IJEA Board of Directors

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Meet Our 2025-26 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 2025-26 membership year, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, the board has 19 directors: 12 regional directors, five at-large directors and two ex officio directors. The latter two are the IJEA executive director, 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

Susan Bookless
Galena High School
[email protected]

Secretary

Katherine Calder, CJE
Yorkville High School
[email protected]

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

Heather Roan

[email protected]
Springfield High School
101 S. Lewis St.
Springfield, IL 62704 (Sangamon County)
Term expires 2028

Lisa Welker

[email protected]
Lewistown High School
15205 N. State 100 Highway
Lewistown, IL 61542 (Fulton County)
Term expires 2026

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

Susan Bookless

[email protected]
Galena High School
1206 N. Franklin St.
Galena, IL 61036 (Jo Daviess County)
Term expires 2026

Colleen Calvey

[email protected]
Oswego High School
1525 Harvey Road
Oswego, IL 60543 (Kendall County)
Term expires 2028

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 2028

Jennifer Gerdes

[email protected]
Nazareth Academy
1209 W. Ogden Ave.
LaGrange Park, IL 60526 (Cook County)
Term expires 2028

Counties Represented

Region 3 covers the counties of Cook and DuPage.

Directors | Region 4 | Three-Year Elected Terms

Brad Bovenkerk, CJE

[email protected]
Normal Community High School
3900 E. Rabb Road
Normal, IL 61761 (McLean County)
Term expires 2028

Jennifer Reiser, CJE

[email protected]
Washington Community High School
115 Bondurant St.
Washington, IL 61571 (Tazewell County)
Term expires 2028

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

TillieAnn Steele

[email protected]
Meridian High School
728 S. Wall St.
P.O. Box 380
Macon, IL 62544 (Macon County)
Term expires 2026

Lisa Nuku

[email protected]
Monticello High School
1 Sage Drive
Monticello, IL 61856 (Piatt County)
Term expires 2026

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 2028

Dana Donovan

[email protected]
Okawville Junior-Senior High School
400 S. Hanover St.
Okawville, IL 62271 (Washington County)
Term expires 2026

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

Katherine Calder, CJE

[email protected]
Yorkville High School
797 Game Farm Road
Yorkville, IL 60560 (Kendall County)
Term expires 2026

Dave Porreca, CJE

[email protected]
Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
8201 W. Fullerton Ave.
Elmwood Park, IL 60707 (Cook County)
Term expires 2026

Dave Sennerud

[email protected]
Belvidere High School
1500 East Ave.
Belvidere, IL 61008 (Boone County)
Term expires 2026

Randy Swikle (Retired)

[email protected]
Johnsburg High School
2002 W. Ringwood Road
Johnsburg, IL 60050
Term expires 2026

Tom Winski (Retired)

[email protected]
Monmouth High School
325 W. First Ave.
Monmouth, IL 61462 (Warren County)
Term expires 2026

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