Open Board Positions - 2025

The following board positions are open for the 2025 term. Contact pastpresident@watesol.org to nominate yourself or a colleague. For more information about the responsibilities of each position, see the WATESOL Board Job Descriptions.

Treasurer
Professional Development Chair
Newsletter Editor
Communications Chair
Recording Secretary
Advocacy Chair
Higher Ed SIG Chair
K-12 SIG Chair
Adult Ed SIG Chair

Board Members - 2024

Melissa Hauke President	Melissa is a high school ESOL Resource Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. In addition to teaching high school, she has also taught elementary, university and adult students. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Macedonia 2007-2009), an English Language Fellow (Russia) and an English Language Specialist (Thailand). She has an MS in Education in Reading and an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction.	Fairfax County Public Schools
Krisztina Domjan Past President pastpresident@watesol.org	Krisztina is an educator and advocate of inclusive pedagogy. She has experience in a range of educational settings: higher, adult, and secondary education of civilian and military learners; in Hungary, in England, in Germany (military base) and in the USA. She teaches International Communication, Intercultural Studies, Research Writing, Composition and Discussion courses at American University. She enjoys sharing innovative and stimulating ideas and professional development resources with colleagues in professional learning circles. She has experience teaching in-person and online courses pre sessional, undergraduate and graduate students.	American University
Max Rhinehart Vice President vicepresident@watesol.org	Max is an instructor at American University’s English Language Training Academy and International Accelerator Program. After studying Spanish and English as an undergraduate, he earned a Masters degree in Applied Linguistics from Ohio University. He has taught English to students of diverse backgrounds in Ohio, North Carolina, and here in Washington, DC.	American University
Connie Patsalos Recording Secretary recordingsecretary@watesol.org	Connie Patsalos teaches ESL at Deal Middle School in DCPS. In addition to teaching middle school, she has also been an adjunct at American University in both the English Language Training Academy, where she taught Media & Culture and History of Higher Education, and the TESOL department, where she taught Academic Writing for Graduate Students. In her role as a public school teacher, Connie is very interested in helping ELs be more fully integrated into the general education classroom. She received a BA in English from Colgate University and an MA TESOL from American University.	District of Columbia Public Schools
[Currently Vacant] Treasurer treasurer@watesol.org
[Currently Vacant] Membership Secretary membership@watesol.org
Tabitha Kidwell Communications Chair communications@watesol.org	Tabitha Kidwell is a faculty member in the TESOL program at American University. She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Language Education from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research focuses on language teacher education, particularly how language teachers are prepared to teach about culture. She has taught French, Spanish, and English to students ranging from pre-schoolers to adults, and has conducted professional development for language teachers in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the United States. Dr. Kidwell is a frequent presenter at regional and international TESOL conferences.	American University
Mayonne Granzo PD Co-Chair pd@watesol.org	Mayonne Granzo is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University's English Language Center where she teaches in the intensive English program. She is also a Literacy Specialist in the Accelerated Career English program at Holyoke Community College where she teaches English to new immigrants transitioning into the American workplace. She has a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on ESOL. Mayonne has also led teacher training workshops for pre-service and in-service English language teachers in Morocco, as part of her fellowship with English Language Programs. She has taught students from all around the world while learning about their culture and providing them with the essential English tools needed to pursue their life goals.	Georgetown University, Holyoke Community College
Kellie Corbett PD Co-Chair pd@watesol.org	Kellie Corbett is a TESOL professional with a MA in Applied Linguistics from Grand Valley State University. Kellie has experience teaching EFL in France, and 3 years of experience teaching adult ESL in the United States. In her last position, she served as a lead ESL Instructor where she led teacher training for her team. She recently relocated to Washington DC to start a new position at the Family Place PCS. Kellie's professional interests include anti-colonial language teaching, communicative language teaching, and language policy and planning.	The Family Place, PCS
Marina Dewees Newsletter Co-Editor newsletter@watesol.org	Marina Dewees is a teacher and a curriculum writer in FCPS. She holds a PhD in social linguistics. She has taught all age groups -from K to adults. Marina has worked in DCPS, FCPS and overseas. Marina is an National Borad Certified Teacher, a Fulbright alumni and a regular presenter at national and international conferences. Among Marina's main professional interests are teacher training and support, development content area curricula for ELs and students' skills re-uptake in post-pandemic environment.	Fairfax County Public Schools
Kathleen Kearney Newsletter Co-Editor newsletter@watesol.org	Kathleen F. Kearney teaches international students and professionals at Georgetown University’s English Language Center. She has taught for American University, Kaplan International English, International Language Institute, Lado International Institute and Education USA-Russia. She has also taught young English learners at DCPS, DC public charter schools and the National Defense University. Since 2009, she has been a volunteer at the Washington English Center. She holds an M.S. in Literacy, Culture and Language Education from Indiana University. She also holds professional certificates in Instructional Design and Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Georgetown University, an M.A. from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Miami University (Ohio).	Georgetown University
John Simpson Higher Ed SIG higheredsig@watesol.org	John Simpson is a former English Language Fellow, Specialist, and Alumni Ambassador at Georgetown University and values inclusive education practices in Higher Education. From 2020-2021, John was Director of the English-Speaking Nation Program with American Councils for International Education in Uzbekistan. A former Clinton Fellow for Service in India and Senior Fellow at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, John brings a multitude of international teaching experiences and diverse leadership skills to WATESOL. John currently serves as Director of the Professional Fellows Program for Economic Empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa with Legacy International.	Legacy International
Maria E. Silva K-12 SIG k12sig@watesol.org	Maria E. Silva is an English teacher and a Specialist in Foreign Language Teaching from Venezuela. She teaches Spanish for the District of Columbia Public Schools. Mrs. Silva participated in the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program at George Mason University, the Youth Ambassador Program in Tennessee, and English Teaching trainings with the University of Oregon. She was an active member of VENTESOL (Venezuelan Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), volunteering for English teachers’ professional development, workshops, and conventions.	District of Columbia Public Schools
M.J. Park K-12 SIG k12sig@watesol.org	MJ Park has worked in the English education field for more than 20 years. After earning her MA degree in TESOL from New York University, she has taught a broad spectrum of students with multicultural and multilingual backgrounds. She is currently working for GED program students at Montgomery College and teaching young adolescents in Montgomery County Public Schools. MJ has been in the DC metro area for over 10 years, and her past workplaces include American University, Columbia College, Montgomery College, and New York University. This year, her research focus is on innovative teaching resources like the Color Vowel Chart.	Montgomery College Montgomery County Public Schools
Vivian Njosa Adult Ed SIG adultedsig@watesol.org	Vivianne Njosa is from Cameroon, Central Africa and has been in the United States for Forty-Five years. She lives in Burtonsville MD with her two children, Gabriella and Michael. For years, she worked as a Realtor in Maryland, educating low-income families on the home buying process. She received her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Education in 2015 and immediately got hired as an ESOL Instructor at Montgomery College. For the past six years, she has been an instructor for the AELG program in Montgomery College, and she hopes to continue facilitating learning for adult learners in Montgomery county for as long as she can.	Montgomery College
Darlene Fahrenkrug Adult Ed SIG adultedsig@watesol.org	Darlene is the Lead Adult ESL Specialist at the Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP). She has taught adult multilingual learners in private organizations, public schools, and non-profits. She has a Master's degree in English (Linguistics) and a Graduate Certificate in TESOL from GMU, as well as a CELTA. Her research interests include Open Educational Resources (OER), digital resilience, professional development, assessment, and culturally responsive teaching. She looks forward to serving the WATESOL Adult Ed SIG and building our community across the DMV.	Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP)
[Currently Vacant] NNEST Caucus Liason nnest@watesol.org
Heather Mehrtens Advocacy Chair advocacy@watesol.org	Heather Mehrtens holds an MA in TESL, a BA in Linguistics with Highest Distinction, and a BA in Germanic Languages & Literatures from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been teaching TESOL for nearly 14 years, has earned an Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard Extension School, and is currently an ESOL lecturer at the Maryland English Institute. She has worked in a variety of programs and settings and has taught nearly every language level. Her research interests include content and task based instruction and global Englishes. She is excited about serving on WATESOL's board and hopes that her diverse experience can help advocate for the field.	Maryland English Institute
Louise Godley Advocacy Chair advocacy@watesol.org
[Currently Vacant] Archivist archives@watesol.org

2024 Fall Conference Sponsors

Contact vicepresident@watesol.org for WATESOL sponsorship opportunities.

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