2022-2024 Officers

President
Kari Riemer

Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville
Years Advising: 32
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Literary Magazine

BIO: My passion for journalism grew from my love of the written word and the belief that the press gives a voice to the voiceless. I have over 30 years in the public school classroom and have advised school publications for most of them. For the last decade, I have been the publications adviser at a large 6A high school in Pflugerville, Texas, a growing farm/tech suburb outside of Austin. Both the newspaper and yearbook I advise have been nationally recognized and I am a former recipient of the Edith Fox King Award for outstanding dedication to scholastic journalism. I am currently the regional representative for Region 7 of TAJE. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 31 years. We have one daughter, Zoe, who is now a high school journalism teacher herself. We also have a dog named Lilo and cat named Meeko, whose only involvement in journalism is the comfort they give me at deadline time.

 

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President-Elect
Michael Reeves

James Bowie High School, Austin
Years Advising: 19
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Online News, News Magazine

BIO: Michael Reeves is the adviser of Dispatch Media at James Bowie High School in Austin. His students produce the Dispatch newspaper, thedispatchonline.net online newspaper, as well as a pair of digital magazines called the Drive and the Directive. Students in his award-winning program create content across the journalism spectrum from long form, feature-based pieces to podcasts, videos and robust social media offerings. After nearly 20 years leading publications, one of his favorite things to do is to work with other programs around the country to learn and share ideas. Reeves is married to his wife Katie, and they have one amazing daughter named Flannery. Reeves is a former Edith Fox King recipient, a TAJE Trailblazer, a CSPA Special Recognition Adviser and is also a JEA Master Journalism Educator. He has served on the TAJE board off and on for over a decade, writes for the JEA Digital Media website, and has been involved with multiple JEA committees.

 

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Secretary
Stephen Green

Caney Creek High School, Conroe
Years Advising: 6
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Online News

BIO: Stephen Green, CJE, advises the Caney Creek High School Student Media program in Conroe, Texas. He has a B.A. in multiplatform journalism from Sam Houston State and an M.A. in journalism from Kent State. He also has more than eight years in collegiate and professional newspaper experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers. The Caney Creek Student Media program has been recognized on the local, state and national level for its photojournalism, reporting and design. He lives with his husband Hunter and two dogs, Draco and Wicket (who both say hello).

 

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State Director
Emily Pyeatt Arnold

Aledo High School, Aledo
Years Advising: 13 (20 years teaching)
Media Advised: Yearbook, Online News, Literary Magazine, Broadcast

BIO: Emily Pyeatt Arnold began advising student media at Haltom High School and currently advises the Ledoian yearbook, the Cat’s Eye online news site and Catalyst literary arts magazine at Aledo High School. Her passion for storytelling began in her own high school photography, journalism, English, theatre and speech classes. She attended the University of Nebraska where she worked for The Daily Nebraskan and graduated with a bachelor’s in film studies. Pyeatt Arnold also earned her master’s in liberal arts from Texas Christian University. She is a former JEA Rising Star.

 

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Treasurer
Margaret Edmonson

Smithson Valley High School, Canyon Lake
Years Advising: 19
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Broadcast, Online News

BIO: I advise student publications at Smithson Valley High School, a 6A high school just north of San Antonio. My staffs have received recognition from National Scholastic Press Association, Texas Association of Journalism Educators, Interscholastic League Press Conference and Jostens in my 15 years at my current campus. I previously taught at Burbank High School where two of my journalism students advanced to state UIL competition for the first time in the school’s history. Prior to that, I spent 13 years reporting and editing at two small daily newspapers in central Texas.

 

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Past President
Alyssa Boehringer

ILPC Director, UIL Journalism Director
Years Advising: 16
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Online News, Broadcast

BIO: Alyssa Boehringer spent most of her life in journalism education. After attending the University of Texas where she worked as an intern for the ILPC office, she spent 16 years advising broadcasting, yearbook and online news at her alma mater, McKinney High School. At McKinney, she also coached their UIL journalism team and served as UIL academic coordinator for 12 years. In 2021, she transitioned to become communications specialist for Princeton ISD, where she also coached their UIL journalism team.

Alyssa has served on the board of the Texas Association of Journalism Educators for more than a decade as state director, secretary and for the past three years as president. She also works on the planning committee for the Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop. She was the 2017 JEA Broadcast Adviser of the Year and is a recipient of JEA’s Medal of Merit, TAJE’s Trailblazer Award as well as ILPC’s Edith Fox King Award.