McKenna-Wicks, Flores and Carlson Join ELi’s Board of Directors

The East Lansing Info team is growing, as we are excited to announced that three new members have joined our Board of Directors.

Marie McKenna-Wicks, Kit Carlson and Amanda Flores were approved to join ELi’s Board of Directors, bringing decades of unique experience in the community.

Marie McKenna-Wicks has spent 25 years in the public/nonprofit sectors starting as an information and legislative coordinator for the Michigan Municipal League, followed by a 14-year tenure with the City of East Lansing, first as assistant city manager and then in 2011 as the appointed city clerk. Marie also worked for the Michigan Bureau of Elections as an elections specialist, traveling the state training county and local clerks. Retiring “the first time” in 2019, Marie served as a precinct chair for the City of East Lansing for seven elections and staffed the satellite voting location for East Lansing from 2020-2022. Marie “came out of retirement” to serve as East Lansing’s city clerk for 2023-2024, overseeing groundbreaking work while leading the city clerk team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public law & government and a master’s degree in public administration, both from Eastern Michigan University.

Marie McKenna-Wicks has joined ELi’s Board of Directors.

The Rev. Dr. Kit Carlson served as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church from 2007 until her retirement in 2024. A graduate of the East Lansing Emerging Leaders program, she centered her ministry at All Saints on service to the local community. In 2016, All Saints received a City of East Lansing Crystal Award for its Teen After School Center, operated in partnership with the East Lansing Public Library. Kit studied journalism at Michigan State University, working for The State News and Red Cedar Log, and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida, where she worked for The Independent Florida Alligator. Her reporting career includes work for Florida Today, the Orlando Sentinel, the Columbus (OH) Dispatch, and the now-defunct Sarasota Journal. Before attending Virginia Theological Seminary, where she earned both M.Div. and D.Min. degrees, she spent 25 years in corporate communications, magazine editing and freelance writing. She continues to write creative nonfiction and has work published widely.

Kit Carlson has joined ELi’s Board of Directors.

Amanda Flores is a first generation college student and daughter of migrant farmworkers from deep south Texas. Before attending MSU, Amanda worked for over 10 years in student affairs and higher education supporting students in their leadership development and spearheading diversity initiatives. Amanda received her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in English and her master’s in higher education and student affairs from the University of Vermont. She received her doctorate in higher, adult and lifelong education at MSU. She grew up working in the fields alongside her family, which instilled in her a strong work ethic, a sense of humility, and ganas, all of which she applies to her work in higher education.

Amanda Flores has joined ELi’s Board of Directors.

Amanda, Kit and Marie will join Cody Harrell, Karessa Weir and Vic Rauch on ELi’s Board of Directors. You can find out more about our board here.

Besides the board additions, Kennedy DeMars is working with ELi as a reporting intern during MSU’s winter semester. Kennedy is a student journalist pursuing a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. She is especially passionate about community-focused reporting and agriculture journalism. In addition to her work with ELi, Kennedy produces a feature news podcast through Impact 89FM and has been involved in Spartan Sports Report.