Meet Our Board

Deby Ziesmer

Chair | Community Member

Deby is the principal owner of Ziesmer Consulting. She Is also a current Director for the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB), overseeing the YCB’s early childhood initiatives. Deby began her responsibilities with the Minneapolis YCB in 2017 as a consultant and project manager. In 2018, she was awarded a fellowship from the Pritzker Family Foundation. Before this, Deby was employed by the Minneapolis YWCA as the Vice President of Early Childhood. Deby was responsible for seven early childhood centers serving 980 children and their families each year in this role. She oversaw a $10M budget and staff training for 150 teachers and early childhood staff. During her tenure at Minneapolis YWCA, Deby was honored for her early childhood and public policy work with the Baby Blueprint award, the Engaging Diverse Families Recognition from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and numerous other community awards and honors. Deby’s academic training includes a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Metropolitan State University. In addition, Deby has served on the National Association for the Education of Young Children Council for Accreditation, the board of Child Care Works!, the city of Minneapolis Children’s Cabinet, and many other boards and committees. Deby is also a published author of many peer-reviewed articles on early childhood, youth, and families and has developed a curriculum for teacher prep programs. Deby is Chair of the board, and is a member of the District Advisory, Governance, Finance, and Personnel Committees.

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Josh Christenson

Vice Chair | Parent Member

Josh is the parent of two boys who attend KCS, and this is his first year on the board. He has been married to his wife, Daphne, for 17 years. Josh has been connected to KCS since 2015 and has expanded tasks supporting KCS. He joined the board to help KCS continue to succeed at its mission and grow its impact. Josh is an active volunteer in the community and coaches in several youth sports organizations. He is an avid sports fan, loves to play golf, and is best known for wearing flip-flops year-round. Josh is Vice Chair of the board and is a member of the Personnel Committee.

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Mullen Sharlet Mullen

Treasurer | Teacher Member

Shar is starting her fourth year at KCS as a Kindergarten Teacher. She has over 20 years of experience working in schools and teaching preschool. She is a mother of 3 adult children, with one Granddaughter and one dog. She loves DIY projects, going for walks, and organizing. Shar is a big advocate for bringing social emotional learning in the classrooms. Shar joined the board to help KCS build a safe, welcoming, family environment. Shar supports the school mission and vision and looks forward to learning more about the KCS community. Shar is the Treasurer of the school board and is the Chair of the Finance Committee.

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Nikki Miller

Director | Teacher Member

Nikki Miller has been part of the Kaleidoscope Charter School community for over 15 years and currently teaches middle school Language Arts. In addition to teaching, she serves as the Student Council Advisor and coordinates the school’s annual Polar Express program. Through these roles, she enjoys helping students develop leadership skills and building a strong sense of school

community. Alongside her work in education, Nikki also works in a community pharmacy as a PTCB-certified immunization technician. This work has strengthened her connection to the community and reinforced her commitment to public service. She values the opportunity to serve the community and bring a secondary teacher’s perspective to the school board.

Outside of school and work, Nikki enjoys baseball and spending summer days on the North Shore and at Target Field. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her two dogs, Bella and Gustavo.

Nikki is a member of the DAC committee.

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Dr. Michelle Zachman-Wolverton

Secretary | Parent Member

Michelle is a proud parent and aunt to KCS high school and middle school students. Prior to KCS, Michelle’s son attended a large public school. Her family valued the time spent there but also experienced challenges that come with having a student in a large educational setting. Her experience enhanced her appreciation for small, community schools like KCS, and she joined the Board to help create a welcoming, safe, engaging, and FUN learning environment. Michelle and family members volunteer regularly in the KCS cafeteria, library, and with the Comets Boosters. (If you want to volunteer at KCS and aren’t sure where to start, reach out to Michelle!) Professionally, Michelle has worked as a pharmacist in the healthcare industry for more than 20 years. Michelle is Chair of the Governance and DAC committees and is also a member of the Personnel committee.

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Stephen Moline

Director | Parent Member

Stephen is the parent of two children at KCS. He is a professional machinist with experience in multiple trades, and possesses a practical, hands-on approach to problem-solving, a strong work ethic, and an eye for detail. His background gives him a unique perspective on the importance of vocational education, technical skills, and real-world career paths. Stephen believes that student voice is critical and creating strong relationships with teachers and having role models that students can look up to is very important to education and KCS. Stephen is a member of the Governance committee.

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Renee Suess

Director | Teacher Member

Renee has been teaching at KCS for 17 years. She is currently a second-grade teacher. This is Renee’s seventh year on the board. Renee is a member of the Finance Committee.

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To contact a school board member, you can email them using the email links above, or you can contact us at KCS, and we will put you in touch with a board member.

Kaleidoscope School Board

7525 Kalland Ave NE

Otsego, MN 55301

Phone: 763-428-1890 | Fax: 763-428-1691