OUR TEAM

Anna Balzer (she/her) is thrilled to serve as the new Director of the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS). In this role she will support the SEMIS team and members to co-create, shape, and implement a collaborative vision for place-based, eco-justice education in the region. Anna will also establish, steward, and deepen connections across the region and throughout a national place-based education ecosystem and help amplify the stories and impact of and bring additional resources to our regional work. Anna has been connected with SEMIS since 2014, first as an AmeriCorps Green School Coordinator with EcoWorks’ Youth Energy Squad (YES) and then throughout 6 years as Program Manager and Co-Director. 

Anna has been connected with SEMIS since 2014, first as an AmeriCorps Green School Coordinator with EcoWorks’ Youth Energy Squad (YES) and then throughout 6 years as Program Manager and Co-Director. During her time at YES, she supported place based education and youth-led environmental justice projects in Detroit and the metro area, with a special focus on forging deeper connections between young people and community leaders and local environmental justice priorities. More recently, Anna served as a Community Engagement Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy, strengthening relationships and resource sharing between the federal government and local clean energy initiatives.

Anna holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Michigan. She has been a resident of Detroit for the past ten years and finds herself endlessly curious about the history, ecology, folklore, and personal stories of the Great Lakes region. An aspiring home renovator, gardener, and  cook, she is always interested in opportunities to trade skills, books, tools, and time with her community. 

Lisa supports the development, design and implementation of professional learning programs for teachers and community partners as well as program facilitation and general event planning. In her role, Lisa coordinates our teacher coaching team and place-based education project design. Other responsibilities include project management, curriculum writing storytelling and reporting, developing and stewarding partnerships with district leaders, non-profits, government agencies, grassroots activists, and other school and community education leaders, and co-leading communications. Lisa has been with the SEMIS Coalition since 2015.

Lisa has expertise in Ecojustice Education, Social Foundations of Education and Place-Based Education pedagogy. Lisa holds an undergraduate degree in Visual  Arts Education and a Masters of Arts in Social Foundations of Education, both from Eastern Michigan University. Prior to joining the SEMIS Coalition, Lisa taught Pre-K, elementary and middle school visual arts education and also worked in alternative education classrooms as aid to the main teacher. Lisa grew up in southeast Michigan where the Great Lakes was something she took for granted. As an adult, the responsibility weighs heavy in her heart. Working in collaboration with others on long term and short term projects is something she loves, especially with teachers! One of her favorite job aspects is how much the team laughs and works well through creative and challenging ideas. 

Willie King III is a Place-Based Education Consultant & Youth Voice Specialist for the Southeast Michigan Stewardship (SEMIS) Coalition. A proud Detroit Westsider, Willie is dedicated to empowering youth through education, activism, and community engagement. He develops and facilitates place-based initiatives that amplify youth voices, promote civic engagement, and integrate the arts into education. His work also includes professional development for educators and fostering stewardship-driven community partnerships.

Willie holds a degree in History with a minor in Political Science from Eastern Michigan University. Beyond his role at SEMIS, he is one of the Charter Founders of Kings of Color Incorporated and brings over a decade of experience as an activist, mentor, and educator. His past roles include restorative graduate assistant, math intervention teacher, and long-term substitute at WIMAHI, along with work at EcoWorks’ Detroit Youth Energy Squad, Engineering Design Services Inc. (Growing Detroit Young Talent program), and Washtenaw Parks and Recreation.

Committed to being an agent of change, Willie strives to uplift both communities and individuals on their personal growth journeys. Outside of work, he enjoys watching anime, becoming a better father, and spending time at Riverside Skatepark.

Laura Florence is an Education Specialist with SEMIS Coalition, and a life-long enthusiast of the Great Lakes. She is a scientist, place-based educator, and builder of relationships. Laura joined SEMIS in 2015, following two decades of work in aquatic science research, public outreach, and environmental education. At SEMIS, Laura champions Great Lakes literacy, leads our NOAA-funded Environmental Literacy and Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grants, and contributes to high quality professional learning across the Coalition.

Laura joined SEMIS in 2015, following two decades of work in aquatic science research, public outreach, and environmental education. At SEMIS, Laura champions Great Lakes literacy, leads our NOAA-funded Environmental Literacy and Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grants, and contributes to high quality professional learning across the Coalition.

Born and raised in Jackson, Michigan, Laura has made Ann Arbor her home for over 30 years. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Anthropology and a Master of Science in Aquatic Ecology, both from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the SEMIS Coalition, she managed research, outreach, and education projects at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, Michigan Sea Grant, and the Great Lakes Commission. She has served on the Board of Trustees at the Leslie Science and Nature Center and Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, contributed to advisory committees for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and coached in the Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad. 

 One of Laura’s favorite places is the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern Michigan, and she escapes to the shores of the Great Lakes with her family any chance she gets.

Paula Sizemore is a recently retired SEMIS Coalition Earth Science teacher of over 30 years who headed the science department at Ypsilanti Community High School (YCHS) in the ACTech program. In her role with the SEMIS Coalition, Paula provides extensive coaching to teachers, teacher teams, and works with instructional coaches on site to design, plan, and coordinate place-based education projects with member schools. She also supports the design, direction, and partnerships within our IWOK initiative as well as facilitation of professional development throughout our annual learning series. Paula’s approach to place-based learning connects social-ecological justice with a science and local community, and what  she values most about SEMIS is the depth of teamwork and collaboration. 

As a postdoctoral researcher, Nigora leads the Coalition Indigenous Ways of Knowing (IWOK) Initiative and supports daily functions like planning, facilitation, and leading of professional development, budgeting, and building local and international research communities to share the impact of place-based and ecojustice approach to education. She works with teachers to center IWOK wisdom, knowledge, stories, and curriculum materials in their teaching connecting them to indigenous partners. Her work entails creating learning pods and book clubs to delve into indigenous histories, struggles, and critical analysis of the purpose of education. Nigora also puts together professional learning series for teachers and community members to engage into meaningful conversations as well as creating focused educational programs to center indigenous perspectives into our learnings and teachings.

Nigora has graduated with her MA degree in Social Foundations of Education and PhD in Educational Studies with the focus on Urban Education from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked with classroom teachers for the last five years supporting them in incorporating ecojustice and social perspectives into their teachings. Her passion lies in bringing diverse perspectives into our teaching for immersive, experiential, and transformational learning. More specifically, connect with practices and wisdoms that ask important questions to get to the root causes of current social and ecological issues communities are facing. Thus, one of the main objectives of IWOK lens Nigora is leading is to build reciprocal relationships with indigenous scholars, educators and tribal members who share their knowledge, educational materials, teachings, and expertise in working with our teachers that centers our relationships around human interconnectedness and interdependence with the natural world. This work has been informed by her research interest that focuses on ecojustice education, place-based education, ecofeminism, settler colonialism, postcolonial theory, social justice, indigenous wisdom, and connection of local to global situation.