Jill Seitzinger, left, and Pamella Szydlak-Popp were named to the Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy Board of Trustees.
Daron Gifford, chair of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, said board members made two very wise choices in naming the new trustees.
“Jill and Pamella have been tireless advocates of Notre Dame for a number of years,” Gifford said. “They will bring both enthusiasm and a very unique perspective to the board as it continues to oversee a school that not only has come far in its 23 years of operation, but one that clearly has a bright future ahead of it.”
Fr. Paul Frechette, s.m., provincial superior of the Society of Mary, U.S.A. Province, which sponsors Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission, also approved the two new trustees.
Jill Seitzinger
A longtime supporter and parent at NDPMA, Jill Seitzinger has been with the Notre Dame community since 2006. She is a member of the school’s advancement committee (five years) and the recently announced March on to Victory capital campaign steering committee. Among a number of positions affiliated with the school’s athletic department, Seitzinger, who is a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, currently serves as coach of Notre Dame’s middle-division’s track and cross country teams.
Seitzinger earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Ind.
“I am always looking at the big picture when it comes to the school and its students,” said Seitzinger, a full-time mom and homemaker in Oakland Township, said. “Coaching requires that I make decisions quickly at times but always with the best interest of the school, my team and each athlete in mind. I believe that this philosophy and mindset will serve me well as a member of the school’s board.”
Seitzinger and her husband, Brad, currently have two children enrolled at NDPMA, one in the school’s middle division and one in the upper division.
Pamella Szydlak-Popp
Pamella Szydlak-Popp brings a variety of knowledge, leadership skills, abilities and experiences to NDPMA’s Board of Trustees. In addition to her most important roles of being a mother and wife, Pam has been practicing law for 23 years, opening the law offices of Pamella R. Szydlak in 1995.
Szydlak-Popp received her undergraduate degree from Oakland University and her juris doctorate, magna cum laude, from the Detroit College of Law (1994). Szydlak-Popp concentrates her practice primarily in the area of criminal defense and has dedicated her practice to protecting the rights of individuals in federal and state courts.
“I approach my career as a lawyer and as a wife and mother with passion, tenacity and honesty,” she said. “Among my many clients, I’ve represented doctors, lawyers and police officers.”
In addition to maintaining her law practice, Szydlak-Popp will begin work next year as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law. She also is the recipient of the 2003 United States District Court Eastern District of Michigan – Pro Bono Recognition award and the 2013 United States District Court Eastern District of Michigan – Criminal Justice Act Recognition award.
Szydlak-Popp and her husband, Bela, have a child in Notre Dame’s upper division and reside in Waterford.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.