WEAC Board of Directors & Leadership Team

8/14/2019 WEAC Board of Directors & Leadership Team

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Mary Bell - WEAC President

\/\ff:.AC Leadership Team

Mary Bell

President

Wisconsin Education Association Council

Mary Bell, a library rredia specialist at West Junior High School in w sconsm Rapidsfor 26years and a torrrer English teacher , began

her three-year te rm as president of the Wi sconsin Education Association Council (\I\£AC) in August 200 7

A VVi sconsin native, Bell is a farnlia r fiqure in her cormu r uty and 31T1Jn g educators. She has a passio n for l iterature and rrusic, even

joini ng with other \/Vf:.AC rrerrtiers and staff to f orm the Great Schools Union Band to raise ITIJney f or the National Education

Association (NEA l Fund for Chil dren and Public Education

Her association activi ties have been far-reaching On the national level, Be ll served on the NEA Resolutions Ccrrrrrttee. Her leadership

at the state level includes serving as \/\ff:.AC secretary-treasurer (2003- 2007), where she led the organization to irrpferrent a biennial

budget to allow tirre for evaluation and planning between budget cycles As secretary-treasurer, she also helped prepare VVCAC to

rreet all reourerents under new federal regulations regarding non-prof it oruenzenons. Bell has served as chair of the VVCAC Resolutions Cc rrrnttee and co-chai r of

the \/\ff:.AC state -woe Bargaining Goals Corrmttee. She also serve d on \/\ff:.AC's Public Relations Cc rrrnttee and Budget and Finance Cc rrrnttee

Be ll served as a Central w sconsmUniServ Coun cil (C\l\.\JC) representative on the Vl/CAC Board of Directors and as a rrerro er of cw.r c's Budget and FinanceCorrr rr ttee Her leadership roles w ithin th e vv sconsm Rapids Education Association included president , t reasurer, local delegate to the NEA Representative

AsserriJly, and bargaining te am rre rroer

Bell ho lds a master's degree in l ibrary and information studies and a bachelors degree in English and education, both from the University of W scons irt-Madison

\/\ff:.AC is a profes sional orga nization represent ing the public pol icy, labor and professional interests of its r ru re than 98 ,000 rre rrti ers Great schools bene fit

everyone, and \/\ff:.AC's rrission is to support public education and the rre n and w crren who work in w sconsn's publ ic schools

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Updaled Augusl S, 200 7



Guy Costello - Vice President


Guy Costello

Vice President


Guy Costello, a teacher at Lakeview Elerrentary School in Sou th MiMiaukee for 16 years, began his term as v ice president of the

\Ni sconsin Education Association Council (\l\£AC) in August 2007 He was elected to serve a thre e-year term

Costello has rm rethan 30 years experience in union , electoral and political organizing Before becorring an educator, Costello worked

for eight years with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm VVorkers Union in Cali fornia and another eight years as a pol i tical organizer in

Chica go He was active in the Il linois Citizen Action Orqar uzaticn before leaving Chicago to becorre a teacher in South Milvvaukee

Through aIIof his ven tures, Costello says his IllJ st irrpcrtant accc rrpf shrrent is t he large nurruer of his former students who have

gone on to be the first rre rroers of theirfarrilies to attend and graduate from college

Costello served as a rrerruer of the \/\ff:.AC Board of Directors (1995-200 1) and cha ir of the \/Vf:.AC Legislative Corrrrrttee (200 1-2007)

He was a rre rruer of the Departrrent of Public Instruction Professional Development Pl an (PI 34) Corrrrrttee (2002-2003) He was a state delegate to t he National

Education Association (NEA) Representative Asserrnty (1995-2005), receiving recognition as Delegate of Distinction in 1998

Costello served as president of UniServ Council # 10 (1995-2001) and was a Counc il # 10 Executive Corrmttee rre rrue r (1993- 1995) T hrough his invofverrentwith

Council # 10, he participated w ith other UniServ presidents in the develop rrent and irrpferrentetion of the Great Schools initiative. His leadership roles wthin the

South M ilwaukee Education Association included legislative chair, vice president and building representative AlTIJng his accc rrphshrrents at t he local level, he

helped organize a local coali tion to pass a $40 rri llion referendum f or a new high school

Costello holds a master's degree f rom National-Louis Universi ty, Chicago, and a bachelor's degree from Comell University. Ithaca, N Y

\lVf:.AC is a pro fessional org anizati on repre senting th e pub l ie pol icy, labor and protess onal interests of its ITIJre than 98,000 rre rru ers Great sen ools benefit

everyone, and \lVf:.AC's r riss ion is to suppo rt publ ic education and the men and women wh o work in wsconsn's public schools

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Posted AugustS, 2007



Betsy Kippers - Secretary I Treasurer\/\ff:.ACLeadership Team

Betsy KippersSec retary -Treasurer


Betsy Kippers, a physical education teacher inthe Racine Unified School District for 30 years , began her term as secretary-treasurer of

t he VVisconsin Education Associat ion Council (\I\.£AC) in August 2007 . She was elected to f i ll out the term for former secretary

t reasurer Mary Bell after Bell was elected president of the organization

Kippers is a longtime union advocate , aswell as a dedicated teacher A department and unit leader at her school, she also served as

coordinator of the physical education area and moore school athletics program She was co-chair of the District Partnership Ccrrrnttee

and served onthe ProfessionalDevelopment Ccrrrrrttee. She has been a rre rruer of the state and national organizations representing

physical education teachers and is a regular presente r and t rainer at state and national vo n csiops

Kippers served three years as a rre rruer of the \/\ff:AC Board of Directors, as well as three years as an a lte rnate She was a rrerrber of the \/\ff:AC Budget and

Finance Corrrrrt tee for two ye ars. She serve d on the conm ttee that recomrenoec the hi ring of \/Vf:.AC Executive Director Dan Burkhalter

Kippers was president of the Racine Education Association (REA) three years, receiving the President's Recognit ion Award twice She was REA vice president for

three years and treasurer for 12 years. She was a delegate to the \/Vf:.AC and National Education Association (NEA) RepresentativeAssenmes. She is past chair of

REA conmttees including Public Relations, VVelfare and Negotiations. She is a past rrerroer of the REA Special Education Caucus and the Elections Ccrrmttee As

REA t reasurer, she torrrec the organization's first budget ccrrrnttee and helped develop a budge t to reflect rrerruers' needs . She phased in an annual audit and

developed a manual for general financial operations

\/Vf:.ACis a professional organization representing th e public policy, labor and professional interests of its rrure than 98,00 0 rrerrtiers Great schools benefit

everyone, and \/Vf:.AC's rrission is to support public education and the rren and wcrre n who wo rk inwsconsn's public schools

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Posted August 8, 2007



Dan Burkhalter - Executive Director

\/\ff:.ACLeadership Team

Dan Burkhalter

Executive Director


Dan Burkhalter was hired as executive direc tor of the wsconsm Education Association Council effective May 2, 2005, after 12years

as the Illinois EducationAssociation's director of government relations and chief lobbyist

Since joining \/Vf:.AC, Burkhalter has focused rruch of his t ime working with coalitions on school funding , addressing the health care

challenges facing rrerrtiers and building relationships with external partners, as well asmanaging a team ofnine \/Vf:.AC department

rranaqers

Prior to joining \l\ff:.AC, Burkhalter worked at the Illinois Education Association since 1982, f irst as a rnerriJership organizer, t hen as a

oovemrren t relations specialist before becomnq direc tor of qovemrrent relations in 1g93

Burkhalter represents \/'!CAC in a coalition working to achieve corrorehereve school funding reforrn called the School Finance

Netvcrk and the Wisconsin Way project, working with diverse business and governmental advocacy organizations to ensure highquality public services inWisconsin

Born and raised in I ll inois, Burkhal ter is a product of its public schools and is a polit ical science graduate ofthe University of Illinois at Springfield

Burkhalter and his wife, Sharon Corrigan, have two daughters, Moily, and Brighid Burkhalter also has a son Janes, and a daughter Kourtney

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Mark Cebulski - Executive Committee


Mark Cebulski

Executive Comm ittee

National Education Association

Mark S . Cebulski, a social studies teacher at Cedarburg High School for rru re than 30 years , was elected to the National Education

Associatio n (NEA) Executive Ccrrrrrttee inJu ty 2004 He was electe d to fill a tw o-year term after being appointe d to a one-year term

in August 2003

A \l\lisconsin native, Cebulski has been a farriliar figure both in and out of his Cedarburg classroom Over the years, he has coupled

his social studies teaching w th activities ranging f rom Acaderric Der athtrm and prom adviser to football, basketball and golf coach

VIAlile teaching full time, Cebulski has also officiated high school and college f ootball fo r 22 y ears, and w rote a sports colurm for h is

hometown paper that was selected as the best sports/outdoo r colurrn for weekly newspapers in 1986 He is a former deacon atthe

lrrrranue! Presbyterian Church in MiWli3ukee

His Associabon activities have been far-reaching as well. On t he national level , Cebulski served on the NEA Board of Directors (1999-2003) and vvasa merriJe ro f

the NEA Congressional Contact T eam (1992-94) His leadership att he sl ate level inc ludes serving as a rre rru er of the \l\li sconsin Education Associati on Council(\I\£AC) Board of Directors (1998-99) and on the Vl/fAC Political Action Ccrrmttee (1994-98) . Vvhile on this \l\£AC conmttee, Cebulski led an effort to recruit \l\£AC

rre rrners as delegates to the 2000 Derrccratic National Convention, resulting inthe largest delegation ever of NEA rrerroers from his slate. He also served in a

nurruer of leadership roles within the Cedarburg Education Association , including two terms as president

Since his election, Cebulski has been called on to represent the Association in meetings acrossthe globe , induding travelin g to Ankara, T urkey, for the 4th V\.brld

Congress of Education International,which represents teachers unions and professional organizations WJrldwide . Cebulski has been honored w th the \l\lisconsin

Association of Educators for the Gifted and Talented Meritorious Service Award and the North Shore United Educators Doroth y Bartelt for OJtstanding Service to

Education Avvard, armng others

In 1973, Cebulski receve c a bachelor's degree in political science from Lawrence University in Applet on. He receve c a rraster's degree in journalism from Marquette

Univ ersity in M imaukee in 1989

Th e NEA Executive Cc rrrnttee is the rune-rre rroer governing body t hat oversees the 3.2 rrillion-rrerriJer NEA

Posted July 2005



Glenn Schmidt - Director


Glenn Schmidt

Director


Glenn Schrridt, a special education teacher at Northside Elerrentary School in Sun Prairiefo r 30 years, vvaselected to the National

Education Association (NEAl Board of Directors in 2003, after serving for two years as an alternate director

Schrrid t has been act ive in his profession and union throughout his 34-year career, including representing the NEA on an AFL-OO

rrission to ColorriJia in 2003 and traveling to Japan in 1998as a Fulbright Merrurial Fund participant Hejoined with other \I\£AC

rrerruers and sattto form the Great Schools Union Band,an effort to raise rmney forthe NEA Fund for Children and Public

Education He playedguitar and bass, and wote some of the songs

Schrndt has now taken his union invol vement t o the international level by participating with other state educators in Education

International, the international affiliate of t he NEA and AFT. w sconen's delegation was the second largest state delegation, after

Califomia , in the meetings he ld in Berlin, Germany , in J u 2007. schmo t has previousty served as an Education International

Representative to Costa Rica (19S9), Stockholrn (1993), VVashington,D L (199S), and Brazil (2004) Th rouqhoutthe last 25years, Schrn dt has often been calle d onto serve as a delegate t o the NEA Representative AsseniJl y

Schrrtdt has been a rrerrber of the vv sconsm Education Association Council (\l\£AC) Board of Directors since 1995, and has served as a delegate to its

Representative Asserruty since 19S3. He has also served on various VVCAC conmttees and board subcorrrrittees such as public relations, affiliate relations, policies

and proced ures. politicaI action, and prograrn and activities

A rrerrner of the Capital Area UniServ-North Board of Directors for six years, he was president of the Sun Prairie Education Association frorn 1990 to 2003, and has

been part of i ts negotiations tearn since 19S7

Schrrtdt holds a master's degree in special education frorn lJ\/IJ-La Crosse He holds a bachelor's degree in polit ical science f rom UW Madison

Posted Augusl15, 2007



Laura Vernon - Director


Laura Vernon

Director

National EducationAssociation

Laura Vernon has serve d in the f ield of education for 32years, currently in the O vision of School Safety and Securi ty in Milwaukee

Public Schools (MPS). She has been errployed as a peraeoucetor and safety assistant , aswell astaking the role of a leader in her

cormuruty

She is a \/ViM certified cheerleading coach, a t rack coach and a dance/pom-pom instructor/certified judge , and has been inducted

into the Badqerette Ha ll of Ferre. A MiWli3ukeenative and graduate of Rufus Kin g High School, Vernon attende d MiWli3ukee AreaTechnical College, receiving rrany certifications in various job-relate d areas . She is recipient of anMPS School Safety OJtstanding

Errployee award and a 25-year school service avvard

It is exrrerrely irrpcrtant to vernon that the education voice of w sconsm is an inclusive one that covers all areas and categories,

teachers to dducation support professionals (ESP) That unified voice can best vo rk to p rotect the rights of all children to a great

public school and the right for all educators to teach and work for great public schools and be adequate ty and equitabty cono ensated

Vernon's national union invclverrent goes back many years . It includes National Council of Education Support Professionals (NCESP) for six years; National Council

of Urban Education Associations (NCUEA) for four years; and National Education Association (NEA) B ack Caucus for nineyears She has participated in NEA

training semners and served as an alternate NEA tr rectorto r two years

She has served asa rrerruer of the wsconsm Education Association Council (V\£AC) Board of Directors for four years, and as a board alternate four years She has

been a rrerroer of the V\£AC Leadership F earn for two years and hasserved as chair ofthe New Board Merruers Ccrrmttee and the Awards and Elections

Ccrrrrrttee She is recipient of aV\£AC Presidential Award and ESP of the Year Award

As a strong rrerrber of her local, the Milvvaukee Educational Assistants' Association (MEM), she has served on the MiWliaukee Teachers' Education Association

(MTEA) Executive Board, receiving MTEA recognition of service She was MEAA president and secretary and has served on rrany ccrrmttees. She is currently a

rrerrber of the MEM bargaining team

Posted AUQus116, 2007



Bob Fitzsimmons - Director


Bob Fitzsimmons

Director

National EducationAssociation

Bob Fitzsimmns, a history teacher at Beloit Merrurial High School for 23 years, was elected to the National Education Association

(NEAl Board of Directors in 20[14

Fitzsirrrruns sees it as his ooarto give back to his profession, and has been involved with ITBnyschool irrproverrent efforts and

corrrruruty partnerships He has serve d as an instructor and cooperating teacher at Beloit College, the University of vwsconso

wuteveter and U\l\i-Platteville. Hewas named Teacher of the Year and Rotary Teacher of the Month in Beloit. He also volunteers in

comrunity activities ranging from gins softball league coach to Beloit's Riverfest

Nationally, Fitzsim m ns has served as fund orr-e coordinator for t he NEA-PACfFund for Children and Public Education Hewas a

rrerrber of the NEM'\.£AC Congressional Contact Team and served as a trainer for NEA Midwest Leadership Conferences. He hasserved as an annual delegate to the NEA Representative Asserrnty since 1g90. Fitzsirrrmns. along with his fellow NEA directors, has vorkec on rrany initiatives

including "W sconsin Stories ," a collection of rrerruer stories about the irrpact of the "No Child Left Behind" law, the NEA Health Care lnitiative and the election ofthree national at-large candidatesfromWsconsin

Asa rrerruer ofthe vwsconsm Education Association Council (V\£AC) leadership team and Board of Directors, Htzsurrruns has participated in many initiatives. l/IAlile

a rre rroer of the Political Action conmttee, he madethe rronon to endorse \IlEAC friend and former State Senator Russ Feingold - \f\klowent on to win a U S

Senate seat . Fitzsirrrruns also served on theV\£AC negotiating ccrrrnttee that helped create the United Errployers Association . He was co-taonator of V\£AC's Our

Renaissance Plan

Fitzsirrrruns has served as president and vice president of Rock Valley United Teachers (R\I1JT) He served onthe southern Lakes United Educators and RVUT

political action conmttee, was a RVUT Leqislative Breakfast chair and a rrerruer of the UniServ's Management Training Team, Audit Team and Collective

Bargaining Council He was a founding rrerruer of the UniServ President's Organization, \f\kl ich established professional management practices

Fitzsirrrrcns served in numerous posts in the Beloit Education Association. He was also active in the Delavan-Darien Education Association, vn ere he was errorovec

for the first five years of his career. He takes pride in his efforts to recruit and rru tivate new leaders and strong relationships that have been fostered with other labor

organizations He says the rro st irrpcrtant position he has held is that of a building representative, helping rre rrcers during times of need

Fitzsirrrruns holds a master's degree in business and f inance from UW-l/IAlitewater and corrpteted post-graduate study at Beloit College, AuroraUniversity and st

Mary's College He holds a bachelor's degree in education from UW-Madison

Posted AUQus19, 2007



Shelly Moore - Director


Shelly Moore

Director


Hailing from a farrily of educators, Shelly Moore, a high school English and drama teacher at Ellsworth Comrunity High School, has nine

years experience in the dassroom She was elected to the National EducationAssociation (NEAl Board of Directors in 2005

Moore's calling isteaching self-confidence and creative expression to students by directing school rru sicals and plays, aswell as

coaching l orensics ando th er acaderric corrpenti on tearrs. She is past president of the state theatre educators associ aton the Allia nee f orvv sconsn Theatre Education She also volunteers with local cormuruty theatre and arts organizations and att he River Falls oorresnc andsexual violence shelter

Moore believes all work on behal f of students and public education is signif icant and that \IlEAC and NEA cannot rest until all children have

equal access to education, a fact that is exerrplified by her service to the Wsconsin Education Association Council (V\£AC). She serve d as

an alternate and later as a representative t o the \IlEAC Board of Direc tors fo r three years , and was a rre rruer of the VVCACLeqislative Cc rrrrrttee. She has been a

dele gate to the V\£AC Representative Asserrn ty since 2000 and the NEA Representative Asserrnty since 2002

She is currently active in the \!Vest Central Education Association (VVCEA) as a rre rruer of its executive board and serves on several VVCEA corrmttees. A rrerroer of

the Ellsworth Education Association , she was presidentfrom 2001-2004 and vice president from 1999-200 1, and presently serves as local treasurer, a position she

has held since 2005

a - i g i n a l ~ from both Beloit and Woodruff, w sconsm Moore holds a rraster's degre e in English education from UW-River Falls and a bachelor's degree in English,

political science and theatrearts from UW-Stevens Point

Posted October 3, 2007



Kay Hansen - ESP at Large Director


Kay Hansen

ESP At Large Director


Kay Hansen has been dedicated to quality public schools /or a quarter ofa century She was elected to the National Education

Association (NEAl Board ofDirectors in 2006 as an Education Support Professional (ESP) at-large rre rruer

She is current ly errorovec in the Denrrurk School Distri ct as a classroom para-professional WJrking w th special education students,

and for 23 years was as a para-professional in the elerren tary library rredia center . She also has experience in school f ood and

custodial services. Hansen has been active in her church, volun teers torthe Salvation Amy , and is a torrre r a Girl Scout Leader

Hansen, instrumental inher school's readers' theater group, takes pride in the success ofher school and the students it serves . She

has coordinated special events for National Library Week, vvhich included guest readers First Lady Jessica Doyle, torrrer \Nf:.AC

President Stan Johnson and NEA President Reg Weaver

Nationally. she serves on th e NEA's State Media Advisory Group and is a l ia ison to the International T echnology Education Associat ion.She is a rrerroer of the

\Nf:.AC Boardof Direc tors, where she is co-chair of the Bargaining Goals Ccrrmttee. She was torrrerly vice chair of\Nf:.AC's ESP Cc rrmttee

She has been honored as the \Nf:.AC Education Support Professional of the Year, \Nf:.AC NEA RA New Delegate of D stinction and was the co-recipient of the \Nf:.AC

Outreach Award She was an NEA ESP of the Year norrmee in 2006 and 2007 . She is especially proud of the Building Unity Between EA and ESPs workshop that

she and the president the Denmark Education Association have developed and are training . She is also a t rainer for the Erre rging Voices wo rkshop

Hansenwas mstrurrerrtal in organizing the Denmark Education Suppo rt Professionals, and is currently serving as presiden t, en-chief negotiator and negotiations

team rrerrber. She has tcrrrerty served as the secretary . She is a two-t irre recipient of a Paul Bierbrauer Certificate of Recognition. She is vi ce president of the

Bayland Educators and is a rrerroer of i ts board of directors , and a past secretary She is a Bayland/UNE Legislative/PAC Corrrrrttee rrenoe along wth serving on

other ccrrmttees. She is the Unite d Baytand Educators Building Corporation Secretary and has trained various workshops for the BayiandlUNE Leadership Night

She holds a license through the vwscons o Departrrent of Public Instruction Special Education Program and on-line certi fications from t he Para Educator Learning

Netvo rk

Posted October 2, 2007

Documents

WEAC Board of Directors & Leadership Team