School District was handing his daughters their diplomas when they graduated from high school — "to see my children benefit from all the work that's been done in the district."

What's next

Katz vowed to only be a phone call away when the board needs advice and was appointed to the new position of board member emeritus, which was approved Monday night.

Katz will serve a six-year term in the advisory role, which has no official duties or voting rights.

"It's to honor somebody who's given a lot of years of experience, and we want to tap that in the future," board member Randy Travis said. "I also look at it from a business standpoint. He has a lot of intellectual capital between his ears."

During its Jan. 9 organizational meeting, the board will swear in Ron Justice, who was elected Nov. 8, and elect new officers, Ellison said.

"It's going to take all of us just to try to fill (Katz's) shoes," he added.

Katz plans to continue his 28-year career with Kaplan Professional Education, where he conducts seminars for stockbrokers and insurance industry professionals, and said he will do adjunct work teaching workshops for the Michigan Association of School Boards.

However, he has yet to decide whether to pursue an opening on the Intermediate School District board as of July 2012.

"I'm going to take a couple months and step back and relax," he said Monday night.

"(The BSD Board of Education is) positioned wonderfully," Katz said. "They're not going to take a step back. I think that's your goal whenever you serve on a board — that they don't take a step back but keep moving forward when you leave."