I have typically used this space to highlight TESOL activities that support our strategic outcomes. This time, I would like to use this column to honor and recognize a long-time staff member who has dedicated his career to helping us advance our Global Presence and Connectivity, our Knowledge and Expertise, and our Voice and Advocacy.

John Segota, who joined us in 1996 as a project coordinator and rose to become our associate executive director, will be leaving us this month to join the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) as their new executive director. I am very happy for John and very pleased with his well-deserved success. While our association will miss John, he already knows that I am looking forward to working with him to find ways to collaborate and serve gifted English learners.

John’s contributions are most readily recognized in helping TESOL raise our collective voice and advocate for English teachers and learners. First as a coordinator for advocacy and public relations and later as director of the department, John spearheaded many of our most significant public policy initiatives, including our Advocacy and Public Policy Summit and our Public Policy Professional Council.

But John’s contributions go far beyond advocacy.

TESOL Board of Directors and staff lunch meeting

As professional relations manager, he strengthened our global presence and connectivity, helping to forge some of our strongest partnerships with organizations such as AFT, NABE, and EnglishUSA and our more than 100 affiliates worldwide.

John also played a significant role in strengthening our knowledge and expertise. He led our efforts to develop new standards and revise old ones. He oversaw one of TESOL’s first U.S. federal contracts to provide linguistic expertise on the U.S. naturalization exam. He helped conceptualize and co-convene the Summit on the Future of the TESOL Profession, and he contributed to the Action Agenda for the Future of the TESOL Profession.

A true expert in association governance, John provided significant guidance to our Board of Directors through our first-ever governance review and restructuring.

John has indeed done it all at TESOL. In addition to his deep institutional knowledge, what we will truly miss most is the warm colleague and always friendly coworker.

Please join me in thanking John for his many years of dedicated service to TESOL and congratulating him on his new opportunity.

Christopher Powers
TESOL Executive Director
Email: cpowers@tesol.org
Twitter: @TESOL_Powers

More Photos

John speaking at a National Coalition for Literacy event

John helping present the 2017 Outstanding Advocate Award to Gil Mendoza (right)

John at CATESOL 2015 with Judith O'Loughlin