Making a Difference in the Lives of Multilingual Learners
Board of Directors 2024-2025
Our Board of Directors are elected in the late fall annually. If you have experience working with the CATESOL organization and would like to be considered for our Board, please contact CATESOL.
Susan Gaer
President
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Nirmla Flores
Vice President
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​Dr. Nirmla Griarte Flores is currently an Assistant Professor for the Education
Department at Cal Poly Pomona. Her research activities revolve around multilingualism,
dual language immersion, transnationalism, and global competence. Her passion
towards culture and language preservation propels her to explore deeply how
educational equity can be achieved within marginalized communities. Her aspiration to
investigate closely the needs and strengths of Less Commonly Taught Languages
(LCTL) is at the forefront of her current research endeavor.
Judy Hu
Treasurer
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A CATESOL volunteer (and beneficiary!) since graduate school, Judy has served in roles from Orange County Chapter Treasurer to Northern Regional Donations Coordinator. She has been the Treasurer of CATESOL Education Foundation since 2019.
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Kerry Chow
Secretary
With a MA in Applied Linguistics (Emphasis in Literacy and TESOL) and B.S.Ed. in Education, Kerry has over 20 years of teaching experience in K-12, ESL and Adult Education. Kerry is a former ESL instructor at University of Southern California (USC) International Academy and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) American Language Center; she is currently employed in the field of adult education with Burlington English.
Song Hong
CATESOL Liaison
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Honored to serve as the CATESOL President from 2023 to 2025, Song is an ESL Assistant Professor within the Division of Continuing Education at Santiago Canyon College. After her MA TESOL degree from Azusa Pacific University in 2012, she has instructed diverse ESL and Citizenship students in the community college districts. Since 2015, she has been an active and dedicated member of CATESOL, demonstrating her leadership abilities through multiple roles.
L. Erika Saito
Director-at-Large:
Assistant Secretary
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L. Erika Saito, PhD, is the Director of Strategic Partnerships in PK-14 Education at University Massachusetts Global. Dr. Saito is a California credentialed teacher with over 20 years of experience in various roles within K-12 public and private schools and teacher preparation programs. Her research and publications center on disaggregated Asian American history, communities, ethnic identity, social and emotional learning, international students, and multilingual learners.
Emily Wong
Director-at-Large:
Awards
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Emily has taught ESL for over 15 years and has a love for helping learners understand and be understood. Her hobbies include learning cultural nuances, getting lost in new areas, asking
learners to teach her about their language, and eating delicious bread.
Margi Wald
Director-at-Large:
Strategic Communications
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Lecturer of first-year writing and director of the Summer English Language Studies program at UC Berkeley, Margi co-edits The CATESOL Journal and has extensive experience presenting at and organizing conferences for English language teaching organizations.
Margaret Teske
Advisor
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Margaret is past president of the CATESOL Education Foundation (2017-2021) and past president of the CATESOL organization (2011-2013). After years of working at Mt. San Antonio College as an ESL Instructional Support Mgr., she is now a program specialist for CASAS, providing testing of basic and academic skills for youth and adults and curriculum tools to design instruction.
Open Postion
Social Media Coordinator
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Webmaster
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Open Position
Advisor
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