Governing Board

Dennis Dedering — President

City of Kiel Administrator – Retired
Lakeshore Technical College – Electronics
B.A. Business Silver Lake College

I have been a lifelong resident of the City of Kiel, including a long history with the  Kiel School District programs. I graduated in 1971 from Kiel High School and then serviced 2 years in the United States Army. My work experience included 20 years at Tecumseh Products in the Payroll Department and Human Resources Department and 21 years with the City of Kiel, as a  City Administrator, retiring in 2018. All 4 children were raised within the Kiel Public School System and were excited to watch them all independently succeed with lifelong dreams. Our oldest daughter, who is currently a teacher of online schooling in two different states and this has shown me the value of online teaching across our country.

We now have 8 loving grandchildren who have experience online teaching during the pandemic. It has opened our eyes to what the future holds and I feel this was a great time for me to hopefully become a team member and expand the vision of this growing program.

My hobbies include golfing, bowling, traveling, fishing and enjoying our beautiful family.

Email: ddedering@charter.net 

Don Mogenson — Vice President

I was raised on a small family farm in the 40s and spent many years in a one room schoolhouse where each kid had a job to do at school to keep it going, which gave me a work/learning approach to education.

Graduated from a small Tigerton high school in 1950, spent the next 45 years working for Lauson / Tecumseh product in New Holstein in supervision and management.

All my 3 kids and 4 grandkids spent all theirs in Kiel schools, with me being very interested and active in school and church education, school committees etc.

When Kiel eSchool was formed in 2001 I thought that I could add some of my life experience to the program, as I am very proud of the opportunities that our E-School has provided for our students and that the Between the Lakes Academy will provide in the future.

My hobbies and interests are in preserving history by restoring old cars, motorcycles and bikes.

Email: dbmogenson@charter.net

Eileen Palmer — Secretary

Speech/Language Pathologist
Kiel Area Schools
B.S. Communication Disorders
M.S. Speech/Language Pathology

I have spent the bulk of my career as a PK-12 Speech/Language Pathologist in the Kiel Area School District. . I am passionate about helping students experience success and realize their potential.. By removing barriers for students, we can ensure all students have the opportunities they deserve to find their passion & identify their future path.

I have been involved with Kiel’s online learning programs since its inception in 2002.  I was proud and excited to be a part of the process from the start, working with the administration, teachers and students to stay true to our mission and see the program grow to meet our vision.

I also enjoy reading, crafts, and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.

Email: emapalmer@yahoo.com

Elaine Reiter — Treasurer

Retired Educator
B.A.  University of Wisconsin—Whitewater
M.A. University of Wisconsin—La Crosse

A lifetime educator, I taught English and physical education at Kiel High School for 35 years and also taught for the Kiel eSchool during its first 14 years of existence.  I discovered the positive impact technology could have on education starting in the 1980s and was an early advocate for its use to enhance student learning.  My prior work with the Kiel eSchool and my current role on the KASD Governing Board are natural outgrowths of this background.

I chose to become a member of the KASD Governing Board because my background in education can provide valuable insight into student-teacher interactions in the virtual environment.  I have confidence that the KASD administration and governing board can overcome any hurdles KASD’s virtual learning environment may encounter, and I look forward to helping mentor the continued growth of the Kiel eSchool and the Between the Lakes Virtual Academy.

Now retired, I find time to not only dedicate to causes that I believe in, but also to enjoy personal pursuits of leisure like travel, golf, pickleball, and reading.

Email: ereiterkiel@gmail.com

John Mitchell — Member

BS – University of Wisconsin – Platteville
MS – University of Wisconsin – Platteville

My lifetime of education and work experiences has led me to become a member of the Between the Lakes virtual Academy and e School Governing Board. I attended a country school until high school and graduated from Lancaster High School. In 1968 I joined the faculty of the Kiel Area School District. During the summers I worked for the school district and many businesses in the Kiel area. The goal of the summer work was to determine how to better prepare students for the field of work that they might choose. For 2 years I was a contributor to a consortium of four school districts to develop an objective based curriculum in Math and English. In 1979 the Kiel Superintendent sent me to the UW- River Falls for courses in computer science and procured an Apple IIe computer, which initiated the addition of computers to the Kiel Area School District. I retired from teaching after 36 years and took a job through a temp agency at Worthington Cylinders for another 13 years.

My life companion, Rosie and I have three adult children. They all have their own families and occupations. The two boys earned their Eagle Badge in Boy Scouts. This led us to be involved in the scouting program. I am a member of the Freemasons and our daughter was an Honored Queen of Jobs Daughters. All three are graduates of the KASD. We are members of the Bethel United Methodist Church and have held a variety of responsibilities at the conference, district and local church levels. We have attended a United Methodist Marriage Encounter weekend and were invited to present weekends for couples planning marriage. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to help our youth prepare for occupations that give them joy and a sense of satisfaction.

Email: rosiemitche@yahoo.com