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Vice Chair

Coloma, Michigan
Term ends Dec. 31, 2026

Education
Master Arts and Sciences Counseling and Personnel
Bachelors Arts and Sciences Major Psychology
 
Employment
Retired from State of Michigan, Workforce Development Services
Worked as a Regional Manager most recently, and before that as an Employment Counselor

Experience
Working for the State of Michigan, I experienced first-hand, how critical it is for training to be responsive to the needs of the local community. Training must be driven by local employers and their ever changing needs and requirements. When this happens everyone in the community benefits; employers are profitable, people go to work, and the community has a healthy and robust economy that can weather the storms that come it’s way

For a community to succeed, each individual must be able to believe in themselves and have a vehicle that allows them to achieve their full potential. I see LMC as that vehicle, and feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as an LMC Trustee. I look forward to making a difference in my community.
 
Ms. Burghdoff lives in Coloma, with her husband Larry. They have two sons, Matt and Nick, who are grown and live in Virginia and Nevada.
 
 

Treasurer

South Haven, Michigan

Term ends 12/31/28

Trustee

St. Joseph, Michigan
Term ends 12/31/2028

City/County: Royalton Twp/Berrien County
Education: BA From Siena Heights University
Employment: IT Manager at the University of Notre Dame
Experience: Leadership in private, local non-profit organizations
 
Why I serve: I am an alumnus and past employee of the college giving a unique perspective on the operation and culture of Lake Michigan College. I see the college as an important partner in the educational, cultural, and business sectors of our service area. As a trustee, it is gratifying to have a voice in LMC's contribution to these vital facets of our community.

Trustee

St. Joseph, Michigan
Term ends 12/31/2026

Debra is currently Assistant Vice President of Love & Respect and Chief Experience Officer at Spectrum Health Lakeland. Debra has been told by many that this new position was perfect for because her it is her “heart's work.” She has been employed by Lakeland for 27 years.

Debra has been a nurse 35 years; she completed her BSN at DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois. She then went on to complete an MBA at Indiana Wesleyan University. She has been responsible for developing and implementing multiple strategic plans, projects, programs, and regulatory certifications

Debra volunteers for several organizations in the community. She was elected to the Lake Michigan College Trustee Board and serves currently as the Board Chair. She also served as a Board member on the St. Joseph Public Schools Board after being appointed for 2004-2005. Debra has served as the Board Chair for the Niles Main Street and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the former Niles Four Flags Chamber. She remains a member of the Greater Niles Chamber and Region IV Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Advisory Council. Debra also represented the AAA by serving on the Michigan Senior Advisory Council (MSAC) for 6 years, 2 years as the Chair of the committee and 3 years serving on the Senior Advisory Council (SAC). She traveled to Lansing monthly meeting with State Senators and Representatives on issues facing Michiganders and our local communities, i.e. education, jobs, care of senior citizens and health care.

Debra is completing her first term as a member of the Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees. She is skilled in collaboration and teamwork and is passionate about education and serving the community. Debra is a hard worker and objective and has gained an understanding of the challenges that confronts us.

Debra Johnson is a resident of Berrien County and had lived in St. Joseph for the past 27 years.

Chair

Sodus, Michigan
Term ends 12/31/2030

Joan Smith spent 26 years as co-owner of Smith-Dahmer Associates, a St. Joseph-based marketing firm, and 13 years prior to that at Whirlpool Corporation, before retiring in 2017.

Her unbridled support for Lake Michigan College developed after becoming a member of the LMC Foundation more than 20 years ago. Joan has spent more than 10 years on the Foundation’s board. There she came to understand the essence of LMC and the underlying integrity and future-focused nature of its administration, faculty, staff and students. Her understanding led her to profound respect for the institution and its leaders.

She is proud to be a part of the mission to empower people and communities through education, innovation and experiences.

In addition to her time on LMC’s Board of Trustees and with the Foundation, Joan has served on the boards of Child and Family Services and Cornerstone Alliance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Home Economics/Journalism from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts in Business Management from Nazareth College.

Joan has a life long interest in the value of women in society; their work, their family life, and their home life. Activities include research and reporting on women’s aspirations, frustrations and lifestyles particularly related to home, family, and work.

She has never seen a new idea that she didn’t want to discuss.  An avid home baker and cook, she enjoys traveling with her husband Jim and their dog Lilli. She admits to playing a pathetic round of golf whenever possible.

Joan is a resident of Berrien County and lives in Sodus.

Trustee

St. Joseph, Michigan
Term ends 12/31/2026

Mary Jo Tomasini, CEO of Competitive Edge, located on Red Arrow Highway in Stevensville, started her company in 1993, working alone in a store basement. She now has 22 employees working in their Stevensville and Grand Rapids offices. Competitive Edge provides promotional products, premiums and business gifts for local and national companies both large and small. Mary Jo’s success is driven by her belief in high quality customer service and going above and beyond customer expectations. Her vision to develop a successful business in her industry and community has gained her numerous awards and national recognition including being named one of the “Top 500 Woman Owned Businesses in the United States” and “Top 50 Places to Work in the Promotional Products Industry”.

Her desire and dedication to give back to the community is evident by volunteering her services and expertise to a long list of organizations, including Lake Michigan College, United Way of Southwest Michigan, Relay for Life and Michigan Women’s Business Council. She has been active in Junior Achievement of Michiana as a board member and classroom instructor as she believes we all have a responsibility to inspire our leaders of tomorrow. Her dedication and involvement in her many volunteer roles in the community earned her the 2006 Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award.

Mary Jo has been a resident of Berrien County since 1972 and lives in Stevensville with her husband and number one fan, Fred Malawski.

Mary Jo has served as a Trustee for twelve years and is excited at the opportunity to continue serving Lake Michigan College if she is re-elected. Mary Jo has a clear understanding of the community and will work hard to fairly represent the needs, challenges and changes that are important to all of you.

Mary Jo has been a resident of Berrien County since 1972. She is an alumna of Lake Michigan College and has accomplished many things since then. Mary Jo started CE Competitive Edge, LLC twenty-seven years ago and has transformed it into one of the largest promotional products companies in the industry. Without the presence and influence of LMC, she believes that her professional and personal journey would have landed her in a completely different space.

Secretary

Niles, Michigan
Term ends 12/31/2030

Mark D. Weber is the chief executive officer of YMCA of Greater Michiana, where he provides leadership to three fitness facilities, two childcare centers, and one resident camp.

His passion lies in strengthening communities by offering programs that support people at every stage of life, both at the Y and beyond its brick-and-mortar facilities where services are needed most.

Before his tenure at the Y, Mark spent over two decades in finance as director of finance and accounting at Teachers Credit Union and chief financial officer at United Federal Credit Union. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western Michigan University and an MBA in finance and economics from Indiana University.

Mark currently serves on the board of directors for Niles Community Schools, Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce, Be Health Berrien Steering Committee, Corewell Health Foundation Southwest Michigan, Niles Downtown Development Authority, and Hunter Foundation.

In his free time, he enjoys cheering on the University of Michigan and spending time with his wife, two children, and granddaughter.