President
Alyssa Silva-Rafi
Contact: president@itbe.org 

Alyssa Silva-Rafi is an elementary school teacher for Chicago Public Schools with a commitment to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to improve her practice impacting all students. She received her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction/ESL. She is currently working towards a Leadership PhD with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction. She also mentors first year teachers across the district. Her professional interests include multicultural education, ESL practices and building teacher capacity in her school district and participating in ITBE/TESOL events and professional learning opportunities.

Vice President
Dr. Gina Wells
Contact: vp@itbe.org / convention@itbe.org
Dr. Gina Johnson Wells has been an educator for nearly all of her professional life. A faculty member in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Department at Northeastern Illinois University, Dr. Wells teaches courses in the TESOL Department, serves as the NEIU Graduate Program Advisor to MA TESOL and ESL Endorsement students, and teaches Bilingual/Bicultural courses in the Goodwin College of Education. She is a member of the NEIU Black Student Success Committee and NEIU’s Illinois Equity in Attainment/Partnership for College Completion Committee. Dr. Wells holds a PhD in Professional Studies in Education, focused on Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies, from Capella University. She holds two Master’s Degrees: one in TESOL and one in Music Education. Previously, she was a coordinator for the NEIU Grow Your Own (GYO) Teachers Program. Dr. Wells, a professionally licensed music educator, has taught music in four states in the U.S. and in Sweden. Her interests include: policy and advocacy for English Language Learners and TESOL teaching professionals; the role of cultural competency in the retention of minoritized student populations; and the processes that facilitate intercultural competence and cultural proficiency in all teachers, in general, and teachers of English Language Learners, specifically. Additionally, Dr. Wells enjoys singing, traveling, being outdoors, reading, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and their adult children. She speaks Swedish and has studied French, Spanish, and American Sign Language.

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Past President
Dr. Sandra Moran
Contact: nominations@itbe.org 

Dr. Sandra Moran is an accomplished scholar with a distinguished academic background. She earned her doctorate from Aurora University, showcasing her commitment to advanced scholarly pursuits. Additionally, she holds a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education from NLU. Dr. Moran completed her undergraduate studies, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the UIC at Chicago. Currently serving as the Director of Multilingual Services and Family Engagement for Warren Township High School District 121, Dr. Moran brings a wealth of expertise to her role. With over three decades of experience in biliteracy, bilingual and ESL Dr. Moran is actively involved in various leadership roles. She currently serves as  Past President of ITBE. Her involvement includes past roles as the convention chair, vice president, and president. Dr. Moran is also a proud member of Alpha Nu, Delta Kappa Gamma, an organization for key women educators.

Secretary
Lauren Schultz
Contact: secretary@itbe.org

Lauren Schultz is a dedicated educator who enjoys working with English language learners. She received her Bachelor‘s degree from Western Illinois University in Elementary Education. Later, Lauren received her Master‘s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in ESL from National Louis University. She has been teaching in the elementary/middle school classroom for 17 years and currently teaches 6th and 8th grade ML in Mount Prospect District 57. Teaching English language learners of all ages is her passion!

Operation Manager
Vallan Kantner
Contact: mebership@itbe.org
Vallan's experience in international education encompasses partnership engagement, curriculum and program development, teacher training, student instruction, and data management at K-12 institutions, universities, and community centers in the United States, Russia, Kuwait, and Japan. Currently, she works at an international university, where she oversees partnership expansion and engagement and is passionate about promoting equitable and inclusive international scholarship programming. Vallan earned her undergraduate degree in International Relations from Agnes Scott College, her graduate degree in Applied Linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University, and a diploma in Russian as a Second Language from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Her research interests include sociopragmatics and discourse analysis, with a focus on emotive language and rhetorical strategies in digital communication. She is pleased to stay connected with and serve Illinois educators through ITBE.