2027 TESOL Election Slate

Education and Certifications

• Licenciatura en Educación, Education, Degree in Education specialized in Materials Development and Curriculum Design, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes.
• B.A. in English Teaching, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Instituto Superior del Profesorado ¨Joaquín V. González¨.
• EFL/ESL Assessment, Education, Indiana University. 
• Multiliteracies for Collaborative Learning Environments, Education, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. 
• Intercultural Communication, Communication Studies, California State University, Los Angeles. Special Honor Award. 
• Introduction to Management, Programming and Digital Outreach, Management, US Department of State, Vienna, Austria.
• Leadership Management Certificate Program, Management, TESOL International.
• TESOL Affiliates Capacity-Building, Management, TESOL International Association.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Academic consultant and teacher trainer (2024-present). Works with Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano and other institutions on training and academic projects.
• Academic Coordinator, Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano, Buenos Aires, Argentina, (2001-2024).
• Tutor, Online Professional Development Course, Reading Comprehension in the Classroom, Instituto Nacional de Formación Docente, (March-December 2017).
• EFL teacher, teacher-trainer, materials developer, Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1989-2001).
• EFL teacher, Escuela Superior de Comercio “Carlos Pellegrini”, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1987-1991).
• EFL teacher, Colegio Angela Copello, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1983-1989).

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• TESOL Member (2006-present);
• TESOL Conferences Professional Council Member (2025-2027);
• Board of Directors (2021-2024);
• Finance Committee Chair (2023-2024);

Argentina TESOL:

• Member and volunteer (2003-present);
• Awardee, ARTESOL Award Celebrating Commitment and Service (2025);
• Secretary (2019–2021);
• Past President (2017–2019);
• President (2012–2017);
• Board member (2006-2010).

A.B.I.P.A

• Member (1990-Present)

• Guest Speaker, AI, lesson planning & materials development. Panama TESOL Webinar Series, August 27, 2026.
• Guest Speaker, Saying YES to Leadership. ARTESOL Webinar Series, May 16, 2026.
• Columnist, Online Teaching. TESOL Connections. October 2025-August 2026.
• Presenter, AI in EFL: Building Contextually Attuned Professional Development Programs, TESOL International Convention, Salt Lake City, March 25, 2026.
• Course co-developer & tutor: UPenn GSE-Innovative English Teaching, February 10-April 28, 2026.
• Researcher at ICANA, collaborating with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education on the project Preparing English Language Educators in the Age of AI, March 2025–April 2027.
• Speaker, Enhancing Language Learning through Authentic Materials: A Neurolinguistic Lens, Costa Rica TESOL San José de Costa Rica, July 3, 2025.
• Panelist, Academic Session: AI in EFL/ESL Materials Development, TESOL International Convention, Long Beach, March 20, 2025.
• Program Developer & Coordinator, Elevate Your English Teaching Skills, ICANA & ACCESS Microscholarship Blended Program sponsored by US Embassy in Argentina, Buenos Aires, May 9-10, 2024.

• TESOL International Association: (member since 2006);
• TESOL Conferences Professional Council Member (2025-2027);
• TESOL Connections, Online Teaching Columnist. Volunteer role (October 2025-August 2026);
• Proposal reviewer (2024-2025);
• Convention volunteer (2025);
• Board of Directors (2021-2024);
• Finance Committee Chair (2023-2024).

• Argentina TESOL (member and volunteer since 2003);
• Secretary (2019–2021);
• Past President (2017–2019);
• President (2012–2017);
• Argentina TESOL Spelling Bee Coordinator (2013-2018);
• Board member (2006-2010).

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

From a very young age, though I decided to devote my career to English teaching and education, I have always had an interest in accounting and finance. It probably runs in the family—my father was a volunteer bookkeeper for an association, and my brother is an accountant and financial analyst. Surprisingly, my career path led me to that field over the years.

At the binational center, in my role as academic coordinator, I reviewed and analyzed financial reports and wrote grant-funded reports to support BNC projects. For example, I submitted narrative and financial reports for an English Access Scholarship teaching program. From 2018 to 2022, I drafted and presented grant proposals to fund an English program, "Potrero Digital," " for young people aged 16 to 25 from underserved communities in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. As an academic consultant, I have also collaborated with ICANA and the University of Pennsylvania GSE in developing grant proposals for multi-year professional development initiatives. 

I have taken training workshops and webinars on strategic programming and reporting delivered by the US Embassy in Argentina, applying these skills at both my job and Argentina TESOL. As ARTESOL president, I gained experience ensuring that financial documents and the association complied with Argentine laws and regulations.

As chair of the TESOL Finance Committee, I supported and guided initiatives that contributed to TESOL’s financial recovery, resulting in a shift from a $374K deficit in FY2022 to a $158K surplus in FY2023 through cost reduction and new revenue generation.  I reviewed budgets, investment and audit reports, budget assumptions, and prepared reports with the executive director for board briefings. I was also involved in the review and crafting of the TESOL Investment Policy Statement that replaced the previous one dating from 2014.  I also researched and learned about nonprofit regulations for US associations under Section 501(c)(3) to ensure I understood the fiscal implications of this categorization.

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when leading your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening, conflict resolution, and navigating difficult discussions, in order to come to consensus.

Over the course of my professional journey, I have developed strong leadership skills and strategic vision. I believe that leadership is about fostering collaboration, listening actively, and guiding teams to shared decisions. I also believe in inspiring others to serve and lead.
I have a quiet leadership style and work well leading collaborative working groups. I like to set realistic goals and discuss them with team members to ensure they are attainable and that everyone feels accountable. I respect everyone's time and work, always reading and commenting on others' contributions. My guiding principle is to lead by example, so I prefer to be an active working member of the teams I lead.

I have also learned to listen actively and communicate effectively. As a member of the TESOL International Association Board of Directors, I was involved in reviewing the association's mission, vision, and strategic direction, and crafting its strategic priorities for 2022-2025. I participated in the 2021 executive director selection and the 2023 interim executive director search. Additionally, I volunteered for working groups that reviewed Awards and Conflict of Interest Policies in 2022 and served as board liaison to the TESOL Election Review Task Force from August 2023 to March 2024. As chair of the Finance Committee, I helped design TESOL Investment Policy Statement in collaboration with TESOL Board, Staff and the investment firm.
As President of Argentina TESOL, I increased the affiliate's visibility by establishing strategic partnerships with local authorities.

From 2015 to 2024, I led a group of teacher mentors and materials developers at ICANA. I encouraged their professional development and inspired them to showcase their work at national and international webinars and conferences.
In all these roles, I successfully balanced independent work with effective collaboration with the executive director, executive committee, board colleagues, staff, volunteers and strategic partners. I contributed to and valued the contributions of others in small and large meetings and provided respectful and timely feedback. I also navigated tough discussions, helped resolve conflicts, and built consensus, facilitating dialogue between different stakeholders, always encouraging quieter voices to be heard.

How should the working relationship between the board president and the executive director be structured to ensure effective governance and organizational success?

I believe that a successful board president and executive director relationship should build on mutual trust, transparency, respect, and honest communication. The board president should serve as a strategic partner to the executive director, providing guidance and support while respecting the executive director's responsibility for managing the association's daily operations and leading the staff. The board `president should also ensure that board members are aware of the scope of their own roles and those of the ED and staff. In the same fashion, the ED should see that staff understand board roles and responsibilities and support them accordingly.

The board's role is to establish the organization's strategic direction, ensure sound governance and financial sustainability, and evaluate progress toward its goals. The executive director and staff bring the expertise needed to implement those priorities. Maintaining clear boundaries between governance and management is healthy and allows each party to contribute effectively, avoiding micromanagement and ensuring oversight.
At the same time, the board president has an important responsibility to ensure that the executive director and staff have the resources, information, and support needed to succeed.

This includes maintaining open dialogue, discussing challenges, seeking solutions collaboratively, and ensuring that staff feel valued and empowered to do their best work. Maintaining high staff morale is essential to ensuring the association remains operational and sustainable. When staff feel undervalued, morale and productivity suffer, making it more difficult to achieve the association's strategic goals.

My experience on the TESOL Board, including participating in executive leadership searches, reinforced the importance of a strong board president-executive director partnership. I saw conflict arises when there is an overlap or misunderstanding of roles. I have seen firsthand that organizations are most successful when board leaders and staff work collaboratively, communicate openly, respect each other's expertise, and remain focused on advancing the mission and serving the membership.

Board and staff are also partners when serving on IS’s and Professional Councils. Their interactions and relations should be guided by the same principles as those of the board president and executive director: mutual respect, clear roles, and a shared commitment to the association's mission.

Education and Certifications

•  Ed.D. TESOL/Literacy; M.A. French; B.A. French, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Professor of Bilingual Education, TESOL, and Literacy at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, USA. Teacher Preparation in TESOL/ Bilingual Education (bilingual transitional and bilingual dual language). 2018-present.
• 2020-present Coordinator of the Bilingual/ Multilingual Teacher Education Program.
• Education, Development, Teaching and Learning (EDTL) Department Chairperson, Central Washington University. 2017-2019.
• Professor in Teacher Education at Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. 2013-2015.
• Associate Director of the Foundation Program and Professor in Teacher Education at Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. 2013-2015.
• Professor of TESOL/ Bilingual Education and ESL/EFL at University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA. 2001-2015.
• 2011-2013 Co-coordinator for Project Development, Domestic Intercultural Immersion Experiences Programs, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
• 2001-2005 Coordinator of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire English Language Academy (ELA) Intensive English Program.
• Assistant Professor in TESOL, Assistant Coordinator of TESOL, ESL, & Foreign. Language Certification for Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT. 1999-2001.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• 2026-2031 Principle Investigator, United States Department of Education National Professional Development Grant, Strengthening Practices and Access for Rural K-12 English Learners (SPARK-EL) 
• 2025 English Language Specialist, United States State Department, Jordan.
• 2024 English Language Specialist, United States State Department, Cameroon.
• 2023, Summer English Language Specialist, United States State Department, Egypt.
• 2016-2017 Title III Grant Curriculum Designer, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri. I designed the teacher education curriculum and associated materials for the iELT-OzarksGrant project. The curriculum is an online program for in-service teachers who are acquiring an ESL endorsement.
• 2011, Summer English Language Specialist, United States State Department, Colombia.
• 2007-2008 Fulbright Scholar to Kharkiv, Ukraine, award by the U.S. State Department, Fulbright Program.

• Reynolds, K. M. (forthcoming, 2026). Teaching, leading, advocating: The new job description for multilingual-learner educators. English Language Teacher Education and Development (ELTED).
• Ostovar-Namaghi, S. A., Reynolds, K. M., & Khosravan, H. (2026). Roots and consequences of teacher isolation: A data-driven study of language teachers’ perceptions in an EFL context. Psychology in the Schools, 1-14. http://doi.org/10.1002/pits.70199.
• Merritt, E., & Reynolds, K.M. (2025). English for cultural transmission: Diversifying collaboration through linguistic empowerment. MinneTESOL Journal, 41(2), n.p. https://minnetesoljournal.org/english-for-cultural-transmission-diversifying-collaboration-through-linguistic-empowerment/.
• Reynolds, K. M., Mendoza Chirinos, G. M., Suarez, D., Effiong, O., & Kormpas, G. (Eds.) (2024, December). Decentering advocacy in English language teaching: Global perspectives and local practices. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12806429.
• Reynolds, K. M., & Kuttig, K. (Eds.) (2024, July). K-12 classroom research in language teaching and learning: Narratives for understanding and engaging in teacher research. Taylor and Francis Publishing.
• Trinh, E., Reynolds, K. M., & Coda, J. (Eds.) (2024, March). Teaching pride forward: Building LGBTQ+ allyship in English language teaching. TESOL Press.
• Dikilitaş, K., & Reynolds, K.M. (Eds.) (2023). Research methods in TESOL language teaching and learning. Wiley.
• Reynolds, K.M., Dikilitaş, K., & Close, S. (2022). Introduction to TESOL: Becoming a language teaching professional. Wiley.
• Reynolds, K.M. (Associate Ed.). (2018). The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching, (1st edition), Volume V, Teaching Vocabulary. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Reynolds, K.M. (2015). Approaches to inclusive English classrooms: A teacher’s handbook for content-based instruction. Multilingual Matters.

• 2025 TESOL International Association, leader and developer of the Leadership and Mentorship Interest Section (LMIS)
• 2024-2025 TESOL International Association Board of Directors, Governance Committee Chairperson.
• 2022-2025 TESOL International Association Board of Directors, member.
• 2020-2021 TESOL International Association, Teacher Education Interest Section, Chairperson (incoming-incoming).
• 2018-2020 TESOL International Association, Vocabulary and Grammar Convention Strand Coordinator.
• 2016-2020 TESOL International Association, Teacher Education Interest Section, Chairperson (incoming-incoming, incoming, Chairperson, and Past Chair person.
• 2015-2017 Director of the Council for Accreditation of Language and Teacher Education Programs (CALTEP).
• 2013-2016 TESOL/NCATE/CAEP Reviewer.
• 2014, Fall Specialist Reviewer U.S. Fulbright Grants, Fulbright Graduate Student Program.
• 2011-2014 TESOL International Association’s Convention Planning Chair for 2013 Dallas, TX.
• 2012-2014 TESOL International Association’s Proposal Adjudication Task Force, member.
• 2010-2017 Reviewer for the teacher education journal, PROFILE. Universidad de Caldas.
• 2008-2015 Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) Dimension journal, Editorial Board member.
• Fall, 2011 Specialist Reviewer for 2012-2013 U.S. Fulbright Grants, Council for Int'l Exchange of Scholars.

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

My financial management experience has consistently involved aligning organizational resources with strategic priorities, evaluating investments for both immediate and long-term impact, and ensuring responsible stewardship of institutional funds. Throughout my career, I have viewed budgeting not simply as an accounting exercise but as a strategic leadership responsibility that enables organizations to achieve their missions, advance their values, and remain financially sustainable. These experiences have prepared me to contribute thoughtfully to TESOL's fiduciary responsibilities and long-term strategic planning.

One of my most significant financial leadership experiences was serving as Associate Director of the Foundation Program at Qatar University. In this role, I oversaw budget development and expenditures exceeding $1.5 million while simultaneously leading the development and implementation of the division's strategic plan. Financial decisions were made within a strategic planning framework that required careful consideration of institutional priorities, performance indicators, program outcomes, and available resources. Proposed initiatives were evaluated according to their anticipated impact on student learning, organizational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. This experience strengthened my ability to analyze financial information, assess competing priorities, and ensure that resources were directed toward the highest-impact initiatives.

As Chairperson of the Department of Education, Development, Teaching, and Learning at Central Washington University, I further developed my financial stewardship skills through responsibility for departmental budgeting, enrollment-based planning, personnel decisions, and resource allocation. Working collaboratively with faculty and staff, I helped develop and implement a departmental vision and strategic direction while making budgetary decisions that supported those priorities. This work required balancing limited resources against multiple needs, evaluating the return on investment of proposed initiatives, and ensuring that expenditures advanced both departmental and university goals. Through this experience, I learned the importance of linking planning, assessment, and budgeting processes to support informed and transparent decision-making.

I have also participated in the development, review, and implementation of numerous grant-funded and strategic investment initiatives. These projects required the creation and evaluation of detailed budgets, sustainability plans, projected outcomes, and resource allocation models. Whether developing proposals, administering funded projects, or assessing requests for strategic investments, I consistently focused on the relationship between organizational priorities, expected outcomes, fiscal responsibility, and long-term viability. As a grant writer, I have successfully secured more than forty grants, including projects exceeding $3.9 million, experiences that further strengthened my understanding of budget planning, financial accountability, and responsible stewardship.

These experiences have shaped my approach to governance and financial leadership. I understand that strong organizations require leaders who can analyze financial information, evaluate competing priorities, make difficult resource allocation decisions, and maintain a steadfast commitment to the organization's mission and long-term sustainability. As a member of TESOL's Board of Directors and Chairperson of the Governance Committee, I have already contributed to discussions regarding strategic priorities, organizational effectiveness, and the future of the association. If elected president-elect, I would bring a commitment to thoughtful fiscal stewardship, values-based decision-making, and collaborative leadership to ensure that TESOL's resources continue to support its mission, members, and global impact.

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when leading your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening, conflict resolution, and navigating difficult discussions, in order to come to consensus.

My leadership philosophy centers on being responsive to the individuals, situation, tasks, and goals we seek to achieve. Rather than adhering to a single leadership model, I practice adaptive leadership that draws from transformational, servant, participative, and distributed approaches. I lead with humility, a growth mindset, and a commitment to participatory decision-making. I have found the strongest solutions emerge when individuals feel heard, respected, and empowered to contribute toward a shared purpose.

As Chairperson of TESOL International Association’s Governance Committee and a member of the Board of Directors (2022-2025), I facilitated discussions involving governance structures, leadership recruitment, strategic initiatives, policy development, and community engagement. Many of these conversations involved competing viewpoints and significant implications for members and volunteer leaders. I approach difficult discussions by listening deeply before responding, asking clarifying questions, and helping groups identify shared goals. By affirming diverse perspectives and facilitating respectful dialogue, I work to build trust, strengthen relationships, and move groups toward consensus and community-informed decisions.

Some of the most important leadership work occurs when people feel unheard, discouraged, or uncertain about how to proceed. One such experience involved TESOL members who approached me regarding leadership challenges within an affiliate. Although TESOL had no authority to intervene, I recognized both their frustration and their leadership potential. Rather than focusing on limitations, I encouraged them to transform their experiences into professional inquiry. Together, they developed a convention proposal on volunteer leadership challenges that was accepted and presented at TESOL. What began as a difficult situation evolved into ongoing collaboration focused on leadership scholarship, mentoring, and professional growth.

This philosophy also guided my leadership of TESOL’s Leadership and Mentorship Interest Section. Recognizing a need for sustained inquiry into leadership within TESOL, I brought together a diverse, internationally situated group of educators, researchers, affiliate leaders, and volunteers to envision a new community. Through active listening, distributed leadership, and shared ownership, we developed a collective vision for exploring leadership and mentorship as areas of professional practice, scholarship, advocacy, and service. As president-elect, I would continue fostering innovation, developing future leaders, and building trust through thoughtful, mission-centered collaboration.

How should the working relationship between the board president and the executive director be structured to ensure effective governance and organizational success?

An effective relationship between the Board President and Executive Director begins with mutual trust, clear communication, and a shared commitment to TESOL's mission. I view the President and Executive Director as strategic partners working in tandem to advance the association's mission, vision, and strategic priorities. While the Board provides governance, strategic direction, and fiduciary oversight, the Executive Director leads operations and implementation. Organizational success depends on respecting these distinct responsibilities while maintaining a collaborative partnership grounded in transparency, accountability, mutual respect, and shared purpose.

My leadership philosophy centers on being responsive to the individuals, situation, tasks, and goals before us. I believe the President's role is not to manage staff, but to serve as a trusted thought partner and strategic collaborator who supports the Executive Director's success. This includes ensuring alignment between Board decisions and organizational priorities, advocating for the resources staff need to succeed, and maintaining open communication regarding opportunities, challenges, and emerging needs.

As Chairperson of TESOL International Association's Governance Committee and a member of the Board of Directors, I worked collaboratively with volunteer leaders, Board colleagues, staff, and the Executive Director to advance governance initiatives and strategic priorities. These experiences reinforced the importance of listening carefully, valuing diverse perspectives, building consensus, and respecting professional expertise. I have found that organizations function most effectively when leaders focus on shared goals, clearly defined responsibilities, and constructive relationships.

Throughout my leadership roles in higher education, including service as a department Senator, department chairperson, and academic administrator, I have worked with faculty, staff, directors, and deans to develop strategic plans, policies, budgets, mission and vision statements, and organizational initiatives. These experiences taught me that strong leaders foster success by ensuring others have the resources, support, authority, and trust necessary to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

As TESOL President-Elect and President, I would cultivate a collaborative partnership with the Executive Director that balances support with accountability and governance with operational expertise. By fostering trust, communication, and role clarity, I would work to ensure the Board, Executive Director, and staff remain aligned in advancing TESOL's mission and serving its members worldwide.

Education and Certifications

• PhD, MA, MATES

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Professor and Director, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Webster University (2011–Present);
• Director of TESOL, Webster University Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2018–Present);
• Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Webster University (2022–Present)
• Co-Principal Investigator, WESTbound Success Project, Webster University (2023–Present);
• Fulbright Specialist (2026) and Fulbright Scholars Grant Recipient (2016) for Ceibal en Inglés in Uruguay;
• Associate Dean, School of Education, Webster University (2017–2022);
• Project Director, National Professional Development Grant, Webster University (2017–2023);
• Instructor, English Language Programs, Washington University in St. Louis (Full-time 2001–2005; Adjunct 2009–2011);
• Visiting Professor, University of Barcelona (2000–2001).

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• TESOL International - joined in 2002;
• TESOL Working Group on DEIA – recruited to serve on a working group to write a new White Paper on Diversity in Education with a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (2023);
• TESOL International Governance Communities of Practice Working Group – recruited to serve on a short-term working group to review communities of practice governance for
• TESOL International (2023);
• TESOL Standards Professional Council (formerly Committee) – member of this professional council for the international organization Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (2014–2019);
• Chair for the TESOL Standards Professional Council – served as the chair for this professional council (2018–2019) after serving as the incoming chair for one year (2017–2018).

• Kaiser, D. ( 2026). Practical pronunciation: Pronunciation strategies in practice. The University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12740856;
• Kaiser, D. (2025). English in Uruguay. In Bolton, K. (Ed.), The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of World Englishes. Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119518297.eowe00311 (Invited contribution; peer reviewed);
• Kaiser, D. (2024). Artificial intelligence integration in three iOS pronunciation apps: ELSA Speak, Loora, and Vocal Image. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 10(3), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.24052.kai (Peer-reviewed article);
• Comprehensive Curriculum Revision (2022-2023);
• Kaiser, D. (2018). Mobile-assisted pronunciation training: The iPhone pronunciation app project. Speak Out! Journal of the IATEFL Pronunciation Special Interest Group, 58, 38-51. (Invited article);
• Kaiser, D. (2017). English language teaching in Uruguay. World Englishes, 36(4), 744–759.doi:10.1111/weng.12261 (Peer-reviewed article).

TESOL has been my professional home since 2002. I routinely review proposals for the TESOL convention. I served as chair of the Standards Professional Council in 2018–2019, the year that the TESOL Standards for K–12 Teachers were being revised. As SPC chair, I met frequently with TESOL leaders, serving as an additional reviewer for these standards before they were published. The TESOL Board set up an International Governance Communities of Practice Working Group in 2023, and I was asked to lead the focus groups for the IS and PLN leaders. I was also proud to serve as a writer for TESOL’s White Paper on Diversity in Education (2023), for which I conducted the literature review that is included. 
 
As a TESOL leader, I am perhaps best known for establishing the first U.S.-based academic program in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2018. After the MOU was signed, I was given one month to hire TESOL faculty and collaborate with local contacts to recruit at least 100 students. We started with a cohort of 125 students and a faculty of 10 faculty, most of whom still teach for our program. One of those faculty members has been promoted to the head of academics for Webster University Tashkent, which serves several thousand students in 16 different academic programs. A graduate from our first cohort is now the program lead for our TESOL program, which currently serves more than 1800 students in four cities across Uzbekistan. We currently have a faculty of more than 90 from six different continents. In 2025 alone, I conducted 70 faculty interviews, with most scheduled between 6 and 8 a.m. in my time zone to accommodate for the time zones of our candidates. At least a dozen times a year, I schedule meetings with our TESOL faculty to review our curriculum and prepare them for success in their classrooms. 
 
More recently, I have been volunteering with the Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching (PSLLT) Conference, reviewing proposals for their conferences and the journal and conference proceedings. 
 
Throughout my international travels, I frequently provide free professional development when it fits into my schedule. This has included a full-day training for K–12 teachers in Buenos Aires; numerous short, half-day, and full-day sessions for teachers throughout Uruguay; a workshop in northern Rio; a university lecture in Kazakhstan during a long layover; and numerous teacher training sessions throughout Uzbekistan. 

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

At Webster University, I have the record for bringing in the most grant funding, including a $2.7 million U.S. Department of Education National Professional Development grant.  For each grant project that I have worked on, I have been the person primarily responsible for building the grant, including calculating indirect costs and planning out tuition and salary increases over time.  This has allowed me to work effectively with our finance department at every stage from planning to reporting to requesting no-cost extensions. 

When Webster University first decided to open its doors in Uzbekistan, I was part of the initial delegation.  Because our operations in Uzbekistan started with offering the TESOL program, I was tasked with developing the initial budget to determine the feasibility of the project.  I had to budget for faculty salaries, tuition costs, my own travel expenses, an administrative assistant, and the percentage owed to our university partner that provided us space (until we could open our own facility).  A year later, I replicated the project in Kazakhstan, using the same budget as a template.  That project in Kazakhstan only lasted two years, but it never lost money because I monitored that project to ensure that it always stayed within budget.  By the same token, I made recommendations to discontinue the program when it was not turning the profits we were seeing in Uzbekistan, where we were adding several hundred new students annually to the program. 

Over the past decade, I have been able to use multiple budget templates that I have been provided or that I have developed to propose projects or to determine if projects would be profitable or not.  This even included communicating to my university’s president that a desired long-term project in South America would not be feasible, but that a short-term project I put together would erase any financial losses, while concluding our collaboration with professional development focused on building capacity for the local institution’s faculty and administrators. 

In my role as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, part of my responsibility is working with university-level accreditation, which includes evidence for our institution’s finances, fundraising, use of endowment funds, and investment holdings.  This includes meeting with our Chief Financial Officer, members of our finance department, and members of our advancement team to discuss our initiatives.  I have been responsible for collecting reports from each of these departments to prepare them for external accreditors and to either write or edit narratives that explain documents such as external audit reports, anomalies to endowment drawdowns, and new funding campaigns.  I will bring all of these experiences to TESOL as a board member. 

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when working with your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening and coming to consensus.

My leadership style has been to come to the table with materials ready to discuss, but always be ready for my initial ideas and drafts not to make the final cut. In some contexts, colleagues need a starting document to initiate conversations. In other contexts, an initial draft serves more like a piñata to “beat up” through disagreements and alternate ideas. My goal is to resist negative inertia by finding ways to keep groups making meaningful progress. When I was Associate Dean for the School of Education, I was successful in getting our faculty to adopt one course evaluation instrument to replace the four different instruments being used in three different systems. For this task, I provided an example of a unified evaluation instrument along with a charge for a smaller group of faculty to work on the task in collaboration with our colleagues.

As Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, I worked on a new grade appeal policy, which required input from multiple constituents across campus. While I was responsible for drafting language for the catalog, it was also important that decisions be led by faculty members. This process took several months, multiple presentations to constituent groups, and numerous drafts. As Director of TESOL, I focus on providing the tools and support that my faculty need to support students. I have done this by ongoing communication through Zoom meetings (that are also recorded for those who cannot attend) and Telegram chat channels for each course group. Many leadership decisions I have made for TESOL in Uzbekistan have been replicated by other programs, and one program lead I worked with for years has twice been promoted. My leadership goal is to set up colleagues and projects for long-term success.

The TESOL Board of Directors is responsible for making strategic decisions that align with the organization’s long-term vision. Share an example of a time when you applied strategic thinking within an organization. How did you balance innovation and risk? Additionally, describe the steps you took to stay focused on high-level strategic objectives rather than getting involved in day-to-day operational details.

As Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, I have been responsible for outlining the strategy to guide our university-level accreditation. This required creating a multi-year timeline, recommending steering committee members, and scheduling meetings with offices and departments across the institution to conduct a gap analysis and prepare them for their role in the accreditation process. All of the plans that I have produced have had to align with our university’s strategic plan and also with our mission, vision, and core values, while also addressing the requirements and expectations of our external accreditor. Some colleagues recommended we do things the same way we did a decade ago, but I proposed a new approach focused on a strategic approach to conduct a university-wide gap analysis that could also identify our greatest strengths aligned to our external accreditor’s criteria. While this process was labor-intensive on the front end (for me), it earned the buy-in from upper administrators and constituent groups I met with. As the Director of TESOL, I made the bold choice to centralize our TESOL curriculum using a new tool in Canvas called “Blueprint.” My innovative approach was met with great resistance from several colleagues at first, particularly from the administrative side. I stood resolute and provided clear rationales for every decision I made. Once this Blueprint process was found to be successful, it was seen as a model that other programs are now beginning to emulate. What was an option that a few prior colleagues tried to remove completely as an option has now become a viable solution and the preferred solution for growing and larger programs at my institution. My approach has been found to be more efficient and cost-effective. I will bring these strategic planning skills to the TESOL Board of Directors.

Education and Certifications

• Habilitation (postdoctoral qualification), Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2025;
• Ph.D. in Educational Leadership: Reading, Language, and Literacy, Concordia University Chicago, 2018;
• M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction: Bilingual Education, American College of Education, 2014.
• M.S. in Spanish Language Education, Nova Southeastern University, 2014.
• M.Ed. with a concentration in Adult Education and Development, Strayer University, 2013.
• B.S. in Business Administration, with a minor in Psychology, University of Maryland University College, 2012.
• Graduate Certificate in English as a Second Language, American College of Education, 2013.
• English Language Teaching Leadership Management Certificate, TESOL International Association, 2018.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Professor, VIZJA University, Warsaw, Poland, March 2023–present.
• Director, VISION: European Center for Multilingualism and Teacher Education, VIZJA University, May 2026–present.
• Adjunct Faculty, MA TESOL Program, Webster University Tashkent, January 2026–present.
• TESOL Certificate Coordinator and Adjunct Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy, The George Washington University, September 2020–June 2024.
• Assistant Professor, University of Warsaw, January 2022–March 2023.
• Dissertation Core Faculty, Department of Leadership and Administration, American College of Education, September 2019–December 2021.
• High School ESOL Teacher, Laurel High School, Prince George’s County Public Schools, January 2015–July 2019.
• Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist, selected projects in Brazil (2025–2026), Romania (2022–2023), and Kosovo (2026).
• English Language Specialist, U.S. Department of State English Language Programs, selected assignments, 2022–2024.
• International teacher educator, consultant, and invited speaker, selected engagements with ministries of education, universities, and language teacher associations, 2020–present.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

TESOL International Association

Maryland TESOL

• Past President, May 2019–May 2020.
• Outreach and Marketing Specialist, May 2019–May 2020;
• President, May 2018–May 2019;
• First Vice President, June 2017–May 2018;
• Second Vice President, March 2017–June 2017;
• Secondary Education Interest Section Co-Chair, May 2015–May 2017.

• 2024 TESOL Teacher of the Year, TESOL International Association and National Geographic Learning;
• Fulbright Scholar, Brazil, 2025–2026;
• Fulbright Specialist, Romania, 2022–2023;
• Fulbright Specialist, Kosovo, 2026;
• Peer-reviewed research in TESOL and applied linguistics journals;
• Coauthor of the Maryland TESOL Handbook for Educators of English Learners (2021);
• Curriculum and professional learning development, including the development of six social-emotional learning modules for TESOL International Association (2022);
• International invited keynotes, workshops, and teacher training.

• Social Responsibility Interest Section (SRIS) of TESOL International Association: leadership sequence as Co-Chair Elect (May 2020–April 2021), Co-Chair (April 2021–April 2022), and Past Co-Chair (April 2022–March 2023).
• Co-editor of TESOLers for Social Responsibility, March 2019–May 2020.
• Member, Affiliate Network Professional Council (ANPC), TESOL International Association, November 2019–November 2020.
• CAEP/TESOL Reviewer, March 2017–March 2020.
• Maryland TESOL: Secondary Education Interest Section Co-Chair, Second Vice President, First Vice President, President, Past President, and Outreach and Marketing Specialist.
• Member-at-Large, Bilingual-Multilingual Education Interest Section, TESOL International Association, January 2017–January 2020.
• Mentor, TIRF–British Council Research Mentoring Awards, October 2026–April 2027.

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

My experience with financial management includes association leadership, funded-project implementation, project budgeting, and operational budget and purchasing oversight. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College. As President, First Vice President, and Past President of Maryland TESOL, I participated in leadership discussions focused on organizational priorities, conference planning, membership needs, and the responsible use of association resources. As First Vice President, I helped lead the planning and implementation of Maryland TESOL’s annual conference, which required attention to logistics, costs, programming needs, presenter coordination, and the alignment of conference planning with the association’s mission and capacity.

I have also managed and implemented funded projects, including my Fulbright Scholar award in Brazil, Fulbright Specialist projects in Romania and Kosovo, and research grants from Fundacja Kościuszkowska Polska focused on Ukrainian refugee students and families. I served as principal investigator for the Brazil award and co-principal investigator for the two Fundacja Kościuszkowska Polska grants. These projects required responsible planning, coordination with institutional partners, attention to deliverables, and careful use of available resources. Earlier in my career, I also supervised the operational budget and purchases for the Navy and Marine Corps Appellate Leave Activity while serving in administrative roles with the U.S. Department of Defense and the United States Marine Corps. Across these experiences, I have learned to approach financial decisions with transparency, accountability, strategic alignment, and respect for the communities an organization serves.

As a TESOL board member, I would draw on these experiences to examine whether proposed budgets reflect available resources, member needs, and the association’s strategic priorities. I would ask questions about the assumptions behind proposed allocations and consider how financial commitments support both immediate needs and long-term sustainability.

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when working with your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening and coming to consensus.

My leadership philosophy is grounded in collaborative service, careful listening, and shared responsibility. I understand leadership as the collective practice of identifying needs, building trust, and moving people toward meaningful action. Across my work in TESOL International Association, Maryland TESOL, Fulbright, university contexts, and international teacher education, I have learned that effective leadership requires both vision and humility.

As President and First Vice President of Maryland TESOL, I worked with colleagues, volunteers, and educators to support professional learning, advocacy, and organizational continuity. While organizing the annual conference, I worked with colleagues to balance practical constraints with programming goals and keep decisions focused on the needs of members and the mission of the organization. Similarly, in my leadership roles within TESOL International Association’s Social Responsibility Interest Section, I worked with colleagues to create spaces for dialogue around equity, advocacy, inclusion, and social responsibility.

My leadership style is grounded in consensus building, clear decisions, and shared responsibility. I value open dialogue, honest disagreement, and transparent decision-making. When working through challenging issues, I begin by understanding what each person sees, values, and worries about. From there, I look for shared priorities and practical pathways forward. For me, consensus involves working through differences and agreeing on a course of action that colleagues can understand and support. My international work with teachers, ministries, universities, Fulbright programs, and communities affected by conflict or displacement has also taught me that leadership must be culturally responsive and context-sensitive.

If elected to the TESOL Board of Directors, I would bring a leadership approach rooted in listening, advocacy, collaboration, and care. I would work with fellow directors to support TESOL’s global mission, help multilingual educators and members across regions inform its priorities, and make decisions that serve the association as a whole.

The TESOL Board of Directors is responsible for making strategic decisions that align with the organization’s long-term vision. Share an example of a time when you applied strategic thinking within an organization. How did you balance innovation and risk? Additionally, describe the steps you took to stay focused on high-level strategic objectives rather than getting involved in day-to-day operational details.

One example of strategic thinking in my leadership work was my service as First Vice President of Maryland TESOL, when I helped lead the planning and implementation of the organization’s annual conference. At the time, Maryland TESOL was concerned about declining engagement among K–12 educators, an important membership group for the affiliate. We approached the conference as a strategic opportunity to reconnect with K–12 teachers, increase visibility, and demonstrate that Maryland TESOL remained responsive to K–12 teachers’ professional realities.

To support this goal, we held the conference at the high school where I taught. This choice connected the event’s setting to our goal of making professional learning more relevant to K–12 educators. My newcomer students also participated as helpers during the conference, connecting the event more directly to the multilingual learners at the heart of our work. The innovation was in using the conference’s setting and participation to advance a broader goal of member engagement. The risk was that a high school did not have the same technology capacity and conference infrastructure that a university venue might provide, so we had to plan carefully around space, equipment, logistics, communication, and volunteer support.

I stayed focused on high-level objectives by keeping the association’s mission, membership needs, and long-term sustainability at the center of decision-making. I collaborated with colleagues and volunteers to share responsibility for planning and implementation, while keeping our larger purpose in view, which was strengthening our connection with K–12 educators through professional learning that reflected their needs. This experience taught me that strategic leadership requires a clear organizational purpose, understanding member needs, taking thoughtful risks, and aligning innovation with mission.

Education and Certifications

• The University of Yaounde 1 (Higher Teacher Training College Yaounde), MA (in Bilingual Letters English and French);
• The University of Dschang, BA (in Bilingual Letters English and French).

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Regional Delegation of Secondary Education for the Centre Region, Cameroon (Ministry of Secondary Education), December 2023 – Present;
• Government Bilingual Practising High School Yaounde, Cameroon, (Ministry of Secondary Education), 2006- December 2003;
• Institution: Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMEL 2025 – Present (Active member since 2004);
• Online Professional English Network (OPEN) 2019 – Present;
• UNESCO MGIEP: 2022 – Present;
•  British Council: 2019 – Present;
• US Peace Corps Cameroon: 2015 – Present;
• TESOL International Association: 2021 – Present.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• TESOL International Association; Member, Volunteer, and Award/Proposal Reviewer; 2021 – Present.
• Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMELTA); Vice-President in charge of International Outreach; 2020 – Present (Member since 2004).
• Africa ELTA (English Language Teacher Association); Member and International Conference Presenter; 2019 – Present.
• Cameroon Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Association (CAFTAL); Member (Alumnus of 2020 Cohort); 2020 – Present.

• Action Research & Implementation: Led the "English Connects" project for the British Council, adapting communicative language teaching methodologies for French-speaking learners in Cameroon.
• Regional Virtual Presentation: Facilitated a high-level two-hour strategy session on practical teaching for the West Africa region under the Regional English Language Office (RELO) in April 2026.
• Assessment Research: Conducted specialized research on evaluating learners using Google Forms and automating data analysis for formative assessment in reading and listening skills.
• Instructional Resource Design: Developed localized teaching materials and "Real-Life Question Cards" to scaffold speaking and listening for secondary learners in large-class environments.
• International Presentation: TESOL, AfricaELTA, ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS OF NIGERIA(ELTAN), ILACE (International Language Assessment Conference in Egypt), BETA (Burkina Faso English Language Teachers Association), CoTESOL (Colorado TESOL in Denver), West and Central Africa Teachers of English Language virtual conference in November 2023, invited to Senegal in December 2026 for ATES (Association of Teachers of English Language of Senegal)
• Curriculum Development: Designed and launched the five-week and three-week online training course "The Digital Teacher", ''The Digital Educator'' via UNESCO MGIEP for teachers of the Ministry of Secondary Education in Cameroon, teachers of Africa and reaching educators globally (at least 5 % of trainees were from outside Cameroon and Africa).

• Community Lead and Comment Coordinator: Serving in the Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Community of Practice to facilitate global educator discourse.
• Proposal Reviewer: Evaluating session submissions for the TESOL 2025 International Convention.
• Award Reviewer: Selected to review The Ron Chang Lee Award for Excellence in Classroom Technology for TESOL 2027.
• Conference Volunteer: Providing onsite support for the TESOL International Convention & Expo in Long Beach (2025) and Salt Lake City (2026).
• Vice-President for International Outreach: Leading global engagement strategies for the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMELTA).
• Consultant and Master Trainer: Selecting and training teacher applicants globally for UNESCO MGIEP and British Council initiatives since 2019.
• Keynote Speaker: Leading the West and Central Africa Teachers of English Language virtual conference as a volunteer in November 2023.
• Grant Awardee and Project Member: Collaborating on US Department of State Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, US Embassy Yaounde and British Council projects to train secondary teachers in instructional technologies and school safety.
• School Management Board Member: Served as the Financial Secretary and a member of the management board for the Government Bilingual Practicing High School in Yaoundé.

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

Throughout my 20-year career in education and my 14-year collaboration with international organizations, I have consistently utilized financial reports to ensure accountability, compliance, and sustainability.

• Audit and Oversight in Institutional Governance: During my tenure as the Financial Secretary of the School Management Board at the Government Bilingual Practicing High School in Yaoundé (2016–2018), I was responsible for the oversight and financial auditing of institutional budgets. I regularly analyzed comprehensive balance sheets, income statements, and expenditure reports. My role required translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for the board to ensure that public and community funds were allocated transparently and audited in strict compliance with national regulations.
• Grant Monitoring and Compliance: As a Project team Lead (as least 4 times) and a key project team member, facilitator, and even grant awardee for initiatives sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy Yaoundé, and the British Council, I have managed project-specific financial portfolios. This required monitoring budget burn rates, analyzing financial reports against donor requirements, and ensuring that every expenditure complied with strict international auditing standards (such as those of the Global Fund during my involvement in school-based HIV prevention projects).

Ability to Review and Analyze Proposed Budgets in Light of Association Resources, Strategic Goals, and Priorities

As a leader, I view a budget not merely as a financial spreadsheet, but as a concrete expression of an organization’s strategic vision and values.

• Strategic Alignment within CAMELTA: In my current role as the Vice-President of the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMELTA) in charge of International Outreach, I actively participate in reviewing and analyzing annual and project-specific budget proposals. I evaluate these budgets to ensure that limited association resources are strictly directed toward high-priority strategic goals, such as expanding our international footprint, offering equitable professional development, and sustaining grassroots teacher training. I have successfully advocated for shifting resources toward digital and hybrid models, maximizing impact while minimizing operational costs.
• Capacity Building and Budget Design: My experience as a Regional Pedagogic Inspector involves advising on resource allocation for bilingual education and demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of educational programs to ministries and funding bodies. Furthermore, in designing and implementing projects like the British Council English Connects cascade trainings, I have structured and reviewed budgets from the ground up. I analyzed proposed expenditures in light of available resources, ensuring that cost structures (such as venue, materials, and digital tools) were fully optimized to deliver maximum value to the local teaching community.

If elected to serve on the TESOL Board of Directors, I will bring this dual lens: rigorous administrative oversight and international project-budgeting experience. I am fully prepared to review TESOL’s financial statements, investment portfolios, and annual budgets with a critical, strategic eye, ensuring that the association's diverse resources are effectively leveraged to advance our global advocacy, promote equity and inclusion, and deliver high-value benefits to our members worldwide.

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when working with your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening and coming to consensus.

My leadership philosophy is anchored in collaborative empowerment and strategic empathy. I believe a leader’s primary role is to cultivate a trusted space where diverse viewpoints are actively sought, valued, and synthesized to achieve a shared vision. Rather than imposing authority, I lead by facilitating dialogue, active listening, and aligning collective efforts with institutional goals.

A concrete example of this philosophy in action is my tenure as Vice-President of the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMELTA) in charge of International Outreach. When tasked with expanding our global footprint amidst severely constrained financial resources, my peers and I faced the critical challenge of prioritising budget allocations. Some board members advocated for traditional, on-site national workshops, while others pushed for a rapid shift to digital platforms.

To navigate this division, I applied a consultative and democratic leadership style:

Active Listening & Empathy: I scheduled dedicated focus sessions to understand the underlying concerns of each group—namely, the fear of excluding rural teachers without reliable internet versus the necessity of modernizing our outreach.

Brainstorming and Idea Sharing: I proposed a compromise that leveraged my experience with digital education. I shared data on how low-resource, mobile-friendly tools (like WhatsApp-based micro-learning) could bridge the gap.

Building Consensus: By facilitating a transparent cost-benefit analysis, I helped the board visualize a hybrid model. We reached a unanimous consensus to reallocate a portion of the budget to train regional "Master Trainers" who could cascade digital skills on-site, satisfying both strategic priorities. 

This experience demonstrates my ability to guide peer-level, multicultural, and multisectoral teams through complex decisions. By fostering mutual respect and focusing on data-driven solutions, I ensure that every voice is heard, resulting in sustainable, consensus-backed outcomes that advance the association's mission.

The TESOL Board of Directors is responsible for making strategic decisions that align with the organization’s long-term vision. Share an example of a time when you applied strategic thinking within an organization. How did you balance innovation and risk? Additionally, describe the steps you took to stay focused on high-level strategic objectives rather than getting involved in day-to-day operational details.

As a Regional Pedagogic Inspector and CAMELTA Vice-President, my strategic focus has been transitioning our professional development from localized, ad-hoc workshops to a sustainable, digital-first regional training model.

At the height of our transition to digital teacher training, the immediate temptation was to build our own learning management platform. While highly innovative, my strategic analysis revealed significant long-term risks: high maintenance costs, potential technical failure in low-resource rural areas, and diversion of our core administrative capacity.

To balance innovation with risk, I spearheaded a partnership to leverage existing, globally backed infrastructures. We adopted the Online Professional English Network (OPEN) and UNESCO MGIEP frameworks to deploy "The Digital Teacher" and "Social Emotional Learning" courses. This mitigated financial and technical risks by using proven, mobile-friendly technology while positioning our association at the forefront of digital educational innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

To stay focused on high-level strategic objectives and avoid getting bogged down in day-to-day operational details, I implemented three clear steps:

Established a Decentralized Cascading Structure: I designed a "Master Trainer" model, training an elite cohort of educators who took full operational ownership of local workshops.

Defined Clear KPIs and Governance Frameworks: I shifted my role from facilitator to evaluator, monitoring program success through high-level impact metrics, such as regional adoption rates and systemic bilingualism outcomes, rather than managing daily session logistics.

Automated Operational Workflows: By leveraging cloud-based registration and standardized online templates for cascade reporting, operational tracking was largely automated.

This strategic approach allowed the executive board to remain focused on global partnerships, securing international grants, and driving long-term advocacy. 

Education and Certifications

• BA, Computer Science and Business Administration, University of Epirus, Arta, Greece. 2004;
• MA, TESOL, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester VT, USA. 2025;
• PhD, E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning, Lancaster University, UK. 2026.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Director of Student Affairs, Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, 2025 – Present;
• MA TESOL Faculty at Staffordshire University, UK, 2021 – 2023;
• Director of Executive Education, Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, 2019 – 2024;
• Director of Teaching Development, Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, 2018 – 2025;
• Faculty member, College of Humanities, Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, 2017 – Present;
• Faculty member, INTERLINK International Institutes, Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, 2012 – 2019;
• Faculty member, American College of Greece, Greece, 2007 – 2012;
• Assistant Director of Studies, LCC Skoura, Arta, Greece, 2001 – 2007;
• English Language Teacher, LCC Skoura, Arta, Greece, 1999 – 2007.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• TESOL International Association: RPC (2023 member, 2025 Member, Research Award coordinator 2026 & 2026, 2026 Incoming Chair); LMIS (2026 Community Manager); Nominating Committee (2021 Member, 2022 Chair, 2023 Past Chair); ANPC (2018 - 2019 Member, 2020 Chair, 2021 Past Chair), MA and Doctoral Forum Reviewer (2017 - 2022);
• Proposal Reviewer (2015 - 2025);
• Digital Learning and Technology Strand Coordinator (2024-member, 2025 Lead, 2026 Lead);
• CALL IS Steering Committee Member (2017 - 2020);
• Global Education PLN Co-Leader (2019 - 2021);
• SRIS Committee Member (2018 - 2019);
• Award Reviewer (2017 - Present);
• TESOL Gulf: 2021 – 2023, President;
  International Association for Blended Learning: 2021 – 2023, President.

• Kormpas, G., Hakeem, J., & Zeidan, A. (2026). Empowering youth leadership in sustainability through Toastmasters International: A case study from Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia. In J. Dsilva (Ed.), Sustainability education, youth and innovation: Engaging the next generation in innovating the future—Concise contributions (pp. 447–456). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-21948-0_52;
• Reynolds, K., Mendoza G., Suarez D., Effiong O., Kormpas G. (2024) Decentering
  Advocacy in English Language Teaching. Michigan University Press;
• England, L., Kamhi-Stein, L. D., & Kormpas, G. (2023). English language teacher
  education in changing times: Perspectives, strategies, and new ways of teaching and learning. essay, Routledge;
• Kormpas, G., Coombe C. (2023) English Language Teacher Education and Development through Language Teacher Associations. In England, L., Kamhi-Stein, L. D., & Kormpas, G. (2023). English language teacher education in changing times:
  Perspectives, strategies, and new ways of teaching and learning. essay, Routledge;
• Kormpas, G. (2023) English Language Teaching Associations on Teacher Well-Being
  during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. In Pentoìn Herrera, L. J., Martinez-Alba,
  G., & Tiình Triònh, E. (2023). Teacher well-being in English language teaching: An
  ecological approach. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
• Kormpas, G. (2022) Perspectives on the Shift to Online Learning in Private English
  Language Centers in Greece. In McCallum, L. (Ed,). (2022). English language teaching: Policy and practice across the European Union. Springer.
•  Kormpas, G. (2026). Professional learning in evolving ecosystems: Communities of practice among English language teachers' associations in the MENA region [Research session]. TESOL International Convention & Expo, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
• Kormpas, G. (2025). AI, UNESCO, and the Sustainable Development Goals: Shaping a sustainable educational future [Conference presentation]. TESOL Conferences International, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
• Kormpas, G., Zeidan, A., & Hakeem, J. (2025). Student leadership and sustainability initiatives in higher education [Conference presentation]. SEE Global Sustainability Summit, SEE Institute, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• TESOL International Association: RPC (2023-member, 2025 Member; Research Award coordinator, 2026 Incoming Chair) Nominating Committee (2021 Member, 2022 Chair, 2023 Past Chair), ANPC (2018 - 2019 Member, 2020 Chair, 2021 Past Chair) MA and Doctoral Forum Reviewer (2017 - 2022).
• Proposal Reviewer (2015 - 2025); Digital Learning and Technology Strand Coordinator (2024 member, 2025 Lead, 2026 Lead); CALL IS Steering Committee Member (2017 - 2020); Global Education PLN Co-Leader (2019 - 2021); SRIS Committee Member (2018 - 2019); Award Reviewer (2017 - Present).
• TESOL Gulf: 2021 – 2023, President
  International Association for Blended Learning: 2021 – 2023, President
  Toastmasters International: (2021 Vice President Public Relations, 2022 Vice President Education, 2023 President, 2024 Area 3 Director, 2024 Division A Director, 2026 Area 3 Director).

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

I bring extensive experience in financial planning, budget oversight, and strategic resource management through senior leadership roles in higher education, international associations, and large-scale educational initiatives. My academic background in Business Administration, combined with executive leadership experience, has provided me with a strong foundation in financial analysis, budget planning, and responsible fiscal stewardship.

As Director of Executive Education at Al Yamamah University, I managed multi-million-dollar executive education projects and professional development programs for prestigious organizations including SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and organizations affiliated with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), including NEOM. These projects required comprehensive financial planning, budget development, contract negotiations, financial monitoring, and continuous evaluation to ensure that project objectives were achieved while maintaining financial sustainability and institutional priorities.

In this role, I regularly reviewed financial and investment reports to evaluate project performance, assess financial viability, identify potential risks, and support strategic decision-making. I worked closely with university leadership and external partners to analyze projected costs, forecast expenditures, optimize resource allocation, and ensure that projects remained financially sound and aligned with both institutional and client expectations.

In my current role as Director of Student Affairs at Al Yamamah University, I oversee departmental budgeting and financial planning for student engagement, leadership development, student clubs, institutional events, orientation programs, graduation ceremonies, and strategic initiatives. This includes evaluating proposed budgets, prioritizing expenditures, ensuring responsible use of institutional resources, and aligning financial decisions with the University's strategic plan and student success objectives. I routinely balance competing priorities while maximizing the impact of available resources and maintaining accountability and transparency in departmental spending.

Additionally, as President of the International Association for Blended Learning (IABL), I was responsible for the financial oversight of European Union-funded Erasmus+ projects involving multiple international partners. This included reviewing project budgets, monitoring expenditures, ensuring compliance with funding regulations, evaluating financial reports, and aligning financial decisions with organizational goals and grant requirements.

These experiences have strengthened my ability to interpret financial information, assess organizational priorities, evaluate budget proposals, and make evidence-informed financial decisions. I understand that effective financial governance extends beyond balancing budgets, it requires aligning financial stewardship with strategic vision, organizational sustainability, and long-term impact.

As a member of the TESOL International Association Board of Directors, I would bring a thoughtful, transparent, and strategic approach to financial oversight. I am committed to ensuring that TESOL's resources are invested responsibly, aligned with the Association's mission and strategic priorities, and managed in ways that maximize value for members while supporting the organization's long-term sustainability and global impact.

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when working with your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening and coming to consensus.

My leadership philosophy is grounded in collaboration, strategic thinking, and servant leadership. I believe effective boards foster inclusive dialogue, build consensus, and make evidence-informed decisions that advance an organization's mission while ensuring its long-term sustainability and global impact.

Throughout my service with TESOL International and other international organizations, I have consistently brought people together around shared goals. As Chair of TESOL's ANPC, I led the development of the first TESOL Affiliates Conference during the pandemic, engaging affiliate leaders from more than 30 countries. Through collaboration and careful planning, we created a conference that reflected the needs of TESOL's global community while strengthening affiliate partnerships.

As Chair of the TESOL International Nominating Committee, I worked collaboratively to promote transparency, broaden participation, and strengthen representation throughout the leadership selection process. Building consensus, respecting diverse perspectives, and ensuring fairness guided every decision.

As President of TESOL Gulf and the International Association for Blended Learning (IABL), I successfully led organizations through periods of change by balancing innovation with sound governance. As Director of Executive Education at Al Yamamah University, I also managed strategic partnerships with organizations including NEOM, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), SABIC, SAMA, and MIT, ensuring alignment between institutional priorities, stakeholder expectations, and financial sustainability.

As artificial intelligence reshapes language education, TESOL has an opportunity to lead responsibly by promoting ethical, equitable, and innovative practices. I believe the Board should help members embrace emerging technologies while safeguarding academic integrity and inclusion.

If elected, I will bring collaborative leadership, strategic vision, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring TESOL remains the world's leading association for English language educators.

The TESOL Board of Directors is responsible for making strategic decisions that align with the organization’s long-term vision. Share an example of a time when you applied strategic thinking within an organization. How did you balance innovation and risk? Additionally, describe the steps you took to stay focused on high-level strategic objectives rather than getting involved in day-to-day operational details.

Strategic thinking has shaped my leadership throughout TESOL International, higher education, and global professional organizations. I believe effective governance requires balancing innovation with responsible risk management while ensuring every initiative advances the organization's mission and long-term strategic priorities.

As Chair of the ANPC, I led the development of the first TESOL Affiliates Conference during the pandemic. Rather than simply creating a virtual event, we reimagined how affiliates could collaborate globally. I engaged affiliate leaders from diverse regions to identify priorities, evaluate risks, and ensure broad representation. Through phased planning, continuous stakeholder consultation, and contingency planning, we successfully launched an initiative that strengthened affiliate engagement while protecting TESOL's financial and reputational interests.

I also established the Affiliate Peer Advisory Program (APAP) after identifying a need for stronger collaboration among affiliates. Before implementation, I evaluated its scalability, sustainability, and alignment with TESOL's strategic objectives. Today, APAP continues to support mentoring and knowledge sharing across the affiliate network, demonstrating the value of carefully planned, mission-driven innovation.

In leadership roles such as RPC Award Coordinator, Digital Learning & Technology Strand Lead, President of TESOL Gulf, and President of the International Association for Blended Learning (IABL), I have remained focused on governance by establishing clear strategic goals, measurable outcomes, and accountability while empowering committees and operational teams to manage implementation. This approach allows me to monitor progress, evaluate impact, and adjust strategy without becoming involved in day-to-day operations.

As TESOL prepares for an AI-driven future, strategic leadership will require balancing innovation with ethical responsibility. I believe the Board should champion responsible adoption of emerging technologies while ensuring decisions remain aligned with TESOL's mission, financial sustainability, and commitment to equity, inclusion, and excellence.

Education and Certifications

• Doctor of Education in Open Digital and Distance Education, Canada;  
• Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics, USA, 
• Graduate Certificate in TESOL, USA;
• International Certificate for Teachers of English as an Additional Language, ICTEAL. Canada

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• UNESCO Consultant for the Implementation of the 2019 OER Recommendation -present;
• Researcher, ODL Nexus- Innovation and Knowledge Co-Construction, Ontario, Canada- present;
• Assistant Professor, Prince Sultan University, College of Sciences & Humanities, KSA (2025);
• Digital Literacy Fellow, e-Campus Ontario, Canada (2023-2024)
  Professor, Instructional Design and Communication and Writing Courses Lead, Fleming College Toronto, Canada (2021-2023);
• Visiting Professor and Researcher, Department of Foreign Languages, The College of William and Mary, VA, USA (2009-2015);
• English Lecturer, Qatar University, QA (2012-2017);
• English (ESL) Instructor, English PYP, English Language Centre, Old Dominion University, VA/USA (2009).

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• Assistant Professor, Prince Sultan University, College of Sciences & Humanities, KSA (2025);
• Digital Literacy Fellow, e-Campus Ontario, Canada (2023-2024);
• Professor, Instructional Design and Communication and Writing Courses Lead, Fleming College Toronto, Canada (2021-2023);
• Visiting Professor and Researcher, Department of Foreign Languages, The College of William and Mary, VA, USA (2009-2015);
• English Lecturer, Qatar University, QA (2012-2017);
• ESP Summer Program Director, Law School, The College of William and Mary (2013-2015).

• Lindsay, J., Al-Tawil, R., & Mansour, C. (2026). Learning With the World: Building Relational Intelligence through Human-AI Partnership in the Cosmogogy Collaborative. Ubiquity Proceedings, 7(1), 15. DOI: 10.5334/uproc.237
• Mansour, C., Palalas, A., Uludag, P. (2026) (Eds.). Online Language Assessment: A constructivist approach to theory-informed practice. Springer Nature Press. DOI: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-08518-4 
• Mansour, C., & Cheniti, L. (In press) (Eds.). Open Education Resources in the Arab World: From the Present State to an AI-Driven Future. Springer Nature Press.
• Mansour, C. (2026). A Multimodal Constructivist Assessment Model for L2 Writing in the GenAI Era. Education Sciences MDPI, Special Issue.
• Tlili, A., Salha, S., Affouneh, S., Mouas, S., Oubibi, M., Mansour, C., Ali, L., Khishfe, R., Almousa, N. A., Al-Waeli, J., Shehata, B., & Alamin, A. (2026). “Science or His-Story?” Gender Representation in Science Textbooks of Thirteen Arab Countries. Sexuality & Culture. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-026-10565-y 
• Mansour, C. (2024). Instructional Conversations in Synchronous Environments: Multiple Case Studies of ESOL Instructors [Athabasca University]. DOI: https://dt.athabascau.ca/jspui/handle/10791/451 
• Ossiannilsson, E., Cazarez, R. L. U., Goode, C., Mansour, C., & Martins Gomes de Gusmão, C. (2024). Artificial Intelligence Use to Empower the Implementation of OER and the UNESCO OER Recommendation. Open Praxis, 16(2), pp. 237–257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.16.2.650 
• Rauliuk, M., Doran, M., Al Tawil, R., & Mansour, C. (2021). Emergency Response to Digital Pedagogy: A Simple Blueprint for Transitioning Online. In I. Fayed & J. Cummings (Eds.), Teaching in the PostCOVID-19 Era: World Education Dilemmas, Teaching Innovations and Solutions in the Age of Crisis (pp. 661–671). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74088-7_65 
• Doran, M., Mansour, C., & Al-Tawil, R. (2021). Re-Modelling Learning: Transforming a Standard Course Module into a Blended Task-Centered Blueprint. The International Association for Blended Learning.

• TESOL International Association :
  Chair: Higher Education IS (2023-2025),
  English as a Foreign Language IS (2017-2019),
  Diversity & Inclusion Committee (2015-2016);
  Nominating Committee member (2020).
• International Council for Distance Education (ICDE): Ambassador and OER Advocacy Committee Member (2023-2025);
• TEFL Kuwait: Board member & Blended Learning SIG Chair (2020-2025);
• Executive Board Member & International Affairs Liaison: The International Association for Blended Learning, Greece. (2021-2022).

Please give examples that demonstrate your abilities to: Understand and analyze financial and investment reports; Review and analyze proposed budgets in light of association resources, strategic goals, and priorities.

As the director of the ESP for Master in Law Summer Program, I was overseeing financial and budget related matters and allocated funds for extracurricular activities, faculty professional development programs and incoming international students’ orientation days. In this role, I regularly analyzed quarterly financial reports that showed overspending in our faculty professional development budget during the first quarter. By examining line-item expenditures, I identified that external PDs/workshops by invited speakers expenses on campus, had increased significantly compared to our projections. I conducted a cost-benefit analysis comparing different professional development options, ultimately recommending a shift toward virtual speakers’ invitations and in-house training sessions, which reduced costs while maintaining quality outcomes.

In addition, I developed monthly cash flow projections by analyzing historical spending patterns from previous summers. When our financial reports indicated irregular spending peaks in July, I identified this was due to clustered event bookings. I implemented a revised payment schedule that distributed expenses more evenly throughout the program duration, improving our working capital management and reducing the need for short-term financing. 

As a board member with 21st Calling Blended by Design NGO, our work included providing services related to adult education, blended by design content creation, and talent development as well as customized learning solutions for refugees in North America. When reviewing the proposed budget for our customized learning solutions program, I identified a significant misalignment with our strategic priority of serving our population of refugees annually. The initial budget allocated more funds to technology infrastructure but less funds to multilingual content development. Through detailed analysis of our target demographics, I determined that our refugee population primarily needed Arabic, Spanish, and French content. I recommend reallocating the designated funds for hardware purchases to recruiting volunteers who believe in the greater good to provide free translation services and culturally adapted curriculum development, which better aligned with our goal of accessibility and inclusion and saved us money.

Please describe your leadership philosophy through concrete examples and demonstrate your leadership style when working with your peers on challenging and critical issues, sharing ideas, listening and coming to consensus.

My leadership philosophy is grounded in servant leadership principles, where effective leadership emerges through empowering others and fostering collective wisdom. In TESOL environments, this approach recognizes that our diverse community of educators, researchers, and practitioners brings invaluable expertise that must be cultivated rather than directed.

Throughout my involvement in leadership in various contexts and institutions, I fostered skills of building collaborative consensus. For example, when leading a multi-institutional ESL assessment standards committee, I encountered significant tension between traditional and progressive educators. Rather than imposing solutions, I facilitated structured listening sessions where each group articulated their pedagogical concerns. By reframing our question from "Which approach is correct?" to "How do we best serve our English language learners?" we discovered shared values around student success and educational equity. The resulting hybrid assessment model incorporated both rigorous standards and flexible implementation, achieving consensus because every stakeholder's expertise contributed to the solution.

During budget constraints threatening program closures, I employed "radical transparency with compassionate framing." Instead of asking "What can we cut?" I facilitated discussions around "How do we preserve our core mission while adapting to new realities?" Through individual stakeholder conversations followed by collaborative brainstorming, we generated innovative delivery methods and strategic partnerships that maintained educational quality while achieving sustainability.

This servant leadership approach aligns directly with TESOL International's mission of advancing excellence in English language teaching globally. I view board service as an opportunity to facilitate our field's collective wisdom rather than advance individual agendas. My leadership style prioritizes deep listening, inclusive decision-making, and solutions that emerge from our community's diverse expertise.
I bring to the board a commitment to serving our global TESOL community by creating spaces where every voice contributes to strengthening English language education worldwide, ensuring our decisions reflect the collective needs of educators and learners we serve.

The TESOL Board of Directors is responsible for making strategic decisions that align with the organization’s long-term vision. Share an example of a time when you applied strategic thinking within an organization. How did you balance innovation and risk? Additionally, describe the steps you took to stay focused on high-level strategic objectives rather than getting involved in day-to-day operational details.

When Africa ELTA set its long-term vision of serving its under-resourced ELT communities through teaching resources, I recognized the need of Africa ELTA OER Bank which required strategic thinking beyond immediate training needs. The challenge wasn't just creating resources—it was building a sustainable ecosystem that could maintain quality and relevance for years to come.

My strategic approach centered on pipeline development. I mapped out the entire project from OER awareness to sustainable resource creation. This meant starting with basic awareness campaigns for our membership, then systematically building capacity at every level—from general members to board leadership.

The innovation lay in creating interconnected stages. First, I focused on widespread OER awareness across Africa ELTA's membership. Next, I designed comprehensive training for both members and board members, ensuring leadership understood and supported the vision. Then came the critical step of establishing standardized OER Review Rubrics—without quality standards, our bank would become meaningless.

I knew that sustainable quality required more than just initial training; it needed ongoing capacity building. This led to launching the Africa ELTA OER Mentorship Program, which served a dual purpose: maintaining a steady pipeline of qualified reviewers while ensuring continuous quality submissions.

To stay focused on this long-term vision, I created a phased implementation timeline spanning three years. I established clear milestones for each stage. Periodic strategy reviews kept me anchored to the bigger picture—building Africa ELTA's capacity to independently maintain and grow its OER Bank.

The strategic thinking paid off by establishing such quality review standards, and a mentorship program that continuously develops new OER creators as well as reviewers. Most importantly, we created a self-sustaining system where the OER Bank can grow and maintain quality without depending on external support, transforming African ELTA educators into OER creators, fulfilling our long-term strategic vision.

Education and Certifications

• M.A TESOL; M.A International Relations (Specialism: International Communication and Public Action); PGCE; B.A (Combined Honours - English and French)

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• March 2026-Present: English Language teacher and Head of English Department at Institut des Techniques Industrielles d’Etoug-ebe, Ministry of Secondary Education, Yaoundé - Cameroon.
• January 2025 to February 2026: Cambridge Assessment Specialist
• September 2024 to February 2026: ESOL Lecturer, Adult Education, Coventry City Council, UK.
• October 2023 to February 2026: English Online Teacher, British Council.
• March 2013 to September 2022: English Language Teacher, Government Technical College, Ndimi.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• 2020 to date: Member - TESOL International Association.
• 2021 to date: Member - IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language).
• 2023 to date: Member - Africa ELTA
• 2023 to date: President - International English Language Teachers Association (IELTA) – Cameroon Chapter.

• Chi, A. L. (2025). Perceptions of school-based teaching practice mentoring in Cameroon. Language Teacher Education Research, 2, 53-77. https://doi.org/10.32038/lter.2025.02.05 
• Chi, A. L. (2025). Must Motivation Come from Within? Narrative of a Language Learning Experience. reflections, 32(2), 1243–1252. https://doi.org/10.61508/refl.v32i2.281400 
• Chi, A. L. (2024). Action research for self-directed professional development. TESOL Connections, 2(11).
• Chi, A. L. (2024). The Vocabulary Wheel: A Low-Resource Activity for Enhancing Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention. English Teaching Forum, 62(2), 1-4.
• Chi, A. L. (2023). Teaching grammar communicatively: The situational approach. TESOL Connections, May 2023.
• “Top tips for reflective practice”. World Teachers` Day, British Council event, online (9th – 11th October, 2025). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFKRTqQ-efs&t=288s.
• “Can emojis help develop writing skills?”. British Council, Teaching the four skills webinar event (13th November, 2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTmEuirWzig&t=4s.
• “Redefining ELT in the context of global Englishes”. TESOL International Convention, Los Angeles, California, USA (18th – 21st March, 2025).
• “Action research: A path to teacher professional development”. TESOL  International Convention, Portland, Oregon, USA (21st – 24th March 2023).
• "Teaching practice mentoring: Insights from a teacher development workshop in Cameroon". IATEFL conference, Brighton, UK (21st - 24th April 2026).
• “Reflective practice: A professional development tool”. IATEFL conference, Brighton, UK (15th–19th April, 2024).
• "Decentring teaching/learning: The role of centres in the global south". ICERDA conference, University of Cape Coast, Ghana (19th - 21st September 2023).

• 2025 and 2026: Strand Coordinator - TESOL International Association.
• 2025: Reader for the TESOL Award for Excellence in Research - TESOL International Association.
• 2023 and 2024: Conference proposal Reviewer - TESOL International Association.
• 2022 and 2023: Conference volunteer (Pittsburgh and Portland Conventions) - TESOL International Association.
• 2024 to 2026: Reader IATEFL Scholarships - IATEFL.
• 2022: Reviewer of the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program - US Department of State.
• 2023 to 2026: President - International English Language Teachers Association (IELTA) – Cameroon Chapter.
• 2019 - 2026: Volunteer Program Facilitator and Mentor in charge of Social and Emotional Learning at Open Dreams.
• 2022 to 2025: Volunteer Advocate for the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people in Cameroon at Deserve.

Education and Certifications

• PhD Student, Master (Completed), License (Completed) and CAEM (Professional Dégrée for Teachers)

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• EFL Educator, Général English at Ndioum High School
• Community Leadership;
• EdTech & Youth Empowerment Advocate;
• Digital Literacy Advocate;
• Green ELT

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• Àssociation of Teachers of English in Senegal (ATES);
• ATES (Local Branch Président and Pedagogic National Commission, 2018 - 2023);
• Africa ELTA (Secretary Général 2021_2023);
• International Association of English Teaching Language (IATEL, Ambassador 2022-2023).

• CETL Conférence (2026): Make Reading Fun With Kahoot;
• TESOL 2026: Empowering Youth Through PBL : Insights from PAYLP 2025;
• ATES 2022: Analyzing Test Items and Improving Test Construction;
• Africa ELTA (2022): Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Challenges and Opportunities;
• Action Research : A Sample of Blended Learning in DOA: Innovation and Execution;
• ICERDA (2023): Leveraging WhatsApp for English Language Teaching & Teacher Éducation Professional Development

• TESOL Support Group (Virtual Community) Founder;
• Green ELT Community Senegal (Virtual Community) Leader;
• Supporting Teachers in Early Practice (STEP) (Virtual Community) Founder;
• TESOL International 2026 Volunteer;
• Teacher Mentoring;
• Teacher Professional Development;
• Proposal Reviewer (Africa ELTA);
• Former Africa ELTA Secretary Général;
• Former IELTA Ambassador;
• Former Dubaï Legend Toastmaster Club Member;
• Former Pedagogic Commission member of ATES (Association of Teachers of English in Senegal);
• Former President of ATES Regional Branch (Matam).

Education and Certifications

• MA English, Specialization in TESOL, Bowling Green State University.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Lecturer, Ritsumeikan University, 2020-present;
• Associate Lecturer of English, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2016-2020;
• Associate Professor of TEFL, Kansai Gaidai University, 2011-2016;
• Assistant Professor of TEFL, Kansai Gaidai University, 2006-2011.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• TESOL Membership Professional Council. Chair, 2025-2026. Member, 2021-present;
• JALT Awards and Recognition Committee. Chair, 2022-present;
• EVE Equal Voices ELT – ELT Algeria Mentoring Program. Mentor, 2026;
• Asymptote Journal. Educational Arm Assistant, March 2018-present.
• JALT LiLT SIG (The Japan Association for Language Teaching Literature in Language Teaching Special Interest Group). Forum Chair, 2021. 2025. 2026;
• JALT CUE SIG (The Japan Association for Language Teaching College & University Educators Special Interest Group). Conference Co-chair, 2020. 2021.

• Collaborative teacher research on spaced repetition in language classrooms across contexts. (In progress; 2025-present). Co-investigators: Hillis, M. Khawaja, A., Baker, M., & Hoelker, J. [Recipient of Kathleen M. Bailey Teacher-Researcher Award, TIRF, 2025].
• Ohashi, L. Hillis, M. & Dykes, R. (Eds.). (2025). Artificial intelligence in our language learning classrooms. Candlin & Mynard.
• Khawaja, A., Hillis, M., Baker, M., & Hoelker, J. (2026). Decolonizing Dialogue: Stories of Virtual Exchange and Inclusive Spaces. In C. Lin, C. V. Bauler, and E. C. Servano, (Eds). Virtual Exchange as Justice-Oriented Practices: Navigating Identity, Language and Power. Multilingual Matters.
• Hillis, M. (2023). Pairing contemporary issues and poetry. JALT PanSIG Journal 2023. (pp. 189-195).
• Hillis, M. (2023). Down the writing center rabbit hole. In L. A. S. Serano & G. M. M. Mendoza (Eds). Empowered Women: A collection of worldwide stories.
• Hillis, M. (2026, June 13). Using Thinking Routines with Literature, Creative Writing and Beyond. [Invited Presentation.] JALT Nagoya Gifu Chapter. Nagoya, Japan.
• Ward, N., Warren, A., Hoelker, J., Hillis, M. & Baker, M. (2026, March 26). Reimagining Teacher Education through Virtual Exchange: Criticality, Identity and Power. [Panel Presentation.] TESOL 2026 International Convention and Expo. Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
• Hillis, M. (2026, March 14). Diversity and Digital Poetry in ELT. [Conference Presentation]. Diversity in the Literatures and Cultures of the English Speaking World. Chukyo University. Nagoya, Japan.

• TESOL Membership Professional Council. Chair, 2025-2026.
• TESOL Membership Professional Council. Member, 2021-present.
• Served on the following MPC task groups: events engagement, teacher educators, and MyTESOL. Volunteered as a New Member Guide, facilitated Teacher Educator Coffee Chats, co-hosted networking sessions at the TESOL Virtual Convention and TESOL Elevate.
• TESOL Live! Connect Around the World (monthly online event). Co-host, 2023-present.
• TESOL Proposal Reviewer, 2007-present.
• TESOL Award Reviewer, 2023.
• TESOL Awards & Grants Standing Committee. Chair, 2012-2013. Member, 2008-2014.
• TESOL Electronic Village Online. Moderator, 2008-2013.

Education and Certifications

•  University of Virginia, Ph.D.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Associate Professor; University of Nevada, Reno; 2022-present;
• Graduate Director: Ph.D. in Equity, Diversity, & Language Education; University of Nevada, Reno; 2026-present;
• Assistant Professor; University of Nevada, Reno; 2016-2022;
• Graduate Assistant; University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA; 2012-2016;
• English Coordinator and Senior English Consultant; SABIS® School Network, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 2007-2012;
• English Language Teacher; various multilingual contexts in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates; 2000-2006.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL);
• American Educational Research Association (AERA);
• TESOL International Association.

• Karam, F. J., Oikonomidoy, E., & Kibler, A. K. (2026). Funds of Identity: A critical multilingual perspective through the experiences of two Syrian refugee-background adults. Applied Linguistics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amag064
• Karam, F. J. & Warren, A. N. (Eds.) (2026). Toward Equitable Futures in Online Language Teacher Education: Designing for Criticality, Dialogism, and Advocacy. De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112218938 
• Karam, F. J., & Oikonomidoy, E. (2025). “I Rely on God”: Religion as a Fund of Identity in the Resettlement Experiences of Refugee-Background Parents in the United States. Multicultural Perspectives, 27(3), 134–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2025.2575735 
• Karam, F. J., & Kibler, A. K. (Eds.) (2024). Critical dialogic TESOL teacher education: Preparing future advocates and supporters of multilingual learners. Bloomsbury. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/critical-dialogic-tesol-teacher-education-9781350342071/ 
• Karam, F. J. (forthcoming; 2027, March). Sociodrama: A critical, multimodal, and playful pedagogy [Invited speaker session]. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages International Convention & English Language Expo, Houston, TX.
• Karam, F. J., Unlu, G., Amin. S. (2025, March). “Required: English native speaker”: Challenging discriminatory job advertisements in TESOL [Paper presentation]. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages International Convention & English Language Expo, Long Beach, CA.

• Editorial Board Member: Journal of Language, Identity, & Education (2019-present);
• Editorial Board Member: TESOL Quarterly (March 2022 – March 2025);
• Editorial Board Member: Journal of Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (2025-present);
• Chair; Membership Task Force (2024-2025); American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL);
• TESOL International Association’s Task Force on Use of Asset-Based Terminology (2024);
• Co-Chair: Second Language Research SIG (AERA), 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award;
• Chair-elect, Chair, and Past-Chair; TESOL International Association’s Awards Professional Council (2021-2023);
• External Grant Reviewer; TESOL International Association, TESOL Research Mini-Grants (2016-2019);
• Award Coordinator; TESOL Award for Distinguished Research (2018-2021);
• Award Coordinator; TESOL Leadership Mentoring Award (2023);
• Award Coordinator; TESOL Teacher of the Year Award (2022);
• Small Grants Review Panel, Spencer Foundation (2021);
• TESOL International Association’s Awards Professional Council (2018-2021);
• TESOL International Association’s Research Professional Council (2016-2019);
• Graduate Student Intern, TESOL International Association, (summer 2013).

Education and Certifications

•  Purdue University, Ph.D.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Senior Lecturer/Lecturer, Purdue University (Purdue Language & Cultural Exchange), August 2019-Present;
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Miami University, OH, Dept. of English, August 2013-May 2019;
• Postdoctoral Lecturer, Purdue University, Dept. of English, August 2012-May 2013.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• Purdue University/Purdue Language & Cultural Exchange/Senior Lecturer (Lecturer), Teaching first year international students’ academic communication and American culture, August 2019-Present;
• Miami University, OH/Dept. of English/Teaching international students’ academic writing, Visiting Assistant Professor, August 2013-May 2019;
• Purdue University/Dept. of English/First-year Writing Program, Postdoctoral Lecturer, August 2012-May 2013.

• Kim, M., Li, H., Cheng, L., & Climer, T. (2025, March, 20). Instructor-Guided ChatGPT training for academic writing: Multilingual college writers’ perceptions. [Conference session]. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International Convention & Expo, Long Beach, CA.
• Kim, M. Christiansen, S., De Oliveira, L., Dos Santos, A. E., Olesova, L., & Copeland, K. (2024, March 22). Reimagining multilingual writing through AI. [Intersection session]. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International Convention & Expo, Tempa, FL.
• Kim, M. (2023, March 21-24). Transforming your PowerPoint into an interactive quiz tool with ClassPoint. [Electronic Village]. 2023 Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
  International Convention. Portland, OR, United States.
• Kim, M. & Allen, M. (2023, March 21-24). Adobe Express for creative language teaching and learning. [Electronic Village]. 2023 Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International Convention. Portland, OR, United States.
• Kim, M. (2017, June 30-July 2). Assessing multilingual students’ perceptions on plagiarism: Recapturing their voices while avoiding plagiarism. [Conference session]. Second Language Writing Symposium. Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Kim, M. (2019, November 13-16). Multilingual students and plagiarism in a first-year writing course: Analysis of their perception on plagiarism and use of reference management systems as a preventative tool. [Conference session]. Second Language Writing Symposium. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
• Kim, M. (2020, September). Three speech-related applications. Flipgrid: Improving language skills through a social online platform. On CALL: TESOL CALL-IS Newsletter.
• Kim, M. (2019, September). Empowering student writers through reference management tools: Tips for teaching students to track their sources and prevent plagiarism. On CALL: TESOL CALL-IS Newsletter.
• Li, H., & Kim, M. (n.d.). Personalized and adaptive learning for multilingual learners: AI-assisted writing and intercultural communication. In A. Kushki & W. E. Wright (Eds.), Education for multilingual learners in the age of artificial intelligence: Challenges and possibilities for K–12 classrooms. Multilingual Matters. [Manuscript under review].

• TESOL CALL-IS Chair Elect/Chair/Past Chair (2023-2026);
• TESOL CALL-IS Steering Committee/Member-at-Large (2021-2023);
• TESOL 2022 Electronic Village proposal reviewer (2022);
• “AI in ELT” Initiative member, Purdue Language and Cultural Exchange, Purdue University (2024-present; Curriculum development; AI & ESL academic Writing; Instructor-Guided ChatGPT Training);
• Search committee member, Purdue Language and Cultural Exchange, Purdue University (2022).

Education and Certifications

• CAGS Teaching Bilingual English Learners with Disabilities; CAGS Educator Leadership CAGS TESOL; CAGS Traditional Chinese Painting;
• MA Cross-Cultural, Multicultural, and Global Education, Norwich University;
• BFA Philadelphia College of Art.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• ESL Teacher Grades 6-8, Brown Middle School, Newton, MA USA 5 years;
• ESL Teacher Grades 6-8, Day Middle School, Newton, MA USA 4 years;
• ESL Teacher Grades 9-12, Newton South High School, Newton, MA USA 3 years;
• ESL Teacher Grades 5-8, Chenery Middle School, Belmont, MA USA 12 years;
• 5th Grade Classroom Teacher, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA USA 1 year;
• ESL & Art Teacher Grades 3-12, Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Forest Glenn, QLD Australia 1 year;
• ESOL Teacher for Adults, Sunshine Coast English College, Noosa Heads, QLD Australia 3 years;
• 6th Grade Classroom Teacher, Seisen International School, Tokyo, Japan 3 years;
• Math & Art Teacher Grades 1-10, Brearley School, New York, NY USA 1 year.

Part-Time:

• Featured Strand Facilitator, 2025 TESOL-TIRF Research Symposium "Where Curiosity Meets Collaboration”: Advancing English Language Learning Education Research, June- September 2025;
• Adjunct Professor, Emmanuel College, Boston, MA USA 1 year;
• Adjunct Professor, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA USA 1 year;
• Adjunct Professor, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA USA 12 years;
• Rethinking Equity for Teaching English Language Learners (RETELL) Trainer for School Districts - Belmont, Burlington, Malden, Newton, Reading, Waltham, and Weston (graduate credit for the courses was available from regional colleges and universities in Massachusetts, USA) 13 years.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• WIDA Consortium, WIDA Fellow 2024-2026;
• TESOL International, Member of the Board of Directors 2018-2021;
• MATSOL (the Massachusetts state affiliate of TESOL) Member of the Board of Directors 2008-2017, President of MATSOL from 2014-2016;
• MABE (Massachusetts Association of Bilingual Educators) Member of the Board of Directors 2008-2012.

• Independent Lead Team Writer of WIDA Prime 2020 Notebooks for National Geographic’ Lift series;
• Honigsfeld, A. (2024). Growing language and literacy: Strategies for secondary multilingual learners. Heinemann. As highlighted in a secondary classroom example featuring Kathy Lobo's practice, scaffolding peer interaction helps move adolescent learners across language proficiency levels (Honigsfeld, 2024, p. 92);
• Lobo, K., & Kuttig, K.-D. (2024). A K-12 teacher's research in practice. In K. M. Reynolds & K.-D. Kuttig (Eds.), K-12 classroom research in language teaching and learning: Narratives for understanding and engaging in teacher research (pp. 41–59). Routledge. doi.org;
• TESOL International Association. (2024). The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English learners: Grades K–12 (2nd ed.). TESOL Press. Lobo's classroom practice is featured in Chapter 6 Implementing The 6 Principles in Different Contexts (TESOL International Association, 2024, pp. 139-149).

• TESOL International Convention Chair/Chair of the Conference Professional Council Chair 2018 for the TESOL Convention in Chicago;
• TESOL International Associate Program Chair 2014 and 2017 for TESOL Conventions in Portland and Seattle;
• TESOL International Team Leader for 2010 and 2012 TESOL Conventions in Boston and Philadelphia.

Education and Certifications

•  Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction TESOL

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Professor of education and former ESL program specialist coordinator, PennWest University California campus (formerly California University of Pennsylvania, 2011 to 2026;
• Adjunct Instructor, Sheltered English Immersion, University of Phoenix, Europe, Kapun Airbase, Kaiserslautern, Germany 2010-201;
• Special Education Paraprofessional, Vogleweh Elementary, DODDS, Kaiserslautern, Germany 2010-201;
• English Language Learner (ELL) Tutor/Teacher Pre-K through 1st Grade, Bramlett Elementary, Oxford, Mississippi 2005-2008;
• Instructor-Intensive ESL Program, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi 8/2007-12/2007;
• English as a Foreign Language Teacher, Kindergarten and 1st Grade, Natural Way Children’s School, Taichung, Taiwan 1998-2000;
• and 1st Grade, Natural Way Children’s School, Taichung, Taiwan 1998-2000.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• Three Rivers TESOL webmaster and president
• PennTESOL East Advocacy Co-Chair member

• ESL counselors Website with Joe DiLucente and Molly Thompson
  https://www.eslcounselors.org/;
• Day, G. & Rutledge, S (2018). Physics Hertz! An Analysis of the Language Demands of the Physics Classroom. Proceedings of the National Conference of Undergraduate Research (student lead research and publication);
• Presentation: Lead From the Front Using Elevator Speeches to Enhance Collaboration January 2023;
• Presentation: TESOL Advocacy Summit: Invited Speaker “Know your worth!” June 2022;
• Construyendo Estudiantes Resilientes: Fostering Social Emotional Learning” April 2022 Virtual Professional Learning Summit Center for Schools and Communities Pennsylvania Department of Education.

• TESOL Team leader: Posters TESOL International Convention March 2022;
• TESOL CAEP Program Reviewer 2017-2021;
• TESOL proposal Reviewer 2010-2015;
• TESOL Journal Reviewer 2011.

Education and Certifications

• Completed a program of graduate study and professional development at Vanderbilt University, as a participant in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange. 2025-2026;
• Master Degree of Arts (Majoring English Language and Literature) Huazhong University of Science and Technology  2009.9-2011.6;
• Bachelor Degree of Arts (Majoring English) Huazhong University of Science and Technology  2005.9-2009.6;
• Undergraduate Majoring Measurement and Control Technology and Instrument Huazhong University of Science and Technology  2004.9-2005.6;
• Nominated by the U.S. Department of State, attend the 2024 TESOL International Association Convention and Expo as a world leader 2024;
• 3rd Prize in Hubei Province, at the 14th SFLEP National Foreign Language Teaching Contest, China 2023;
• Global English Education China Assembly, host 2021& 2023;
• Teacher Certificate of Higher Education, China 2022 ·'The Most Beautiful Teacher' in Meiga Institute (MGPI) 2022 ·TKT Modules 1, 2, 3 2021;
• American English E-Teacher (OPEN) Program, Content-Based Instructions (CBI) course completed 2020;
• Registered Player of Wuhan Spicy American Football Club; registered American football official in CNFL 2018-present.

Relevant/Select Professional Work Experience

• Professional Affiliation as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA 2025-2026;
• College English Teacher, Wuchang Shouyi University (China) 2024-2025;
• College English Teacher and Administrator of Teaching Affairs, Meiga Polytechnic Institute of Hubei (China) 2021-2024;
• Community Lead on the Online Professional English Network (OPEN) alumni Community of Practice (CoP) 2021-2024;
• English Teacher (Secondary Education), Wuhan Foreign Languages School Meiga Academy 2020-2021.

Relevant Professional Affiliations

• 2026-present Founder of Family Album for Multilingual Educators (FAME) network affiliated with Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, establishing a worldwide research-practice integrated platform for multilingual educators;
• 2021-2024 Standards Professional Council (SPC) member of TESOL International Association;
• 2021-2024 Community Lead on the Online Professional English Network (OPEN).

• 2026-4 Bridging Campus & Community_Community Engagement Symposium (at Vanderbilt) Presenter;
• Article-Study on the Application Value of Situational Teaching Method in College English Teaching (2023), Xuandongman Journal, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database;
• Member of the Research Project, Practical Research on Integrating County-level Cultural Elements into College English Courses under the Background of Rural Revitalization, which is a "National Foreign Language Teaching and Research Project of Higher Education Institutions" sponsored by Shanghai Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press;
• 2021-2025 Leader of multilingual Content-Based Instruction curriculum development for Meiga Polytechnic Institute of Hubei and Wuchang Shouyi University.

• 2025–present Organizer of FAME professional network as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow (2025-2026) at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.
• Founder of Family Album for Multilingual Educators (FAME) network, affiliated with Peabody-Asia Consortium for Education (PACE). Review proposals and organize seminars.
• 2025-Nominated as a candidate for one of the positions on the Nominating Committee on the 2025-2026 TESOL ballot.
• 2021-2024 Title: Standards Professional Council (SPC) member
  Institution:
• TESOL International Association. 2022-2024 Title: Community Lead Institution: Online Professional English Network (OPEN) alumni Community of Practice (CoP)