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Director of Multilingual Learning
Adlai E Stevenson High School District 125
Justin Fisk is the Director of Multilingual Learning at Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 in Lake County, Illinois, where his role is to support close to 50 teachers and paraprofessionals. In addition to a robust ELD program serving a student population with close to 60 home languages, his district has Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Latin, and Spanish programs. D125 has been a leader in Illinois’ implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy, with nearly 30% of graduates earning this distinction since the program’s inception. Justin has taught both Spanish and German at a number of schools in the Chicago area and in Montgomery County, Maryland. Professional development, team-driven instructional innovation, and the creation and implementation of programming that drives all students toward success are some of his professional interests.
Justin Fisk
President
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Supervisor of World Languages – Gr. 6-12
Public Schools of Edison Township
312 Pierson Avenue | Edison, NJ 08837
Dr. Frank Ruggiero is the district supervisor of world languages for grades 6-12 in the Edison Public Schools in NJ and was previously the K-12 supervisor of world languages & ESL in both the Livingston Public Schools and the Nutley Public Schools.
As a teacher, Frank taught French and Spanish in Edison for over 15 years and was an adjunct at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Florham campus in Madison, NJ. After graduating from Drew University, he worked in international business and in French translation before joining the teaching profession. He completed his MAT in French and his EdM and EdD in educational administration at Rutgers.
Professional growth has been a continuous thread throughout Frank’s 24-year career in education in both his own pursuit of growth opportunities and in his desire to help prepare the next generation of teachers and leaders. To this end, Frank has been active in several professional organizations. In New Jersey, he served FLENJ as president, treasurer, conference co-chair, and PD workshop coordinator. While president, Frank attended the ACTFL LILL summer institutes of 2019-20 and spearheaded a FLENJ mentorship program for supervisors. Frank served on the NECTFL board of directors, the NADSFL advisory board, and the NADSFL executive board as president.
Frank Ruggiero
Vice President
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North East ISD
8961 Tesoro Drive, Suite 419
San Antonio, TX 78217
Dr. Debbie Callihan-Dingle is currently Assistant Director for World Languages and Federal Programs in North East ISD in San Antonio. During her tenure years as director, she has revamped professional development, transitioned teachers to a proficiency-based classroom approach, and led the program through a curriculum and assessment revision. Prior to assuming this role, she was a French teacher for 16 years at MacArthur H. S. in the same district. As a teacher, she received a National Endowment for the Humanities scholarship to study in Paris as well as a French Embassy short-stay grant to participate in a summer program in Paris. Debbie has also served as president and treasurer of the Junior League of San Antonio, treasurer of her local Delta Kappa Gamma chapter, and as president of the Texas Association of Language Supervisors.
Debbie Callihan-Dingle
Executive Secretary
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Kathryn Wolfkiel is the Department Chair for World Language and Multilingual Learners at Barrington High School in Barrington, Illinois, a position she has held since 2014 and which also allows her to continue her favorite part of the day – teaching! She represents CSCTFL on the board and is currently serving as 1st Vice-President of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL). She has presented at a variety of conferences and is committed to providing the professional development that teachers need to allow their students to experience another language and culture. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages (French and German) from Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois and both a MA and PhD from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She has been teaching French since 1985 in a variety of contexts, including university and Kindergarten.
Kathryn Wolfkeil
Treasurer
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Dr. Karen D. Stoj is a multilingual educational leader and advocate for equity in language education, with over two decades of experience in world language and multilingual education. As the Multilingual and World Language Programs Curriculum Specialist for South Windsor Public Schools in Connecticut, Karen has expanded World Language programs to include grades one through six. She specializes in curriculum development, teacher mentorship, and program innovation, fostering success for diverse learners and educators.
Karen holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Bridgeport, where she mentors doctoral students, and earned her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in French Literature and Cultural Studies from the University of Connecticut. Fluent in Polish, French, and Spanish, Karen is a sought-after speaker, presenting at conferences like ACTFL and COLT. She also serves on the Executive Board for the Connecticut Administrators of Programs for English Learners and facilitates teacher mentoring programs in her district.
Karen Stoj
Secretary
Advisory Board
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Megan Budke is the Immersion, Indigenous, and World Languages Coordinator for St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS). Megan has 16 years of experience working with students, families, and staff in language education as a teacher, TOSA, and coordinator. She leads curriculum, instruction, and program design for 5 dual language immersion programs, 13 indigenous and world language offerings, and the Bilingual Seal program at SPPS. She served as the 2020 President of Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC) with a focus on amplifying marginalized voices and narratives. She is a co-author of the ACTFL publication, Learner Feedback for Language Growth: A Guidebook for Evaluating Learner Work Through Performance Domains and Indicators. She is passionate about curriculum development, equitable grading and reporting practices, and supporting less commonly taught languages.
Meghan Budke
Central States Conference (CSCTFL)
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Zoe Jiang is the World Language Lead in the Issaquah School District in Washington, where she also serves as a member of the Educator of Color group. Zoe has a passion for assisting other educators with their professional development. She is an officer of the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) and received the 2018 Teacher of the Year Award. As an active presenter at national, state, and regional conferences, she received the 2019 Best Presentation Award from the Chinese Language Teachers Association-USA (CLTA). Zoe is also the 2021-2024 board member of CLTA.
In addition, Zoe’s global perspective and professional background have led her to advocate for world language education and cross-curricular connections to local school districts, city councils, senators, representatives, Washington Governor Inslee, and all the way to Washington D.C.. She and her colleagues have successfully united the community through radio interviews, cultural events, and annual language competitions that they organize.
Zoe Jiang
Pacific Northwest Council for Languages (PNCFL)
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As a first-generation AfroLatina immigrant, Adriana Fletes has dedicated her life’s work to providing quality educational experiences for educators, students, families, and her community. She focuses on leadership through multilingual and multicultural engagement. Her strong faith, values, ethics, and dedication serve as motivating factors that lead her to pursue excellence in all of her personal and professional endeavors. She is an advocate for all students and strives to prepare educators to meet the ever changing needs of our adolescent and university level students.
She currently serves as the Director of Dual Language Immersion Implementation & Secondary Spanish for the International Leadership of Texas Charter School District, an Adjunct Professor at Texas Woman’s University, a chief content scoring leader for Educational Testing Services, Owner of iLingoLink Consulting Services, and serves on various educational and community boards.
Adriana Fletes
Southwest Conference (SWCOLT)
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Jill Schimmel is a dedicated world language educator and leader in the New York City Department of Education, specializing in language instruction and curriculum development. She is committed to proficiency-based learning, intercultural competence, and equitable access to high-quality language education.
From 2002 to 2005, Jill was an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture, through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. After returning to New York City, she worked in translation and private tutoring before joining NYCDOE as an ESL and Japanese teacher.
Now serving as Senior Director of World Languages, Jill provides professional development, mentorship, and instructional coaching for educators. An advocate for global education, she actively engages in professional organizations and collaborates on innovative teaching strategies that prepare students with the linguistic and cultural skills needed for success in a global society.
Jill Schimmel
Northeast Conference (NECTFL)
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Sandra A. Daniel has over 15 years of experience in education and is the Director of Language Program at The GLOBE Academy, a K-8 French, Spanish, and Mandarin Dual Language Immersion school in Atlanta, GA. A polyglot fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, and conversational Mandarin, she has served as an administrator, teacher, consultant, curriculum writer, and an instructional lead for the NSA’s STARTALK program. Ms. Daniel has trained critical language teachers across the southeast and taught Business English to executives globally. She holds a dual master’s in International Relations and International Communications from Boston University and is an active advocate for language education. She enjoys traveling, running, and aerial arts.
Sandra Daniel
Southern Conference (SCOLT)
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Leslie Grahn has twenty-seven years of language teaching experience at the middle and high school levels and twelve years of experience at the central office level, most recently as Coordinator of World Languages for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Leslie is a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national conferences, specializing in best practices. She curates and creates resources to support language teaching and learning and shares them through her website www.grahnforlang.com and on Pinterest (grahnforlang). Leslie is the co-author of The Keys to Strategies for Language Instruction and has served on the boards of NECTFL, NADSFL and ACTFL.
Leslie Grahn
Leadership and Learning Chair
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Irma Torres is a consultant for the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy (MI-SoBL) at the Michigan Department of Education. She supports MI-SoBL administration, provides technical assistance, coordinates assessment reviews, and helps facilitate webinars and Council meetings.
With over 40 years of experience teaching K-12 Spanish, she also served as the World Languages Consultant for Oakland Schools ISD, supporting 28 districts with curriculum, professional learning, and program evaluation. Irma has presented at state, regional, and national conferences and has held leadership roles in the Michigan World Language Association and the Michigan Arabic Teachers Council.
She was honored with the Barbara Ort-Smith Award for her contributions to world language education. In addition to her current role, she continues to provide consultation services and is excited to serve another term as NADSFL Nominations Chair.
Irma Torres
Nominations Chair
Michael Camp
Mentoring Co-Chair
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Greta Lundgaard is the former coordinator for World Language Programs for Lewisville ISD and Plano ISD in Texas. During her time as a district supervisor, she served on the Boards of and as President of TALS (Texas Association for Language Supervision), SWCOLT, and NADSFL and was a founding facilitator for LILL. Greta was honored to be named the 2014 NADSFL Supervisor of the Year and to be receive the 2016 Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in K- 12 Language Programs by ACTFL. Her involvement with the STARTALK program, on the program’s Editorial Board, as Team Leader and as a Senior Associate for Outreach and Professional Development, was the learning opportunity of a lifetime. Greta is a frequent national and international presenter and still enjoys sharing new ideas, strategies, and learning with language educators!
Greta Lundgaard
Mentoring Co-Chair
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Timothy Eagan is the 6-12 Director of World Languages for Wellesley Public Schools in Massachusetts and a leader in the world language education community. He served as President of MAFLA in 2017, and as Secretary of NADSFL from 2020 to 2024. He currently serves on the NECTFL board of directors.
Tim has contributed articles to The Language Educator and The NECTFL Review, sharing strategies to enhance language programs. He presents regularly at MAFLA, NECTFL, and ACTFL conferences, focusing on teacher development and program innovation. As a member of the ACTFL Teacher Recruitment and Retention Committee, Tim advocates for a sustainable future in language education.
Tim has appeared on podcasts including We Teach Languages, The Language Lounge, and World Language Classroom, inspiring educators to embrace impactful practices.
Tim Eagan
Networking Chair