Grand Island Public Schools Foundation welcomes new board member, announces officers for 2026
Following its January 20 meeting, the Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce it’s 2026 executive officers and the election of its newest board member, Marci Tompkins.
The Board has elected Paul Hoos to serve as President, Diana Kellogg as Vice-President, and Shane Wissmann as Secretary/Treasurer. During the transition, the Board extended its sincere gratitude to Kelly Enck for her dedicated service as Board President throughout 2025. As she passed the gavel to Paul Hoos, Enck remarked that the Foundation is fortunate to have such accomplished individuals whose diverse experiences and commitment to education will help ensure all GIPS students thrive.
Marci Tompkins
In addition to the new leadership team, the Foundation is proud to welcome Marci Tompkins to the Board of Directors. A 1995 graduate of Grand Island Senior High, Tompkins brings an extensive background in marketing, nonprofit administration, and education. Her professional experience includes roles as a Marketing Assistant at Tally Creative, Scholarship Administrator at the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation, and an educator within GIPS.
A graduate of Leadership Tomorrow Class 35, Tompkins has also been a committee member for the Foundation’s annual "Harvest" event and attended for the past four years. Executive Director Kari Hooker-Leep noted that Tompkins’ unique perspective as both a former educator and scholarship administrator makes her an invaluable asset to the team. Marci and her husband, Corey, are lifelong supporters of the district, and their three children have all attended Grand Island Public Schools, continuing a deep family connection to the Islander tradition.
The GIPS Foundation Board plays a vital role in overseeing the organization’s strategic direction and ensuring resources are effectively used for scholarships, grants, and innovative programs.
Other dedicated community members serving on the 2026 Board of Directors include Robert Alexander, Yetzira "Yetzy" Calvillo Bermudez, Kathie Degen, Dr. Vikki Deuel, Kelly Enck, Yvette Engelhaupt, Alison Larson, Erin Marsh, Shirley McCallum, Valerie Porto, and Jennifer Worthington. They are joined by ex-officio members Lisa Albers, Kari Price, and Executive Director Kari Hooker-Leep.
The Grand Island Public Schools Foundation is the tax-exempt organization that accepts gifts on behalf of the Grand Island Public Schools. Since the Foundation’s inception in 1983, its mission and goal has been to enhance a tax-funded education by creating additional opportunities for students through philanthropic means. Programs and projects that fall under the Foundation’s enhancement umbrella include booster clubs, college scholarships for Grand Island Senior High School students, dual enrollment scholarships, facility enhancement, teacher and student recognition, alumni relations, the Grand Island Senior High School Hall of Honor, and the Classroom Grant Program. The Grand Island Public Schools Foundation manages more than 180 funds designed by donors that annually make grants to invest in the students of the Grand Island Public Schools.
