About Us
School Perceptions LLC is a leading education survey research firm that specializes in gathering, organizing and presenting school-related data. Since its founding in 2002, School Perceptions has worked with thousands of schools and districts, organizations and governmental agencies in every corner of the United States.
School Perceptions’ Internet-based survey and data-analysis tools are used to assist in strategic planning, staff development, budget decisions, referendum preparation, post-graduate assessment and continuous improvement efforts.
School Perceptions serves clients throughout the United States.
School Perceptions Leadership Team:
 Bill Foster, President
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville with dual degrees in Engineering and Business Administration, Bill served as Vice-President and General Manager for a large Midwestern plastics firm for nearly 15 years. During this time, Foster volunteered at a local high school, first working with special needs students before designing and teaching a class offered to gifted seniors. In 2002, Bill founded School Perceptions with a goal of helping educational stakeholders gather, organize and use data to make strategic decisions.
- Telephone: 262.644.4300 ext. 7000
- Fax: 262.364.2717
- Email: bfoster@schoolperceptions.com
Greg Diffor, Vice President for Technology
Greg Diffor has over 20 years of experience in the Information Technology industry as an advanced programmer analyst, most recently for a large banking software company. His most recent undertakings include complex system design, database design, and web programming.
An expert in Internet security, Mr. Diffor earned undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
- Telephone: 262.644.4300 ext. 7007
- Fax: 262.364.2717
- Email: gdiffor@schoolperceptions.com
Joe Donovan, Vice President for Research and Communications
Prior to joining School Perceptions, Joe Donovan served as a director in the Office of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl and later as a spokesperson and communications strategist in the Office of State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
A published education researcher, Mr. Donovan earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and a master’s degree in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D.
- Telephone: 262.644.4300 ext. 7005
- Fax: 262.364.2717
- Email: jdonovan@schoolperceptions.com
Mike Koehn, Vice President of Sales
With over 20 years of experience in server and storage architecture and in working with some of the nation’s largest companies, Mike Koehn is School Perceptions’ Vice President of Sales.
Prior to joining School Perceptions, Mr. Koehn served as a senior account executive for CDW-Berbee and was a product specialist at IBM. Koehn earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Telephone: 262.644.4300 ext. 7002
- Fax: 262.364.2717
- Email: mkoehn@schoolperceptions.com
Tim Mikula, Vice President for New Product Development
Combining his experiences as a school board member with his training and experience in software development, Dr. Tim Mikula has joined School Perceptions as its Vice President for New Product Development.
Prior to joining School Perceptions, Dr. Mikula was the president and CEO of System Management Software, Incorporated a software company he founded in 1989 and later sold. In addition to private consulting, Dr. Mikula has served as an adjunct professor of Computer Science and Statistics at St. Thomas University in St. Paul and as an analyst and consultant for 3M where he focused on Artificial Intelligence product development. He earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in Computer Science, with minors in Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, from the University of Minnesota.
- Telephone: 262.644.4300 ext. 7006
- Fax: 262.364.2717
- Email: tmikula@schoolperceptions.com
School Perceptions Consulting Team:
Bill Reis, School Perceptions Consultant
Bill Reis has been involved with public education for nearly forty years having served as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent of two Wisconsin school districts: the Delavan-Darien School District and more recently the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District.
During those years Bill has been active in community service organizations and served on the Gateway Technical College Board of Trustees, United Way boards and Chamber of Commerce boards. Bill currently teaches prospective school administrators at Cardinal Stritch University. An avid University of Wisconsin alumnus, Bill earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a new retiree, Bill looks forward to continued work in education as a consultant and teacher.
Tom Joynt , School Perceptions Consultant
Tom Joynt is a veteran education researcher, school leader and School Perceptions Consultant.
Dr. Joynt retired in 2000 as superintendent of the Green Bay Area Public School District after ten years of service. Tom also served as superintendent in the Pulaski and Menomonee Falls school districts and was elected president of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators. Currently, Tom serves as faculty member in the Administrative Leadership Program at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School Of Education.
A strategic visioning and school board and district transitioning expert, Joynt earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Consulting Partner:
Bruce Connolly, Director, Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Impact
Bruce Connolly is the director of the newly formed Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Impact and is a consultant, by arrangement, for School Perceptions.
Connolly previously served as the superintendent of the Brown Deer School District, a position he had held since 1996, and served as superintendent and assistant superintendent, respectively, in the Merton and West Bend School Districts.
Connolly is a certified strategic planner and has developed Balanced Scorecards and Strategy Mapping for public and private businesses. In 1993, he co-founded the Sally Ride Academy, an organization that has become one of the pre-eminent providers of staff development in Wisconsin. He currently serves as president of the organization.
Over the years, Connolly has provided leadership for several statewide organizations including serving on the board or as president of Wisconsin Association of Supervision and Staff Development and the Wisconsin School Public Relations Association as well as many statewide task forces and committees. Connolly is currently serving as the director of the Wisconsin-based Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Development.
Connolly received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and his master’s degree from Northern Iowa University. |
