IJEA Board of Directors

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Meet Our 2020-21 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 2020-21 membership year, which runs from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, the board has 20 directors: 12 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

John Gonczy, CJE
Marist High School
[email protected]

Vice President

Dr. Dan Kerns, CJE
Richwoods High School
[email protected]

Treasurer

Jennifer Galloy
Joliet West High School
[email protected]

Co-Secretary

Brad Bennewitz, CJE
Galesburg High School
[email protected]

Co-Secretary

Jennifer Reiser, CJE
Washington Community 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

Brad Bennewitz, CJE

[email protected]
Galesburg High School
1135 W. Fremont St.
Galesburg, IL 61401 (Knox County)
Term expires 2022

Patti Kaylor

[email protected]
Glenwood High School
1501 E. Plummer Blvd.
Chatham, IL 62629 (Sangamon 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

Dennis Brown

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

Colleen Calvey

[email protected]
Oswego High School
1525 Harvey Road
Oswego, IL 60543 (Kendall County)
Term expires 2022

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

Kathy Abdul, CJE

[email protected]
Morton West High School
2400 South Home Ave.
Berwyn, IL 60402 (Cook County)
Term expires 2022

John Gonczy, CJE

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

Counties Represented

Region 3 covers the counties of Cook and DuPage.

Directors | Region 4

Dr. Dan Kerns, CJE

[email protected]
Richwoods High School
6301 N. University
Peoria, IL 61614-3499 (Peoria County)
Term expires 2023

Jennifer Reiser, CJE

[email protected]
Washington Community High School
115 Bondurant St.
Washington, IL 61571 (Tazewell County)
Term expires 2022

Counties Represented

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

Directors | Region 5

Greg Bilbrey, CJE

[email protected]
School of Communication and Journalism
Eastern Illinois University
Buzzard Hall 2521
1920 9th St.
Charleston, IL 61920 (Coles County)
Term expires 2023

Carol Smith (retired)

[email protected]
Taught at: Lovington High School (Moultrie County)
Please note that Lovington High is now part of:
Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond (ALAH) High School
301 E. Columbia
Arthur, IL 61911 (Douglas County)
Term expires 2022

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

Samantha Goetting

[email protected]
Herrin High School
700 N. Tenth St.
Herrin, IL 62948 (Williamson County)
Term expires 2022

Cathy Wall

[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

Keith Carlson, CJE

[email protected]
Naperville Central High School
440 W. Aurora Ave.
Naperville, IL 60540 (DuPage County)
Appointed term expires 2021

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)
Appointed term expires 2021

Jennifer Galloy

[email protected]
Joliet West High School
401 N. Larkin Ave.
Joliet, IL 60435 (Will County)
Term expires 2021

Elizabeth Levin, MJE

[email protected]
Downers Grove North High School
4436 Main St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515 (DuPage County)
Term expires 2021

Dave Porreca, CJE

[email protected]
Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
8201 W. Fullerton Ave.
Elmwood Park, IL 60707 (Cook County)
Appointed term expires 2021

Randy Swikle, CJE (retired)

[email protected]
Taught at: Johnsburg High School
2002 W. Ringwood Road
Johnsburg, IL 60050 (McHenry County)
Appointed term expires 2021

Directors | Ex Officio

Katie Comeford Fernandez, CJE | National JEA State Director

[email protected]
Phoenix Military Academy
145 S. Campbell Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612 (Cook County)
Ex officio board term runs with office

Linda Jones | Illinois JEA Executive Director

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