Our Team

The award-winning Communications and Integrated Marketing team develops, designs, and implements communication and marketing plans for all public, non-public, and charter schools in Ottawa County along with Hamilton and Saugatuck in Allegan County. A sampling of our services include:

Marketing Planning
Media Relations
Communications Consulting
Materials Design
Surveys
Campaign Strategy

Please contact us for any communication or marketing needs your district may have. We are here to help!

Michelle Ready

Associate Superintendent
Communications & Integrated Marketing
616-738-8940 x 4093

Michelle has been employed by Ottawa Area ISD since 1993 and currently serves as Director of Communications and Integrated Marketing. In this role, she facilitates district media relations, marketing, branding, communications, public relations and advertising. She is a past president of the Michigan School Public Relations Association (MSPRA) and current board member, and has served on the board for the West Michigan American Marketing Association. Michelle also serves on special projects committees through the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators' Public Relations Network. In 2017, Michelle received the first ever Gerri Allen Outstanding Communicator of the Year award from MSPRA. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Hope College.

Michelle values honesty, integrity, creativity, collaboration, relationships and serving our communities through her role in education. Michelle believes laughter is life’s best medicine and variety and adventure keep her sane.

If Michelle had a warning label, it would say: I always take the dare, and you could be the target.

Pet peeves: wet socks, poor grammar, broken egg yolks, long traffic lights.

Amy Busse

Senior Communications Specialist
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Since 2011, Amy has been working as a Communications and Integrated Marketing team member as a Communications Specialist. She loves her work promoting all the fantastic things happening throughout the district through news releases as well as adding copy to the beautiful work of the Comm/Mkt team graphic designers promoting ISD events, working through logo designs, and of course spreading the word about Doing More.Together. With a Bachelor of Arts in English from Michigan State University, Amy loves green and white and detests spelling mistakes which can make her a tough car passenger on busy streets. Did you know there are a lot of people in charge of public signs who can’t spell? If she could be a superheroine she would be Aquawoman. The combination of communicating with animals and being able to swim like a fish is a no brainer. And speaking of animals, her warning label would be Please Feed the Animals. She was hangry before hangry was a thing. When not working she loves being outside, having fun with her family and friends and in the winter hanging in front of the fire with her family.

Nathaniel Pegowski

Senior Graphic Designer
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Nathaniel is an award-winning Graphic Designer and Creative Director with over 22 years of experience. He has had the privilege of working in agencies, corporate in-house, and education environments which have allowed him to be involved in many aspects of creative development for a broad range of industries and markets. Nathaniel has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University in Visual Communications. His knowledge covers multiple disciplines including design, branding, digital, print, social media, photography, budgeting, and vendor management. Nathaniel believes collaboration and transparency are the building blocks for strong relationships. Essentially, he is passionate about making brands engaging with a creative design for the user while also making a significant difference for the client.

When Nathaniel steps away from his creative groove, you will find him outdoors hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or with family. He is also outgoing and friendly with a passion for learning.

Favorite Quote: “If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.” – Ralf Speth

Favorite Foods: Too many to name (Foodie).

Favorite Music: Anything with a driving rhythm!

Erica Alderink

Digital and Graphic Design Specialist
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Erica has been working at the OAISD as a graphic designer, web designer, social media poster, and occasionally as a photographer, student, and teacher. Erica designs for special projects such as Help Me Grow-Ottawa, Doing More. Together., Thompson M-TEC, Ottawa Area Secure Schools Network (OASSN), Ottawa Community Schools Network (OCSN), and more, including designing award winning branding while here. Before coming to the OAISD, Erica was designing in the publishing world with Amazon and with a local marketing firm.

Erica's alma matter is Ferris State University where she graduated on the Dean's List with a Bachelors of Science, Majoring in Graphic Design and Minoring in Art History with time spent studying abroad in Italy, as well as with an Associate's of Applied Science, Major in Visual Design and Web Media.

Erica's favorite thing to do is anything outside with her family and loves the work life balance that the OAISD values.

If Erica could have any super power it would be shape-shifting, you can fly, breath underwater, and travel anywhere in a snap (or in a shift).

When Erica was younger her life goal was to be a rock-star, like Amy Grant :D

Amanda Morton

Digital Marketing Specialist
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Amanda graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2012 with a B.S degree in Film Production. She spent the next 6 years in Los Angeles learning about content creation for both the big screen and the 2nd screen. While in Los Angeles Amanda worked as a Live Digital Producer on the Los Angeles Lakers app and as a digital media coordinator for Warner Brother’s subsidiary “The Real”. She moved back to Grand Rapids at the end of 2017 and dove head first into digital marketing in a broad range of industries. Amanda is well versed in marketing, branding, social media, content creation, video editing, and e-commerce. She believes that life’s about making it a bit easier for the people who come after you.

If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why? I would be a dolphin. They travel in groups, aren’t often preyed upon and love to play.
What are some causes you care about? I care a lot about the health of our environments and creating access for all.
What would be your personal motto? My personal motto is, all you have to do is start.

Joannie Rauckhorst

Communications Assistant
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Joannie joined the Communications and Integrated Marketing Team in 2016 and enjoys assisting the department with graphics design support, photography, website updates and analytics for OAISD and DMT as well as special promotions management of our DMT outreach events and many other community events including the Maranda Park Party. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Art History with a minor in Graphic Design from the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining the OAISD she worked for Formica Corp. as a designer in their marketing department where she designed custom promotional literature for distributors of Formica Brand Products nationwide. She enjoys time with her family and friends, especially on the waters of Lake Michigan or on the many beautiful lakes in our state.

Favorite Music: Khalid, Billie Eilish

Favorite Movie: Godfather

If you could be a superhero who would you be?
Wonder Woman … she is an excellent fighter with a strong will yet is also very compassionate!