Board of Directors

2022–2023 NECTFL Board of Directors

Past Chair

Michael Bogdan
South Middleton School District (PA)

Chair

Margarita Dempsey,
Smithfield High School (RI)

Vice Chair

James Wildman
Glastonbury High School (CT)

Class of 2023

Cynthia Chalupa

University of West Virginina (WV)

Xiaoyan Hu

University of Rhode Island (RI)

Jill Schimmel Sopa

NYCDOE (NY)

Class of 2024

OToole

Joanne O’Toole, Ph.D.

SUNY Oswego (NY)

Beckie Bray Rankin

Lexington High School (MA)

Frank Ruggiero

Frank Ruggiero, Ed.D.

Edison Public Schools (NJ)

Class of 2025

Celia Liu, Ed.D.

The College of New Jersey (NJ)

Matthew Mangino

Wethersfield High School (CT)

Beth Slocum

Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (NY)

Class of 2026

Joseph Parodi-Brown

Marianapolis Preparatory School (CT)

Jennifer Short

Red Clay School District (DE)

Thomasina White

Philadelphia Public Schools, (retired)

The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Northeast Conference. Each year, three new directors are elected by the NECTFL Advisory Council to a four-year term. The board meets five times per year (three live meetings, two electronic) to tailor its plans for providing service to the profession.

The board is made up of twelve elected directors and three officers: the conference chair, the immediate past chair, and the vice chair. Each year, a new vice chair is selected from the three “graduating” directors in the fourth year of their term.

Each summer, the NECTFL Nominating Committee solicits the Advisory Council members for potential board nominations. The Nominating Committee selects a slate of three candidates, which is then presented to the full board for its approval. Once approved by the board, this slate is voted upon by the members of the Advisory Council.