Each fall, individual members of the National Council for Geographic Education cast their ballots for the annual NCGE Board election using the slate of candidates prepared by the NCGE Nominating Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. Each candidate is asked to prepare and submit biographical information along with a personal statement. The individual who receives the highest number of votes serve a three–year term in office. Election results will be announced via email and social media the first week of November.
This year’s election includes 1 President-Elect seat and 3 Board of Director seats, each with defined responsibilities in guiding the mission and governance of the NCGE.
The President-Elect serves a three-year term on the NCGE Board of Directors; serving as president-elect in year one, president in year two, and past-president in year three.
The President is responsible for the leadership of the Board of Directors including presiding at all Board meetings and the General Assembly. The president works closely with the executive director and other officers in ensuring the organization is financially sound and setting priorities of NCGE for the calendar year. The president promotes recognition of geography, geographic education and the interests of the Board in forums where significant decisions affecting the primary interests of NCGE may be made.
A Board of Director will serve a three-year term beginning January 1st. Directors attend virtual board meetings once a month to discuss and vote on significant decisions affecting the primary interests of NCGE and its members. Directors may chair committees and/or other initiatives of NCGE.
We hope you will join us in offering congratulations and wishing good luck to this year’s candidates. NCGE acknowledges and appreciates the time and commitment that elected candidates are willing to make toward ensuring the viability and growth of NCGE.
We also recognize and wish to thank the members for taking a vested interest in NCGE’s growth by casting your vote. Your ongoing involvement is crucial for the continued growth and impact that NCGE has toward advancing Geography Education. We would also like to thank the members of the Nomination Committee who worked hard to produce a solid lineup of candidates for this year’s election.
I am currently professor emeritus in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma and coordinator and past president of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education (OKAGE). I have been involved with OKAGE in various capacities over the past 25+ years and I have worked throughout my career to advance geographical knowledge and promote the importance of geography in education across the entire K-20 spectrum. I firmly believe that the holistic and integrative skills taught as part of geographic education are integral to modern industries and vital to our environmental, economic, and societal health. My leadership role in a state-level alliance illustrates my ability to foster collaboration, develop educational resources, and advocate for geographic education at the local, regional, and state level. I have been involved with NCGE in the past by being a member, serving on the board of directors, attending and presenting at conferences, nominating Oklahoma teachers for NCGE awards, and publishing in the Geography Teacher. I hope to expand my contribution to NCGE through serving as president. If elected as president, I will leverage my expertise in curriculum development, teacher training, and promoting geographic literacy to support NCGE’s mission to advance and advocate for geography education nationwide. My proven track record of effective leadership and dedication to enhancing geographic education, including separate awards for outstanding teaching and service and community engagement, make me a strong candidate for a presidential position within NCGE, where I will try to further the organization’s mission on a broader scale.
I will be forever grateful for “discovering” geography on the first day of orientation at Texas State University in 2005. This led to a BS in Geography with a Social Studies 8-12 Texas Teacher Certificate. But not only that. The major introduced me to a discipline that is so vital in understanding the world in which we live. It was easy for me, then, to want to instill this same passion for geography in my future students. I earned my PhD in Geography Education in 2014 and have had the opportunity to work with amazing teachers in various contexts including in-service teacher professional development workshops through the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education. At Texas A&M University, I am Co-Director of our Geography Awareness Week Celebration and GIS Day Conference and serve on various committees related to the undergraduate curriculum for our geography and GIST programs. I also advise Department leaders on matters related to instructional design, assessment, and pedagogy. Having gone through the social studies teacher preparation program myself, I bring a unique perspective when teaching social studies methods courses and continue to work closely with many pre-service social studies educators. I have been an active member of NCGE since 2010 and am a 2020 recipient of NCGE’s Higher Education Distinguished Teaching Award. If elected to the Board of Directors of the NCGE my goals are to continue the mission of enhancing the teaching and learning of geography K-12 and beyond. I hope to work collaboratively with the Board to ensure that high quality, research-based curricular materials are developed and that stronger relationships are built within social studies teacher preparation programs.
I believe strongly in the mission of advancing and celebrating geography education at every level. For over twenty-five years, I have worked as a professor and department chair, and throughout that time my greatest professional satisfaction has come from helping students and colleagues see the power of geography to explain the world and inspire action.
My experience has given me both a broad and practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities in geographic education. I have led curricular initiatives, mentored faculty, and built programs that elevate the visibility of geography on campus and in the community. Just as importantly, I have worked to connect geography to people’s lives through study abroad, community partnerships, and applied research.
As an AP Human Geography teacher, I’ve spent years helping students see how geography connects to their everyday lives. My goal isn’t just content knowledge—it’s sparking curiosity, critical thinking, and a sense of how place shapes identity. I’m known for making challenging material approachable and engaging, especially for students encountering geography for the first time.
Beyond the classroom, I mentor new APHG teachers, share resources in professional communities, and advocate for geographic literacy across disciplines. I believe in supporting educators who may come to geography from other fields, and I value clarity, collaboration, and respect for the discipline.
On NCGE’s Board of Directors, I would bring a teacher’s perspective, strong communication skills, and a commitment to widening access to high-quality geography education. I understand both the challenges teachers face and the power of geographic thinking to change how students see the world.
Greetings Geographers! I am excited for this opportunity to hopefully serve all of you on the Board of Directors for NCGE. I have been a passionate geographer my entire life, but I have only been a geography educator for the past 25 years. During that time, I have worked with some amazing colleagues to develop curriculum for National Geographic, Ambrose Publishing, and NCGE – developing lessons for AP Human Geography, as well as on-level World Regional Geography. As a teacher trainer for Texas Alliance for Geographic Education, and more recently as a member of its Advisory Board, I have worked closely with our staff to develop lessons and workshops for teachers, including “Solutions from South Asia”, our Southeast Asia learning modules, and our Local to Global modules for middle school courses in Texas. With my extensive background in curriculum development and teacher training, I hope to ensure that NCGE will continue to provide compelling trainings and materials to make your jobs easier. As an avid traveler, I believe in the power of experiential and place-based learning. I would like to explore providing more opportunities to get teachers out of conference rooms and classrooms and into the world. I have been privileged to explore and travel extensively, and I would like to give more teachers the chance to do the same. NCGE already has some great trips for teachers, and my goal on the board would be to continue this tradition, as well as providing ways to keep costs low so the trips are accessible to more teachers. NCGE has really stepped up to improve the status of geography and fill the gap that the loss of the Alliance Network left behind. That being said, we continue to face challenges with geography’s lack of progress in national assessments, as well as the lack of importance that our discipline often faces. I am dedicated to helping NCGE take the reins to continue promoting geography’s importance. One way we can accomplish that task is through more research into how students learn geography. I am currently in my final year as a PhD candidate in Geography Education at Texas State University, and I would love to help NCGE develop protocols and promote more classroom based research. I greatly appreciate and accept this nomination to run for a position on the Board of Directors. Regardless of the outcome of the election, I look forward to working with all of you to promote our beloved discipline.
When I was an undergraduate student studying to be a social studies teacher, one of my classes required me to have a membership to NCGE. Several years later, without much curricular knowledge, geography classes were suddenly on my class schedule to teach. Very quickly, NCGE became an invaluable resource for me as I navigated teaching geography for the first time, with very little background knowledge. In my early career, through NCGE I have presented at our annual conference, hosted geocircles and webinars, and connected with amazing educators and geographers — all thanks to NCGE. Currently, I work for the University of South Carolina while I work towards my Ph.D.. I am also on the Executive Board for the Geography Education Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers, where I am continually working to encourage engagement and collaboration with AAG and NCGE. Specifically, I would like to serve on the Board of Directors to continue to liven NCGE with an early-career perspective, to advocate for pre-service teacher geography education, and to further our existing outreach initiatives in providing quality resources for geography teachers.
I have dedicated over 20 years to teaching geography and social studies, with a special focus on AP Human Geography at South River High School in Maryland. Beyond the classroom, I lead the county’s STEM Magnet Program in AP Human Geography, helping expand access to advanced coursework through online learning.
Nationally, I serve as a Question Leader and Item Writer for AP Human Geography, where I contribute to curriculum design, assessment, and professional learning for teachers across the country. With degrees in Environmental Management and Geography from Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Oregon, as well as teaching experience in the UK, I bring both global perspective and classroom expertise. I am passionate about NCGE’s mission to strengthen geography education and prepare students as informed global citizens.
For 18 years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching high school social studies, and for the past 11 years geography has been my passion. In my classroom, and through participation in international travel experiences with the students in our Humanities Travel Program , I work to connect students to the world broaden their geographic awareness beyond the textbook.
I believe geography is more than content; it’s a way of thinking that empowers people to ask meaningful questions, see connections, and imagine solutions. This passion also drives my doctoral research, which explores how geography and history together, supported by geospatial technology, deepen learning.
Serving on the NCGE Board of Directors would allow me to give back to the organization that has helped shaped my practice and to help support fellow educators in inspiring the next generation of geographers.
I am a champion for geography education who wholeheartedly supports its educators. As a 21-year classroom veteran, 12-year APHG Reader, and lifelong learner, I have amazing experiences to share as an AGS Teacher Fellow, NatGeo Certified Educator, and a U.S. teacher delegate to South Korea under Dr. Joseph Stoltman. As a member of the Illinois Geographic Alliance, I support the APHG PD community and sponsor my school’s AGS TeenMaptivist chapter.
I recently completed my Ph.D. in Geographic Education under Dr. Injeong Jo, where I took an interest in geospatial teaching tools, educational access, and critical geographies. I contribute to geography textbooks and present at local and national conferences. I also serve on AAG’s Gen-A project to strengthen the GeoEd pipeline.
In my first NCGE term, I helped launch GeoCircles to connect educators and organized an NCGE event for 450 educators to boost membership. If reelected, I will continue advocating for geography education and its educators.
Poll closes October 18, 2025 at 11:59 pm (EST)
*You must be a current NCGE member to vote. If you have forgotten your password, go to “Forgot your password” and use the email associated with your NCGE account to create a new password.
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