Bio's - Bios
01. National President
Dr. Lindsay N. Herron has been teaching at Gwangju National University of Education since 2008. Prior to that, she taught English on a Fulbright grant at a high school in Jeju-do. She has an MA in cinema studies (New York University, USA); an MSEd in literacy, culture, and language education (LCLE; Indiana University, USA); a graduate certificate in learning sciences, media, and technology (LSMT; Indiana University, USA); and a CELTA and CELTA-YL Extension. Most recently, she obtained her doctorate in LCLE (Indiana University, USA).
A lifetime member of KOTESOL, Lindsay is also...
02. First Vice-President
Mike Peacock is originally from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He has been living in the Daejeon area for 21 years. Mike has been teaching English at Woosong University's Culinary Arts Department for the past 15 years and is currently in my 17th year at Woosong. He has previously served the Daejeon Chapter as 2nd VP, 1st VP, and is currently serving his 10th year as chapter president.
03. Second Vice-President
Wesley Martin has been living in South Korea off and on for more than five years, and he is currently teaching at a private academy (hagwon). He also has experience teaching ESL and linguistics to a variety of backgrounds at the university level. He has studied several languages, including Spanish and Korean, and is most interested in teaching and learning vocabulary. He has an MA in linguistics from the University of Iowa.
04. Treasurer
Jocelyn Wright is a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Mokpo National University. She has previously served KOTESOL as the founder and first coordinator of the Social Justice (Critical Educators in Korea) Special Interest Group (SIG), a founder and facilitator of the Gwangju-Jeonnam branch of the Reflective Practice SIG, an officer-at-large and membership coordinator for the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter, and a member of the International Conference Committee. Her main areas of academic interest are peace linguistics, peace (language) education, and peace...
05. Secretary
Heidi Vande Voort Nam teaches English education and general English courses at Chongshin University in Seoul. She holds an MA in TEFL/TESL from the University of Birmingham Centre for English Language Studies. Heidi holds a lifetime membership in KOTESOL, and she has been participating in KOTESOL in various roles since 2003. As co-facilitator of the Christian Teacher’s SIG, she has organized symposiums and social events for Christian teachers, and she was chair of the 2016 Christians in ELT International Conference. Heidi also serves as an administrator for the KOTESOL Facebook Group and a...
06. Immediate Past President
Bryan Hale is an English language teacher from Australia. He currently teaches at the Foreign Language High School in Naju, Jeollanamdo, and his previous experience includes both public and hagwon teaching with all age groups, but especially teenagers. Bryan has a Master of Applied Linguistics (TESOL) through the University of New England in Australia. He is particularly interested in playfulness and spontaneity in the English as a Foreign Language classroom. Bryan’s previous roles within KOTESOL include Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter president, Reflective Practice SIG co-facilitator, and KOTESOL...
10. International Conference Committee Chair
Meerbek Kudaibergenov, PhD, is an assistant professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. He served as the KOTESOL 2025 International Conference co-chair and Program director. With a keen focus on Eastern and Central Asian contexts, his research explores various dimensions of ELT, student and teacher identity, higher education, and country image. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Asia-Pacific Education Researcher; International Journal of Educational Development; and Journal of Language, Identity, and Education. Apart from the...
11. International Conference Committee Co-chair
Gabriela Villafradez holds an MA in applied linguistics and TESOL from the University of Leicester, complemented by a Trinity College London CertIBET in international business English training and a Trinity College TESOL Certificate from St. George International. She previously completed a BSc (Hons) in psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, providing a strong interdisciplinary foundation for her academic and professional work.
She currently serves as an English communication professor at the University of Ulsan, where she designs and delivers courses in English...
12. Nominations and Elections Committee Chair
David E. Shaffer, PhD, is an early member of Korea TESOL and a long-term resident of Gwangju, where his career has been as a professor on the English Department faculty at Chosun University (1976-2016). He holds a PhD in linguistics (theoretical) but has done much of his more recent research in applied linguistics and SLA, as well as in TESOL, in which he holds graduate certificates. In addition to research, Dr. Shaffer’s writings include books and articles on English teaching and learning as well as on Korean language, culture, and poetry.
Over the years, Dr. Shaffer has served as...
13. Publications Committee Chair
David E. Shaffer, PhD, is an early member of Korea TESOL and a long-term resident of Gwangju, where his career has been as a professor on the English Department faculty at Chosun University (1976-2016). He holds a PhD in linguistics (theoretical) but has done much of his more recent research in applied linguistics and SLA, as well as in TESOL, in which he holds advanced certificates. In addition to research, Dr. Shaffer’s writings include books and articles on English teaching and learning as well as on Korean language, culture, and poetry.
As Publications Committee chair, his main...
14. Membership Committee Chair
Lindsay Herron has been teaching at Gwangju National University of Education since 2008. Prior to that, she taught English on a Fulbright grant at a high school in Jeju-do. She has an MA in cinema studies (New York University, USA); an MSEd in literacy, culture, and language education (LCLE; Indiana University, USA); a graduate certificate in learning sciences, media, and technology (LSMT; Indiana University, USA); and a CELTA and CELTA-YL Extension. Most recently, she obtained her doctorate in LCLE (Indiana University, USA).
A lifetime member of KOTESOL, Lindsay is chair of the...
15. International Outreach Committee Chair
Victor Reeser is a teaching professor for SUNY Korea’s English Language Program and the facilitator of the KOTESOL MCALL SIG. Originally from Oregon, USA, he has been living in Asia and working in language education since 2009. He is currently a PhD candidate at Incheon National University studying cognitive linguistics.
16. Technologies Committee Chair
John Phillips is a long-time member of KOTESOL and a long-time chair of the Technologies Committee. He is presently an independent computer and network specialist, and has spent many years working for Fulbright Korea. John has also served on the technical team of many KOTESOL international conference committees.
17. Publicity Committee Chair
Lisa MacIntyre-Park holds a BEd (TESL) and BA (Hons) from Brock University in Canada and has been teaching English in Korea since 1997. Since 2005, she and her husband have run their own academy in Jeonju, which, incidentally, is where the local KOTESOL chapter has been holding workshops since 2022. In her free time, Lisa enjoys reading, playing the ukulele, practicing the art of modern calligraphy, and teaching it to others. She was the national secretary for KOTESOL in 2019-2022 and the KOTESOL Financial Affairs Committee chairperson in 2023. She is currently also the president of the...
18. Research Committee Chair
Ian Moodie, PhD, is a tenured professor in the Department of English Education at Mokpo National University in Muan-gun, Korea. He has a PhD in linguistics and an MA in applied linguistics, and his areas of interest are language teacher cognition, language teacher commitment, language teacher professionalism, and language teacher development. One of his current projects is investigating aspects of workplace psychology and professionalism among expatriate English teachers in Asia. His publications have appeared in Applied Linguistics, The Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, Language...
19. Financial Affairs Committee Chair
Tom Wyatt is from Brantford, Ontario. He holds an honours B.A. in English and comparative religion from the University of Toronto. After graduation, he got his CELTA, and after that, he taught EFL at a language academy in Cheonan for three years. He served as a guest English teacher with the Gwangju Metropolitan Board of Education until recently. He is now a full-time Korean language student studying in Seoul.
19.1 Diversity Committee Chair
Melvin Dixon moved to South Korea in 2006. He currently works at Gyeonggi University of Science and Technology, where he teaches and works in the Global Education Center, preparing students for work and study abroad. Melvin is vice president of the Seoul Chapter, a frequent workshop presenter, and a contributor to KOTESOL Voices.
19.2 Sponsorship Committee Chair
Robert J. Dickey has been a member of KOTESOL since 1995 and has served in nearly every national office (except Treasurer) as well as vice president of Busan Chapter. He has worked towards having publishers and teacher education organizations (such as MATESOL or TESOL Certificate programs) "invest their marketing resources through KOTESOL" for over 15 years. Rob teaches at Keimyung University (in Daegu) in the Public Administration Department, with his specialty in content-based language instruction.
20. Busan-Gyeongsang-Daegu Chapter President
Gabriela Villafradez is an English teacher from the UK, with a rich background in language education spanning over seven years across diverse global contexts. Holding a BSc in psychology from Goldsmiths, University of London, she furthered her academic pursuits with an MA in applied linguistics and TESOL from the University of Leicester, specializing in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and language and culture.
Her dedication to pedagogical distinction is evident in her proactive approach to fostering a supportive learning environment, where students are empowered to embrace...
21. Daegu-Gyeongbuk Chapter President
The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Chapter has merged with the Busan-Gyeongnam Chapter to form the Busan-Gyeongsang-Daegu Chapter.
23. Gangwon Chapter President
Reece Randall is an English instructor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). He is a South African with over nine years of experience in the Republic of Korea as a scholar, director, and educator in Busan, Seoul, Seongnam, Wonju, Gangneung, and Gwangju. He brings a diverse skill set gained from a background in EFL pedagogy, financial management, and leadership roles in academic programs – as well as volunteering for education, conservation, and community outreach initiatives – in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The Welsh name, Reece, stands for “enthusiasm” – a wealth...
24. Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter President
Maria Lisak creates safe environments to encourage learners for risk-taking and growth. Currently at Chosun University in South Korea, she has diplomas and certificates in business, technology, education, and meditation. Dr. Lisak is a lifetime member of KOTESOL and AsiaTEFL. Her research interests include funds of knowledge, cosmopolitan literacies, and autoethnography.
25. Jeonju-North Jeolla Chapter President
Lisa MacIntyre-Park holds a BEd (TESL) and BA (Hons) from Brock University in Canada and has been teaching English in Korea since 1997. Since 2005, she and her husband have run their own academy in Jeonju, which, incidentally, is where the local KOTESOL chapter has been holding workshops since 2022. In her free time, Lisa enjoys reading, playing the ukulele, practicing the art of modern calligraphy, and teaching it to others. She was the national secretary for KOTESOL in 2019-2022 and the KOTESOL Financial Affairs Committee chairperson in 2023. She has been an officer of the Jeonju-North...
26. Seoul Chapter President
Christopher Miller has been involved in ELT (English language teaching) since 2007, when he began his career in Peace Corps Moldova. He holds an MSEd (TESOL) from Shenandoah University. Within KOTESOL, he has served in various roles, including Research Committee chair, Seoul Chapter treasurer, and National secretary. His research interests include quantifying the benefits of teacher reflection. Christopher currently works at Daeil Foreign Language High School in Seoul. He has presented at numerous KOTESOL events, including conferences, reflective practice meetings, and workshops....
27. Incheon Chapter President
Victor Reeser started his career in education immediately after completing his undergraduate studies at Willamette University in 2009 by moving to South Korea and working as an ESL teacher at an English academy. Victor began teaching at Suwon Science College in 2012. He received a 120-hour TESOL certificate in 2012 and completed the Hanyang University TESOL certification program in 2016. He received his MEd in TESL from Framingham State University in 2017. Currently Victor is working towards a PhD from Incheon National University in English language and literature with research focused on...
28. Gyeonggi Chapter President
Kristina Kauss has lived and worked as an educator in Korea for over 16 years since 1997. She is currently an EFL educator in a public elementary school, though she has also taught middle school, high school, and university students, as well as adult learners, and she has worked as a teacher trainer for the Gyeonggi-do Office of Education. Kristina has conducted workshops at KOTESOL’s regional, national, and international conferences and has contributed to professional publications. She is also a Master's of Education degree candidate and has previously actively served the Gyeonggi KOTESOL...