Board Roster
Barbara Smith

Board Member, Parent
8/2/24-6/30/26
Barbara is a parent member of the board who lives with her family in North St. Paul. She has had two children attending North Metro Flex Academy since 2021 who actively participate in various school activities. Her professional background includes community development and organizational communications working with governmental bodies and non-profits and started on the board in June of 2024.
David Isaacson

Board Member, Finance committee, Policy Committee, Teacher on Staff
7/1/22 – 6/30/2025
My teaching career began when I volunteered with AmeriCorps NCCC and worked at a YMCA in Arkansas. Tutoring and working with those young men let me know that I wanted to become a teacher. Over the years I have taught everything from Early Childhood Special Education to High School Government and Civics. North Metro Flex Academy is the school that I have been looking for in my twenty years of teaching as the students are teaching staff are supportive of one another to bring the best out of all of us. I continue to look for how to become a better person and educator through teaching inclusion and cultural awareness. We need to devote the time to understand one another better in order to become a better place for our children, and our children’s children, to live in.
Joe Palkowitsch

Board Member, Parent
7/1/23 – 6/30/2025
Joe has been a parent at the school since 2018 and joined the board in 2021. He enjoys helping out wherever he can at the school and looks forward to seeing what he can accomplish with other members of the board. In his spare time he likes to go snowboarding and play games with his family.
Kyle Johnson

Board Member, Secretary, Policy Committee, Teacher on Staff
7/1/2023 – 6/30/2025
Kyle Johnson was born in St. Louis Park and raised in Duluth, Minnesota. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education from Saint Cloud State University in 2014. After graduating, Kyle moved to Bangkok, Thailand, where he taught social studies, Thai history, and English. In 2019, he returned to Minnesota and began teaching at North Metro Flex Academy in North St. Paul. Since then, he has served as a dedicated middle school educator, primarily in social studies, while also teaching science and English Language Arts.
Kyle has developed strong, lasting connections with a diverse student body and is passionate about helping students grow into thoughtful, capable young adults. In addition to his classroom work, he has served as the school board secretary since 2022, contributing his leadership and organizational skills to the broader school community.
Mike Leary

Board Chair, Community Member
7/1/23 – 6/30/25
Michael Leary was born in St. Paul and raised in North St. Paul. He obtained a Masters degree from University of Minnesota and had a distinguished 40 year management career with Chevron Corporation based in San Francisco. He returned to the North St. Paul area in retirement to enjoy being near his large family.
Mike has been a North Metro Flex (NMFA) Board officer (Treasurer, then Chair) for over 5 years. He is passionate about providing excellent education for our young students and being a contributing community member. Mike is very invested in assuring the long-term success of NMFA as a Board member and has developed a positive reputation with the Authorizing agency whose approval is needed for NMFA continued existence.