Board Corner
South Bend Empowerment Zone Board
The South Bend Empowerment Zone and its Empowerment Zone Chief are directly accountable to a non-profit Board. The Board consists of both local independent and SBCSC members, allowing community voice to play a critical role in the process of transforming our neighborhood schools.
SBEZ Board of Directors Meeting
February 16, 2023
SBEZ Board of Directors Meeting
March 14, 2023
SBEZ Upcoming Board Meetings
Meetings are scheduled to be live-streamed on our Facebook page HERE.
Board of Directors Board Meeting Dates & Times
The second Tuesday of every other month
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Executive Sessions 4:30 PM-6:00 PM
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Public Sessions 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Please note, the dates, times, and locations listed here are subject to change.
The public will be notified per Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-5.
March Meeting
Date: March 14, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
Minutes will be forthcoming
April Meeting
Date: April 11, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
June Meeting
Date: June13, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
May Meeting
Date: May 9, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
July Meeting
Date: July 11, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
SBEZ Previous Board Meetings
Click on the Agenda, Minutes , and Financials links to learn more about each meeting.
September Meeting
Date: September 13, 2022
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
October Meeting
Date: October 10, 2022
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
November Meeting
Date: November 8, 2022
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
January Meeting
Date: January 18, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
December Meeting
Date: December 13, 2022
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
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Agenda
February Meeting
Date: February 16, 2023
Executive Session: 4:30 PM
Public Session: 6:00 PM
Location: 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
South Bend Empowerment Zone Bylaws
Historical Spending Analysis
South Bend Empowerment Zone Board of Directors
Stephanie Ball, Board Member
Stephanie currently serves as the 4th District representative of the South Bend Community School Corporation Board. Stephanie is a lifelong resident of South Bend, having graduated from the former LaSalle High School on the city's Near Westside.
Stephanie continues to reside in the Near Westside neighborhood and has a passion for community service, as evidenced by her past roles as a Client Services Advocate at both the Housing Authority of South Bend and the South Bend Heritage Foundation. She is passionate about working to ensure that South Bend's schools and neighborhoods continue to grow and thrive.
Sam Centellas, Board Chair
Term 2019-2024
Sam is a community advocate and leader in the Latino community. He previously worked at IUSB, Ivy Tech, and La Casa de Amistad, and is excited to serve on the Empowerment Zone board to advocate for positive educational outcomes for Westside students and families.
Kareemah Fowler, Board Member
Kareemah Fowler, currently the Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance & CFO of the South Bend Community School Corporation, has been a public servant for the past two decades. She began her public sector journey in 2001 as a St. Joseph County Assessor, where she, among other things, analyzed and managed over $8 billion worth of property assessment data and successfully redesigned and consolidated 13 individual township assessor offices into two.
Rosa Hiestand, Board Secretary
Term 2021-2025
Rosa Hiestand currently serves as a professor of early childhood education at Ivy Tech Community College. She brings extensive knowledge and experience in the early childhood education field from the community perspective, as well as from the national perspective. Rosa has served in various leadership roles, including that of the board president of Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children. Hiestand’s passion stems from the belief that high quality education comes from high quality educators. She dedicates her career to ensure that educators are highly qualified to better the lives of children.
Ryan Matthys, Board Treasurer
Ryan is a managing partner of RSM US LPP, an audit, tax and consulting firm, and a graduate of Washington High School. He has also served on the board of the South Bend Education Foundation.
Ashley Northern, Board Member
Ashley is the accounting and program specialist for the South Bend Heritage Foundation. She attended Harrison Elementary School and graduated from the South Bend Community School Corporation.
Sonya Watkins, Board Member
Sonya is the Associate Director of Talent Search (TRIO) at the University of Notre Dame. Energized by challenges and driven by an authentic desire to improve the lives of potential first-generation college students who come from low-income families, Sonya has enjoyed serving and equipping students and families for their college and career futures. Sonya is a board member for Mamas Against Violence, a local non-profit organization. She is also an active member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist church, where she volunteers for the Youth Ministry.
Leslie Wesley, Board Member
Leslie is the District 3 representative for the South Bend Community School Corporation. A South Bend native and local activist, Wesley has also been on the board of the YWCA, Logan Center Foundation, Drifters, Inc., National Board of Directors, and the Bill “Corky’ Locke Foundation.
Duane Wilson, Board Member
Duane serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Boys and Girls Club of St. Joseph County’s 22 locations. Along with his oversight of the organization’s day-to-day operating activities, he leads the implementation of new strategic initiatives around process, technology, safety and culture. He also serves as a board member of the South Bend Alumni Association and St. Margaret’s House.
Duane graduated from Park University and holds a B.S. in Social Psychology and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. He has been a Zone Board member for just under a year. He and his family moved from Spokane, Washington, 23 years ago and now reside in South Bend. They enjoy traveling together in their free time.