Education Action Group Foundation, Inc., a national organization headquartered in Michigan, has a seven-person full-time staff. EAG is a non-partisan non-profit organization with the goal of promoting sensible education reform and exposing those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
Kyle Olson, Founder & CEO
Kyle is founder and CEO of Education Action Group Foundation. He founded EAG in June of 2007.
His first documentary film is “Kids Aren’t Cars.”
He has made numerous appearances on Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, NPR and MSNBC. Kyle has given scores of interviews on talk radio programs coast to coast. His work has been cited by the Drudge Report, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Kyle is also the editor of PublicSchoolSpending.com.
Kyle is a Contributor to BigGovernment.com, a website created by Andrew Breitbart. He also writes on TownHall.com.
He graduated from Michigan State University in 2001.
While Kyle likes talking politics, he especially likes to talk about his family, as well as his favorite music. Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Johnny Cash are at the top of the list. He recently attended his 22nd Bob Dylan show.
Kyle’s personal website is kyleolson.org and he can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Steve Gunn, Communications Director
Steve Gunn, communications director for EAG Fdn, has a background in print journalism. He worked 15 years as an award-winning political, local government and general assignment reporter for the Muskegon (MI) Chronicle. Prior to that he served for five years as an award-winning sports reporter and columnist for the same newspaper.
He currently contributes articles on a freelance basis to MiBiz, a bimonthly business newspaper that circulates throughout West Michigan. He is also a weekly columnist for the Chronicle.
Steve has a Bachelors degree in history, with a separate completed communications major, from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.
Victor Skinner, Communications Specialist
Victor Skinner is an award winning journalist who has written for several daily newspapers including the Utica, New York Observer-Dispatch, theMuskegon Chronicle, the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and the Grand Rapids Press. He has a bachelor’s degree in public relations and journalism from Syracuse University at Utica College in upstate New York, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2005.
He has placed in the Associated Press and Michigan Press Association news writing contests. He also garnered several competitive writing grants and scholarships while attending Utica College.
Victor lives in Norton Shores with his wife Amanda. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, boating, scuba diving, camping, disc golfing, skim boarding, hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities.
Ben Velderman, Project Manager
Even though Ben’s teaching career lasted a brief two years, he accumulated a storehouse of experiences as the 7th and 8th grade classroom teacher for Zeeland Public Schools’ alternative program. Working with fellow teachers and classroom aides, Ben sought to help at-risk students achieve academic success as well as develop the individual life skills needed for success outside the classroom. Though not always an easy assignment, the day-to-day development of many students proved to be very rewarding.
During his days as a student teacher, Ben worked at Black River Public School, one of the nation’s premier charter schools. That experience enabled him to see first-hand the unique qualities (such as the commitment to innovation and accountability) that make charter schools such a promising addition to the public education system.
Ben holds an undergraduate degree from Hope College and a Master’s degree from Michigan State University. He received his teacher certification through Grand Valley State University. He is also a former member of the Michigan Education Association.
Alisha Meneely, Director of Outreach
Alisha Meneely joined Education Action Group as the Director of Outreach in the Spring of 2011. For the last 13 years, Alisha has demonstrated her passions for politics, children, education and grassroots activism through her work with a number of Michigan state legislators and the Michigan Association of Public School Academies.
Alisha joined EAG in order to more aggressively advocate for policies that will allow every parent to CHOOSE the best school for their child. Additionally, as a mother herself, she is determined to stop failing schools from failing our nation’s kids year after year and to protect those schools that put children and their education first.
Alisha has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science Pre-Law from Michigan State University. She lives in West Michigan with her husband and son.
