Alabama-Mississippi
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
AMTESOL has a new mailing address! AMTESOL PO Box 360122 Hoover, AL 35236
AMTESOL Board 2025
President
Mayté Cotton
Alabama State Department of Education
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Immediate Past President
Beth Coghlan, Ph.D.
Mississippi State University
Pontotoc County Schools, MS (retired)
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Vice President & 2026 Conference Co-Chair
Stacey Donaldson, Ph.D.
Belhaven University, MS
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2026 Conference Co-Chair
Julie Roberts
Clinton Public Schools, MS
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Incoming Vice President & 2027 Conference Chair
Leah Dobbs Black, Ed.S.
Shelby County Schools, AL
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​​​Co-Treasurer - AL / On-site Registration Chair / Concurrent Session Agenda Chair
Lynn Fuller, Ed.D.
Madison County Schools, MS
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Co-Treasurer - AL
Amanda Giles, Ph.D.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Co-Secretary - AL
Andrea Word, Ed.D.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Co-Secretary - MS
Julie Roberts
Clinton Public Schools, MS
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CEUs for Alabama P-12
Joni Sue Bair, Ed.S.
Decatur City Schools, AL
CEUs for Mississippi P-12
Audrey Reed, Ed.S.
Rankin County Schools, MS
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SETESOL Representative - AL
Lori Edmonds, Ph.D.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
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SETESOL Representative - MS
Lynn Fuller, Ed.D.
Madison County Schools, MS
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Publisher/Exhibitor Liaison
Marty Hatley
Albertville City Schools, AL
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Board Member Emerita
Julia Austin, Ph.D.
Retired - Tuscaloosa, AL
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P-12 AL (north) Member-at-Large
Katie Harrison
Pelham City Schools, AL
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P-12 AL (south) Member-at-Large
Stephanie Montiel
Baldwin County Schools, AL
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P-12 MS (north) Member-at-Large
Nancy McCurdy
Oxford City School District, MS
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P-12 MS (south) Member-at-Large
Patrice Razor
Clinton Public Schools, MS
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Teacher Education AL Member-at-Large
Theresa M. Johnson, Ph.D.
Troy University, AL
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Teacher Education MS Member-at-Large
Chimène Gecewicz, Ed.D.
University of Southern Mississippi
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Language Institutes AL Member-at-Large
Lance Noe
Troy University, AL
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Language Institutes MS Member-at-Large
Vacant position
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Adult Ed/Community Colleges AL Member-at-Large
Sally Anne Perz
University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Adult Ed/Community Colleges MS Member-at-Large
Shannon Risinger
Rankin County Schools, MS
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Community Programs/Advocacy AL Member-at-Large
Nancy Blanco, Ed.S.
Birmingham City Schools, AL
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Community Programs/Advocacy MS Member-at-Large
Alexa Caro
Biloxi Public Schools, MS
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Non-native English Speaking Teachers AL Member-at-Large
Abdulmalik Salman
University of Alabama (Ph.D. student)
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Non-native English Speaking Teachers MS Member-at-Large
Yu Shi
Madison County Schools, MS
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Advocacy Chair
Jamie Harrison, Ed.D.
Auburn University
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Advocacy Co-Chair
Josephine Prado, Ph.D.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Social Media
Edmund Martinez
Russellville City Schools, AL
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Proposal Committee Co-Chairs
Chimène Gecewicz, Ed.D. (University of Southern Mississippi)
Andrea Word, Ed.D. (University of Alabama in Huntsville)
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Awards Committee
Sandra Elliott (Mississippi Department of Education)
Theresa M. Johnson, Ph.D. (Troy University, AL)
Audrey Reed (Rankin County Schools, MS
Katie Harrison (Pelham City Schools, AL)
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Newsletter Co-Chairs
Miguelina Quiñones-Mason (Alabama State Dept of Education)
Nancy Turbyfill (Decatur City Schools, AL)
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ALSDE Representative
Maria Franco
Alabama State Department of Education
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MDE Representative
Sandra Elliott
Mississippi Department of Education
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Alabama Leaders Advocating ELs Representative
Leah Dobbs Black, Ed.S.
Shelby County Schools, AL
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Interpreters & Translators Association of Alabama (ITAA) Representative
Vacant position
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Mississippi Professional Association of Interpreters & Translators (PAMIT) Representative
Selene Puga
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At AMTESOL's 2024 conference in Tupelo, Mississippi, Dr. Susan Spezzini was awarded AMTESOL's first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant efforts for AMTESOL over many years. Dr. Josephine Prado presented the award to Dr. Spezzini and announced that an annual conference scholarship will be created in Dr. Spezzini's honor.
Lynn Fuller, AMTESOL 2022 President, presented with a group of her students during the AMTESOL 2022 Conference in Jackson, Mississippi.
Heidi Goertzen, AMTESOL 2020-21 President, at the AMTESOL General Business Meeting during the AMTESOL 2020 Conference in Auburn, Alabama.
AMTESOL Board Members at the January 24-25, 2020 AMTESOL Conference in Auburn, Alabama
AMTESOL Board Members at the AMTESOL 2018 Advocacy Conference. Back row, L to R: Amy Taylor, Alison Stamps, Susan Spezzini, Jamie Harrison, Josie Prado, Ann Marie Batista, Tracey Koslowski; Front row, L to R: Mary Diamond, Dinorah Sapp, Ann Morris
Members of the AMTESOL Board planning the AMTESOL 2018 Advocacy Conference, which took take place October 12-13, 2018 in Oxford, MS. Left to right: Elizabeth House, Susan Spezzini, Amy Taylor, Ann Morris, Josie Prado, Peg Lawrence, Finch and Jamie Harrison, Elise Harbin, and Lynn Fuller