NEW AGATE President – Audrey Dowling

A mother of two gifted sons, Audrey has been a teacher of the gifted and talented for 17 years and has long been an active advocate for gifted education.  She has served on the board for many years, most recently as vice-president.  She has also been a member of GETS Network (Gifted Education Advisory Board for the New York State Department of Education. 

NEW AGATE Vice-President – Mary Kay Lewis

Mary Kay recently retired from the Penfield Central School District where she served as an enrichment teacher and chairperson of the Gifted Education Department, coordinator of professional development, and teacher on special assignment in the role of differentiation coach.

NEW Recording Secretary – Christy Folsom

Christy is an assistant professor at Lehman College, CUNY in the Bronx where she teaches courses in childhood education.  She specializes in instruction in curriculum development that includes teaching of thinking and social-emotional skills.

NEW Treasurer – Carol Ann Stevens

Carol is an associate professor of education at Buffalo State College, where her responsibilities include developing and delivering courses in gifted education.  She is the mother of two gifted sons, has extensive experience as a teacher of gifted and talented students, in developing gifted and talented programs and as an advocate for gifted education. 

NEW Board Member – Janice Walz

Janice has taught gifted students for more than 20 years.  She has also created and taught after-school enrichment programs focused on the integration of history and the arts, and has shared her ideas on hands-on activities as a presenter at AGATE conferences.

New Board Member - Joan Winters

Joan has been involved in gifted education since 1983, when she was a teacher in Portland, Maine.  She has served on the board of directors of the Main Educators of Gifted and Talented, including two terms as president.

New Board Member - Amy Zamkoff

Amy has served as a teacher of gifted for over 25 years.  While she began her career in Syracuse, she is currently in the Tully Central School District where she developed and is the instructor for the gifted program. 

New Membership Secretary, Webmaster - JoAnn Meaker

JoAnn recently retired as Lead Teacher for Gifted Education in the Fairport School district, with 21 years experience in gifted education.  She has developed identification procedures, taught teacher workshops and presented parenting classes (using the SENG method).

Chapters / Affiliates Liaison - Michelle Jones

Michelle has two gifted children and is the founding member of the Rockland County chapter of AGATE (GEAR).  She also established gifted education committees in her school district's elementary and middle school's PTAs. 

DO YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

Nominations for AGATE Board

Two openings will exist for the AGATE Board of Directors beginning January 2009. If you are interested, please send a brief description of your professional and educational background. Include a couple of reasons why you are interested in gifted education and how you might serve the AGATE organization.

Responsibilities include:

Attendance at all Board monthly phone meetings and the one at the annual AGATE Fall conference)
Participation in a committee and/or supervision of one of the organization’s primary goals.

Send bios no later than October 1, 2008 to:

Audrey Dowling, (dowlings@fairpoint.net)