Ben Shuldiner has dedicated over 25 years to transforming education through his work as a teacher, principal, professor, school board member, and superintendent. His career is defined by a commitment to student success, parent engagement, fiscal stewardship, and innovative leadership.
As a classroom teacher and co-department chair, Ben led dramatic gains on the Regents Exams. He then became the founding principal of The High School for Public Service (HSPS), where his vision of academic excellence and community engagement led to extraordinary outcomes. Through a strong advisory system, community service requirements, and high expectations, HSPS achieved a 98% graduation rate in its first year and sustained a 95%+ rate throughout his tenure. Under his leadership, HSPS earned recognition as one of New York City’s top 50 high schools by the Daily News, and received multiple Bronze Medals from U.S. News & World Report. In 2010, it became the first high school ever to be named New York’s top Title I school. For his impact, Ben was awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service for individuals under 35.
Transitioning to higher education, Ben became the Distinguished Lecturer of Education Leadership at Hunter College, leading one of the country’s largest school and district leadership programs. He revamped the curriculum to emphasize student-centered leadership, preparing future principals and superintendents to enact meaningful, systemic change. His work extended nationally and internationally, including consulting roles in Norway and India.
Ben was also elected the longest-serving President of ASCD, the largest professional education organization in the U.S. Under his leadership, ASCD recovered from a decade-long decline, regaining financial stability and membership. His strategic direction reinvigorated the organization and expanded its global impact.
In public service, Ben served on the New York City Board of Education for three years. During his tenure, the district saw gains in graduation rates, college enrollment, and persistence. He gained deep insight into the operations of the nation's largest school system and championed policies that improved student outcomes.
As superintendent of the Lansing School District, Ben led a dramatic transformation. When he arrived, the district faced low graduation rates, declining enrollment, and a lack of community trust. In just four years, graduation rates increased by 26% to a record 88%, attendance rose by 13%, and enrollment grew for the first time in over 30 years. According to Stanford University’s Education Opportunity Project, Lansing achieved the highest reading growth in Michigan from 2022–2024.
Ben prioritized academic excellence, access, and innovation, launching Universal Pre-K, Lansing Technical High School, the Lansing Newcomer Center, and the Lansing Learning Hub. He strengthened parent and student engagement through regular roundtables and improved labor relations, negotiating six collective bargaining agreements. Financially, he quadrupled the district’s fund balance, implemented a robust investment strategy, and secured over $100 million in grants and state earmarks. His efforts made Lansing staff among the best-compensated in the region.
Ben Shuldiner’s career exemplifies transformative leadership rooted in results, and the belief that all students deserve the opportunity to thrive.
A top priority for Rotary is growing and diversifying our membership to make sure we reflect the communities we serve and are inclusive of all cultures, experiences, and identities.
We're creating an organization that is more open and inclusive, fair to all, builds goodwill, and benefits our communities.
To help us achieve our goal, the RI Board of Directors passed a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement:
As a global network that strives to build a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Rotary will cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in which people from underrepresented groups have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders.
As part of our efforts to increase visibility of the club and recruit new members, we are planning to have a vendor booth at two festivals in June, Juneteenth and Lansing Pride. We need volunteers to staff the Lansing Club of Rotary booth. Volunteers will hand out promotional materials in two-hour shifts (chairs will be provided), with at least two members per shift. Here are the details:
Juneteenth: Saturday, June 21, 1030 - 3:00 St. Joseph Park, 2125 W. Hillsdale Street, Lansing Need: at least 4 volunteers
Lansing Pride: Saturday, June 28, 11:00 - 6:00 Turner and Chavez, Old Town Lansing Need: at least 8 volunteers
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Linda Sarnelli: linda@suitsandthecity.org, 517-614-6164
OnSaturday, June 7, 2025 from 10 - 3 p.m. in front of Potter Park Zoo at the Lansing River Trail. Help us protect local wildlife and keep our rivers clean by joining River Cleanup Day. If interested, please contact Jason Brunette jason.brunette@martincommercial.com
It was a beautiful sunny day as Lansing Rotarians and their guests met in the Michigan Room at Lansing Community College at noon for a lunch of pulled BBQ pork sandwiches, veggie burgers, asparagus potato salad, and Carolina coleslaw, with lemon bars and brownies for dessert – yum!
President Rebecca called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m., and together we recited the Four-Way Test which was originally created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 to help save his company, Club Aluminum, from bankruptcy. In 1942, it was proposed that Rotary International adopt the test, which was approved in 1943, and it became our core principle.
Deb Moerland offered a reflection on caregiving as an act of love, reminding us that compassion always matters. Then we all sang The Star Spangled Banner.
Tiffany Brown passed the blue cube of sound around for the following guests to be introduced:
- Jaccilynne Bodrie- A Davies Project intern this summer
- Patrick Brennan – Making his 3rd visit and eligible for membership
- Candice Goerger– From MSU President’s Office with a focus on health initiatives
- Kurt Kwiatkowski – VP of Dining Ventures
Health of the Club: No news is good news! Everyone is apparently healthy.
Terry Terry introduced Fred Dyer, professor of biology of MSU and pianist, and Abigal Grill, LMSW, clinical therapist and vocalist. Both are members of the Time2Play band which is known for donating proceeds of their performances to local non-profits. They performed three songs: Norah Jones’ Turn Me On, an original song by Fred titled You Got Away with It, and Carole King’s I Feel the Earth Move. It was an excellent performance that made President Rebecca forgot all about a nasty email she was going to compose!
President Rebecca invited Marcy Rzepka to receive her red badge, as a Corporate Member with the Rathbun Agency. Welcome to the Club, Marcy!
This week’s announcements:
On Saturday, June 7, we have a service project opportunity at Potter Park Zoo for river clean up from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Contact Jason Brunette to volunteer: jason.brunette@martinpropertydevelopment.com.
Lisa Smith needs microphone volunteers for the months of Aug/Sep/Oct. It’s a full month gig, and many Rotarians raised their hands to volunteer.
Delta Waverly Rotary will be hosting a golf outing on August 7 at the Grand Ledge Country Club. See the Rotogram for contact information.
The DEI Committee has two events coming up in June, and volunteers are needed. Please see the Rotogram for details or ask Bilky Joda-Miller at bilky@allbodykneads.com. The DEI Committee’s next meeting is scheduled immediately following this meeting.
Chair of the Month/Day, Susan Angel, introduced our speaker, Constance “Connie” O’Malley, Regional Chief Operating Officer for University of Michigan Health.
In her COO position, she oversees major capital projects and facilities management for UMH Sparrow and UMH West. In addition, she provides oversight of UMH community hospitals (Eaton, Carson, Clinton and Ionia), Michigan Athletic Club, and post-acute services including hospice, palliative care, and home care teams.
Prior to her current role, Connie most recently served as associate chief operating officer for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. She has also served as president of outpatient services at Corewell Health; president of Corewell Hospital in Farmington Hills; vice president and chief operating officer of Corewell Hospital in Troy; vice president of surgical services, trauma, transplant, and ambulatory services at Corewell Hospital in Royal Oak; and various positions at Ascension Health, including at St. John Providence Health System and Detroit Medical Center. Throughout her career, she has overseen numerous complex initiatives such as the creation of outpatient ambulatory centers and several multimillion-dollar hospital expansions.
Connie shared a video that highlighted UMH’s vision for a statewide system of care. UMH is driven by excellence and focused on providing compassionate healthcare and serving our community. UMH is also conducting world-class breakthrough research, providing leading edge treatments and specialty care via their network of hospitals and labs, and educating future healthcare leaders.
We learned some impressive stats about UMH within our state as of 2023:
11 Hospitals
5,700 Clinical Care Projects
5,700 Providers
665,000 Digital Care Interactions
2,400 Physicians in Training
$7.8B Operating Revenue
11,000 Deliveries
$225M Philanthropic Contributions
1,100 Survival Flights
10.7M Subsidized Care
1.3M Outpatient Visits
In addition, UMH offers healthcare services unavailable anywhere else in Michigan including pediatric heart transplants, complex fetal deliveries, a psychiatric emergency department, and treatments for rare lung diseases.
UMH takes great pride in the benefits they deliver to the community as a 501(c)(3) institution:
Charity Care in which care is delivered even though the patient’s inability to pay is known
Bad Debt in which UMH picks up the cost of care when it’s determined the patient is under- or uninsured following the delivery of care
Medicaid & Medicare Subsidies
Research & Discovery
Health Professions Education
UMH’s key principles’ acronym is BASE:
B - Belonging & Inclusion
A - Access
S - Safety & Quality
E - Experience
In 2023, UMH contributed $46M within the Lansing community, sponsoring the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Virtual Student Impact Initiative and supporting programs at Fairview Elementary School, Cristo Rey, Ele’s Place, and more. UMH – Sparrow’s mobile health clinic conducted 13 events in 2023, too.
Looking toward the future, UMH has the following plans for the Lansing area:
New Behavioral Health Hospital – The #1 need in Lansing – Planned for March 2028
a. $112M Standalone facility w/ 80 – 88 Beds
b. Partial hospital & potential outpatient programs
c. Ability to transfer patients from the Emergency Department to the BH hospital
UMH Eaton Hematology/Oncology Clinic and Infusion Center
a. Ribbon cutting was May 1, 2025
b. Includes Radiation Oncology Clinical trials connected to Ann Arbor
UMH Pharmacy, Urgent Care, & Occupational Health Facility will advance UMH’s BASE priorities in a renovated RiteAid building offering 11,678 sq ft of space. Renovations are underway
Breast Center Expansion – Planned for Fall 2025
a. Adding 9,000 sq ft
b. Offering mammography, ultrasound, and biopsy
Grand Ledge Health Center – Planned for December 2026
a. 43,000 sq ft, full service, ambulatory facility
b. 6-8 Primary Care Physicians
c. Radiology and Urgent Care
Labor and Delivery renovations at UMH – Sparrow are happening now and will be followed by…
New Tower for Labor & Delivery and New Emergency Department
UMH’s challenges include:
COVID – A lot of providers were lost due to burnout, and the impact is still being felt.
433,300 individuals are uninsured representing ~4.4% of Michigan’s population.
MI hospitals are 3rd lowest in the country for being reimbursed at commercial rates – Underpaid!
UM Medicine is underpaid by 22%.
16% of initial claims are denied.
Claims audits have increased 50 – 100% over the past few years.
UMH’s Advancing Together initiative seeks to work collaboratively with payers for the benefit of patients.
Some questions from the discussion period included…
Why does UMH have a hard time obtaining payment from insurance if they own PHP, a prominent local healthcare insurance provider? PHP operates independently and works to avoid conflicts of interest. In addition, PHP is being phased out.
What is UMH – Sparrow doing to address concerns regarding the demolition of Eastern HS? UMH – Sparrow has been listening to concerns and is actively pursuing ways to protect and incorporate elements of the old Eastern HS in the design of the new facility. The Eastern HS 1927 cornerstone has been preserved, and a Memorial Garden will include elements of the old building including the arch, bricks, and other mementos. Lights from the auditorium have been given for use in Lansing’s new City Hall and the Ovation Center
NEXT MEETING: Friday, May 16, in LCC’s Michigan Room at 12:00 p.m.
NEXT WEEK’S SPEAKER: Lansing Public Schools District Superintendent Ben Shuldiner
Ben Shuldiner has dedicated over 25 years to transforming education through his work as a teacher, principal, professor, school board member, and superintendent. His career is defined by a commitment to student success, parent engagement, fiscal stewardship, and innovative leadership.
Chair of the Month/Day, Susan Angel, introduced our speaker, Constance “Connie” O’Malley, Regional Chief Operating Officer for University of Michigan Health.