Outstanding Person in Education award winners

ESCANABA — 14 professionals who work in schools in the southern central Upper Peninsula were recently honored with Outstanding Person in Education awards (OPIEs) by the regional division of the Michigan Education Association (MEA) during an event at the Highland Golf Club.

MEA, one of the largest labor unions in the state, is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) and “advocates and advances the rights of all education professionals to promote a quality education for our students.”

Within MEA, there are different types of groups with which a member may be affiliated. Education associations (EAs) are made up primarily of teachers, school counselors, social workers, speech pathologists and others; associations of education support professionals (ESPs) may include teacher aides, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, office personnel, maintenance and kitchen staff.

Local coordinating council 17-B, office for which is based in Rapid River, serves 24 associations at 14 school districts in the southern central U.P. region from Menominee to Engadine. At each office, field staff and a UniServ director skilled in labor law act as resources for its members, helping them negotiate contracts or just providing advice.

The union’s Rapid River office organizes a few social events each year, with the annual OPIE awards banquet being the largest. Each of the various associations are given the opportunity to select one of their members to be recognized with an OPIE.

“While there’s no set criteria, the winners are typically nominated for their accomplishments within their profession as well as their local union–active union members are sought out for this honor,” said Field Assistant Maggie Murphy-Pomeroy for MEA 17-B, where about 650 individuals are active members.

She described the OPIE banquet as a “special evening,” noting its uniqueness. Professions in education are viewed by many as notoriously underpaid, and this is a way to acknowledge not only employees’ work for their jobs but also activity within the union.

In 2025, the 14 OPIE award winners and their associations in the 17-B region were:

– Ted Prati, Bark River-Harris EA

– Megan Erickson, Bark River-Harris ESP

– Janelle Dalgord, Big Bay de Noc EA

– Tricia Bowie, Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (ISD) EA

– Nichole Hakes, Delta-Schoolcraft ISD ESP

– Sarah Hill, Escanaba EA

– Cherry Williams, Escanaba ESP

– Katie Poma, Gladstone EA

– Karin Sylvia, Manistique EA

– Jorie Bonneau, Manistique ESP

– Scott Owens, Menominee City EA

– Tyler Mercier, North Central EA

– Carla Meyer, Rapid River EA

– Logan Carlson, Stephenson EA

This was the 23rd year that 17-B has organized OPIE awards. The event was sponsored by MEA family organizations: Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA) and MEA Financial Services.

The banquet at the Highland was attended by award winners, union members, other school staff, friends and family.