Barbara Atkinson earned $63,457 in 2019, 90.2 percent more than the previous year, working as a public employee in Kalamazoo County, according to the Michigan Government Salaries Database.
Michael Rice’s compensation of $275,290 was the most as a public employee in Kalamazoo County in 2019.
The data was gathered by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a nonprofit research and educational institute.
Top 100 highest paid public employees in 2019 in Kalamazoo County
| Rank | Employee | Employer | 2019 amount earned | 2018 amount earned | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Rice | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $275,290 | $266,456 | 3.3% |
| 2 | Mark Bielang | Portage Public Schools | $244,323 | $233,650 | 4.6% |
| 3 | David Campbell | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $237,198 | $202,262 | 17.3% |
| 4 | Peter Strazdas | Western Michigan University | $180,569 | $177,029 | 2% |
| 5 | Ronald Herron | Portage Public Schools | $171,449 | $140,779 | 21.8% |
| 6 | Wayne Stitt | Schoolcraft Community Schools | $169,591 | $153,377 | 10.6% |
| 7 | David Lyth | Western Michigan University | $168,724 | $163,644 | 3.1% |
| 8 | Gary Start | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $159,538 | $155,570 | 2.6% |
| 9 | Thomas Zahrt | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $155,839 | $136,791 | 13.9% |
| 10 | Cynthia Green | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $151,244 | $148,054 | 2.2% |
| 11 | Scott Thomas | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $149,210 | $129,384 | 15.3% |
| 12 | Debra Miller | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $148,965 | $136,998 | 8.7% |
| 13 | Steven Walman | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $148,517 | $135,435 | 9.7% |
| 14 | Sheila Dorsey-Smith | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $146,922 | $143,273 | 2.5% |
| 15 | Joseph Brady | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $145,513 | $132,399 | 9.9% |
| 16 | Cynthia Schauer | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $145,074 | $127,533 | 13.8% |
| 17 | Stephen Louisell | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $144,575 | $137,574 | 5.1% |
| 18 | Scott Myers | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $139,302 | $136,341 | 2.2% |
| 19 | Leigh Ford | Western Michigan University | $138,426 | $135,713 | 2% |
| 20 | Gary Lee | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $137,033 | $133,631 | 2.5% |
| 21 | Mindy Miller | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $136,924 | $118,299 | 15.7% |
| 22 | Timothy Welsh | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $136,915 | $133,249 | 2.8% |
| 23 | Lisa Anderson | Gull Lake Community Schools | $135,107 | $114,270 | 18.2% |
| 24 | Johnny Edwards | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $134,882 | $131,535 | 2.5% |
| 25 | Brian Schupbach | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $134,344 | $123,812 | 8.5% |
| 26 | Keevin O’Neill | Vicksburg Community Schools | $133,471 | $107,174 | 24.5% |
| 27 | Eric Alburtus | Portage Public Schools | $133,242 | $131,728 | 1.1% |
| 28 | James French | Portage Public Schools | $132,842 | $131,528 | 1% |
| 29 | Reuquiyah Saunders | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $131,991 | $128,716 | 2.5% |
| 29 | Nkenge Bergan | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $131,991 | $128,716 | 2.5% |
| 31 | Judith Darcangelis | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $131,466 | $128,084 | 2.6% |
| 32 | Terina Harvey | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $130,821 | $128,599 | 1.7% |
| 33 | Dean Johnson | Western Michigan University | $130,731 | $144,288 | -9.4% |
| 34 | Valerie Boggan | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $129,633 | $123,358 | 5.1% |
| 35 | Robert Badra | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $128,053 | $121,819 | 5.1% |
| 36 | Stephen Goss | Vicksburg Community Schools | $126,735 | $123,627 | 2.5% |
| 37 | Bryan Zocher | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $126,665 | $121,354 | 4.4% |
| 37 | Angela Telfer | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $126,665 | $121,354 | 4.4% |
| 39 | Daniel Vomastek | Portage Public Schools | $126,523 | $125,271 | 1% |
| 40 | Jeanine Mattson-Gearhart | Portage Public Schools | $126,449 | $118,935 | 6.3% |
| 40 | Michael Huber | Portage Public Schools | $126,449 | $118,935 | 6.3% |
| 42 | Mark Sigfrids | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $126,122 | $121,782 | 3.6% |
| 43 | Michael Tanoff | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $125,346 | $120,750 | 3.8% |
| 44 | Christopher Aguinaga | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $125,062 | $93,032 | 34.4% |
| 45 | Frances Kubicek | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $124,804 | $117,609 | 6.1% |
| 46 | Tricia Hennessy | Western Michigan University | $124,747 | $126,037 | -1% |
| 47 | Mark Hill | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $123,934 | $118,783 | 4.3% |
| 48 | Lindsay Noakes | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $123,736 | $117,826 | 5% |
| 49 | Michael Pascoe | Portage Public Schools | $123,125 | $116,106 | 6% |
| 50 | Thomas Johnson | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $123,087 | $95,955 | 28.3% |
| 51 | Donald DaileyJr. | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $122,970 | $117,659 | 4.5% |
| 52 | Gail Van Daff | Vicksburg Community Schools | $122,885 | $120,476 | 2% |
| 53 | Albert Moss | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $122,854 | $110,964 | 10.7% |
| 54 | Sheila Baiers | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $122,320 | $126,610 | -3.4% |
| 55 | Douglas Newington | Climax-Scotts Community Schools | $122,304 | $104,000 | 17.6% |
| 56 | Matthew Johnson | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $121,518 | $115,599 | 5.1% |
| 57 | Bradley Galin | Portage Public Schools | $120,502 | $115,838 | 4% |
| 58 | Elizabeth Hartman | Portage Public Schools | $120,123 | $111,635 | 7.6% |
| 59 | Craig McCane | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $119,857 | $117,741 | 1.8% |
| 60 | Wendy Maynard-Somers | Galesburg-Augusta Community School District | $119,197 | $105,332 | 13.2% |
| 61 | Angela Justice | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $119,122 | $113,045 | 5.4% |
| 62 | Mark Tobolski | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $118,350 | $100,367 | 17.9% |
| 63 | Teresa Crumpton | Western Michigan University | $118,278 | $121,590 | -2.7% |
| 64 | Erick Martin | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $117,795 | $131,230 | -10.2% |
| 65 | Roxanne Bengelink | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $117,623 | $104,346 | 12.7% |
| 66 | Joel Fletcher | Western Michigan University | $117,056 | $114,761 | 2% |
| 67 | Clinton Wagner | Portage Public Schools | $116,878 | $113,100 | 3.3% |
| 68 | Jeffery Boggan | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $116,651 | $111,356 | 4.8% |
| 69 | Jon Stasiuk | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $115,656 | $109,171 | 5.9% |
| 70 | Michael Hughes | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $115,582 | $106,641 | 8.4% |
| 71 | Jason Misner | Parchment School District | $115,291 | $89,500 | 28.8% |
| 72 | Gloria Barton Beery | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $115,150 | $109,194 | 5.5% |
| 73 | Lanisha Hannah-Spiller | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $115,040 | $109,957 | 4.6% |
| 74 | Nathan McLaughlin | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $114,459 | $110,266 | 3.8% |
| 75 | Andrew Laboe | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $114,195 | $112,053 | 1.9% |
| 76 | Travis Thomsen | Portage Public Schools | $114,189 | $107,462 | 6.3% |
| 77 | Jason Frink | Portage Public Schools | $113,799 | $111,046 | 2.5% |
| 78 | Carol Dedow | Western Michigan University | $113,315 | $113,139 | 0.2% |
| 79 | Jason Luke | Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | $113,245 | $96,423 | 17.4% |
| 80 | Adam Brush | Vicksburg Community Schools | $113,171 | $90,937 | 24.4% |
| 81 | Shashanta James | Western Michigan University | $112,966 | $107,336 | 5.2% |
| 82 | Tamica Frison | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $112,886 | $110,233 | 2.4% |
| 83 | Christopher Riker | Portage Public Schools | $112,559 | $111,531 | 0.9% |
| 84 | Julie Rohrer | Parchment School District | $112,336 | $109,836 | 2.3% |
| 85 | Kim Lummis | Portage Public Schools | $112,299 | $111,046 | 1.1% |
| 86 | Darrell Davies | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $112,164 | $110,151 | 1.8% |
| 87 | Atiba McKissack | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $111,748 | $109,215 | 2.3% |
| 88 | Janine Vanstee | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $111,712 | $105,503 | 5.9% |
| 88 | Barry Smith | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $111,712 | $105,503 | 5.9% |
| 88 | Elizabeth Jackson-Spaner | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $111,712 | $105,503 | 5.9% |
| 91 | Craig Lesuer | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $111,653 | $116,030 | -3.8% |
| 92 | Theo Sypris | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $111,446 | $110,143 | 1.2% |
| 93 | Ronald Young | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $111,171 | $112,085 | -0.8% |
| 94 | Jeffrey Lillard | Western Michigan University | $110,896 | $105,062 | 5.6% |
| 95 | Micole Dyson | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $110,732 | $105,396 | 5.1% |
| 96 | William Hawkins | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $110,432 | $111,868 | -1.3% |
| 97 | David Laing | Portage Public Schools | $110,337 | $104,685 | 5.4% |
| 98 | Timothy Kane | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $110,255 | $108,846 | 1.3% |
| 99 | Brian Olson | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | $109,995 | $107,917 | 1.9% |
| 100 | Julie McDonald | Kalamazoo Public Schools | $109,795 | $104,586 | 5% |
