NYSEC Executive Board

Capital Region
Bridgette Gallagher
Cristi Marchetti
Christopher Mazura
Alyssa Sabbatino

Central NY
Cody Miller

Hudson Valley Region
Michelle Bulla
Meg Davis Roberts
Christine Furnia
Robin McDonough
Sara Taveniere Moy
Holly Spinelli
Kasey Stecher

Long Island Region
Lawrence Butti
Michele DeVirgilio
Louisa Kramer-Vida
Michelle Peterson-Davis
Dr. Felicia Cooper-Prince

New York City Region
Lydia Adegbola
Eve Becker
Sapna Chemplavil
Vivett Dukes
Yamilka Roque

Westchester/Rockland
Janet Matthews

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Lydia Adegbola
Board Member
Social Media-Twitter

Lydia Adegbola is in her 19th year as an educator. She spent the first 15 years of her career as an English Teacher and Assistant Principal serving students and families in the New York City Department of Education. She is currently the English department chair of New Rochelle High School. Her academic background includes a Master of Arts in School Building Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary English Education from New York University. Lydia is honored to work alongside an amazing team of English teachers who work tirelessly to prepare students for the demands of college, careers, and citizenship. Her strongest desire is to provide the instructional leadership needed to cultivate the critical literacy skills students need to thrive in the 21st century and beyond. Lydia firmly believes that we can use literature to help students read the world and have a profound impact on their lives, both now and for generations to come.

Eve Becker
Board Member

Eve taught middle school school English in New York City for two decades. Prior to that, she was a freelance writer and editor in both print and digital publishing, and was a writer-in-the-schools, working with students and teachers in K-12 classrooms around the city. She currently teaches creative writing at Pace University and supervises student teachers at Teachers College, Columbia University.

She is the founder of Leaf and Pen, an organization that has been running writing retreats for educators since 2014. Eve was awarded the nationally acclaimed Pushcart Prize for her essay “Final Concert” (Pushcart Prize 2012) and is the author of over thirty published young adult novels. She holds a BA from Oberlin College, an MSEd from Cambridge College, and an EdM from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Michelle Bulla

Michelle Bulla
SED Liaison

Michelle G. Bulla is a 20+ year high school English teacher at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Orange County, where she also serves as 9-12 English Department Chair. She is on the Executive Board for the New York State English Council (NYSEC), serves on the NYSED English Language Arts Content Advisory Panel, and worked on the new revision of the state standards.

Lawrence Butti
Executive Director

Lawrence Butti has been an educator for over 40 years, serving students in New York City and Long Island.  He has been an English teacher at Russell Sage JHS in Forest Hills, an Assistant Principal of English at John Adams HS in Ozone Park, an English department chair and Director of English in Valley Stream Central HS District, and a Humanities Instructional Leader at Mineola HS.  He has also taught at Queens College, Adelphi University, Molloy University, and, most recently, at LIU POST, and currently serves as a consultant for the NYC Department of Education.  Larry has a BA in English and a Certificate in School Administration and Supervision from Queens College, an MA in English from New York University, and an Advanced Certificate in B-12 literacy from Adelphi.  He has served as the President of NYSEC and of the Long Island Language Arts Council (LILAC), as a member of the NCTE Secondary Steering Committee, and as the Region 1 representative of the NCTE Standing Committee on Affiliates (SCOA).  His writing has been published in English Journal, The English Record, NYSEC News, and the LILAC Newsletter, and he has presented workshops at the national, state, and local levels. Predictably, Larry enjoys reading and theater as well as traveling and playing the bass guitar.

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Sapna Chemplavil
Board Member

Sapna Chemplavil is a high school English Language Arts teacher at The American Dream School, a bilingual charter school in the South Bronx. Sapna is a voracious reader and habitual journaler who enjoys yoga, indoor bouldering, and exploring New York City with friends. She is a 2020 NCTE Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award winner who holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in English Literature and Psychology and a master’s degree in Secondary English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to having worked as a secondary English Language Arts educator in charter, traditional public, and specialized (or magnet) schools over the past decade, she has also taught as an adjunct professor in multicultural education.

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Dr. Felicia Cooper-Prince
Secretary

Felicia Cooper-Prince has been in education for more than 20 years. She served students on the secondary level and currently supports educators as a Director of Humanities. A guiding principle for Felicia is “a well-read person is likely to make fewer mistakes.” Also, she believes that reading, writing, speaking, and seeking to make connections with others is a responsibility. Formerly, she was the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) District Coordinator for a school district that embraced the pedagogical practices needed to foster global citizenship, agency, and action.

Michele DeVirgilio, Ed.D
President Elect
Co-Editor of The Record

Michele DeVirgilio, Ed.D. is an 8th Grade ELA teacher in Herricks School District, where she began her career 23 years ago. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Secondary Education from Hofstra University, a Master’s Degree in English and Secondary Education from Queens College, a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Touro College, and a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Drexel University. She is also an adjunct professor at Touro University. Her passion, both pedagogically and personally, is anti-racism within and beyond the classroom.

Meg Davis Roberts

Meg Davis Roberts
Board Member

Meg Davis Roberts is an Assistant Professor of Adolescence English Education at SUNY New Paltz where she also works with the Hudson Valley Writing Project and serves on the English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE) Commission on the Teaching of Poetry.

Meg began her teaching career in 2015—teaching middle and high school English Language Arts in the Chicagoland area and East Jerusalem—and is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). She received her doctorate in English Education from Teachers College Columbia University under the advisement of Ruth Vinz; at TC, she was the Enid & Lester Morse Fellow for new teachers.

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Vivett Dukes
Board Member

Vivett Dukes is a first-generation American of Jamaican ancestry who has a long history of disrupting the status quo. Deeply committed to upholding the dignity of our children, she works to eradicate the school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline that disproportionately impacts Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. A career educator as well as a wife, mother and grandmother, she has taught English Language Arts in urban middle and high schools within the New York City Department of Education and across Long Island.

As an educational consultant and manager of educational partnerships, she travels nationally and internationally, advocating on a variety of platforms for the overharmed, yet underserved. Vivett attends Columbia University, Teachers College where she is a doctoral student in the English Education program and a Zankel Fellow with Cyphers for Justice in the Institute of Urban Minority Education.

Christine Furnia
President
Vendor Liaison

Christine Furnia has been a secondary English/ELA teacher for 30 years, teaching nearly every grade 7-12 at some point. She received her undergraduate degree in English from Manhattanville College, and her Master’s of Science in Curriculum from Western Connecticut State University. Currently, she teaches grades 7 anf 8 at Van Wyck Junior High School in the Wappingers CSD. Christine is a Nationally Board Certified teacher, and strives to continue to grow professionally, as well as to help other teachers grow through courses she teaches through the Mid-Hudson Teacher’s Center. She became a member of the NYSEC Executive Board in 2016 where she currently serves as President and Vendor Liaison.

Bridgette Gallagher
President

Bridgette Gallagher is a teacher and 9-12 department chairperson in the Saratoga Springs City School District where she teaches grades, 9, 10, and Creative Writing. She majored in writing at St. Lawrence University, got her Masters in Curriculum and INstruction from SUNY Plattsburgh and holds a CAS in Educational Leadership. Her favorite school community endeavors include bringing her students to community Open Mic nights, advising the Shades of Blue Creative Writing Club, tutoring in the Sponsor a Scholar program, as well as coaching Unified Cheer. Her greatest loves are spoken word poetry, coffee, and an unruled leather bound notebook.If you need her, she’s somewhere in the back of the room writing poetry inspired by the tireless work of her students. She lives in Saratoga Springs, NY with her husband of 17 years and two children.  

Louisa Kramer-Vida
VP College

Louisa Kramer-Vida, Ed. D. received her doctorate from Hofstra University in Literacy and Educational Administration. Louisa also has a P.D. in Literacy, a C.A.S. in Educational Administration, an M.A. in Literacy and a B.A. in English and History. Louisa retired from Pre-K- 12 education. She was an elementary classroom teacher, a high school English teacher, a K-12 literacy specialist, and had a variety of building and district office administrative positions, mostly in the areas of curriculum/instruction and personnel. Louisa adjuncted for many years and after “retirement” she became a full time professor of literacy. Louisa was promoted to Chair of the Department of Special Education and Literacy, held a stint as Acting Dean, and is now the Associate Dean of LIU Post’s College of Education and Information Technology. Louisa has published 39 peer and non-peer reviewed articles in such publications as Language Arts and The Language and Literacy Spectrum, and has presented approximately 109 times on the international, national, regional, state, and local levels. Louisa has served on the NYSEC Board in many capacities, twice as President, and has been the treasurer of LILAC (the Long Island Language Arts Council, a NYSEC affiliate) for over 15 years.

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Cristi Marchetti
Social Media Coordinator

Cristi Marchetti is in her fifth year as an Upper School English at The Albany Academies in Albany, New York; she previously taught for sixteen years in Pennsylvania public education. As a 2016-2017 Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching recipient, she researched Community Use of Schools while based at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Cristi is a candidate for a Master’s in Education Leadership (2026) with the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Janet Matthews
Friends of Excellence
Coordinator

Janet Matthews is a National Board and National Geographic Certified Teacher, Fulbright Scholar and recipient of several National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships. Her career spans over three decades during which she served as a middle and high school English Department Curriculum Leader and classroom teacher in the Mount Pleasant Central School District. Her interest in global education has included study programs in all seven continents including a science expedition to Antarctica and a TEACH Fellowship in the Middle East where she had an opportunity to work with the Ministries of Education in Bahrain and Qatar. Currently, Janet works as a learning specialist and STEAM developer for her district. Her academic background includes degrees in Reading, English, and Administration. As a member of the NYSEC Executive Board, she serves as the Friends of Excellence chair and shares her passion for reading as a frequent contributor to Book Banter. Putting tennis aside a little bit this summer, Janet will be exploring the monasteries of Bhutan.

Chris Mazura NYSEC Board Member

Chris Mazura
Past President

Chris Mazura is a teacher, teacher educator, researcher, and writer, whose career-long focus is the relationship between reflection, vulnerability, mindfulness meditation, and writing instruction for the purposes of personal growth and social action.

Chris is a fellow in the National Council of Teachers of English Emerging Leaders program, previously served as a Co-Director of the Capital District Writing Project, and is a recipient of the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award from the Office of the Governor of the State of New York. Selected publications include articles in the English Journal, at PBSNewsHour.org, and in the forthcoming issue of English Leadership Quarterly; his work has also been referenced by the New York Times Learning Network.

Chris holds a BA in Political Science (Vassar College), MFA in Writing and Poetics (Naropa University’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics), MsEd in English Education (Pace University), and C.A.S. in Teacher Leadership (SUNY Albany), where he is also PhD candidate. His current research is on the creation of transformative and sustainable communities of practice to support the next generation of educators in New York State.

He is grateful to be a part of an intergenerational family system of committed to socially-just education.

Robin McDonough
Board Member

Robyn McDonough received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Oneonta and her graduate degree from SUNY New Paltz. She is in her 26th year teaching English at the Rondout Valley Central School District in Ulster County and has taught nearly every grade from seventh to twelfth. She currently teaches both AP English Lit and Lang, as well as several other Regents-level courses at the high school. As the English Department Liaison, she works closely with administration and colleagues to develop and implement curriculum which aligns with district goals. In 2003, Robyn received the NYSEC Educator of Excellence award and was honored at the 53rd annual conference in Albany. She is excited to be a member of the NYSEC Board and looks forward to working collaboratively with her new colleagues.

Robyn is also an active member of her local union, the Rondout Valley Federation of Teachers and School-Related Professionals, and has served as both a teacher representative and vice president. She currently serves as a delegate for the Representative Assembly and is the Editor-in-Chief of the union’s newsletter. In her free time, Robyn enjoys working in her vegetable garden, reading, and making special memories with her husband, two children and rescue dogs.

Henry “Cody” Miller
Board Member

Henry “Cody” Miller is an associate professor of English education at SUNY Brockport. He joined Brockport and moved to Rochester in fall 2019. He taught public high school English for seven years in Florida prior to moving to New York. Cody began attending and presenting at NYSEC in October 2022. His work has been published in English Record and the NYSEC blog. He previously served as NCTE’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee. He is the current editor of the English Leadership Quarterly, the journal of the Conference on English Leadership. His teaching and research focus on young adult literature, graphic novels, supporting LGBTQ students, and activism against book bans.

Michelle Peterson-Davis
VP Admin
NCTE Liaison

Michelle Peterson-Davis has over 25 years of experience as a teacher and administrator at the secondary and elementary level. She received her Bachelors in English from the University at Albany, Masters in Literacy Studies from Hofstra University, and a certificate in School District Administration from Stony Brook University. Michelle has served as an English Teacher, Reading teacher, building administrator, and K-12 ELA Director. She has served on the New York State English Council board for over 10 years in various capacities, including twice as President. In 2019 the NYSEC board honored her with their highest honor, the Fellow Award, for her service to both the Council and teaching profession. Michelle has presented workshops at local, state, and national conferences. She was a board member on the Long Island Language Arts Council, has participated on an advisory panel between P-12 and higher education on Long Island, and facilitates collegial circles for ELA leaders. In addition, Michelle has served on the New York State Education Department Content Advisory Panel for ELA for over 10 years. This panel provides feedback from the field on initiatives and curriculum for ELA at the state level. Michelle is a wife, dog mom, avid reader, and beach lover.

Yamilka Roque
Board Member

Yamilka Roque (Mika) is a Bronx native and a 10th year educator. She earned her BA in English from Dickinson College, and her Masters in Teaching of English from Teachers College, Columbia University. Mika identifies herself as an English educator who focuses on developing her students’ critical thinking skills, self confidence, and racial literacy. In 2024 Mika was awarded The Educator of Excellence award by the New York State Council of English and is currently working on developing curricular resources for English educators that will soon be published on PBS.org. Mika was the Chair of her English Department for 3 years at her previous school in the South Bronx and is overall a passionate educator who values and leans into her colleagues’ and students’ insight and perspectives in order to grow in her field.

Alyssa Sabbatino
Board Member

Alyssa Sabbatino, a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), is currently the Director of Teaching and Learning and Acting Principal in Schodack, NY, where she co-creates academic and social-emotional curricula for grades PreK-12, emphasizing differentiation and student-centered strategies. She is a National Presenter and local Professional Development Consultant. As a former English teacher, all her practice is deeply rooted in literacy. Alyssa specializes in Restorative Practices, Trauma-Informed Care, Social Emotional Learning, Classroom Management, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and Curricular Development. She provides differentiation training for teachers and aligns curricula to learning standards.

In her previous role as Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement in Mechanicville, Alyssa led instructional coaches, teacher mentors, and new teachers, and developed an Alternative Learning Program for at-risk middle school students. Since 2017, Alyssa has been a Capital Area School Development (CASDA) Trainer, training teachers and administrators in Restorative Practices, DEI Initiatives, and Data-Driven Instruction. She is dedicated to her husband and two children, life-long learning, advocacy for educators, her rading life, and growing within the community of NYSEC.

Holly Spinelli
Editor for Voices of NYSEC Blog
VP Secondary

Holly Spinelli is an advocate for inclusive, antiracist, anti-oppressive education. She began her full-time teaching career as an English educator, academic advisor, and students’ rights activist at City-As-School High School (M560) in New York City. In 2011, she received the Alice Trillin Teaching Award For Social Justice Work in New York Classrooms. Holly continues to cultivate community-inspired work as an English teacher at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley, New York, and as an adjunct Assistant Professor in the English Department at SUNY Orange County Community College. She served two terms on the NCTE Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English. Spinelli is a New York State English Council executive board member, the Voices of NYSEC blog editor, and an NCTE Open Educational Resources Fellow (2023). She is a contributing writer for HITRECORD’s Emmy Award-winning series Create Together (2020), and her article “Our Américas: Writing beyond Borders: Latinx Voices in World Literature” received the NCTE Paul and Kate Farmer English Journal Award (2023). She is the recipient of the 2024 NYSEC Fellow Award, and she led a “This Story Matters” Teacher Corps cohort for creating and contributing book rationales to the NCTE Book Rationales Database (2024). Recently, she led a Primary Sources rationale writing cohort in partnership with NCTE and the Library of Congress (2024-2025). Holly looks forward to continuing to work for and with others in the pursuit of intellectual freedom.

In her free time, she enjoys writing, running, backpacking, and grooving to music that moves her soul.

I believe in writing as one tool to begin society’s slow crawl toward honesty with itself.” ~ Hanif Abdurraqib

Kasey Stecher
Board Member

Kasey Stecher is in her 16th year of teaching English and works in the Pawling Central School District in Dutchess County, teaching high school seniors in AP, Dual Enrollment and electives. Kasey is a teacher consultant for the Hudson Valley Writers Project and a graduate student at SUNY Stonybrook in Post-Master’s advanced graduate certificate program studying educational leadership.

Kasey is an advocate for writing in all classrooms, and believes strongly in the restorative and powerful impact writing can have on young adults. She is an avid reader, a proud hockey mom, and a novice but enthusiastic gardener.

Sara Taveniere Moy
Board Member

Sara Moy is an Assistant Principal at FDR High School in Dutchess County. Sara is an avid reader who loves to travel in her free time, especially to the beach. She is a member of the Executive Board for the New York State English Council and also sits on the Board of Directors for the Hyde Park Educational Foundation. She holds an undergraduate degree from SUNY Oneonta in Adolescence Education and English and a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education from SUNY New Paltz. She completed a program in Educational Leadership through Stony Brook University.