Member Profiles
State Teachers of the Year (STOYs) and Finalists are the foundation of NNSTOY. Each STOY or Finalist is engaged in one or more of our key focal areas of policy, practice, advocacy, each in his/her own way. On this page, please find a sampling of the dynamic and dedicated educators who represent our organization.
Peggy Allan, Illinois State Teacher of the Year 1989
Practice
Dr. Peggy Allan is the 1989 Illinois State Teacher of the Year. A dedicated teacher of English/Language, Social Studies, Gifted Grade(s): 7-8 for many years, Dr. Allen is now working to support teachers through coaching and... read more
Megan Allen, Florida State Teacher of the Year 2010
Advocacy
Megan Allen, the 2010 Florida Teacher of the Year, is a National Board Certified Teacher and the 2010 Florida Teacher of the Year. She happily spends her days working as a fifth grade teacher at Shaw Elementary School in Tampa, FL, and as a... read more
David Bosso, Connecticut State Teacher of the Year 2012
Practice
David Bosso, the 2012 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, has been teaching Social Studies at Berlin High School since 1998. He was recently named the 2012-2013 Outstanding Secondary Social Studies Teacher of the Year by the National Council for the... read more
Debra Calvino, New York State Teacher of the Year 2010
Policy
Debra is the 2010 New York State Teacher of the Year. She began her teaching career as a high school special education teacher in 1981. She has been teaching high school mathematics since 1984 and in 2004 was appointed Mathematics Department... read more
Eric Combs, Ohio Teacher of the Year 2006
Eric A. Combs, SMSgt, USAF(Ret) is retired from the United States Air Force. During his 20 year career, Sergeant Combs served as Security Forces Superintendent and special tactics instructor. He was the 1992 Non-commissioned Officer of the... read more
Diane Cummins, New Jersey State Teacher of the Year 2004
Policy
Diane Cummins is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the Clearview Regional School District in Mullica Hill, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Prior to becoming an administrative educator, Diane spent the better... read more
Jeanne DelColle, New Jersey State Teacher of the Year 2012
Policy
Jeanne DelColle, a high school teacher of sixteen years, brings her passion for history and extensive travel experience from across five continents into the classroom to connect with the worlds of her students. Also named 2012 NJ History Teacher... read more
Craig Divis, Vermont Teacher of the Year 2010
Craig Divis is a high school Social Studies teacher at Bellows Falls Union High School in Bellows Falls, Vermont. With a B.S. in Secondary Social Studies Education from Miami University in 2003, including minors in History and Political Science,... read more
Terry Knecht Dozier, South Carolina and National Teacher of the Year 1985
Advocacy
Terry Dozier, the 1985 National and SC State Teacher of the Year, has a storied career in education advocacy. In addition to her current position in leading the training of teacher leaders at VCU, Terry served as the first Teacher in Residence... read more
Lily Eskelsen, Utah State Teacher of the Year 1989
Advocacy
Lily was named Utah Teacher of the Year in 1989 for her work as an elementary teacher. She worked with homeless children and gifted children; as a mentor for student teachers; and as a peer assistance team leader in the suburbs of Salt Lake City... read more
Joe Fatheree, Illinois State Teacher of the Year 2007
Policy
Joe Fatheree, the 2007 Illinois Teacher of the Year, has been teaching Technology and History at Effingham High School since 1990. He was the recipient of the NEA’s National Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009, and was awarded the Leaders in... read more
Maddie Fennell, Nebraska State Teacher of the Year 2007
Policy
Madaline (Maddie) Fennell has been an elementary teacher for 23 years. She has served as a leader at the local, state and national level, most recently Chairing the Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching, presenting at the International... read more
Katie Ferguson, New York State Teacher of the Year 2012
Practice
In 2007, Katie joined the Jessie T. Zoller Elementary School staff as an integrated 2nd grade teacher where an estimated 74% of students are eligibile for free/reduced lunch. She is still teaching at Zoller today. Her work with independent... read more
Bob Feurer, Nebraska State Teacher of the Year 2011
Practice
Bob Feurer has been teaching at North Bend Central High School for the entirety of his 33-year career—“Same room, same desk, same tables!” The 2011 Nebraska Teacher of the Year spends his days teaching biology and global science to 7th-12th... read more
Mike Flynn, Massachusetts State Teacher of the Year 2008
Policy
Mike Flynn is a Director of Mathematics Leadership Programs (formerly SummerMath for Teachers) at Mount Holyoke College. MLP conducts a set of coordinated professional development seminars examining the learning and teaching of mathematics for... read more
Michael Fryda, Nebraska State Teacher of the Year 2010
Advocacy
Michael is a science teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. He was selected for the Knights of Aksarben Teacher Leadership Award in 2008 and Nebraska Teacher of the Year in 2010. Michael has been a Westside High School teacher since 2003. He is a... read more
Lynn Gaddis, Illinois State Teacher of the Year 1995
Policy
Dr. Lynn Gaddis taught students ages pre-school through high school for 20 years. She received the 1995 Illinois Teacher of the Year, 1994 Milken Educator in IL, 1995 Illinois State University E. Burton Mercier Alumni Service Award winner and the... read more
Jay Hoffman, Vermont State Teacher of the Year 2013
Practice
Jay Hoffman is Vermont’s 2013 State Teacher of the Year and has been recognized through numerous award programs for his innovative incorporation of technology into instruction. A middle school technology and design instructor, Jay has... read more
Marguerite Izzo, New York State Teacher of the Year 2007
Practice
Ms. Marguerite Izzo, whose teaching career spans over 30 years, is a full-time fifth grade teacher, specializing in English Language Arts, in the Malverne School District, Malverne, New York. Ms. Izzo is an adjunct professor of education at... read more
Pat Jordan, New York State Teacher of the Year 1993
Practice
During her thirty-year career in secondary school education, Dr. Jordan held teaching positions in mathematics, computer science, special education, and community service. She also designed curricula, supervised student teachers, implemented... read more
Alex Kajitani, California State Teacher of the Year 2009
Advocacy
Alex Kajitani is the 2009 California Teacher of the Year, and a Top-4 Finalist for National Teacher of the Year. Known around the country as “The Rappin’ Mathematician,” his CDs and Workbooks are being used in thousands of homes and... read more
Kelly Kovacic, California State Teacher of the Year 2010
Policy
Kelly Kovacic believes in the fundamental right of all children to receive a high-quality education. During her ten-year tenure at The Preuss School UCSD, a public charter school serving low income students who will be the first college graduates... read more
Leah Lechleiter Luke, Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year 2010
Advocacy
Leah, the 2010 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, is a high school Spanish teacher in Mauston, Wisconsin. Throughout her twenty-one year teaching career Leah has taken advantage of her dual certification in English and Spanish and has taught children in... read more
David Lussier, Massachusetts State Teacher of the Year 2000
Policy, Practice
David is serving as Superintendent of Wellesley Public Schools. He was a high school history teacher in Massachusetts, where he earned National Board Certification and was named the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year in 2000. A White House... read more
Ralph Maltese, Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year 2002
Ralph Maltese, Pennsylvania’s 2002 Teacher of the Year, received his B.S. in Education from Villanova University in 1968 and his M.A. in English from Indiana University in 1970. In that same year he began teaching high school English at Abington... read more
Justin Minkel, Arkansas State Teacher of the Year 2007
Policy
Justin Minkel teaches 2nd grade at Jones Elementary in Northwest Arkansas, a school where 85% of the students are English Learners and 98% live in poverty. Justin is the 2007 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, a 2006 Milken Educator, and a 2000 Teach... read more
Tony Mullen, Connecticut and National Teacher of the Year 2009
Practice
Tony Mullen, Connecticut and National Teacher of the Year 2009, has been teaching special education teacher at the ARCH school in Greenwich, CT for the past twelve years. In addition to teaching his students, Mullen provides professional... read more
Leslie Nicholas, Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year 2004
Leslie Nicholas received the 2013 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence at a gala in Washington, D.C. considered to be the Academy Awards for public education. He also received the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. This past... read more
Josh Parker, Maryland State Teacher of the Year 2012
Practice
Josh Parker, the 2012 Maryland State Teacher of the Year, teaches English Language Arts at Windsor Mill Middle School, where he also serves as Department Chair for English/Reading/World Languages . He was recently named a Horace Mann Awardee... read more
Tui Peau, American Samoa Teacher of the Year 1989
Policy
Tui Peau is the 1989 American Samoa Territorial Teacher of the Year. Currently serving as the Program Director for Teacher Induction at the American Samoa Department of Education, Peau holds a B.A. from Chaminade University, Hawaii, and a M.A.... read more
Christopher Poulos, Connecticut State Teacher of the Year 2007
Advocacy
Chris has worked extensively in the fields of Spanish education, teacher leadership, and community development. Chris is a full time Spanish teacher at Joel Barlow High School in Redding, CT. He achieved National Board Certification (WLOE-EAYA)... read more
Kristen Record, Connecticut State Teacher of the Year 2011
Advocacy
Kristen Record, the 2011 CT TOY, has been a Physics teacher at Bunnell High School in Stratford, CT since 2000. She was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teacher, the nation’s highest honor for K-12 STEM... read more
Cindi Rigsbee, North Carolina State Teacher of the Year 2009
Advocacy
Cindi Rigsbee is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of English/Language Arts. The 2008-2009 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Cindi was a finalist for National Teacher of the Year in 2009. She works to inspire teachers by writing... read more
Marcia Ritter, Missouri State Teacher of the Year 1995
Advocacy
Marcia Ritter is a family and consumer sciences educator from Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Marcia taught middle school and high school FCS students for 30 years and university FCS Education undergraduate and graduate students for 7 years. She is... read more
Edna Rogers, Tennessee State Teacher of the Year 1989
Advocacy
Edna devoted almost forty years of her professional life to teaching our youngest students, at the pre-school and elementary levels. She is a highly recognized educator, having earned a Presidential Math and Science Award, is an inductee into the... read more
Kevin Rutter, Illinois Teacher of the Year 2010
Practice
Kevin Rutter has been a teacher for 15 years and currently serves as the Department Chair for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Carl Schurz High School, a neighborhood, Chicago Public School. He will be going into his 12th year at... read more
Michelle M. Shearer, Maryland and National Teacher of the Year 2011
Policy, Practice
Michelle Shearer currently teaches Advanced Placement chemistry to tenth through twelfth grade students at Urbana High School in Frederick County. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Princeton University and a master’s degree... read more
Lee Ann Stephens, Minnesota State Teacher of the Year 2007
Advocacy
Lee Ann Stephens is the Minnesota State Teacher of the Year 2007 and has been an educator for 23 years. She spent her first 12 years of teaching in the Minneapolis Public Schools and the remainder in the St. Louis Park Schools and has taught grades... read more
Carol Strickland, Kansas State Teacher of the Year 1999
Advocacy
Carol Strickland has taught middle school, high school, community college, university, and technical colleges courses for forty plus years. She currently is an instructor in the Teachers College at Emporia State University and an adjunct... read more
Rebecca Snyder, Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year 2009
Policy, Practice
Rebecca Snyder chairs the Language Arts Department and teaches English at Greater Latrobe Senior High School in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. A fifteen year veteran of the classroom, Mrs. Snyder has taught multiple grade levels and courses as both a... read more
De Tonack, Nebraska State Teacher of the Year 1998
Practice
De is a semi-retired middle and high school teacher of mathematics, alternative education, and physics. She holds a B.A. double endorsement in mathematics and English; masters in mathematics education and Ph.D. De is a USA Today Outstanding... read more
Leigh VandenAkker, Utah State Teacher of the Year 2012
Practice
Leigh M. VandenAkker is Utah’s 2012 Teacher of The Year and winner of Utah’s 2011 Golden Apple Award. As co-author of Techniques for Tough Times TM, Leigh has trained teachers nationwide, providing insight and support by educating teachers in... read more
Sarah Brown Wessling, Iowa and National Teacher of the Year 2010
Practice
Sarah Brown Wessling is a high school English teacher at Johnston High School in Johnston, Iowa. She shares half of each day with the Teaching Channel where she serves as their Teacher Laureate to help fulfill their mission of elevating and... read more
Jennifer Williams, Idaho State Teacher of the Year 2002
Practice
Jennifer Williams, the 2002 Idaho Teacher of the Year, has been a 41 year Art Educator. She earned her BFA in Art Education from Mississippi State University and her Master’s Degree in Art from Boise State University. She retired in 2007 after... read more
Bob Williams, Alaska State Teacher of the Year 2009
Practice
Bob Williams began his teaching career as a Peace Corps teacher in Gambia, Africa. He achieved National Board Certification (Math – AYA) in 2011 and currently teaches Geometry, Algebra 1, intervention Math Strategies and two AP Calculus courses at... read more
