The Kyoto Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching

President: Thomas Amundrud

I have served as an officer in the Kyoto chapter since 2008, and most recently as membership chair. I am running for president so that I can help the chapter through the continuing challenges of the post-COVID era, in which we consider how to best harness the dynamic energy of in person events along with the global reach that online events offer. I am committed to maintaining the diversity in presenters, fields, and topics that our current president, Gretchen Clark, has championed, and look forward to working with the rest of the Kyoto chapter officers, as well as the JALT national leadership, to better serve the current and potential members of our chapter.

Treasurer: Lisa Cross

My years of experience working in the financial area in Banking and Finance and Project Management have allowed me to gain some unique experiences to use in this position. My vision would be to work with the committee to continue improving the association in the role of Treasurer. The opportunity to serve provides a learning experience to grow and enhance the position’s development. I will ensure that the association’s missions and values are reflected in the work I do for everyone. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this role.

Program Chair / Facilities Chair: Gretchen Clark

For the 2023-2024 professional development season, I’m am planning to support the main officers with the chapter’s mission to create a vibrant PD community and also provide quality programming that meets the needs of educators from all contexts. I will organize venues for the chapter and assist presenters with tech as needed.

Membership Chair: Dominic Edsall

I have been a member of JALT since 2011 and this would be the second time that I have stood for a committee position, having been Membership officer in 2012-2013. A lot has changed in the last 10+ years, but Kyoto JALT remains one of the most vibrant JALT chapters, despite all of the challenges of the last few years. I hope that in the role of Membership officer I can help increase membership and help maintain the vibrancy of the community, helping everyone get the most out of their JALT membership.

Publicity Chair: Donny Sparrow

I have been the publicity chair since the middle of 2018. I have continued to make sure that the monthly newsletter has been of high quality and made sure that the membership is informed of what is going on in the chapter and JALT at large. I have been active on Facebook and Twitter but I am happy that we will be going back to at least some face to face events, which will allow for more PR opportunities. Coordinating with the programming chair, the facilities chair, and members at large who are directing events and groups supported by the chapter is an important point that I will continue working on into the next year.

Publicity Co-Chair: Edward Escobar

I have been serving as a Kyoto officer in the role of Publicity Co-chair since 2022, redesigning the chapter’s website to give an accessible and adaptable experience to its members and other visitors, as well as providing a portal to information relevant to our members. I have been regularly tweaking and modifying our website since then to make sure it continues to be both accessible and adaptable as technology changes and guidelines are reformed. I look forward to continuing working with the Kyoto JALT officers in offering a forum for professional development opportunities as well as keeping information up to date and relevant in 2024.

Facilities Co-Chair: Sean Gay

As the facilities co-chair I intend to support the procurement of facilities for chapter events where possible. I also intend to continue helping to make events run smoothly by providing technical support when needed.