Edge High School Governing Board

Steve Witthoeft joined the Edge Board in October 2022. Mr. Witthoeft spent over 25 years in corporate leadership in research and development and engineering in fields from oil industry to silicon wafer production and chemical, energy and medical device industries. After his corporate career Mr. Witthoeft moved to Tucson, Arizona and has been a leader in local non-profits including president of the Rotary Club, Oro Valley; Board Chair of PEERS, and a Social Venture Partners Partner and Fast Pitch Marketing Chair.

Ms. Spatz has been a board member since June 2022. Ms. Spatz is a Civil Engineering Designer at Psomas in Tucson, Arizona.

Reginald Bernard Laister Jr. is an avid traveler, educator, business developer and life-long learner with a heart for human services. He is the current Business Development Manager and Employment Services Coordinator at Saavi Services for the Blind. He has a very positive outlook on life and aims to share his personal and professional knowledge with hopes of encouraging and empowering others to reach their goals. As a business developer over the last 5 years, Reginald has organized successful fundraising and tax credit campaigns which include but are not limited to Giving Tuesday and Arizona Gives Day campaigns along with planning seminars focused on Integrated and inclusive work environments. He is a cultivator of new professional relationships that historically have lead to long term supporters and as a former teacher and life coach he is proud to share his network and serve on Edge High School’s Board of Directors to not only build on the foundation already laid but to also help take the Edge to the next level of greatness as we tap into and unlock that unrealized potential of the school and the youth we serve.

Melanie is a photographer whose work centers on narrating stories, eliciting emotions, and fostering connections among people. Her work has been exhibited nationwide and appeared in several publications. In addition to her photographic pursuits, she holds a Montessori teaching certification and has accumulated professional experience with institutions like Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Foundation for the Arts, Synchromic Studios animation company, public relations firm Hill + Knowlton – Hawaii, and the Maui Film Office, among others.

Her diverse career background, coupled with her passion for education and the arts, demonstrates her unwavering commitment to effecting positive change. She looks forward to sharing her skills and insights to help Edge High School in its mission to educate and empower its students, and make a positive difference in their lives.

Teresa (Terry) Filipowicz has been Instructional Faculty in Communication, Journalism and Media, General Technical Writing, and Digital Arts at Pima Community College since 2013. Before accepting a fulltime College position in 2019, Terry was Acting President for a book publisher with a niche in gifted education and psychology. But most of her career is in television news as an executive producer, supervising producer, producer, and writer. With her LLC Sip and Go Media, she has provided communication, writing, and public relations services to those involved in education and media plus creates her own multimedia creative content.

A career highlight so far is winning the Tucson Executive Excellence award for Chief Operating Officer of 2018 because of her book publisher role. In May 2023, Terry graduated from Greater Tucson Leadership’s Lead Tucson program.

She was born in Minnesota and raised mostly in California. Her Sacramento State Bachelor of Arts is in journalism and criminal justice and her Master of Arts is in communication studies with a focus in media and in rhetoric. Education, communication, and media are her passions.

Talk to Terry about travel, languages, genealogy, boogie boarding, scuba diving, running, mountain biking, hiking, reading, writing, media, communication, education, spirituality and philosophy, fashion and design, and dance including Irish, Polish, Folklorico, and tap. She will also talk about how poorly she plays beach volleyball.