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Board of Directors

Brian
Kitz

Chair of the Board

Brian Kitz and his wife Kristi live in Commerce Twp. They are members of Our Lady of Refuge Parish.

Brian is a graduate of Brother Rice High School, has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, and has a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross Business School. Kristi is also a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. She has chaired three Legion auctions and two Everest auctions. Brian’s daughter, Claire, started at Everest as a preschool student and graduated from Everest Collegiate in 2015.

Brian is a sales executive with 25 years’ experience at Compuware, Nortel Networks, and Internet Security Systems. He is currently a Software Client Executive at IBM. Brian served on Everest Academy’s Advisory Board for eight years.

John
Williams

Vice Chair

John Williams and his wife Ellie live in Clarkston and actively attend Our Lady of the Lakes Parish.

John was a member of the board of trustees of Everest Academy from its inception until 1997. The four Williams children all attended Everest for grade school through the 8thgrade. (Everest Collegiate did not exist at that time.) The two sons extended their Regnum Christi school education one year at Dublin Oak boarding school in Ireland and the two girls received high school Regnum Christi formation at Immaculate Conception Academy in Rhode Island. The Williams’ oldest daughter, Teresa, has been a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi since 2002 and has worked at Regnum Christi schools in Ireland and Mexico.

John is a technology executive with 30 years’ experience in local software companies, including Compuware Corporation in Detroit, Micro Focus in Troy and ForeSee in Ann Arbor. He is currently Chief Technology Officer for Workforce Software, based in Livonia. John also served for ten years on the board of trustees and marketing and finance committees of The Wellness Plan, a $200 million, not-for-profit HMO.

Scott
Madgey

Chief Financial Officer

Scott Madgey married the former Denise Folz in June 2004 and in May 2005, they welcomed their daughter, Anne-Marie, who is currently a 5th grader at Pinecrest Academy, a Regnum Christi School, in Cumming, Georgia.

Scott has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. Scott earned a degree in Classical Humanities from the Legionaries’ Novitiate and College of Humanities in Cheshire, Connecticut and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. During his apostolic internship with the Legionaries of Christ, he served as Director of Operations for Consolidated Catholic Administrative Services, Inc. From 2004 to 2016, Scott worked for National Consultants for Education (NCE), overseeing the delivery of products and services to NCE member schools.

Scott currently is Assistant Director of Operations for Consolidated Catholic Administrative Services, Inc. with responsibility for Human Resources and Accounting.  He has served on the Everest Board of Directors since February 2015. Scott has also served on the boards of directors of Royal Palm Academy in Naples, Florida and Northwoods Catholic School in Spring, Texas.

Alice
Tocco

Secretary

Alice and her husband Sam have been married for 47 years. They attend Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish.

After both Alice and Sam graduated from East Detroit High School, Alice continued her education at St. Mary’s College completing classes in theology. Sam received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Northwood University. They have three children and 11 grandchildren, all of whom are Mountaineers.  Alice has held a variety of leadership positions as a member of Regnum Christi since 2001. These include team leader, group leader, ECYD auxiliary, and AFIRE team member.

Alice held the position of sales associate for 15 years including ten years at Art Van Furniture. She also completed the Master Gardener Program offered by the Michigan State Extension Service and served as president of the Addison Oaks Garden Club. Since 1978 she has worked in a diverse range of parish activities including teaching religion education, implementing a Bible study program at St. Clement of Rome Parish, and volunteering as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist to the homebound. For nine years, Alice was the Christian Service Coordinator and a parish council member at Ss. Cyril & Methodius. Her main objective was fundraising for those in need locally, nationally, and internationally. She is currently the leader of the Communion to William Beaumont Hospital Ministry and a member of the Rosary Society

Charles
Burns

Charlie and his wife Diane live in Clarkston with their daughter Jessie who attends Everest. They are members of St. Daniels Parish where Charlie currently serves on the pastoral council. Diane is a member of Regnum Christi. They both are members of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Charlie is a graduate of Michigan State University and has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.  He is the president and partner of the Oscar W Larson Co., a Clarkston-based service and construction company with ten offices throughout four states and over 350 employees.  Charlie and the Oscar W. Larson Co. believe in being good corporate citizens and are actively involved with the community through several volunteer groups, non-profit organizations, and charities.

Charlie currently serves as the president of the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) which is a trade association whose members manufacture, distribute, and service petroleum marketing and liquid handling equipment. PEI represents more than 1,600 member companies in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. He also serves on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 30A Committee which is responsible for creating national standards for motor vehicle fuel dispensing facilities. Charlie is a licensed mechanical contractor and serves on state rulemaking ad hoc committees.

Tony
DiSalle

Tony DiSalle and his wife, Kim, live in Clarkston and have been married for 33 years. They have four adult children, Kevin, Kyle, Shannon, and Kayla, all of whom attended Everest. Kevin and Kyle completed eighth grade at Everest prior to the opening of the high school, and Shannon and Kayla graduated from Everest Collegiate High School. Tony coached grade school and middle school football at Everest for four years. Tony and Kim belong to St. Hugo of the Hills Parish, are involved in Regnum Christi, and have been members of Legatus since 2013.

Tony was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and attended St. John’s Jesuit High School. He graduated from Miami University, Oxford, with a business degree in 1986 and Indiana University with an MBA in 1988. Tony recently retired from General Motors where, amongst other roles, he was OnStar Vice President of Sales, Service, and Marketing for eight years and Vice President of Marketing, Buick, and GMC Brands for six years. Tony also served as GM’s Key Executive for its relationship with Northwestern University for seven years and was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business for twelve years.

Leonard
Gayeski

Leonard Gayeski and his wife, Anito, live in Almont. They are members of Immaculate Conception Parish. Leonard enjoys spending time with his wife and the families of his five children and, of course, playing golf.

Leonard earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern Michigan University and gained experience in the operations side of several businesses before the beginning of his career with a major accounting firm, Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling, PLC, in 1975. Leonard’s responsibilities include tax planning for individuals, business entities, and trusts as well as assisting in training personnel at the company. Leonard was introduced to Everest by one of its founding families, the Thewes family.

Leonard is currently an active member of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, serves as the director/treasurer of the Detroit Legatus organization, the Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museums, Inc., and sits on the finance committees for the Sacred Hearts and Immaculate Conception Churches.

Mary
McMahon

Mary and her husband Pat live in Clarkston. They are members of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish where Mary graduated in 1982.  They have three sons who have all benefited from an Everest education, each attending Everest from preschool through 12th grade, and are alumni of the classes of 2014, 2015, and 2017 respectively.

Mary received a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising at Michigan State University in 1987 and worked in the advertising and newspaper business for nine years until her first son was born. She has spent the last 23 years at her dream job as a stay-at-home mom.  She has been an active volunteer at Everest being a homeroom mom, team mom, auction chair, and volunteer and was on the advisory board for many years.  She also served on the Genesys Health Foundation Board for eight years. 

Lisa
Small

Lisa Small has been a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi since 2001 and currently lives in the community in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Lisa received her bachelor’s degree in education and development, a master’s degree in Christian community from Spring Arbor University, and a master’s in religious sciences from Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University. Originally from New Zealand, Lisa has served preaching, running retreats and formation programs, and teaching throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Mexico. Her apostolic work has included serving at Mater Ecclesiae College in Rhode Island, the Catholic Discipleship College in New Zealand, and the Highland School in Texas.

Lisa currently serves as formation director for the Regnum Christi Mission Corps and the communications director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi in North America.

Fr. Jason Smith, LC

Fr. Jason Smith was ordained at St. Mary Major in Rome on December 23, 2006.

As a seminarian, he studied classical humanities at the Novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ in Cheshire, CT, philosophy at Our Lady of Thornwood, in NY, and theology at Regina Apostolorum in Rome.

After ordination, he dedicated six years to youth work in the NY Tri-State region, running the Regnum Christi Mission Corps (a program for college-aged missionaries) and directing various high school ministries. He was also a spiritual director during the summer discernment programs for the Legionaries of Christ.

In recent years, Fr. Jason has served as director Regnum Christi in the NY Tri-State region, specializing in retreats, spiritual exercises, spiritual direction, marriage preparation, and marriage ministry. Fr. Jason has also had the pleasure of serving as parochial vicar at the historic Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in lower Manhattan. He was recently reassigned as the superior of the Legionary of Christ community in Michigan, beginning in July 2021.

Donald
Spence

Don Spence and his wife Pat live in Clarkston and are members of St. Daniel’s Parish.  They both learned to love and appreciate Everest Academy while their daughter Erin (Spence) Van Schoick was a student from 1998 to 2005.  Don is a Catholic convert, having joined the Church in 2001.  Pat has been active in Right to Life for many years and both he and his wife have been members of Legatus, a Catholic business leader’s organization, for over 15 years.

Don has spent most of his 40+ year career in medical technology and is currently President & CEO of Ebb Therapeutics Inc. Ebb is a medical device for treating insomnia. He previously was Chairman & CEO of Lake Region Medical.  Don has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Michigan State University and a Master’s of Arts in Economics from Central Michigan University.  He is a member of the board of advisors for economics at Michigan State and also serves on the board of directors of Integer Holdings Inc. (NYSE:ITGR) and Linguaflex, Inc.