Dear CALL-IS members,

I talked with two members of our IS about being on the TESOL Board and about the important relationship between the CALL-IS and the larger organization. First, I interviewed Ms. Claire Bradin Siskin (senior English language fellow, Regional Institute of English, Chandigarh, India), and here is what she had to say:

A couple of members of the Nominating Committee approached me during the 2011 convention and asked me to consider being a candidate. I eventually submitted an Expression of Interest form and was elected in 2012.

Having a CALL-IS member on the board is an important aspect of TESOL. CALL-IS benefits from representation at the Board level since it is there that decisions are made about funding all activities and projects such as the Electronic Village. And TESOL benefits by having direct access to our expertise at the highest level. Of course, Board members pledge to consider the interests of TESOL as a whole in making policy. During the upcoming year, I will take on a new challenge as chair of the Finance Committee.

In the past, CALL-IS members Tom Robb, JoAnn Miller, and Elizabeth Hanson-Smith have given admirable service on the Board. Now, Deborah Healey is joining me on the Board during the last of my 3-year term. I urge all CALL-IS leaders, past and present, to consider running for the Board. A fair amount of work is involved, but we all know that CALL-IS folks are no strangers to hard work!

I then interviewed Deborah Healey (American English Institute; University of Oregon):

I want to bring our CALL-IS expertise to the TESOL Board. As a former CALL-IS chair and Steering Committee member, I had a pretty clear idea of the role of TESOL as a whole in promoting CALL in general. It was also clear that the TESOL Board takes a large role in supporting the CALL-IS, especially in funding the Electronic Village and promoting CALL-IS events at the TESOL Convention. I had also been on early TESOL working groups that examined how TESOL could and should use technology to improve what it did administratively and in terms of service to the membership. Being on the TESOL Board should help me see what TESOL has done in terms of leveraging technology and where else it could go.

I'd also like to see further collaboration with IATEFL and more international events where TESOL works with local country and regional affiliates.

Claire has done a lot of good on the TESOL Board, and she encouraged me to throw my hat in the ring. I know that serving on the Board will be a great learning experience for me. I hope that I can also draw on my experience to serve TESOL and my fellow TESOL members.