Dear Parents, Students, Staff, & School Community Members:
I feel honored and fortunate to have the opportunity to serve you as the new Munising Public Schools Superintendent. The welcome that I received a year ago when I moved here to serve in the role of Secondary Principal and Athletic Director was very warm and genuine and joining the Mustang Nation has been a very rewarding experience. My wife and I love the Upper Peninsula and have owned a cabin northwest of Brimley for 21 years, so we are thrilled to now call Munising home!
It is hard to believe that this year (2022-2023) marks my 23rd year as a school administrator, and my 27th year in education. I began my educational journey as a Warrior and along the way I’ve been a Bulldog, a Chief, an Oiler, a Wildcat, and an Elk. However, I consider becoming a Mustang to be the culmination of my career and together we will do great things!
My wife, Jennifer and I were both raised in rural settings near small towns. My wife graduated from Davison High School (91) and was raised on a dairy farm about five miles northwest of Davison. I graduated from Chippewa Hills High School (91) near Remus, Michigan. I was raised on Horsehead Lake, a small lake about five miles northwest of a little town called Mecosta. Having had great experiences growing up, we both feel that small communities are the best places to work, live, and educate children.
Our children are truly the central focus of our lives. Our beautiful daughter Olivia, will begin graduate school in August at Ferris State University in the Michigan College of Optometry as she pursues a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. She loves science, animals, sports, outdoor activities, traveling, and reading. Our handsome son Mason enjoys sports, fishing, animals, and any outdoor activity or athletic pursuit. He will be a freshman at Michigan State University in the fall as a business and finance major. My wife and I now reside in Munising with Piper and Maverick, our German Shepherds, and Mia and Brimley, our two cats.
We are an active, outdoor oriented family and love all that Mother Nature has to offer. We spend a considerable amount of our free time hiking, biking, skiing, traveling, and kayaking. My father taught me how to hunt and fish, and I enjoy those activities as much as possible. I have been an avid weightlifter since I was fourteen and challenged myself at the competitive level for many years. I continue to enjoy the benefits of this form of exercise, but my weight training pursuits are now a little less vigorous and serve to relieve stress and combat the effects of middle age. My wife Jennie has been a dental hygienist for 29 years and has already secured employment in the area. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and spending time on the water.
Jennifer’s father currently owns and operates a residential excavation company in Davison with one of her younger brothers who is also employed at AIS in Bridgeport as a heavy equipment mechanic. Her mother retired a few years ago after serving many years as a cook and custodian with the Davison Schools. Another one of Jennifer’s brothers lives with his family in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a project manager for a large commercial paving company. Lastly, Jennie’s younger sister followed in her footsteps and is a practicing dental hygienist in Davison, Michigan. My younger brother and only sibling lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and works for the Allstate Insurance Company.
Education has always been an integral part of my life. My parents, retired educators (2002), never missed the opportunity to let my brother and I know the importance of it. They were employed at Ferris State University for the majority of their careers as computer information systems (C.I.S.) professors, and in the latter years they moved into administrative positions. When they retired, my father was the Director of the Marketing Program in the College of Business and my mother was the Dean of the Honors College. They continue to contribute to and show support for education at all levels. My mother and my father have both served as president of the Chippewa Hills Board of Education, and my father served as president of the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District Board of Education. I have been fortunate to have a knowledgeable and supportive family that has a great passion for education and believes that it is the great equalizer.
My teaching experience and my administrative experiences coupled with my formal education at Ferris State University, Saginaw Valley State University, Central Michigan University, and Western Michigan University (W.M.U.) have prepared me well for this leadership role with Munising Public Schools. I believe that my purpose in life is to “make a difference” for others through education and this will be my daily mission at Munising Public Schools. I look forward to serving the students, staff, parents, and community of Munising. We will work and grow together to advance the Munising traditions of excellence in academics, arts, and athletics. Additionally, we will strive to provide more educational and career opportunities for our students while also pursuing sustainable and equitable funding sources to improve and enhance school facilities and the classroom learning environment.
I greatly enjoy making new friends and acquaintances, please feel free to stop by the office for a visit so that I can get to know you on a personal level. You will be warmly welcomed!
Sincerely,
Michael J. Travis,
Superintendent/Auxiliary Services Director,