IJEA Board of Directors

Meet Our 2022-23 Officers & Directors

Article 3.01 of the IJEA Bylaws mandates that the IJEA Board will consist of at least 17 members (“directors”): two directors elected from each of the association’s six regions, four at-large directors appointed by the president with the consent of the board, and the executive director.

For the 2022-23 membership year, which runs from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, the board has 19 directors: 11 regional directors, six at-large directors and two ex officio directors. The latter two are the IJEA executive director, Prof. Linda Jones, and the Illinois state director for the national Journalism Education Association, Katie Fernandez, CJE.

Regional directors serve three-year elected terms, and they may stand for re-election. At-large directors serve one-year appointed terms, and they may be reappointed. Ex officio board members hold their board positions by virtue of their offices with IJEA. They have full voting rights and remain on the board for the duration of their respective offices.

The board organizes itself each year at the association’s June meeting by electing the following officers, who comprise the IJEA executive board: president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Currently the board has five officers, a total that includes two co-secretaries.

IJEA Officers

President

Keith Carlson, CJE
Naperville Central High School
[email protected]

Vice President

Jennifer Reiser, CJE
Washington Community High School
[email protected]

Treasurer

Jenn Galloy
Joliet West High School
[email protected]

Co-Secretary

Katherine Calder
Yorkville High School
[email protected]

Co-Secretary

Position to be filled; Sheila Moore of Meridian H.S. has accepted a teaching position in Missouri. We wish Sheila the best of luck, and we thank her for her many contributions to Illinois scholastic journalism!

IJEA Board of Directors | Regions Represented

As stipulated by the IJEA Bylaws, regional directors represent the following six regions:

Region 1 | Map

Counties of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jersey, Knox, Macoupin, Mason, McDonough, Menard, Mercer, Morgan, Pike, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Warren, Whiteside

Region 2 | Map

Counties of Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Winnebago

Region 3 | Map

Counties of Cook, DuPage

Region 4 | Map

Counties of Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Marshall, McLean, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, Tazewell, Will, Woodford

Region 5 | Map

Counties of Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Logan, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, Vermilion

Region 6 | Map

Counties of Alexander, Bond, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, St. Clair, Saline, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Williamson

Directors | Region 1 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Patti Kaylor

[email protected]
Glenwood High School
1501 E. Plummer Blvd.
Chatham, IL 62629 (Sangamon County)
Term expires 2023

Lisa Welker

[email protected]
Lewistown High School
15205 N. State 100 Highway
Lewistown, IL 61542 (Fulton County)
Term expires 2023

Counties Represented

Region 1 covers the counties of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Fulton, Greene, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jersey, Knox, Macoupin, Mason, McDonough, Menard, Mercer, Morgan, Pike, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Warren and Whiteside.

Directors | Region 2 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Dennis Brown, CJE

[email protected]
Huntley High School
13719 Harmony Road
Huntley, IL 60142 (McHenry County)
Term expires 2023

Lauren Teeter

[email protected]
Huntley High School
13719 Harmony Road
Huntley, IL 60142 (McHenry County)
Term expires 2025

Counties Represented

Region 2 covers the counties of Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago.

Directors | Region 3 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Keith Carlson, CJE

[email protected]
Naperville Central High School
440 W. Aurora Ave.
Naperville, IL 60540 (DuPage County)
Term expires 2025

Jennifer Gerdes

[email protected]
Nazareth Academy
1209 W. Ogden Ave.
LaGrange Park, IL 60526 (Cook County)
Term expires 2025

Counties Represented

Region 3 covers the counties of Cook and DuPage.

Directors | Region 4 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Jenn Galloy

[email protected]
Joliet West High School
401 N. Larkin Ave.
Joliet, IL 60435 (Will County)
Term expires 2025

Jennifer Reiser, CJE

[email protected]
Washington Community High School
115 Bondurant St.
Washington, IL 61571 (Tazewell County)
Term expires 2025

Counties Represented

Region 4 covers the counties of Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Marshall, McLean, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, Tazewell, Will and Woodford.

Directors | Region 5 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Position to be filled

Sheila Moore of Meridian H.S. has accepted a teaching position in Missouri. We wish Sheila the best of luck, and we thank her for her many contributions to Illinois scholastic journalism!

Lisa Nuku

[email protected]
Monticello High School
1 Sage Drive
Monticello, IL 61856 (Piatt County)
Term expires 2023

Counties Represented

Region 5 covers the counties of Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Logan, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby and Vermilion.

Directors | Region 6 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Samantha Goetting

[email protected]
Herrin High School
700 N. Tenth St.
Herrin, IL 62948 (Williamson County)
Term expires 2025

Cathy Wall, MJE

[email protected]
Harrisburg High School
333 W. College St.
Harrisburg, IL 62946 (Saline County)
Term expires 2023

Counties Represented

Region 6 covers the counties of Alexander, Bond, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, St. Clair, Saline, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White and Williamson.

Directors | At Large | One-Year Appointed Terms

Colleen Calvey

[email protected]
Oswego High School
1525 Harvey Road
Oswego, IL 60543 (Kendall County)
Term expires 2023

Ken Erdey

[email protected]
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Media
119 Gregory Hall
810 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801 (Champaign County)
Term expires 2023

John Gonczy, CJE

[email protected]
Marist High School
4200 W. 115th St.
Chicago, IL 60655 (Cook County)
Term expires 2023

Elizabeth Levin, MJE

[email protected]
Downers Grove North High School
4436 Main St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515 (DuPage County)
Term expires 2023

Dave Porreca, CJE

[email protected]
Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
8201 W. Fullerton Ave.
Elmwood Park, IL 60707 (Cook County)
Term expires 2023

Randy Swikle (Retired)

[email protected]
Johnsburg High School
2002 W. Ringwood Road
Johnsburg, IL 60050
Term expires 2023

Directors | Ex Officio

Katie Comeford Fernandez, CJE | National JEA State Director

[email protected]
Senior Program Coordinator for Teach Chicago Journalism
Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
1845 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208-2101 (Cook County)
Ex officio board term runs with office

Linda Jones | Illinois JEA Executive Director

[email protected]
Roosevelt University
Associate Professor of Journalism (Retired)
430 S. Michigan Ave., AUD 358C
Chicago, IL 60605 (Cook County)
Ex officio board term runs with office