Charter School Management Leadership Michigan

The People Behind the Partnership.

Summit’s team brings decades of combined charter school management leadership experience across Michigan, spanning finance, compliance, and operations, dedicated to every school we serve.

300+
Combined years of charter school and educational leadership experience

Our Story.

Summit Management Consulting was founded in 2002 with a single school in mind: Landmark Academy. The idea was simple, and it still guides everything we do. From day one, our purpose was to give Landmark the operational backbone it needed so educators could stop wrestling with paperwork and start focusing on students.

Schools do their best work when they’re not carrying the load alone.

When Travis Gostinger stepped in as CEO, he carried that founding philosophy forward, building the systems, the team, and the trust that would let Summit grow without losing what made it work in the first place. For years, we stayed a one-school operation on purpose. We wanted to prove the model before we scaled it, not the other way around.

That patience paid off. Since 2019, we’ve grown into a family of schools that includes East Shore Leadership Academy, Oakland Academy, and Uplift Michigan Online School, standing alongside Landmark, where this all began. In 2026, we welcomed Oakland Early Learning Center into that family, partnering with them as we stepped into early childhood education for the first time.

Today, Summit’s leadership team carries hundreds of years of combined charter school experience, with real depth in compliance, finance, operations, academics, and enrollment. But experience only matters when it’s shared. That’s why we’re transparent about what we’re doing, accountable for the results, and invested in the same goals as the leaders and boards we work alongside.

We show up as partners, not vendors.

We named this company Summit because we believe every school, every leader, every student has a peak worth reaching, and no one should have to climb alone. That was Summit’s philosophy in 2002, and it’s still ours today.

Summit Management Consulting team

Leadership Team

Travis Gostinger

Travis Gostinger

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
In 17+ years leading charter school management, Travis has kept every Summit-supported school in good standing, a 100% charter contract renewal rate. Throughout his career, Travis has helped launch, grow, and stabilize schools across Michigan, including traditional, blended, and cyber learning environments.
Brandy Pavlik

Brandy Pavlik

Chief Financial Officer
With 15 years in Michigan education finance, Brandy leads all financial operations for Summit’s partner schools, from budgeting and payroll to audit support. Her detail-driven, analytical approach gives school boards the clarity they need to make confident decisions.
Debby Wilton

Debby Wilton

VP of Education
Debby draws on 28 years in education, as both a classroom teacher and school administrator, to strengthen academic programs across Summit’s partner schools. She builds instructional systems designed to drive measurable student growth.
Dr. Timothy H. Wood

Dr. Timothy H. Wood

Senior Advisor
Dr. Wood has spent 35 years in education, from the classroom to the superintendent’s office to leading charter school initiatives at Grand Valley State University. He now brings that range of experience to Summit’s governance and academic strategy.
Michael Gilchrist

Michael Gilchrist

VP of Operations
Mike has spent 30+ years in public education, from the classroom to the principal’s office to district administration. He now applies that experience to building the systems that keep day-to-day school operations running smoothly.
Brook Drooger

Brook Drooger

VP of School Growth
Brook leads Summit’s growth strategy, from new school development to expansion planning, backed by 20+ years as a teacher, principal, and curriculum leader. She helps schools grow without losing their operational footing.
David King

David King

VP of School Quality
David draws on more than 20 years in charter school leadership to support principals and drive data-informed academic improvement. His focus is building the systems that keep school quality strong for the long term.
Morgan Collins

Morgan Collins

Director of Marketing and Enrollment
With 10 years across K–12, higher education, and edtech, Morgan leads marketing, communications, and enrollment strategy for Summit’s partner schools. She builds the enrollment pipelines that turn interest into lasting enrollment.
Allison McLeod

Allison McLeod

Human Resources Director
Allison pairs more than 20 years in education and HR with firsthand classroom experience, shaping how she builds teams. Her focus is the hiring, retention, and culture work that lets school leaders stay focused on students.

What We Bring to Every Partnership.

Responsiveness
Charter school boards need answers, not ticket queues. Summit’s team is directly reachable.
Domain Depth
Every specialist on our team works exclusively in charter school management. No generalists.
Stability
The same people who start with your school stay with your school. Low turnover is a feature, not an accident.
Transparency
Boards deserve clarity on finances, staffing, and compliance, not summaries. We build systems that show the whole picture.

Meet the Rest of the Team.

Alex Amey

Accounting Generalist
Alex Amey supports accounting operations and internal financial processes at Summit. She brings over a decade of experience in accounting and organizational support.

Annette Harnish

Registrar and Pupil Accounting
Annette Harnish leads pupil accounting, student records, and enrollment data systems. She is a certified Pupil Accounting Specialist with deep experience in compliance and student information systems.

Kimberly Martin

Business Services Staff Accountant
Kimberly Martin supports accounting and financial services across Summit partner schools. She brings experience in public accounting and a collaborative approach to financial operations.

Kimberly Shell

Executive Administrative Assistant
Kim Shell supports financial operations and human resources processes across Summit. She brings more than 35 years of experience in bookkeeping, payroll, and business finance.

Lily Gostinger

Business Operations Associate
Lily Gostinger is a Business Operations Associate at Summit Management Consulting and a participant in the organization’s Leadership Development Program. A graduate of Landmark Academy and Saginaw Valley State University, she provides Summit support in marketing, communications, and operations, with a passion for supporting schools, families, and organizational growth.