The Dexter Community Schools Board of Education has appointed Daniel Alabré and Melanie Szawara as a new Board of Education trustees. Mr. Alabré and Ms. Szawara will be filling the seats vacated by Daryl Kipke and Julie Schumaker’s recent resignations and will serve the remainder of their terms, which expire Dec. 31, 2021. Both trustees were sworn in at the regular meeting on July 26 along with Junior Student Representative Griffin Patel, who is joining Senior Student Representative Aidan Naughton on the board.
Prior to this appointment, Daniel Alabré served on the BOE’s Finance Committee as a volunteer Community Member and the DEI Committee. He is married and has three children, two of whom are in the Dexter Community Schools and the third who recently graduated. He spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Colonel. Daniel served in many command and staff positions throughout his career as an Infantry Officer and with the Defense Intelligence Agency where he was assigned as an attaché in several American embassies including Mexico City.
After retiring from the Army in late 2012, he remained in Mexico working in the private sector, until returning to the United States and choosing Dexter as the family’s home in 2015. He currently works as Director for Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations. He volunteers for many of the sports and activities his children are involved in and is a member of the American Legion local Post 557.
A Dexter High School Alumna from a four-generation Dexter family, Melanie Szawara is a family law attorney who recently opened her own firm in Dexter, MKS Law, PLLC, specializing in family law. Melanie has two young children who attend Dexter Schools. She is involved in the Dexter Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club and serves on the boards of the Dexter Community Fund and Dexter Wrestling Club.
“I feel fortunate to have this opportunity to serve my hometown,” she said. “My goals are to work hard, listen to the community, and focus on making the best decisions for the students. I look forward to continuing Dexter’s legacy of offering the best education available for the children in our community.”
Board of Education President Mara Greatorex commented: “I am continually reminded what a great district we live in. We had such a soundly qualified pool of candidates that applied to fill the open trustee positions. I believe the board chose the best of the best from the group: two candidates who have shown their dedication to the district. This was Melanie Szawara’s third interview for an open position, and she also ran last November receiving thousands of votes from the community. Her experience as a family law attorney, as a mother of two children in elementary school, and her DHS alumni status will be great assets to the board.
“Daniel Alabré has also been very active in the district. In addition to this being his second time interviewing for an open trustee position, he has also served on district committees as a community member. Daniel has also served on school boards internationally and has several MASB courses under his belt. He comes in with quite a bit of experience to share with the board. I am very pleased with
the new members and look forward to serving on the board with them.”
MAIN PHOTO (L-R): Melanie Szawara, Griffin Patel and Daniel Alabré.
