IJEA Board of Directors
Meet Our 2023-24 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 2023-24 membership year, which runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, 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, 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
Susan Bookless
Galena High School
[email protected]
Co-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
Lisa Welker
[email protected]
Lewistown High School
15205 N. State 100 Highway
Lewistown, IL 61542 (Fulton County)
Term expires 2026
Position to Be Filled
Our second Region 1 director position is open. If you are interested in serving or if you have a candidate you would like to nominate for appointment, please contact IJEA President Keith Carlson ([email protected]) or IJEA Executive Director Linda Jones ([email protected]).
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
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
TillieAnn Boliard
[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 2025
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 2024
Colleen Calvey
[email protected]
Oswego High School
1525 Harvey Road
Oswego, IL 60543 (Kendall County)
Term expires 2024
Dave Porreca, CJE
[email protected]
Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
8201 W. Fullerton Ave.
Elmwood Park, IL 60707 (Cook County)
Term expires 2024
Dave Sennerud
[email protected]
Belvidere High School
1500 East Ave.
Belvidere, IL 61008 (Boone County)
Term expires 2024
Randy Swikle (Retired)
[email protected]
Johnsburg High School
2002 W. Ringwood Road
Johnsburg, IL 60050
Term expires 2024
Tom Winski (Retired)
[email protected]
Monmouth High School
325 W. First Ave.
Monmouth, IL 61462 (Warren County)
Term expires 2024
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