Four board officer positions are open for current TAJE members this month: state director, secretary, treasurer and president-elect. Read more about these positions and the candidates running for them below. The electronic election will be held Feb. 20-25. Current members should watch for the ballot in an email from TAJE Executive Director Cindy Todd to cast your vote.
What does each position do?
State Director: Acts as the TAJE official liaison to JEA. The state director will attend one JEA convention a year and file a state report for each national convention according to JEA policy. The state director will write a column for the TAJE website updating the members of national concerns, interests and trends. The state director also conducts the Texas High School Journalist of the Year competition. State Director is a four-year term.
Treasurer: Working closely with the executive director, the treasurer oversees all finances and presents financial statements to the Executive Board and then to the membership at large. The treasurer must be familiar with online Bank of America tools for account management. The treasurer will act as the TAJE agent in securing an independent bookkeeper or accountant to audit the financial records as needed. Treasurer is a two-year term.
Secretary: The secretary keeps the minutes of all meetings of the association and the Executive Board and provides minutes for previous meetings at conventions and meetings. Copies of the minutes should be delivered to the Executive Board within two weeks of meetings. Secretary is a two-year term.
President-elect: In addition to serving as chair of the Nominating Committee and overseeing committee chairs, this person will become president if the office of president becomes vacant. After serving a two-year term, the president-elect becomes president for two years and then past president for two. (The president works closely with the executive director, and the past president is responsible for overseeing the Awards Committee.)
State Director
Name: Lisa Roskens
Email: ljroskens@prosper-isd.net
School: Prosper High School
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Broadcast, Online News, News Magazine
Years Experience: 23 years
Short Bio: Lisa Musser Roskens has taught for 23-plus years, including time at one of the smallest – and one of the largest – schools in Texas. Before teaching in six-man-football-size Groom and her current gig as the multimedia news adviser in Prosper, she worked as a journalist, stay-at-home mom, and freelance writer. Her publishing credits span multiple genres, including National Geographic for Kids, Fort Worth Magazine and other newspapers and publications. She has a degree in Journalism/English from Angelo State University and received one-on-one instruction from award-winning journalism educators.
Why I’m Running: The Interscholastic League Press Conference and the Texas Association of Journalism Educators – and all of their resources and members – have made me not only a better teacher and adviser, but a better person. For that reality, I’m grateful.
The job of TAJE state director first came to me when I agreed to help a friend whose family needed her more than the national journalism community did. Emily Arnold served in this position well, and her work inspired not only advisers but students across Texas – and the country – to be better. Under her leadership, Texas sent well-deserving candidates to compete for Journalist of the Year, aka, and appropriately known as “JOY.”
While I could never fulfill the role like Emily did, I do feel the state director position stands as a vital connection between TAJE and the Journalism Education Association. So, I decided to run again for this position because, well, no one can ever give back enough. My gratitude inspires me to want to finish this partial term well and then continue to improve in the next one for those who rely on TAJE and JEA.
My goal remains simple. I want to help both of these organizations continue to host the best servant leadership possible for the journalism educators of Texas. Those advisers deserve just that – Our Best.
Secretary
Name: Alexis Berkey
Email: aberkey1@kleinisd.net
School: Klein Cain High School
Media Advised: Yearbook, Broadcast, Online News, News Magazine
Years Experience: 3 years
Short Bio: My name is Alexis Berkey, and I serve as the faculty adviser for three dynamic journalism programs at Klein Cain High School in Klein, Texas. In my role, I support student editors in managing the broadcast, newspaper, and yearbook programs, all of which we have revitalized since August. We’ve relaunched the broadcast and newspaper initiatives entirely and have innovated the yearbook production process and design.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of guiding numerous students to win awards from the Texas Association of Journalism Educators (TAJE). Many of my students have been inspired by their experiences that they’ve chosen to pursue journalism beyond high school.
One of my most rewarding coaching experiences involved assisting a student with an investigative piece on locker room culture. Her dedication and talent led to recognition by TAJE and the prestigious title of Journalist of the Year. I’m proud of her achievements and the small role I played in her journey.
My life’s mission is to educate and ignite a passion for journalism in my students. I believe that my enthusiasm for the craft and dedication to student success shine through in all of our collaborative endeavors.
Why I’m Running: I am eager to announce my candidacy for the position of secretary for the Texas Association of Journalism Educators. My journey as a journalism educator has been profoundly shaped by the dedication and excellence of my peers, and I believe it is time for me to give back to the community that has inspired me so much.
The turning point in my career came at the Fall 2023 Journalism Education Association national convention, where I witnessed an extraordinary level of commitment and innovation among my colleagues. This experience ignited in me a desire to seek leadership roles where I could contribute more significantly to our profession.
As an adviser who has successfully revamped journalism programs and nurtured award-winning students, I offer a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective that can benefit TAJE and its mission. My goal is to ensure that both students and advisers within Texas have access to the support and resources they need to excel.
My vision as secretary is not only to maintain the excellent standards set by TAJE but to expand our reach and impact. I am passionate about fostering growth in journalism education and am committed to working tirelessly to promote the success of our members and their programs.
It would be an honor to serve as your secretary and to be part of something greater than myself. I am ready to dedicate my energy and ideas to help TAJE flourish and to champion the future of journalism education in Texas.
Treasurer
Name: Margaret Edmonson
Email: m.edmonson@comalisd.org
School: Smithson Valley High School
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Broadcast, Online News
Years Experience: 22 years
Short Bio: My 22-year career as a journalism teacher follows the same trajectory as most other Texas advisers – advising multiple publications while also teaching four to six preps. Despite our small staff, our publications have won ILPC Star awards, the yearbook has been included in the Jostens LookBook for the past 15 years and our newspaper has achieved SNO Distinguished Sites recognition. I was honored to receive the Edith Fox King Award in 2023, and I currently serve as a teaching ambassador for the Emerging Journalists Program sponsored by the University of North Texas Mayborn School of Journalism and Scripps Howard Fund. I am also a member of the Association of Texas Photography Instructors, ILPC and the National Scholastic Press Conference.
Why I’m Running: After serving as a member of the board for three years, I have learned a great deal about what makes this organization such a benefit for scholastic journalists and their advisers. I want to continue serving the membership as a treasurer on the board. As treasurer, I help advise the board on financial matters to help make the best decisions possible for the organization. I also work closely with other board members as we plan major events such as Fall Fiesta. It has been such an honor, and I would like to continue being a part of that.
President-Elect
Name: Stephen Green
Email: smgreen@conroeisd.net
School: Caney Creek High School
Media Advised: Newspaper, Yearbook, Online News
Years Experience: 8 years
Short Bio: Stephen Green, CJE, is the adviser to the Student Media program at Caney Creek High School in Conroe and is currently the secretary for TAJE. He advises the Creek Compass news website and The Creek yearbook — both of which have received awards on the state and national level. He is a recipient of TAJE’s Pathfinder Award and JEA’s Rising Star Award, a former reporter for daily newspapers, and coaches debate. He has a bachelor’s degree in multiplatform journalism from Sam Houston State, and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication (concentrating on journalism education) from Kent State.
Why I’m Running: Scholastic journalism is often underrated in its importance. It functions as a massive training ground for the future of the journalism profession, as well as an incredible opportunity for experimenting how we tell stories. The last two years on the executive board have allowed me to meet advisers from all over the state and nation, and see the work that goes into helping Texas advisers advance scholastic journalism to stellar standards. Right now, scholastic journalism is needed more than ever. I want to be helping to guide, advocate for and learn from the incredible advisers across the state.