AMLE Board of Trustees

Lisa Harrison, Chair, Professor, OH
Lisa, formerly a middle school math teacher, is now an Assoc. Professor of Middle Childhood Ed and Middle Childhood Program Coordinator at Ohio University. She has published and presented in various outlets and is co-editor of Middle School Journal.
Contact Lisa
Erin Scholes, Vice Chair, Teacher, CT
Erin is the Innovation Coordinator at Beman Middle School in Middletown, CT. In her role focuses on finding new ways to use technology to enhance teaching and learning as well as finding ways to reimagine what education can look like.
Contact Erin
Todd Bloch, Teacher, MI
Todd is a 7th grade science teacher at Warren Woods Middle School in Michigan. He earned his master’s in middle level ed from Walden University in 2006 and has since worked to elevate the middle level. Todd started #mschat, a national twitter chat.
Contact Todd
Rachel Graham, Director of Programs, IL
Rachel is the director of programs at the Lefkofsky Family Foundation. In her role she oversees all of the Foundation’s education grantmaking focused on supporting middle level education.
Contact Rachel
Stephanie Patton, School Leadership Coach, OH
Stephanie currently serves as a school leadership coach for Columbus City Schools. She provides coaching to 5 middle school principals and 4 middle school assistant principals and leadership interns. Stephanie was previously the principal of an all-girls middle school focusing on equity, girl empowerment, and high academic standards.
Contact Stephanie
Todd Brist, Principal, SD
Todd is Principal of Watertown Middle School in South Dakota, where he has also served as a leader on the SDAMLE board. Since attending an AMLE conference, Todd has become a convert to the middle level movement and presents locally and nationally.
Contact Todd
Sandy Cameli, Education Specialist, HI
Sandy is an Education Specialist for the Hawai’i State Department of Education. Sandy’s passion for middle level education spans three decades, beginning as a teacher and now serving at the state-level in a role that allows her to elevate teacher leadership.
Contact Sandy
Chandra Diaz, Director of Middle Level Ed, NE
Chandra is the Director of Middle Level Ed at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She was a middle school educator for 12 years and was awarded Outstanding Math Teacher of the Year. She also belongs to NMLA and advises her local CMLA chapter.
Contact Chandra
Maya Kratzke, English Teacher, MD
Maya currently holds several roles at The Siena School in Silver Spring, Maryland, including Middle School English Teacher, Middle School Advisor, and High School Dean of Students.
Contact Maya
Walter Lee, Assistant Professor, SC
After teaching in Title I schools for more than five years, Walter now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina Upstate where he is also the coordinator of the University’s Call Me MiSTER program.
Contact Walter
Andrew Maxey, Director of Strategic Initiatives, AL
Andrew currently serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at Tuscaloosa City Schools in Alabama. He was a founding board member of the Alabama Association for Middle Level Education. He also serves on state-wide planning and advisory boards that provide professional supports for middle level educators.
Contact Andrew
Karen Weller Swanson, Teacher, CO
Karen currently serves as a middle school science teacher at Timberview Middle School in Colorado Springs. She has been a middle-grades advocate for 25 years and served in multiple capacities for AMLE, including on the Research Advisory Committee and as editor of Research in Middle Level Online journal.
Contact Karen

2023 AMLE Board of Trustees Nominations Open April 1

Help AMLE accomplish its mission of helping middle school educators reach ever student, grow professionally, and create great schools by nominating yourself or a colleague to serve on the AMLE Board of Trustees. We are now accepting nominations for four open positions on the Board of Trustees. Trustees serve three-year terms beginning January, 2024.

To self-nominate, or nominate a colleague, you’ll need a completed nomination form, a high-resolution photo, and three letters of reference. Nominations will be accepted April 1 through June 30, 2023.

Nominate Yourself or a Colleague

Explore Trustee qualifications and expectations or connect with Erin Scholes, Chair of the AMLE Elections Committee at erinrachel410@gmail.com.

Have questions about the nomination process? Contact ssimpson@amle.org.

Instagram _ Board Nominations Testimonials _ AMLE (1)

AMLE Staff

Stephanie Simpson
Chief Executive Officer
ssimpson@amle.org

Derek Neal
Chief Operating Officer
dneal@amle.org

Katie Powell
Director for Middle Level Programs
kpowell@amle.org

Jennifer Rose
Director for Professional Development
jrose@amle.org

Megan Mooney
Accounting Manager
mmooney@amle.org

Marcia Meade-Hurst
Senior Member Center Specialist
mmeadehurst@amle.org

Helen Polansky
Partnerships Manager
hpolansky@amle.org

Kristie Smith
CMLA East Chapter At-Large Advisor

Sarah Pennington
CMLA West Chapter At-Large Advisor

Dr. Lisa Harrison
Middle School Journal Co-Editor

Dr. Kathleen Brinegar
Middle School Journal Co-Editor

Dr. Ellis Hurd
Middle School Journal Co-Editor and CAEP Coordinator

Dr. David Virtue
Research in Middle Level Education Online Journal Editor

Past Presidents/Chairs

AMLE is grateful to the dedicated educators who have served as President/Chair and who have contributed to our rich history

2022 Lisa Harrison
2020-2021 James Barnes
2019 Christine Thielen
2018 Nancy Ruppert
2017 Pam Millikan
2016 Kathleen McCaffery
2015 Ashley Smith,
2014 Mike Muir
2013 Jeff LaRoux
2012 Nancy Poliseno
2011 Joan Jarrett
2010 Cathie Thibodeau
2009 Janet Vernon,
2008 Theresa Hinckle
2007 Mike Dietz
2006 Patti Kinney
2005 Kathy McAvoy
2004 Marc Ecker
2003 Linda Robinson
2002 Deborah Kasak
2001-2002   Santo Pino
2000-20001 Fran Salyers
1999-2000 Marion Payne
1998-1999 Walt Grebing
1997-1998 Pete Lorain

1996-1997 Ross Burkhart
1995-1996 Jerry Adrian
1994-1995 Charlene Pike
1993-1994 Betty Edwards
1992-1993 Sue Swaim
1991-1992 Jeanette Phillips
1990-1991 Julia Thomason
1989-1990 James Garvin
1988-1989 Conrad Toepfer
1987-1988 Robert Shockley
1986-1987 Gerald Bourgeois
1985-1986 Ann Moniot
1984-1985 Ronald Johnson
1983-1984 Kenneth McEwin
1982-1983 Mary Compton
1981- 1982 Sherri Scott
1980-1981 John Swaim
1979-1980 Louis Romano
1978-1979  James Fox
1977-1978  Robert Malinka
1976-1977 Thomas Gatewood
1975-1976 Keith Brown
1974-1975 Glenn Maynard
1973-1974 Hal Gladdis
1972-1973 Gordon Vars