Mr. Kurtis Pake

Kurtis Pake serves as the Assistant Superintendent at Bangor Township Schools, where he oversees district operations, as well as program development, facility construction, and innovation. He is currently completing his Ph.D. at Western Michigan University, with a focus on Educational Leadership and school funding in Michigan. Kurtis spent the first half of his career in Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina—one of the 15 largest districts in the nation—before returning home to Mid-Michigan in 2016. Over the course of more than two decades in K-12 education, he has held various roles, including classroom teacher, coach, principal, Finance and Operations Director, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and, most recently, Assistant Superintendent. Within these roles, he has guided large-scale construction projects, managed budgets exceeding $35 million, expanded CTE and STEM programs, led school bond campaigns, and spearheaded Bangor Township’s AI integration plan. A Gerstacker Fellow and active community member, Kurits is a member of several professional organizations and serves on multiple athletic and community boards in addition to his coaching responsibilities. He is passionate about leveraging community partnerships and technology to expand opportunities for all students—preparing them to be "Enrolled, Enlisted, or Employed" upon leaving the K-12 system.