The backgrounds of the candidates are presented below in alphabetical
order:
Michelle Balmeo, CJE, is in her tenth year advising the student
newsmagazine and news website at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino.
El Estoque, a student news organization of nearly 50 students, has
received several regional and national awards. Balmeo was a 2010 Cal-JEC
California Journalism Teacher of the year, a 2011 JEA Rising Star, and
is a 2014 DJNF Distinguished Adviser. She is the recently selected
Curriculum Leader for JEA’s Web Curriculum and contributes to the JEA
Digital Media Committee’s website jeadigitalmedia.org. Balmeo maintains
the JEANC website, works on the annual contest and most recently
developed the summer one-day workshop series. Over the next few years,
she is looking forward to growing the summer workshop and updating the
website to provide more members-only content.
Kristy Blackburn has been the journalism adviser for The Oracle at Gunn
High School for 11 years. The Oracle was a 2013 Pacemaker Award winner,
and is a 2014 Pacemaker Finalist this year. In her years of advising,
she has overseen the implementation of a revamped The Oracle website, as
well as a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram presence. She is also the
Vice-President of the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club board, and
helps organize the fall High School Journalism Boot Camp. Blackburn
teaches English and serves as the Instructional Supervisor of the Gunn
English department.
Don Bott has advised high school publications for more than 25 years.
For the past 23 years he has advised the award-winning Stagg Line
newspaper. Honored as the 2002 Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Teacher of the
Year, Don has traveled the country lecturing and instructing at
workshops. Of particular importance to him are issues of diversity and
inclusion. Don has served as president of JEANC and has worked on many
state and national conventions.
Matt Johanson has advised Castro Valley High School’s award-winning
Olympian newspaper since 2000. Prior to becoming a teacher, he earned a
bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Francisco State and worked as a
newspaper reporter and editor. Matt’s writing has appeared in the San
Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee. He
has authored four books.
Sarah Nichols advises Whitney High Student Media, which includes Details
yearbook, The Roar news magazine and Whitney Update website at Whitney
H.S. in Rocklin, where her students have earned top state and national
honors. Nichols serves as vice president of the Journalism Education
Association and helps oversee the JEA Curriculum Initiative. She is a
former JEANC president and scholarship chair and has served on
convention committees as well as in the role of contest coordinator. A
Master Journalism Educator from JEA, she is a frequent workshop and
convention speaker as well as a member of the JEA Digital Media
Committee and Scholastic Press Rights commission. She holds a B.A. in
Journalism and an M.Ed. Nichols was awarded Adviser of the Year in 2011
from the California Journalism Education Coalition and was named the
2010 National Yearbook Adviser of the Year. She received JEA’s Medal of
Merit in 2010 and the NSPA Pioneer award in 2008. Nichols teaches
Advising Yearbook for Kent State University’s online masters in
journalism education an co-authored an adviser textbook for Jostens.
Tracy Anne Sena is the adviser of The Broadview student newspaper and
website at Convent of the Sacred Heart H.S. in San Francisco where she
is also the school’s educational innovation coordinator. A frequent
presenter at journalism and technology conferences and workshops, she
also serves as a judge for several local and national journalism
organizations. Tracy is a 2009 NSPA Pioneer, 2007 California Journalism
Educator of the Year, JEA Medal of Merit recipient and Dow Jones
Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser, and serves on the advisory boards
of the Center for Scholastic Journalism Kent State University and is a
member of the JEA Scholastic Press Rights Commission, as as well as a
past-president of JEANC.
Rachel West, MJE, has been teaching English and advising journalism
programs for 11 years, and currently works at Stockton Early College
Academy (SECA) in Stockton. A San Joaquin County Teacher of the Year
finalist in 2014, she advises all of SECA’s campus student publications.
She also teaches AP Language & Composition and runs student activities.
JEANC is a highlight of her professional affiliations, as it connects
her to experienced and rookie advisers, and allows for the sharing of
journalism ideas and strategies with others in the region. Rachel is
currently JEANC President.
Laura Zhu started advising the Jamboree Yearbook at Toby Johnson Middle
School in Elk Grove for the 2008-2009 school year. She was named Elk
Grove Unified School District’s 2013 Teacher of the Year and a
California League of Middle School 2010-2011 Educator of the Year.
Laura’s yearbook students have earned several state and national awards
including three consecutive CSPA Gold Crowns and a 2011 NSPA Pacemaker.
In addition to teaching Yearbook and Photoshop, Laura is the National
JEA Jr. High/Middle School Contest Chair.