This page is in process and will be updated often. Please check back for a complete Board of Trustee Bios coming soon.
Executive committee
Allison Anderson-Harder
2021-Current
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There is little that compares to the birth of your children and the people they become as my proudest moment. I am so proud of my children, who have each found their unique paths in the world as they follow their passions.
I am beginning my experience as a member of the Board of Trustees but have multiple years of peripheral involvement and admiration for the organization, that is located in a humble Midwest community while being a national leader. Although my position with USD253 automatically provides me with a position of the NTHF Board, I must add that the educational field is comprised of professionals who should be recognized and commended for their work. They truly influence the world and are often the people who are least likely to seek the limelight. The NTHF shines attention on teachers who have been trailblazers in their field and shares their work with others. I want to provide support and leadership to continue to grow this great organization. My favorite memory with the Hall of Fame is watching a NTHF Induction Ceremony is truly inspiring. It takes a committed team who work many hours behind-the-scenes to provide an Induction Ceremony that is seamless and focused on those being honored. My dream for the Hall is to continue to grow and promote the NTHF so it inspires others to join this stellar profession. |
noel Candelaria
2015-Current
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My proudest life moment was when I walked across the stage to receive my college degree. I was the first one in my family to attend and finish college, which I knew would create a pathway for my family and future generations of college graduates.
Noel and his wife Patty, who is a National Board-Certified teacher, are tireless advocates committed to the success of every student in their community, across Texas, and the nation. As a son of hard-working immigrants growing up in his beloved hometown of El Paso, he values the importance of education and the opportunities it provides students to fulfill their individual potential. It’s why the mission of NTHF to recognize and honor exceptional career teachers is important to him. Every year, we get to surprise five teachers in their own community, and often on their campus, with the announcement of their induction to The National Teachers Hall of Fame. I’ve been honored and privileged to make two of those announcements in Texas. There is nothing more rewarding than making the surprise announcement with the inductee surrounded by their family, students, colleagues, and the community. A community which has been the benefactor of their commitment and dedication to a career that has likely impacted hundreds if not thousands throughout their career. I dream of the National Teachers Hall of Fame rising to the prominence of other well-known Halls of Fame with a nationally televised induction ceremony in which the entire nation pauses for an evening to recognize and honor exceptional career teachers and educators who work alongside with them for the contributions to the success of our nation and democracy. |
Ralph Draper
2023-Current
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Your Proudest Life Moments:
-Career paths -Marriage -Fatherhood -Granddad -Retirement Reason for serving on the NTHF board: Teaching is a great calling! I consider myself, in all the different roles I serve… ministry, education, and parenting, to fundamentally be a teacher. Serving with the NTHF allows me, in some small way, to give back to this profession which has given so much to my family and me; and it allows me the opportunity to support highlighting and honoring this noblest of all professions and the people who make it so! Favorite memory or aspect of the NTHF: Listening to the videos that tell the “teacher’s story” is an aspect of the celebration that I find so moving and meaningful… it captures a small peep into the history of the JOY of teaching! Your dream for the Hall of Fame: I envision a time when nominations are coming from every state in the union and are so numerous that we can only select a limited number of the very best of teaching and teachers. And, to have a process that gets at this without the nominee having to do anything toward their nomination… except, show up to be recognized and inducted into a hall of fame that is comparable to the sport and art hall of fames! |
Trustees
Tonia
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Dr. Tonia Holmes-Sutton is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in Las Vegas, Nevada. An accomplished, twenty-year veteran educator leading in education advocacy, her primary service and support has been to children and families of vulnerable, traditionally marginalized and underserved communities within the Las Vegas Valley. Dr. Holmes-Sutton engages as an education leader, collaborating with teaching and leading colleagues throughout the country, constructing affinity spaces for and with educators to examine critical issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their commitment to equitable education for all students.
Dr. Holmes-Sutton has served as a proud Board Trustee for the National Teachers Hall of Fame since 2018. She chooses to serve as a Board Trustee as a commitment to further elevate and celebrate the recognition of excellence in education, including the exceptional, professional leadership and service commitment of teachers of color. Dr. Holmes-Sutton expresses a deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve alongside distinguished National Teachers Hall of Fame Board leaders to pursue the ambitious endeavor of acknowledging, honoring, and inspiring excellence in education. She is awed by the incredible commitment of the National Teachers Hall of Fame to recognize and celebrate career teachers' leadership and service to students, families, and the teaching profession. When asked about her dreams for the National Teachers Hall of Fame, Dr. Holmes-Sutton remarked, "I dream of a commitment to further diversify the National Teachers Hall of Fame inductees, recognizing the excellence of teachers of color, as reflections of the students, families, and communities of great promise in which they serve, learn, and lead." Dr. Holmes-Sutton has earned many achievements as an educator, having founded the Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute: Empowering Teachers as Leaders & Learners, the National Board Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators (National Board NAME), and the Women of Color in Education Twitter Chat (#WOCEdChat). Yet, she shares that her proudest life moment is becoming a parent, noting, "It is the greatest privilege and most humble honor to embrace the blessing of such a dream with incredible challenges and beautiful rewards." |
Roy mann
2021-Current
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I have been associated with NTHF for ten-plus years as a Board member and volunteer. I am proud to call Kansas my home state, and my wife and I have lived in Emporia since 1988. My professional background includes more than twenty-five years at Emporia State University working in Alumni Relations and the ESU Foundation. In 2021, I retired as Director of Planned Giving at the Foundation. While at Emporia State, I had the good fortune to witness the birth of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. I had the opportunity to meet and get to know all the members of the very first class of Inductees, and to watch as Emporia State University and the Emporia community fostered, nurtured, and grew the NTHF from that first class to what it is today. It has always been my hope to see the NTHF continue to grow and become the true pinnacle of all teacher recognition programs in our country, and utilize that prestige as well as the cumulative talents and abilities of our inductees to promote and enhance the teaching profession. Our Inductees have continually inspired me through their inspiring speeches and the passion they all share for teaching young people. My dream for the Hall of Fame is to see a truly state-of-the-art facility/space constructed for the NTHF in Emporia and also to create a space for NTHF in Washington D.C. |
Craig Martin
2023-Current
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Craig Martin is an educator, currently living in Massachusetts, who joined the Board of Trustees in 2022. During his many years in education, Mr. Martin has served as a classroom teacher, team leader, mentor, school improvement coordinator, mentor trainer, assistant principal, and principal of Coolidge Middle School in Massachusetts—recognized as a Spotlight School by the New England League of Middle Schools and as a national Lighthouse School by Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, Inc. In 2004, Mr. Martin received the Association for Middle Level Education’s “Educator of the Year” award for outstanding practitioners “who have made a significant impact . . . through leadership, vision, and advocacy.” In honoring Mr. Martin, AMLE recognized him as among “a select few who not only possess the talents to work with the children, but who possess the leadership qualities, skills, and desire to help make an entire school strive to do what is best for children.” In 2013, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent for his district; and in 2014, was invited by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to moderate a discussion about current initiatives in public education with the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education and fellow educators. In 2019, he cofounded the Pegasus Springs Education Collective, for which he currently serves as Executive Director.
Craig Martin is so proud to be an educator and feels very grateful to have had the wonderful opportunity to impact so many students and their families through the years. He is especially honored to serve on NTHF’s board of trustees to help uplift the teaching profession, spotlight outstanding career educators, and provide a platform for their voices. He believes their commitment to the profession, to our children, and to our nation’s future are truly inspiring—and that during such rapidly changing times, their dedication, experience, and expertise can provide an essential compass for navigating our way to a successful future for all. |
Jeanine Mckenna
2000-Current
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I am blessed to be with an organization that is a founding member of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Because of that affiliation, our organization has a position on the Board. I am honored to represent both the Chamber of Commerce as being a founding member and the Hall of Fame as a proud community member.
It is hard to name just one memory with NTHF. I find the Induction Ceremony each year very moving and inspirational. My dream for NTHF is to have an endowed fund and be financially secure, so we can do what we do best and that is honoring teachers. |
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Education:
Professional Experience:
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Carol Strickland
2013-Current
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Years affiliated with the National Teachers Hall of Fame: as a volunteer, 20 years; as an inductee, 17 years; as the executive director, 7 years. When the Hall of Fame first inducted 5 teachers in 1992,I was a proud Emporian in the audience cheering on the inaugural class, little expecting that eleven years later, I would be selected to join this prestigious club of career teachers.
My reason for working on the board, I want to make the NTHF a national treasure that is recognized throughout the nation as a premier organization that honors and elevates the education profession. I enjoy working with fellow Board members to increase our outreach and touch more lives. My favorite memory or aspect of the NTHF are the Induction ceremonies each year and the great network of outstanding educators that we have established. Each year, the memories and friendships just get better and better. I have three dreams for the Hall of Fame: One day, (1) everyone in America will know that there is a National Hall of Fame for Teachers and they will support it; (2) No more names will have to be added to our National Memorial to Fallen Educators; and (3) Sustainability for the future. |
Hanna Vaandering
2023 - Current
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My proudest moments have been when I have had the honor of observing students experiencing a “lightbulb moment.” Those times when all the hard work and learning lead to the feeling of success and fulfillment. These moments are what instill the love of learning that reminds me why I became a teacher.
It has been a pleasure to support the work of the NTHF for 6 years. As a member of the National Education Association Executive Committee, I had the opportunity to participate in the selection process and have been an advocate of the work of the NTHF. Serving on the Board of Trustees allows me to give back to the profession I so love. Being an educator is not easy, but it is the most rewarding profession one can choose. Making a difference in the lives of students is a gift that those who have never taught will never know. The Hall of Fame celebrates educators across the country and lifts up the contributions made by these incredible public servants. The NTHF Induction Ceremony is the pinnacle of the work the Hall of Fame does. Each inductee’s passion and commitment for their students and public education are on full display at the annual induction ceremony. Hearing their stories and feeling the pride they have for what they have done to make the world a better place brings a smile to my face and often tears to my eyes. |
Jackie Vietti
2017-Current
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My proudest moment in life was observing my husband’s and my five adult children’s steadfast, compassionate commitment to lives of service, in order to make our world a better place for others and to passing that legacy on to their children.
My reason for serving on the board is simple. Countess times I have witnessed the life-changing differences teachers make, first through my mother who was teacher; next through my own experiences with teachers who saw things in me that I did not yet see; and then as a result of my work in the community college and university settings, where faculty worked tirelessly to convert the dreams of their students into reality. It is such a privilege to be part of the work to honor members this noble profession. One of my favorite aspects of the NTHF is the Induction Ceremony and realated events; because those activities bring together people from all walks of life to celebrate the teaching profession and to recognize the best of the best educators who serve as the face for their colleagues across the country. My dream for the NTHF is on, or better yet well before, its 50th anniversary, to have garnered support for NTHF’s work from all 50 states, select corporations, and private foundations, in order to ensure the mission of the Hall of Fame in perpetuity: to recognize and honor exceptional career teachers, encourage excellence in teaching, and preserve the rich heritage of the teaching profession in the United States. |
Emeritus
Mark Andrews
Phil Bennett
Keith Geiger
Christy Levings
Dr. Tes Mehring
Phil Bennett
Keith Geiger
Christy Levings
Dr. Tes Mehring
