Who are we?

Meet the Board of Directors

  • Nanette Kibbey-Scribner

    PRESIDENT

    Nanette is a native of Ludington and Mason County. She is a graduate of Ludington High School and Ferris State University with a Bachelors in Biology and Medical Technology. She is a retired Medical Technologist from area hospital laboratories. She is actively involved in volunteering throughout Mason County including LACA, Tree Advisory Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Ludington Senior Center. Nanette is a mother of 3 children and a grandmother of two. She enjoys being outside, and loves the beach, music, gardening, kayaking, and traveling the world.

  • Natasha Worden-Bilinski

    SECRETARY

    Natasha moved to Ludington in 2018. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, completed her BA in Biology at Smith College and earned a PhD in Plant Biology from the University of California, Davis. Just before moving to Ludington Natasha was working at a research University in Germany. She is currently working as the Director of Research at Gourmet Mushrooms in Scottville. Natasha loves visiting Sandcastles every weekend with her toddler daughter and otherwise likes going for walks in the woods with her husband Paul and her lovable labsky dog Odie. She also enjoys cooking and visiting new places in her new home in Michigan.

  • Sarah McMahon

    TREASURER

    Sarah was born and raised in Ludington and has lived much of her adult life here. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Kinesiology and later from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Education. Prior to staying home with her young children, she spent the first part of her career working for a local business before transitioning to the nonprofit world. Sarah enjoys the simple, important things in life like unstructured outdoor play with her family, usually with a lukewarm cup of coffee in hand.

  • Darlene Ponko

    FOUNDING MEMBER AND PAST SECRETARY

    Darlene, a founding board member, is a Ludington native and a graduate of Western Michigan University with a BA in Elementary Education. She is a retired Ludington Area Schools elementary teacher. Darlene is active in community service/social organizations such as AAUW, PEO, and Beta Sigma Phi and a member of Ludington United Methodist Church. She travels extensively throughout the world and visits family in Australia often.

  • Marsha Barter

    PAST PRESIDENT; GRANTS

    Marsha, a graduate of Central Michigan University (BA and MA) and Western Michigan University (MA), is retired from a career as a teacher, a consultant for gifted programs, and the director of the Mason-Lake Oceana Mathematics and Science Center. In Pentwater, she served as president of the preschool board and as a school board member. She has been church pianist at Centenary UM Church in Pentwater for over 40 years. She and her husband love to travel and have visited all 50 states and several countries.

  • Joy Martinez

    Joy is a proud Ludington native who has called this community her home for most of her life. She is a graduate of Ludington High School and West Shore Community College with an Associate's degree in Accounting. Joy had worked in banking before taking a break to focus on her family. With her husband Brandon, they have a dog and three wonderful kids. She loves attending and supporting her kids’ school and sporting events. She also likes to spend her time thrifting, doing embroidery, and drinking lots of coffee.

  • Patrick Iadipaolo

    Patrick has made history by becoming the first male to join our Board of Directors! Stay tuned to learn more about this amazing addition to our leadership team.

Kelli Stojic

Interim Director

Cathy Dalton

Museum Manager


Kelli and her family relocated to Scottville from Bay County in 2018. She was a practicing cosmetologist for ten years prior to starting a family, but transitioned into the role of a stay-at-home mother when her first son was born. She recently graduated from West Shore Community College with an associate’s degree in Accounting, receiving High Honors and the Outstanding Student in Accounting award.

Kelli teaches Sunday School at United Methodist Church of Ludington and has served as Children's Education Director for St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Essexville, Mi. Kelli, her husband, and their four boys have a ten acre piece of paradise in Victory Corners.

General Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-2:00pm

Contact Kelli:

Cathy is originally from Chicago but has called Ludington home for over thirty years now. She has been with Sandcastles since 2013. Prior to joining our team, she worked with Ludington Public Schools, Early Head Start, and even at the State Park! She is the driving force behind our social media pages and you will often find her with a camera in her hand, whether at the museum or around town recording live music performances.

Note from the museum: Cathy is a treasure and we are so lucky she’s called Sandcastles home for the past 13 years!

General Office Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm

Contact Cathy:

Sandcastles is very fortunate to have a team of dedicated staff and volunteers that further the museum’s mission and goals.

Staff members work in guest experience and as play ambassadors, encouraging curiosity and discovery for children and families of all sizes, styles, and shapes.

Volunteers work alongside staff to build exhibits, run activities, and create a space for all families and children to feel welcome.

Sandcastles also works closely with community partners to offer volunteer work experience for high school and college students interested in the field of early childhood development, education, and museum studies.

For more information on how you can join our team as a volunteer, click here!

Sandcastles Staff and Volunteers