The people who work with our authorized schools day to day — authorization, monitoring, support, and partnership.
Team Members
Dr. Carrie Hutton
Executive Director
Dr. Carrie Hutton is a lifelong Northwest Indiana resident and educator with more than a decade of experience in K-12 education. She taught mathematics and Project Lead The Way courses and continues to hold a valid Indiana teaching license. Dr. Hutton currently serves as Executive Director of CCSJ Charter Authority, LLC at Calumet College of St. Joseph, where she leads charter school authorizing and oversight efforts. Drawing on her extensive experience as an educator and leader, she possesses a deep understanding of the region's educational landscape and is committed to supporting high-quality educational opportunities for students and families throughout Indiana, particularly Northwest Indiana.
Dr. Catherine Lopez Gonzalez
High School Academic Achievement Specialist
Post-Secondary Readiness Specialist
Portfolio Marketing Specialist
Project Manager
Dr. Catherine Lopez Gonzalez is a 40-year Indiana resident with extensive experience in education, business, and community engagement throughout Northwest Indiana. She spent more than 30 years working in Indiana financial institutions before expanding her career into education.
Her K–12 experience includes teaching business at public high schools in Lake and Porter Counties, serving as a Business Extracurricular Advisor, Internship Program Director, and school administrator. Her educational work has focused heavily on post-secondary readiness, helping students connect classroom learning with college, career, and professional opportunities. She currently holds an Indiana K–12 Business Education teaching license and School Administrator license.
John Mackowicz
Middle School Academic Achievement Specialist
Board Meeting Representative
John Mackowicz is lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana. He is an experienced educator with 20 years of service in public schools across the high school, middle school, and elementary levels. John spent 13 years working with Hanover Central through NISEC, the Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative, and brings 14 total years of experience in special education. John holds master's degrees in special education and educational administration; both earned at Purdue University Northwest. In addition to his classroom and student-support experience, he served for three years as a union vice president, demonstrating leadership, advocacy, and a strong commitment to educators, students, and school communities.
Elaine Hayse
Elementary School Academic Achievement Specialist
She is a proud product of the Gary Community School Corporation in Gary, Indiana. She received an excellent education that enabled her to earn both a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University. She began her teaching career in Gary in 1972 and retired in 2012 from Lew Wallace High School, the same high school from which she graduated from. Although Lew Wallace High School is no longer there, she believes that a school is much more than brick and mortar. The City of Gary will always hold a special place in her heart.
In 2015, she began working for Calumet College of St. Joseph, where she supervises student teachers for the Education Department. She also serves as a liaison to the two charter schools sponsored by Calumet College.
She feels very fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful people throughout her career. She has enjoyed sharing her love of teaching and learning with those she has met and looks forward to continuing to meet and work with others who share her passion for education.
Amanda Copeland
High School Academic Achievement Specialist
Campus Athletics Connections Specialist
Amanda Copeland is Mathematics Faculty and Director of Assessment at Calumet College of St. Joseph, where she has served for the past seven years. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Secondary Education from Aurora University and a Master of Arts in Mathematics with a concentration in College Teaching from Appalachian State University. With more than 12 years of experience in education, Amanda has worked with students at both the secondary and collegiate levels. In addition to teaching high school mathematics, she was actively involved in athletics as an announcer, judge, and stats keeper. A former collegiate soccer player, she remains passionate about the role academics and athletics play in creating opportunities for student success. At Calumet College of St. Joseph, Amanda has collaborated with mathematics faculty to develop a highly successful Supplemental Instruction program, with outcomes presented at conferences across the country. She is deeply committed to serving students and families in Northwest Indiana and helping students discover meaningful pathways to higher education. Through her work, Amanda strives to strengthen educational opportunities in the Region and support students in achieving their academic and professional goals.
Chris Artim
Board Governance Representative
Chris Artim is the Director of Student Financial Services at Calumet College of St. Joseph for the last six plus years. Chris grew up in Griffith and has worked in post-secondary education for the last 41 years. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Purdue Global University.
Chris has served in all roles of education including admissions, financial aid, business office, with most of his career serving as a campus president. In all roles, Chris has taken pride in helping students achieve their education and career goals having seen over 10,000 students graduate.