Mentoring and Coaching Certification Program

In an effort to support and retain the highest quality leaders in our learning communities, MEMSPA has developed a Mentoring and Coaching Certification Program. Our certified mentors and coaches provide a continuum of supports for school leaders.

We are finding more and more that districts are requesting this support for their leaders, since having the capacity to provide it internally can be tricky. It's also helpful to have someone with an outside perspective at times.  Our mentoring and coaching relationships are designed to support leaders in any stage of their career.  However, we are entering more and more contracts specifically to support new leaders since it is required for them to have a mentor/coach for at least the first three years as an administrator.

About the Facilitators

Michelle Allen is a dedicated leadership coach and consultant committed to supporting Michigan educators on their journey to better serve their students.  With over 30 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and team member, Michelle brings a wealth of expertise to her work. She's passionate about professional learning for educational leaders, celebrating the impact of cohort experiences like Leadership Matters and Learning Forward’s Academy as foundational to her career success as a leader.   Michelle is a longtime MEMSPA member and a strong supporter of the organization.  She helped to create and currently facilitates MEMSPA’s Mentor/Coach Certification Program.  Educator retention and well-being are intentional focus areas in Michelle's professional practice.   

Kimberly Gillow joined the MEMSPA staff as the Associate Executive Director in 2024. Prior to working with the MEMSPA team, she worked as a public school educator for 27 years in the roles of a speech-language pathologist, a teacher, a literacy interventionist, a K-12 instructional coach and an administrator. Kimberly graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor's degree, double majoring in Elementary Education and Speech-Language Pathology and masters' degrees in Speech-Language Pathology and Educational Leadership.  Kimberly is a MEMSPA Certified Mentor/Coach and co-facilitates MEMSPA's Mentoring/Coaching Certification Program and Leadership Matters. She aims to empower, support and celebrate our school leaders, while representing MEMSPA at the state and national level in a way that promotes continuous improvement in our schools.