Region I

Jerry Weller

Jerry Weller received his B.A. from McGiII in 1993 with honors, his Masters Degree in Public Administration in 1994 and his B.Ed. Degree in 1995 from Queen's. He was also an L.W. Copp Award nominee for teaching excellence in public schools.

Since 1995 Jerry has taught Federal and Provincial Canadian inmates how to make computers "sing and dance". Previously, he was a federal public servant in Ottawa with Human Resources Canada, helping find jobs for people and people for jobs. Before teaching, he ran his own company helping Canadian education and social issue NGOs to attract funding and volunteers. One way or another Jerry has helped people learn new skills and has fun doing it.

"...they who only or chiefly choose for Beauty, will in a Little Time find the same Reason or another Choice." Mary Astell, 1666-1731, English feminist wrote "A Serious Proposal to the Ladies Advancement of their True and Greatest Interest, " 1964.

Region II

Jeffrey A. Richard

Jeffrey Alan Richard has been teaching for the West Virginia Department of Education for 23 years. His teaching career started in 1982 at Colin Anderson Center in St. Marys WV, teaching daily living and functional skills to severely and profoundly handicapped individuals. In 1989 he transferred to Mountwood Park in Volcano, WV to teach Basic Skills, Health and Physical Education and Outdoor Adventure Education to youth with the diagnosis of a Level Il Behavior Disorder. In 2000 he transferred to St. Marys Correctional Center in St. Marys, WV, a medium/minimum correctional facility for adult males, to become the Special Needs Teacher. Currently Jeff instructs incarcerated male adults with unique and special education needs. He has authored, designed and implemented a highly successful Reading Readiness/Beginning Reading instructional program. His instructional program was awarded "Adult Program of the Year for 2003" by the West Virginia Adult Education Association. Additionally, he is responsible for the student orientation procedure and preenrollment diagnostic testing for all students at St. Marys Correctional Center.

Jeff was raised in Falls Church, VA, and is an honor graduate of Falls Church High School. He was conferred his Bachelor of Science degree in Education at George Mason University in 1981 and completed his Masters of Arts degree in special Education at West Virginia University in 1985. Jeff continues to further his education through Marshall University and West Virginia University.

A married father with a wonderful wife, 4 children, two daughters and two sons, and two granddaughters, Jeff enjoys being involved with parenting, tutoring, and coaching the many sports and activities in which they are involved. He is also an accomplished scholastic athletic official. His forte includes Umpiring Fast Pitch Softball and Officiating both Boy's and Girl's Basketball. His highpoints in officiating include working the West Virginia secondary Schools Activities Commission State High School Fast Pitch Softball Tournament in 2001 and the Girl's State High School Basketball Tournament in 2002.

After all these years, Jeff still gets excited about his job. He says the thing that keeps the enthusiasm to teach alive is seeing the joy his students display when they learn and develop new skills.

Region III

Mary Stierna

Mary Stierna was chosen as the Region 111 Teacher of the Year at the Region III Conference held in Perrysburg, Ohio amid an abundance of red, white, and blue. Mary currently teaches Adult Basic Education Reading at the Wisconsin Resource Center. She has been at the resource center for nine years. Mary also facilitates the Cognitive Interventions and Managing Anger Programs. In addition, Mary teaches the ProLiteracy America (PLA) Tutor Training classes. This program trains inmates to tutor other inmates. She is also one of the founding members of the PLA-Wisconsin Institutions, an accredited affiliate of ProLiteracy America, and has been a member of the organization's Advisory Board since its inception in 1997. Mary has served as the co-chair and Accreditation Chief for the PLA-Wisconsin Institutions.

Mary has been a CEA member for 5 years. She is currently a member of the CEA-Wisconsin Writing Project Committee.

Mary certainly fit the "Heroes of Hope" theme for the Teacher of the Year festivities at this year's regional conference. Join the rest of the region in wishing her well as she represents Region III as the Teacher of the Year representative at the CEA International Conference in Des Moines in July 2005.

Region IV

Lillian Engblom

Lillian Engblom is a full time adult Education teacher in the Mental Health Unit at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - a maximum-security facility located in Oak Park Heights. Lillian has been a teacher for 21 years. The last 15 have been at her present position. Other teaching experiences have been in Sweden, her birthplace, Texas and Illinois. Lillian has a BA in Christian Education from Wheaton College, IL and has attended classes at the University of Minnesota to be certified in ABE. While raising her children, Lillian taught adult basic education in her community. She organized and began a program of ABE at Courage Center, a center for adults with special needs, in Stillwater. As one coworker wrote, "Lillian is a dedicated and committed educator. As an instructor of offenders, she demonstrates unique skills in motivating students, designs curriculum to meet their individual needs and collaborates with education staff and medical staff.

Lillian's supervisor in the unit said this of her, "As a teacher, Lillian has offered offenders many opportunities to challenge their often negative experiences in academic settings. She is not simply a teacher, but clearly a person who is mightily invested in promoting the learning process of her students. She is respectful and kind, while at the same time challenging and direct. Recently, Lillian involved a number of offenders in a simple dramatic production/reading. Not only was it remarkable to see these men acting, but they did so with a clear desire to be part of something meaningful.

Lillian's tutors said the following in their letters of support. "Lillian's' classes cause her to have to deal with numerous and wide-ranging assortment of emotions being demonstrated by students. She does this daily and with great energy." "I have seen students come to class who no longer believed in their ability to learn or believe in themselves. In time they would start to beam as their confidence grew along with their knowledge under Lillian's guidance. Ms. Englblom has all of the gifts that a good teacher should possess. She starts each day with a positive attitude and greets each student with a smile. She possesses an endless supply of patience and understanding." "Lillian does all with compassion, obvious zeal and with a patience that only love for her work could allow." Lillian has been active in the teacher's union SRSEA as local president. She is currently secretary for the MN Chapter of CEA. She is married to David and is the mother to 4 children and 2 grandchildren.

Region V

Craig Range

Craig Range is an instructor at Lakeside High School at Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite, Oklahoma. He was selected as the Correctional Education Association Region V Teacher of the Year by his peers. Craig teaches Adult Basic Education GED preparation with emphasis on Science at Lakeside High School, the accredited school for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, and is certified by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Craig brings over 15 years of teaching experience in the Oklahoma public school system. He began his career in correctional education at Oklahoma State Reformatory and is currently in his seventh year as a correctional teacher.

For Craig, teaching in corrections has put the fun back into teaching and he conveys this enthusiasm back to his students. Many of his students are learning disabled or were not able to advance in other learning environments. From him they gain the confidence to obtain the education needed for them to advance in their lives. Craig's philosophy on teaching is, "You can take the teacher away from the classroom but you can't take the classroom away from the teacher.' Learning is a lifelong process; for the teacher as well as the student.

Region VI

Frank Wise

Frank has been a teacher since 1976, but a correctional educator since 1987; first at Fraser Valley College, the Langley School of Trade & Commerce, and presently at Newcastle College.