New school liaison at Ellsworth AFB welcomed in with new year

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brittany Kenney
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  The start of a new year traditionally welcomes new resolutions and new goals. This year, Ellsworth Air Force Base also welcomes it’s new School Liaison Program Manager to the 28th Force Support Squadron.

Jo Anne Mulholland, a Midwest native and 24-year Department of Defense employee, stepped into the role just last month and now works to offer a variety of services and resources to support students, parents, installation leadership, schools, and the surrounding community at Ellsworth AFB.

With a background in education, to include a bachelor’s and master’s degree, years of experience in positions both in the U.S. and overseas relating to childcare on and off military bases, and a passion for helping those in the community, Mulholland felt that this job would be a perfect fit.

“Being able to continue to assist our families and their children by supporting them in their educational needs is really important to me,” said Mulholland. “It’s what I’ve lived and breathed for nearly 30 years.”

Mulholland’s duties on the base include assisting families with school-aged students on educational matters such as school transitions, providing information about local school districts, graduation requirements, after school programs, homeschooling, and more as needed.

“During my time here, I want to help parents understand the program and know that we are here to help them,” said Mulholland. “There are wonderful relationships that have already been built with our local school systems, and I want to continue to work with some of the issues that are coming through legislature and provide assistance to people as they are here and as they prepare for their next duty station.”

As the SLPM, Mulholland not only helps military children conquer the unique challenges they face, but also helps to develop partnerships with each of the local school districts that serve military students.

“She’s liaison to nine different school systems, as our families live in different locations across the area,” said Kimberly Geffre, the Extraordinary Family Member Program Coordinator for Ellsworth. “What’s happening in each district can be different for those children attending the schools. While she can’t fix all issues that may arise, it can be helpful for her to work with the school if there’s a specific issue with the family.”

Geffre had the opportunity to work with Mulholland a few years ago when she was the Family Childcare Coordinator for the base, eventually transitioning over to work in the Military and Family Readiness Center. While they no longer work in the same office, their programs regularly cross paths to give service members and their families as many tools as they need to be successful at Ellsworth and beyond.

“Jo Anne is such a sweet person, and she’s so dedicated to making sure families get the resources that they need,” said Geffre. “She loves to help people, and she’s going to be really good for our Raider families.”

Parents with school-aged children will have the chance to meet with Jo Anne Mulholland and Kimberly Geffre at a “Meet the new School Liaison” Lunch and Learn Jan. 18, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Balfour Beatty community Center on base, where participants are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and any questions they may have.

For any additional questions or concerns, the School Liaison Program Manager can be reached by phone at 605-385-5385 or by email at 28fss.slo.poc@us.af.mil.