Staff & Board

Captain H. Tanny
Creative extraordinaire
Captain H. Tanny is an elusive traveler-writer that sends CYC students postcards from far-flung regions of the globe. No one has ever met the Captain, whose favorite things are writing, adventure, and travel by hot air balloon. Chances are good that the Captain looks an awful lot like YOU!

Audrey Quinn
Board Vice President
Audrey's passion for policy and procedure management, analyzing business data, and operations makes her an amazing VP for the CYC. Though she is one of our newest board members, she's been an instructor and volunteer for the CYC in the past. Her avid love of the Great Lakes makes them the best place to spend all her spare time (when the weather's good!).

Maggie Ryan
Board Treasurer
Maggie is the CYC’s well-learned, well-traveled, and well-loved Treasurer. She’s held many different job titles, but she’s currently a teacher at Grand Rapids Public School. In her travels, she developed a love of learning languages, mycology, dancing, aloo gobi; and a very rational fear of umbrellas. Though she’s been all over the world, Siedman Park holds a special place in her heart.

Lamont Arrington
Board Member
Lamont is a true hopeless romantic who enjoys dramatic media and old poems from every country. It’s his passion to share art through helping others create and understand it, and if he can do that while he’s munching on some Korean Beef Bulgogi, he’s happy!

Valerie Kozak
Board Member
Valerie is the CYC's marketing team leader, which is perfect because she loves connecting with the community on social media and listening to leadership podcasts. If you can catch her on the weekend, you'll likely find her drinking kombucha at the local taproom.

Kait Polzin
Board President
Kait is a French instructor at Michigan State University, where she is able to key into her passion for language as well as her expert teaching skills. When not working with her students in online classes, you can find her at Belknap lookout eating loads of pastries and making music of any kind.

Steve DePolo
Board Assistant Vice President
Steve has served on the CYC’s board for 10 years and has recently taken on the position as Assistant Vice President! He works as a Director of Development for Covenant House, as well as serving many other volunteer roles in the Grand Rapids area. He loves photography and his out-of-this-world daughters, and he can find humor in absolutely any situation.

Brianna Steiner
Board Secretary
Brianna believes “adventure is out there!” which is why she loves working at Adventures by Lori, a Grand Rapids based travel agency. Her adventures either take place a plane ride away or right at home with a good YA fiction book or a group of friends playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Neil Kaufman
Board Member
Neil loves checking words on Merriam-Webster almost as much as he loves listening, writing, and playing music. When he’s not busy volunteering at the East Leonard Christian Reformed Church as an art show curator, drive-thru prayer tent attendant, or creative writing workshop leader, you can find him discovering new artists at Vertigo Music.

Max Spoelstra
Board Member
Max is a frequenter of hole-in-the-wall coffee shops, with rotating favorites. As a Student Ministry Director at Chapel Pointe Church, his joke game is on-point, and you’ll often find him honing new skills like car-drive-beat-boxing or pour-over-coffee-brewing.