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PennTESOL East Board of Directors

Bill Albertson

President 

Bill Albertson joined the PTE Board in January 2022. He is a faculty member at the Drexel University English Language Center where he teaches various ESL courses at all levels as well as introductory courses in Linguistics. Bill is passionate about bridging academic life at the English Language Center with that of the university at large, often running courses with components that involve English language students and domestic students working together on projects related to communication and culture

Rob Sheppard - PennTESOL Board PhotoRob Sheppard

Vice President

Rob Sheppard joined the PennTESOL-East board in 2019. Rob has been in English language teaching in various contexts for 15 years and currently serves as assistant director for curriculum and instruction at the Center for American Language and Culture at Temple University. His work focuses mainly on curriculum development in adult education, and his recent writing has focused on interculturality, advocacy, and program design in adult ESOL. He founded Ginseng English, an online English school, in 2016. Apart from his work, Rob loves hiking, traveling, reading, and live music. 

Leslie Kirshner Morris - PennTESOL Board Photo

Leslie Kirshner-Morris

Secretary

Leslie Kirshner-Morris currently teaches at Community College of Philadelphia. Her years of experience with the School District of Philadelphia have given her a unique perspective on the needs of English Learners K-12+. She is focused on supporting students to bridge a successful transition from high school to college and career readiness. Her lifelong passion for getting to know her students has led to her deep commitment to TESOL advocacy both in the United States and abroad. 

Kit Crissey - PennTESOL Board Photo

Harrington "Kit" Crissey 

Treasurer & Publisher Liaison

Harrington E. Crissey, Jr., has been a member of PennTESOL-East since its inception in 1981 and a board member for well over the past twenty years. He has taught ESL to adults for forty-six years but has been retired from full-time teaching since February, 2013. He worked for adjunct programs at Temple University, the Nationalities Service Center, Arcadia University and Saint Joseph's University and now does part-time teaching and substitution work for various institutions. 



Holli Goldenberg - PennTESOL Board Photo

Holli Goldenberg

Past President

Holli Goldenberg joined the Penn-TESOL East board in 2017 as a board member and became Vice President in 2019. She is an English as a Second Language teacher at Woodrow Wilson Middle School within The School District of Philadelphia. Holli is excited about connecting with fellow educators and helping to advance the learning of Philadelphia area ELs. During her tenure on the board, she has helped to plan and facilitate multiple large scale conferences. She thrives in the areas of logistical planning as well as communication. Holli enjoys taking improv classes as well as trying new restaurants in the Philadelphia area. 

Roger Gee - PennTESOL Board Photo

Dr. Roger Gee

Member-at-Large

Roger W. Gee is the PennTESOL-East membership chair. He has been involved with PTE for nearly 40 years in a variety of board positions, including President. He is a Professor at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, where he is the Program Coordinator of the TESOL and Literacy Program. His professional interests include second language vocabulary and the use of corpora in teacher education. In his free time, he enjoys reading Latin American literature, skiing, and riding his new bike. And playing with his (almost) two-year old granddaughter!


Valeri Harteg
Member-at-Large

Valeri Harteg joined the PennTESOL East board in 2023. She holds a master's degree in TESOL from Temple University and has taught English in both the US and Guatemala. During her time in Philadelphia, she served as the Education Program Manager at HIAS Pennsylvania, an organization that provides refugee resettlement and immigration legal services. During her 7 years with HIAS PA, Valeri coordinated and taught English language classes for newly arrived refugee adults and children and chaired a collaborative group of representatives from community-based organizations and the School District of Philadelphia that focused on school to family communication and advocacy. She now lives in Berks County and works at The Wyomissing Foundation, supporting grantmaking with local nonprofits, and teaches Adult ESL part time for the Literacy Council of Reading-Berks. Apart from her work, Valeri enjoys running, reading, drinking good coffee, and spending time with her husband, son, and loveable cats, Simba and Binx.

Di Liu

Member-at-Large

Di Liu is an assistant professor of instruction at Temple University. He holds an Ed.D. in Developmental Studies from Boston University and an MS in Information Science & Technology from Temple University. Dr. Liu is the coordinator of the TESOL MSEd., English Language Teaching certificate, and the Instructional Learning Technology certificate programs. He has an interdisciplinary research agenda rooted in Complexity Theory and explores the use of AI and VR in language education and language teacher preparation. Dr. Liu is the co-author of Phonetics in Language Teaching (Cambridge University Press). He has published articles in the Journal of Second Language Pronunciation and Frontiers in Communication, multiple book chapters, newsletters, and conference proceedings. Dr. Liu received the Innovative Teaching with Makerspace Technology Grant from Temple University and has won the 2021-2022 Owlie Award from College of Education and Human Development.

Eliza Brumbaugh

Member-at-Large   

Eliza Brumbaugh has been working with international populations for over a decade. She holds a Master's of Education with a focus in Global Studies. Eliza served TESOL International as the Chair of the Refugee Concerns Interest Section, along with being a member-at-large in the Supporting Students with Disabilities IS, and is currently serving on the Membership Professional Council, working towards expanding TESOL’s accessibility and reach to those around the globe. She serves as an Ambassador for Re-Imagining Migration, providing oversight and feedback on their curriculum and training materials. She previously served as a board member for UNA-USA Tampa Bay as Director of Education, and volunteered as a photography instructor through their program for refugee youth, "Picture My Life". In addition to teaching in Korea, Tunisia, Spain, and various places in the US, Eliza has developed and managed ESOL, Citizenship, and Family Literacy programs in the Tampa Bay area, as well as education programs for African and Caribbean adult and youth learners in Philadelphia. She is passionate about advocacy, education and art, and blending these to generate healing through expression and community. With the privilege of serving on the board of PennTESOL-East, Eliza hopes to create a lasting impact - focusing on region-specific issues of access and support in education communities and improving the outcomes for newcomers and communities in Philadelphia, nationally, and perhaps globally.

Ann Feldman

Member-at-Large

Ann Feldman has just joined PennTESOL East after having made a move back to the US after living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for five years. She has had twelve years’ experience as English Language Learner director for Milford and Waltham Public Schools in Massachusetts as well as logging time as Director of Supplemental Services/Instructional Support Specialist for Boston Public Schools’ Office of English Language Learners. Her work encompassed developing a district dual language learning school, overseeing programming and compliance in district schools, mentoring teachers, and creating successful family outreach initiatives. For three years leading up to her international move, she worked as the Director of Professional Learning for TESOL’s international affiliate in Massachusetts (MATSOL). In that capacity she developed and taught courses focusing on supporting English learners for state teachers and administrators. She was a longstanding member of MATSOL’s Board of Directors and organized and facilitated MATSOL’s Massachusetts English Learner Leadership Council (MELLC) for many years. She looks forward to continuing her work in this field in the state of Pennsylvania. Her hobbies include studying jazz piano, watercolor painting and choral singing.

Helen Fitzgerald

Member-at-Large   

Helen Fitzgerald has been a member of PennTESOL-East since 2000 and joined the PTE Board in May 2021. She is an Administrator in the Education Department at Keystone Opportunity Center in Souderton, Montgomery County, a Title II Adult Education Non-profit Organization. She works in the capacity of Adult Education In House Professional Development Specialist, Digital Literacy Specialist, and ESL Instructor. Helen has more than 35 years of experience in TESOL and worked at Temple University’s IELP, University of Philadelphia in Jordan, and at various educational institutions at various language levels with diverse learners at various ages. She worked at the British Council in Jordan as Education Counselor and Information Officer before moving to the USA. She holds an M.Ed. TESOL from the University of Leeds, UK, and a BA in English Language and Literature and French from the University of Jordan. She is passionate about professional development in TESOL and supporting instructors and staff with assessing and developing their students’ language and digital literacy skills. Helen is a PAACE and COABE member. She enjoys traveling, learning about world’s cultures, reading, music, and sightseeing.



PennTESOL East is a professional, non-profit association dedicated to the improvement and advancement of English language teaching in eastern Pennsylvania.


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