Board of Education
Summer Putnam, President, Email Summer Putnam
Craig Watson, Vice President, Email Craig Watson
Lisa Novak, Secretary, Email Lisa Novak
April LaBar, Trustee, Email April LaBar
Casey Carpenter, Trustee, Email Casey Carpenter
Tim Lipka, Trustee, Email Tim Lipka
John Van Wagoner, Trustee, Email John Van Wagoner
Administrative Assistant: Mary Moss, Email Mary Moss
SUMMER PUTNAM
Personal: Married to Jason, one daughter, Daisy Putnam, a 2022 Lapeer High School graduate currently attending Kettering University pursuing a Chemical Engineering degree in 2026.
Education: Lapeer East High School alumni who earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Kettering University in Mechanical Engineering and her Master’s Degree from Walsh College.
Professional: Global Executive Director of Sales - GM account - at KOSTAl of America
Interests: Spending time with family and friends, volunteering in our community, spending time up north and being creative with my crafts.
DR. CRAIG WATSON
Personal: Married to wife Kelly since 1995 and moved to Lapeer in 1997. Children Gabe and Ava are Lapeer Community Schools graduates.
Education: Graduated from Illinois College of Optometry in 1995.
Professional: Co-owner of Lapeer County Vision since 2003.
Interests: Golfing with friends, visiting Gabe with Kelly, watching Ava's soccer games at Oakland University, and relaxing in Lewiston.
DR. LISA NOVAK
Personal: Mrs. Novak has four children, all graduates of Lapeer Community Schools.
Education: Graduated from University of Michigan-Flint in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Central Michigan University in 2004 with a Master of Science Administration, Business degree, Davenport University with an Accounting degree in 2017, and Indiana Wesleyan University in 2022 with a Doctor of Business Administration degree.
Professional: Accounting and Business professor and faculty chair at Mott Community College since September 2007
Interests: Dedicated to helping students build the technical knowledge, confidence and professional skills they need to succeed.
CASEY CARPENTER
Personal: Married to Jody with two children, one a Lapeer Community Schools graduate and one a current junior at Lapeer High School.
Education: Graduated from North Branch High School in 1998.
Professional: Owner of Timbergate Construction in Lapeer since January 2012.
Interests: Spending time with family and being involved with the high school robotics programs.
APRIL LaBAR
Personal: April moved to Lapeer with her late husband Jeremy and three sons in 2012.
Her son Jacob graduated from LCS in 2023, Brody in 2025, and Jamison is a junior at Lapeer High School (2026-27).
She began her volunteering at Murphy Elementary in 2014, where she and Jeremy started coaching the Murphy Lightning Flag Football 4th and 5th grade team, and then eventually they took over leadership of the Lapeer County Flag Football League from fellow board member Tim Lipka in 2018, where they served until Jeremy's death in 2021.
April also served as Murphy Elementary PTC member and president from 2016-19, was chairperson for Scholastic Book Fair at Murphy from 2017-19, and at Rolland-Warner from 2019-21. She and her husband were also leaders in the BSA, Cub Scout Pack 126 and Boy Scout Troop 127.
Education: Mott Community College with coursework in General Studies and Child Development
Professional: Lapeer County Road Commission, Genesee County Road Commission
Interests: Spending time with friends and family, watching her sons compete in their sporting and music events (football, wrestling, cross country, track, jazz band), reading, spending time camping up north at Fife Lake, laughing and watching Netflix. She has served as a trustee since 2021 and serves because she wants to help her community that she loves so much, be a voice for the kids, and because her sons, nephews and friends' children attend Lapeer. Being involved in the Lapeer community is a passion of hers, and being able to represent Lapeer is an honor. Helping to pass the 2022 bond to benefit all of Lapeer Community Schools is one of the things she is most proud of and hopes to serve for many years to come.
TIM LIPKA
Personal: Married to Sheri with two children, both Lapeer Community Schools graduates.
Education: Graduated from Lapeer West High School in 1991 and Oakland Community College.
Professional: Works as the maintenance manager at McLaren - Lapeer Region, is the owner of Lipka's Contracting, LLC, and is a paramedic with LCEMS.
Interests: Spending time with family and volunteering at Lapeer Days Festival and Metamora Country Days and Hot Air Balloon Festival.
JOHN VAN WAGONER
Personal: Married to Linda with two children, both Lapeer Community Schools graduates.
Education: Graduated from Lapeer West High School in 1981 and University of Michigan-Flint.
Professional: Owner of LJ's Farm Market in Lapeer since May 2008 and Cumberland Hardwood Floors in Lapeer since May 1988.
Interests: Spending time with family and being involved in the local community.
