Visit Nominations/Elections page for more information about joining the board in 2025.
2025 WAESOL Board
2025 Board Meetings:
January 25, 2025 – Online Meeting
Additional Meetings TBD
November 2025 – Annual Member Business Meeting at Annual Conference
December 2025 – Online Meeting
Your 2025 WAESOL Board
Officers of the Board:
President
Kelli Dahmen (2025)
Affiliation: Pullman Public Schools
I am an experienced English language teacher with a passion for helping students achieve their language learning goals. With a rich background in education, I dedicated eight years to the IALC program at Washington State University and the past five years to Pullman Public Schools as the secondary ELD teacher and district ELD team leader.
My teaching philosophy centers around the WIDA Framework, which I am striving to implement both in self-contained classrooms and collaborative co-planning/push-in instruction settings. This approach ensures that English language learners receive the support they need to excel academically and linguistically.
Throughout my career, I’ve honed my skills in creating engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environments. I believe in fostering a love for language and promoting cultural diversity among my students. My commitment to professional development keeps me up-to-date with the latest teaching methodologies and strategies, ensuring that I provide the highest quality education.
Past President
Rosemary Colon (2025)
Affiliations: Mukogawa US Campus and Gonzaga University
Rosemary Colón is an ESOL educator at Mukogawa U.S. Campus and Gonzaga University. She has been able to build on her experience over the last 5 years teaching in university and community settings in the Spokane area where she currently resides after having spent most of her life in the Bay Area, California. Rosemary has also worked with KSPS PBS as an education consultant developing curriculum and facilitating workshops. She is an advocate not only for English/Multilingual learners, but for education as a whole by taking an active interest in policy and advocacy by learning how educators can build their support for students and communities. She continues to grow through professional development opportunities, collaborating with her peers, and by being creative with tech resources like Twitter. ¡Sí se puede!
Recording Secretary
Wing Shuen Lau (2024-2025)
Affiliation: Seattle Pacific University and Renton Technical College
Wing Shuen is a doctoral candidate in the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University. Her studies focus on culturally responsive practices, social-emotional learning, and multilingual education. She earned her WA State Teacher Certification with endorsements in Elementary Education, ELL, and World Languages. She has taught diverse students over the years in public school districts. Her teaching experience has been with learners in a variety of educational settings, including tutoring centers, after-school programs, language institutes, public schools, and colleges. The students she taught were of multiple ages (PreK-12 and post-secondary), skill levels (from Basic English to Native), and backgrounds (e.g., students with special needs, international students studying English, students who study English as a foreign language, U.S.-born students who speak a language other than English at home, refugee and immigrant students). She holds a master’s degree in TESOL and has published articles in journals in the field of education.
Executive Director
Joan Johnston Nelson, PhD
Affiliation: Independent ELL Trainer and Consultant
Joan has been engaged in English language teaching since 1986. Since her first experience teaching in Taiwan, she has taught in a wide variety of teaching situations at all levels from kindergarten through adult literacy, workplace literacy, and academic English. Joan is an active advocate, teacher trainer, and consultant, as well as a frequent presenter at local, state, and international conferences. She obtained her Masters degree in TESL from Gonzaga University. In 2013, she completed her doctoral dissertation on elementary ELL interaction and earned her Ph.D. through Washington State University. Joan has been serving on the WAESOL Board of Directors since June of 2011. Her passion is for working with students on the margins, especially in the refugee/immigrant communities and her own Native American community.
Treasurer
TBD (2025)
Affiliation:
Members-at-Large:
Grace Inae Blum (2024-2025)
Affiliation: Seattle Pacific University
Grace Inae Blum is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction-ELL/Bilingual Education at Seattle Pacific University. Her experiences as a daughter of first-generation Korean immigrants, mother to two school-aged, biracial children, and former P-12/ Adult Literacy educator greatly inform her commitments toward culturally sustaining teaching, scholarship, and service. Prior to her work as a teacher educator, she was an elementary school teacher having worked in both bilingual and mainstream classrooms in public schools in the greater Chicagoland and Los Angeles areas. She has also worked as an adult literacy/ESL educator both in immigrant communities in the US and in northern Iraq. Most recently, Dr. Blum was an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood/ Elementary/ TESL-Bilingual Education at Central Washington University. Her current research interests include humanizing teacher education, teacher preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms and the recruitment/retention of BIPOC educators. Grace is currently serving as Editor of the WAESOL Educator.
Ahmed Fahad (2024-2025)
Affiliation: Highline College
Before teaching at Highline as a tenure track faculty in the ELCAP Department, I did research and taught graduate and undergraduate level courses in second-language acquisition, TESOL teacher education, TESOL methods, discourse analysis, applied linguistics, and intercultural communication. I have taught EFL in public and private schools in Iraq and ESL in universities in the United States. I have a strong record of community service in TESOL. I served on the Ohio TESOL Board of Directors as the higher education interest section representative and Adult and Refugees Interest section.
I received a BA in EFL from Thi-Qar University, Iraq, an MA in applied linguistics from Baghdad University, Iraq, an MEd in TESOL, as well as a doctorate in literacy and second language studies from the University of Cincinnati.
Eugenie Mainake (2025-2026)
Affiliation: Washington State University (Pullman)
Eugenie Mainake is pursuing a PhD in Language, Literacy, and Technology at Washington State University, Pullman. He is a Fulbright alumnus from Indonesia and holds an MA in TESOL from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. His work centers around computer-assisted language learning (CALL), digital literacy, teacher education, and task engagement. His ongoing research examines the intersection of students’ psychological states and task engagement. As a Teaching Assistant at College of Education, he teaches courses on multilingual education for teacher candidates for equipping future educators to support culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Coming from the culturally and linguistically diverse country, Indonesia, Eugenie is dedicated to promoting inclusive and engaging learning experiences that support multilingual learners’ academic success.
Amir Abbas Ravaei (2025-2026)
Affiliation: Vancouver TESOL Training Center
I am an accomplished TESOL expert with over 24 years of experience in English language teaching, teacher training, and educational management. Based in North Vancouver, Canada, I hold a PhD in TESOL and currently serve as the CEO of Vancouver TESOL Training Center. Throughout my career, I have been recognized for innovative teaching techniques that emphasize humor and inclusivity to create engaging learning environments. As a University of Cambridge Speaking Examiner, I have contributed to exam preparation and curriculum design, training teachers who now work internationally. My dedication extends beyond the classroom—I have presented at international conferences, published training modules, and organized workshops. My academic qualifications include numerous certifications from Cambridge and the London Teacher Training College, reflecting my commitment to advancing the field of English language education. Outside of work, my personal interests include music, reading, and outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling.
Emily Harmon (2025)
Affiliation: Clarkston School District
Emily Harmon is currently a 4th grade teacher at Grantham Elementary School in Clarkston, WA. She is a first-year elementary school teacher but has extensive prior teaching experience at the university level. Before transitioning to K-12, she worked at the Intensive American Language School providing services for international students at Washington State University for 10 years. At the IALC, she taught classes in their Academic English program with students ranging from true beginners to advanced as well as taught in their Undergraduate and Graduate Bridge programs before becoming the Assistant Director. She holds an MA TESOL from the University of Idaho and is currently enrolled in the ELL Endorsement Program at WSU.
Cara Galbraith (2025)
Affiliation: Longview School District
Ms. Galbraith has been an educator in the K-12 setting and internationally for over 20 years. She has lived and worked in Russia and Eurasia, and Central America as an educator. Ms. Galbraith holds a Masters Degree in Russian Language, and a Masters in Teaching with endorsements in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and English Language Learners.
At this time, Ms. Galbraith is the Multilingual Learner’s Literacy Coach in Longview Washington. She is a SIOP Capacity Builder Trainer, and a Scoring Specialist with Flashlight Learning. Ms. Galbraith helps teachers apply educational strategies for multilingual learners across the subjects.
Ms. Galbraith participates in a Russian Language conversation group; enjoys being on the water kayaking, paddle boarding or boating; and has been a snow skier since childhood.
Board Information
All WAESOL Board members are volunteers who are also professionals in the TESOL field. Please consider joining the board. Elections take place in November. Learn more by visiting the Nominations and Elections page!
Board meetings, held four times a year, are open to any WAESOL member. WAESOL reimburses board member’s travel expenses based on WAESOL travel policy when attending board meetings and the annual conference.
Board minutes are available upon request.