Explore Knowledge Academy of Public Speaking

My name is Matthew Fitzgerald and I graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies. I then went on to get my Masters of Business Administration from Western Governors University, and I am currently working on a second Masters in Data Analytics from WGU. I have three daughters, my oldest has just started kindergarten at EKA and she absolutely loves it so far. My wife and I have been married for 7 years. Education is very important to my wife and me, so I wanted to become more involved with the school.

Michelle Alarie is the current President of EKA’s Board of Trustees, a position she has served in for the past three years.  Michelle is a local attorney.  Michelle joined the EKA Board in 2018 in an effort to better understand public education and funding in Nevada and to support public charter school initiatives.  Michelle’s three nieces attend charter schools in Nevada.  In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, travel, and relaxing pool days.

I am a compliance and financial oversight professional with nearly 20 years of experience in auditing, regulatory compliance, budgeting, reporting, and organizational accountability. Throughout my career, I have worked closely with regulators, auditors, and executive leadership to ensure transparency, ethical decision-making, and responsible stewardship of resources. I bring strong skills in governance, strategic planning, and process improvement. As a parent and community advocate, I am passionate about supporting student success, strengthening partnerships between schools and families, and ensuring that every decision is guided by what is best for students, educators, and our community.  My husband and I have been residents of Las Vegas/Henderson for over 20 years and enrolled our son at EKAPs 2 years ago when we moved to Henderson. I believe that parent involvement is essential in supporting the success of students as well as for the staff.  This is my first experience serving on a school board, however, I have been involved in PTO/PTA in all years of my child’s education–as a parent and as a board member.

Dr. Matthew D. Gromlich is an assistant professor at Louisiana State University Shreveport. His primary teaching focus are secondary science and mathematics as well as technology implementation in school leadership. Dr. Gromlich obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Mathematics Education. His research focuses on alleviating mathematics anxiety in Adult Basic Education populations, collaboration in higher education STEM courses, and peer evaluation in higher education.

Dr. Gromlich has taught K-12, postsecondary, and Adult Basic Education courses in North Carolina, Southern Nevada, and Louisiana. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry Education from North Carolina State University. He also holds an M.Ed. in Educational Policy and Leadership from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has been published in the Journal of Research & Practice in Assessment (2018), the Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences (2021), the Encyclopedia of Psychology in the Real World: Education (2022), the European Journal of Educational Research (2023), and the International Journal of Teaching and Learning Sciences (Gromlich, 2024).