OUR SCHOOL | Our People

MEET OUR TEAM

The people behind Algoma Venture Academy are the believers, the dreamers and the leaders that make it all happen. We are proud to introduce…

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Katie Horn, Administrator

Katie has held multiple different roles within her years of work at Algoma. She graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a bachelor's degree in Special Education and Marian College with a master's degree in Educational Leadership. She loves working with the students, especially when it comes to animal projects. She embraces the diversity within AVA and celebrates the wins that come with each day.

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Abigail Robinson, Lead Advisor

English Language Arts

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Abigail returned to the town where she grew up to co-found Venture Academy. Abigail is AVA’s Lead Teacher and has her master's in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Abigail's favorite projects to advise students on are their community and passion projects. When she’s not at school, she enjoys hiking, watching scary movies, and spending time with family.

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Penny Lemberger, Advisor

Science

Penny starts each day with infectious energy and joy. She graduated from UW Platteville and has been a teacher for 25 years. As the science advisor at AVA, Penny leads our aquaponics unit, hydroponics units, community garden, and much more. Penny is also actively involved in the community as a member of the Algoma Bird City Committee and an advisory board member for the Friends of Crescent Beach, and leads the community knitting and crochet group at Grandview Apartments.

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Elisabeth Klumpyan, Advisor

Social Studies

Elisabeth is our social studies advisor and loves sharing her knowledge with the students. She graduated from St. Norbert College in 2021 and began teaching at Venture Academy that same year. Some of her favorite social studies topics to teach students about are early United States history, US government, and ancient civilizations. Her hobbies include cooking, reading, and playing video games.

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Phyllis, School Dog In Training

Phyllis is a new addition to the AVA team as of February, 2024. She has a lot to learn, but has already become a student favorite!

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MEET OUR TEAM

The AVA Governance Board volunteers provide guidance on initiatives and policies. We are delighted to have such a caring team of individuals provide their expertise.

Joan-Groessl

Joan Groessl
President

Seth-Robinson

Seth Robertson
Treasurer

Adam-Peronto

Adam Peronto,
Secretary

Patrick-Robertson

Patrick Robinson
Vice President

Jillaine-Toebe

Jillaine Toebe
Board Member

"I think genius comes not from great mental processing power. It comes from being able to, as Steve Jobs’s ad said, "Think Different"."

      - Walter Isaacson