Board of Education

Mr. James S. Beri has served as a Wayne RESA Board Member since 1995 Additionally, he served 35 years on the Melvindale – Northern Allen Park Public Schools Board as President and Secretary of the Board.

Mr. Beri is retired from the Ford Land Development Company, where he served as the Supervisor of Site Management Operations. He served as the Melvindale City Administrator from 2010 to 2013, and he formerly served on the Children with Hair Loss Board of Directors and as the Commissioner of Allen Park Housing. Currently he is the Executive Director of the Allen Park Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of Finance at Seaway Boat Club.

Mr. Beri has achieved a certified Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) Award of Distinction – Level 3 status.

Mrs. Lynda S. Jackson has served as a Wayne RESA Board Member since 2000. In addition, she served 19 years on the Ecorse Public Schools Board of Education from 1995 to 2014.

Mrs. Jackson is a member of the Ecorse/Rouge Lions Club, a member of the American Red Cross Southeast Michigan Region Board of Directors, a member of the NAACP, a member of the Democratic National Committee, a member of the Detroit Business Women’s Association and a member of Region 2 South Long Term Care Committee. She is the current Governance Commission Chair for the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) and also serves on the legislative committee for NABSE.

Mrs. Jackson formerly served on the Michigan Association of School Board (MASB), Board of Directors from 2001 to 2003 and from 2006 to 2009, served as an Ambassador of Education for MASB from 2001 to 2009 and previously served on the Executive Board for Wayne County Association of School Boards (WCASB).

Mrs. Jackson has achieved the MASB President's Award of Recognition and has received the Bell Ringer Award twice. In addition, she has received the National School Board Association (NSBA) Distinguished Service Award.

Mr. James Petrie has served as a Wayne RESA Board Member since 1991. In addition, he served for 8 years on the Northville Public Schools Board of Education from 1983 to 1991.

Mr. Petrie served for 40 years in the field of education before retiring from the Dearborn Public Schools. He served on the State of Michigan Tenure Commission from 2004 to 2014 and was elected chair of the commission from 2009 to 2014. In addition, he served for 7 years from 1984 to 1991 as an Executive Board Member for the Wayne County Association of School Boards (WCASB).

Mr. Petrie has achieved a certified Michigan Association of School Board (MASB) Master Board Member Award status.

Mrs. Mary E. Blackmon has served as a Wayne RESA Board Member since 1981. In addition, she served for 10 years on the Detroit Public Schools Board of Education from 1978 to 1988.

Mrs. Blackmon is retired from the SBC Ameritech Company (AT&T), where she served in a number of capacities, retiring as Director of Public Affairs.

Mrs. Blackmon currently serves on the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Executive Committee, is a Past Chair and also serves, and has served, on numerous Task Forces; serves on the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) Executive Board and it’s Shining Light Committee; is the Vice Chair of the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners where she served as Chair for many years. She is also a former Chair of the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP).

A recipient of numerous educational awards, Mrs. Blackmon, most recently was honored by the Detroit Branch NAACP for Chairing their annual Art and Essay Contest, "What the Civil Rights Struggle Means to Me," for the past 30 years. She was also the recipient of the Michigan Business Officials President’s Award in 2021.

Mrs. Blackmon is a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Leadership Detroit Program. She has also achieved certified Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) Platinum Award status and received the Regional Ambassador Award, SEMCOG’s highest honor.

Ms. Funderburg was elected to the Wayne RESA Board July 2017. In addition, she served on the Romulus Board of Education from 2008-2020.

Ms. Funderburg currently works at Southeast Michigan Community Alliance as the SEMCA Young Professionals Program Coordinator. Danielle is also a graphic designer and a first generation graduate from Oakland University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

Ms. Funderburg has served as a member of the Wayne County Association of School Boards (WCASB) Executive Board, as a member of the Wayne County College Access Network (WCCAN) since 2011 and co-founder of Unity Ambassadors Building Bridges, a non-profit whose mission is to provide awareness and community activities to support racial equity and unify the residents in Romulus.

Ms. Funderburg has achieved a certified Michigan Association of School Board (MASB) Level 6 - Master Platinum Award, an Advocacy Skills Specialty Award and a Data Specialty Award.