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ITAG Board of Director Information |
The Iowa Talented and Gifted Association invites you to submit names of qualified individuals to serve
on the ITAG Board of Directors. You may self nominate.
The Nominating Committee consists of the following people:
Sue Chartier
Susan Wouters
New Directors and Officers will be elected by ballot by the date of the Annual Conference by a majority of
those who cast a ballot.
The Board of Directors represents personnel from the Area Education Agencies, colleges, local school districts, local chapter affiliates and parents, and is composed of not less than 14 and not more than 20 members of ITAG including the elected officers whose names shall be submitted to the Nominating Committee.
The qualified individual must be a current ITAG member (dues in good standing) and willing to serve three consecutive terms (two year terms). The individual must be willing to attend four regularly scheduled meetings each year. Board members are not paid, but are reimbursed for their mileage to meetings.
Please receive approval from your nominee prior to emailing or sending the information to the ITAG office at itag@assoc-serv.com. Also obtain a brief bio that identifies the nominee's credentials and background that would help ITAG move forward as an organization. Please see the board bios below for an example.
Deadline for submission is August 1.
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Meet
the ITAG Board of Directors
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President Linda Moehring is a Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant at Heartland AEA 11. She holds a M.A. in Gifted Education and has been involved in the field since 1993. Linda is a strong advocate and proponent of early programming to meet the needs of young gifted children regardless of “official” identification. She supports gifted education programming that provides appropriate challenge in every classroom every day for all gifted children Pre K-12. She believes that classroom learning opportunities can and should support the authentic learning and critical thinking that excite students to become lifelong learners. Linda advocates for and serves gifted education as a Heartland AEA differentiation team member and facilitator. While in her district, Linda started Odyssey of the Mind, Destination Imagination, Academic Decathlon, GT Retreat for secondary students, and HS courses for credit. You may contact Linda at lmoehring@aea11.k12.ia.us.
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Past President Diane Pratt has been a member of ITAG for 19 years, completing three terms on the ITAG Board of Directors and two on the Educator Outreach Committee. Diane has been involved with talented and gifted learners, their parents and teachers for over 25 years, having taught preschool through eighth grade. Diane received her K-12 Gifted Endorsement within her Master’s study from Buena Vista University. She was the 2000 recipient of ITAG’s Research Award and the first David Belin Excellence in Teaching Award. Diane is a member of NAGC, ASCD, and IAMLE. She has presented at various conferences and is a summer instructor in the University of Iowa’s TAG endorsement program. She is currently a 5/6 TAG instructor and high school TAG advisor for the Fort Dodge Community School District where she facilitates professional development and serves on numerous district committees. You may contact Diane at dpratt@fort-dodge.k12.ia.us.
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Treasurer Member Gail Kenkel has been teaching gifted students for Council Bluffs Public Schools since 1993, first as a TAG strategist, currently as a TAG/talent pool social studies/language arts teacher. Gail earned her B.A. from the University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks!) and her Master's degree in gifted education from UNI. You may contact Gail at gkenkel@cbcsd.org or gekenkel@yahoo.com.
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Board Member Barbara Butler has been teaching gifted students in Sioux City for the past 19 years. Most of her experience has been at the middle school level; however, she has worked with students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Throughout the years with the Sioux City TAG Department, she has been involved with writing curriculum, developing Standards and Benchmarks, mentoring new TAG teachers, testing students, and designing TAG informational materials. In addition, she served on the State Accreditation Review Panel and the district TAG Review Committee. She received her BS from Iowa State University and her MA/Reading Specialist from Morningside College and has taken TAG classes from Drake University. You may contact Barbara at Butler5sioux@aol.com. |
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Board Member Sue Chartier is the Gifted Education Consultant and Instructional Math Coach for Northwest Area Education Agency. She has been in education 25 years, 10 years as a middle school teacher in the Sioux City Community School District where she had elementary teams in Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination, and 15 years as a Consultant and the Lead for the Differentiated Instruction Team. She earned her BA from Morningside College and MA from the University of South Dakota. Sue is a member of ITAG, NAGC and ASCD. You may contact Sue at schartier@nwaea.org.
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Board Member Ashley Delaney is the 9-12 Extended Learning Programs teacher for Waukee Community Schools. She is in her sixth year of teaching gifted education and her ninth year teaching overall. After graduating from Iowa State in 2004, Ashley began her teaching career at an impoverished school on the southside of Chicago. After moving back to Iowa to teach at Saydel High School, she started her Masters degree at Drake University where she graduated in 2010 with an emphasis in gifted and talented education. Ashley's focus is on secondary programming and services, but she has taught the entire spectrum of ages throughout her career. She is a member of ITAG and NAGC. Ashley is one of the co-chairs for the 2012 ITAG conference and is responsible for collecting dates and information for the website on G/T related opportunities. You can contact Ashley Delaney at adelaney@waukee.k12.ia.us.
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Board Member Claudia Koch has been involved in the field of gifted education for the past 25 years. She received a B.S. from Southern Illinois University in 1970 and an M.A. in Gifted Education from Western Illinois University in 1990. For the past 17 years, Claudia has served as the K-12 Gifted Coordinator at the West Bend-Mallard Community School District. She also serves as the High School Gifted Coordinator for the Twin River Valley High School. Claudia is a member of NAGC, ITAG and Lakeland TAG, an ITAG Affiliate serving both gifted professionals and gifted children in North Central Iowa. She has held several offices in that organization. Claudia has also taught several gifted endorsement classes. You may contact Claudia at cdkoch@mchsi.com
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Board Member Linda Telleen Martens currently serves as the Talented and Gifted Coordinator for the Ames Community School District and is an Ames High School ELP instructor. In the last 12 years Linda has helped develop and implement a new ELP program for the Ames Community School District. Linda has been involved in the field of gifted education for the past 25 years. She facilitates gifted education staff development locally and for other school districts. Linda began the TAG program at Paton-Churdan and developed the secondary TAG program at Prairie Valley. While at Prairie Valley, Linda’s students started one of the first student-based internet businesses serving several state organizations as well as local businesses. Linda has presented at numerous state conferences and serves on committees at the district and state level. Linda holds a Master’s degree from Iowa State University with an emphasis in gifted education. You may contact Linda at ltelleen@ames.k12.ia.us.
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Board Member D. LeAnn Oldenburger was one of the first 40 students of Central Academy in Des Moines. As a young adult, LeAnn served as a community liaison for the Des Moines Gifted program, and was the G/T Program Coordinator for Central Iowa Mensa. After college, LeAnn spent 10 years jet setting while her husband Gary served in the US Air Force. After returning home, she completed her G/T Endorsement from Drake University and taught ELP at Carlisle Middle School half time from 2007-2009 while homeschooling her seven gifted children including one son who is twice exceptional — being deaf and highly creative. In 2009, LeAnn was co-chair for the October ITAG Conference with Linda Moehring, referring to the experience as “a wonderful opportunity to give back to the gifted community.” You may contact LeAnn at leann@oldenburger.us.
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Board Member Matt Robie is a middle school talented and gifted teacher for the Ankeny Community School District, teaching gifted sixth and seventh graders at Parkview Middle School. He received his B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa, and his Masters Degree in Education from Michigan State University. Matt holds endorsements in K-12 TAG, K-8 Reading, K-8 Science, and Coaching. Professional areas of interest include problem-based learning, academic acceleration, and the integration of science and technology into elementary and middle school gifted education. Matt has served as an ITAG Board Member since 2007, and currently serves as editor of the ITAG News Magazine. You may contact Matt at matt.robie@ankenyschools.org.
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Board Member Sally Thorson received her degree and her endorsement for TAG from UNI. She was an adjunct professor of Secondary Social Studies Methods class at Wartburg College. Before retiring in 2008, Sally taught 31 years at Waverly-Shell Rock and was involved in TAG since 1985. Among her contributions to education, Sally developed W-SR 7-12 TAG programming, taught AP US History, authored lessons in collaboration with the Herbert Hoover Library for students in AP US History, and has presented at the national conventions for Teachers of American History in Pittsburgh, PA and San Antonio, TX. Sally was an academic coach for Mock Trial. She has been involved with National History Day, National Oratorical, Iowa Math League and Math Counts, Science Bowl teams, eCybermission, Future Problem Solvers, and many more. The best part of retirement now is the time to be available if TAG teachers need support from the board. You may contact Sally at sthor0004@q.com. |
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Board Member Felicia Twit has been a K-6 Extended Learning Program teacher
in West Des Moines for the past 15 years. She currently facilitates gifted and talented programming at two elementary schools. She holds a Master’s in Effective Teaching from Drake University and an Administrative Endorsement from Iowa State along with a TAG endorsement from University of Iowa. She participated in developing the framework for Heartland AEA's Gifted and Talented Academy. She is a consultant for Kendall Hunt Publishing and provides training to teachers around the U.S. on their gifted math curriculum: Project M3 and Project M2. She has presented at several ITAG conferences on Resources that Work and her Mentoring Program: Gifted Kids Mentoring Gifted Kids. Her focus is advocating for parents of gifted and gifted students. Felicia is a trained facilitator for the SENG model, teaching parenting classes in her area. You may contact Felicia at twitf@wdmcs.org..
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Board Member Doreen Underwood has worked in a variety of TAG positions throughout her teaching career. For 9 years she worked in the Anamosa Community School district as a elementary and middle school ELP teacher. During 6 of those years, she was also the program coordinator for the K-12 Extended Learning Program (ELP). She then worked for 7 years as a Talented and Gifted (TAG) Facilitator in both elementary and intermediate schools in the Davenport Community School District (DCSD). Currently she is a fifth grade teacher in Donnellson, Iowa for the Central Lee Community School District. She has served on the ITAG board for three years and as the assitant editor of the ITAG Newsletter for one year. In addition to teaching gifted students and being the mom of a gifted child, she earned her Master of Arts degree in School Counseling with a gifted emphasis from the University of Iowa in 2010. Doreen received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa and received her TAG Endorsement from the University of Iowa. You may contact Doreen at dunderwood@central-lee.k12.ia.us.
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Board Member Kenn Wathen has been an educator for 31 years and an Iowa educator for the past 22 years. His experiences include teaching elementary school, mostly in multi-age primary classrooms, for 7 years and serving as elementary principal for 24 years. In the fall of 2011 he began his 15th year as the elementary principal for the Hamburg CSD. He serves on the AEA 13 ELL Advisory Committee. He has served as an adjunct instructor for Buena Vista University teaching Human Relations and Teaching of Reading and worked as a Reading Consultant for curriculum development for Southern Prairie AEA. He is the parent of a gifted student who was involved in Belin-Blank Center programs throughout junior high and high school and who entered the Early Start program at the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa in the fall semester 2005. Kenn was also a 2006 Belin Fellow at the Belin-Blank Center. Kenn earned his B.S.S. from Cornell College and his M.S.E. from Wayne State College. He is a current member of NCTM, IRA, NAESP, SAI, IAEYC, NAEYC, ITAG and NAGC. You can contact Kenn at kwathen@hamburg.k12.ia.us.
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Board Member Susan Wouters has been an educator with the Waukee Community School District for 16 years, working with gifted children and their families for 13 of those years as an Extended Learning Program (ELP) teacher. She has taught and facilitated gifted and talented programming at both the elementary and secondary levels and has served as ELP Coordinator for the district. Susan co-founded and led Waukee Academic Boosters for 3 years and has planned and implemented professional development pertaining to gifted education for K-8 staff. She is a member of ITAG, NAGC and ASCD. Susan received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Graceland University, TAG endorsement from University of Iowa, and Masters of Science in Education, Curriculum Leadership, from Drake University. You can contact Susan at swouters@waukee.k12.ia.us.
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Executive
Director Alda Helvey has served as executive director for ITAG
since 1998. She has over 20 years experience in leadership, management and administration of 501(c)(3) and (c)(6) not for profit organizaitons. As owner of Dynamic Resources Inc. she and her staff provide services to associations that
are Iowa based also two regional and national groups. Her background includes knowledge of rules and regulations governing nonprofits, personnel matters
and finance. In her spare time she serves on the board of directors for five organizations. You
may contact Alda Helvey at itag@assoc-serv.com.
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the ITAG Committee Members - Revised sheet coming soon |
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