About Our Board
Ralph Arellano Jr
Ralph serves as the Board President of Protect Our Public Schools. Mr. Arellano is a retired teacher with nearly three decades of experience teaching English and History in Flint Public Schools. Ralph was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, graduating from Flint Central. He then went on to attend Flint Jr. College and received his B.A. from the University of Michigan-Flint in 1966. Ralph completed graduate work at universities, including Michigan State University, Oregon State University, Boston College, and Stanford. After teaching in Flint Public Schools, Mr. Arellano became an Adjunct Lecturer in the Education Department at the University of Michigan-Flint. He helped form the United Teachers of Flint in 1966, served as Director of the Hispanic Technology and Community Center, and has served in several local government positions.
Ellen Offen
Ellen serves as Vice President of Protect Our Public Schools. Ellen has a passion for education and is a former Detroit Public Schools teacher. She holds a degree in Educational Administration from the University of Michigan and served on the Ann Arbor School Board. She resides in Ann Arbor where she is actively involved in her community.
Riley Arellano O’Dell
Riley serves as Board Secretary of Protect Our Public Schools. Riley is a student at the University of Michigan-Flint, pursuing a degree as a secondary English educator. Riley feels passionate about equity in education and works as a reading aid with elementary students. Riley is an avid horse trainer and volunteers her time to host animal therapy sessions with younger students.
Bill Bellows
Bill serves as the Board Treasurer of Protect Our Public Schools. Bill is a Professorial Lecturer at American University, Kogod School of Business. Bill teaches classes in innovation, entrepreneurship and introduction to business. Before teaching, Mr. Bellows was an entrepreneur working in Silicon Valley and Northern Virginia after starting his career in the mainframe and customer marketing divisions at IBM. He cares deeply about the health of public schools to ensure students have a pipeline from public education to economic success.
Steve Elliott
Steve serves on the board of Protect Our Public Schools. Mr. Elliott is deeply invested in the health and success of public schools in his community and beyond. Since 2016, he’s served on the Albany, Wisconsin Board of Education and since 2017 has served as President of the Albany Board of Education. Steve has a long history of serving and volunteering for his country and community. Steve served in the Navy Reserve for a decade, from 2003 to 2013, and is a Volunteer Firefighter for the Albany Community Fire Department. Steve currently works an Inspector with the FDA. Mr. Elliott holds a BA from the University of Akron and attended Georgetown University’s Government program from 2002-2007, studying American Government.