Regular JEANC members should have received their ballots on via email for the annual vote that selects half of the JEANC Board of Directors each year. Online voting opened on Nov. 23 and runs through through Dec. 23 at 11:50 p.m. The voting login as it is unique to each member and cannot be shared. Current members who did not receive a ballot may make a query via the Comments section of this post up until 72 hours before the close of the voting period.

2024 Election for Board of Directors
Candidate Bios & Photos

Patrick Bloom

Starting my thirty-first year in education, I decided to do what most “old veterans” do in the business…take on a massive undertaking! I accepted a position at Shasta Charter Academy, an independent study hybrid high school of 280 students, in Redding, CA. This wonderful school does a lot of things very well; however, in its twenty-five year existence the school has never had a yearbook or a journalism program. I started both! Have I taught English for the majority of my career? Yes! Do I have any experience in Journalism? Absolutely not. I applied for the Journalism Educator Fellowship last Spring and had the privilege of spending four days with some amazing people, including Erin Schneider. My mentor this past Fall has been Mr. Incredible, Tripp Robbins. I am always learning and growing in my profession and enjoying this journey of starting a school newspaper and publishing our first yearbook last Spring. I value professional collaboration, and I would be thrilled to represent northern California, the extreme Norcal, as a JEANC board member. Thank you for your consideration.

Stacey Dawson

I am in my fourth year advising the Poverello yearbook at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, CA. In addition to running the current transition from a club-based to class-based journalism program, I also teach AP Literature and 10th-grade American Literature. I have been teaching English for ten years, spending my first seven at Leland High School where I also co-led the speech and debate program. When my co-worker and history teacher husband, John, and I are not doing things for school, we spend time with our two daughters — Nelle (6) and Jude (13), mostly getting out to county, state and National parks whenever we can.

Keri Kemble, CJE, Treasurer

Keri Kemble teaches yearbook and publication design, online multimedia, and video production at Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley.

Michael Moul, Trustee

Michael Moul has been advising for “The Talon” newspaper for 15 years at Los Altos High School in Los Altos where he also advises the news website and news magazine.

Jessica Olamit

Jessica Olamit is the advisor for the new Media Studies program at Del Mar High School in San Jose. This is the first year of the school’s program with one class of 25 students. So far the students have created an Instagram page and an online newspaper, The Del Mar Dispatch. Jessica has been a teacher for over 20 years and currently teaches ELD 1, AVID/IB Theory of Knowledge, and Intro to Media Studies. Next year, she will teach a combined course of Intro and Advanced Media Studies.

Samved Sangameswara, Trustee

Samved Sangameswara is the adviser of the Arroyo Student Media program at Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo.  His class produces two publications, the Dry Gulch Gazette news magazine and The Arroyan yearbook.  He previously served on the JEANC board from 2018-2021 and is excited to be back.

Tracy Sena, CJE, Website Administrator and Honor Cord Coordinator

Tracy Anne Sena is the retired Director of Scholastic Journalism & Media at Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco where she advised “The Broadview” newspaper, website and social media at Convent of the Sacred Heart High School for 25 years; “The Roundtable” at Stuart Hall High School; and both schools’ yearbooks. Under her tenure, “The Broadview” won multiple Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crowns, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemakers, membership in the NSPA Hall of Fame, and both the girls and boys high schools were multiple recipients of the JEA First Amendment Press Freedom Award. Sena has been honored with the CSPA Gold Key and NSPA Pioneer Awards; she is also the 2007 California Journalism Educator of the Year, JEA Medal of Merit recipient and Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser. She is a past president of JEANC and has served on the advisory boards for the Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Advisers Association. Unable to quiet her teacher’s brain after 39 years in the classroom, she mentors new advisers and works on special educational projects for CalMatters.

Fitz Vo, Contest Coordinator and Post-Secondary Liaison

My name is Fitz Vo and I am the adviser of Jackman Middle School’s yearbook in Sacramento. I am also a science teacher. I was previously the adviser of the Bear Witness at Branham High School in San Jose, and for the last few years have helped coordinate JEA NorCal’s annual contest. Teaching journalism can be a lonely experience, and being on the board has helped me commiserate and celebrate with my peers around the area. I have learned and grown a lot in journalism education, and am excited to continue on that path.

Kate Weidkamp

I’ve had the privilege of advising the Lykos yearbook at Woodcreek High School for over 10 years, combining my passion for creativity with my love for teaching. Before stepping into the classroom, I worked as an art director in advertising and did freelance graphic design, experiences that shaped my approach to visual storytelling. As a teacher of visual art and photography, I’m dedicated to creating dynamic, collaborative environments where students learn problem-solving and project management skills. My motto is simple: “Get it done, get it done right, but have some fun while you’re getting it done!”

Brian Wilson, MJE, Membership Chair and Teach-in Co-Coordinator

Brian Wilson advises Madrono yearbook, C Magazine arts & culture magazine and Viking sports magazine at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, where he’s been advising publications for 10 years. He is a past-president of JEANC and has been a state press association board member in CA. and MI for nearly three decades. He has also served as a JEA state director, NCTE-JEA liaison, and is a current JEA mentor. Prior to moving to California, he advised yearbook and newspaper in Michigan for 18 years.