Committee Volunteers

Middle School Subcommittee, Conference Committee

David Lockett

My CSTA Story

David Lockett is a member of the Conference Committee.

Professional Development Committee Member

Deena Crawford

My CSTA Story

Deena was inspired to join CSTA because of the goal she shares with the organization to bring CS experiences to even more students around the country! Deena is a former elementary bilingual teacher, and she is passionate about expanding access to innovative learning experiences to all students!

My Story

Deena Crawford is a SAM Labs Partnership Manager for the Central and Southwest Regions of the United States. She supports educators in creating innovative learning experiences for students, and those interested in engaging and expanding their STEAM and Coding goals. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish with a Minor in Education from Oral Roberts University. Deena taught in the DFW, Texas area for 11 years in Bilingual and STEM-focused classrooms, facilitating creative learning environments for students. She is passionate about bringing engaging educational experiences to all learners, and finding more opportunities to drive student collaboration and creativity.

Admin/Coaches Subcommittee Member, Conference Committee

Elissa Hozore

My Story

Elissa Hozore is the computer science specialist at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). In that role she advocates for and supports PK–12 computer science education throughout Maryland. She works collaboratively with others at MSDE, with the Maryland Center for Computing Education, and with other local, state, and national organizations to support school districts and teachers in providing computer science opportunities for all students.

Awards Committee Member

Eric Shewmaker

My CSTA Story

Eric Shewmaker is a member of the Awards Committee

Local Representative, Conference Committee

Fran Bromley-Norwood

My Story

Fran Bromley-Norwood is a Computer Science and Cybersecurity administrator in the Clark County School District, Nevada. She has the privilege of sharing her knowledge of computer science and cybersecurity with students, teachers, administrators, and industry professionals. Fran’s overall goal is to encourage and prepare educators and students to be career ready for industry positions. Fran is a member of the Nevada State K-12 Computer Science Standards writing team and a standards development member for the CTE Computer Science and Cybersecurity programs of study. She is also a member of the assessment teams for all of those content areas. Fran’s dedication to education has earned her the College Board AP Computer Science Principles Female Diversity Award, and NCWIT Aspirations Educator Award. Fran was also an inaugural member of the CSTA Chapter Leaders Committee and founding member of the Nevada Silver State CSTA chapter.

CSHS Committee Member

Eileen Malick

My CSTA Story

Founding member of the CSTA CSHS since October 2022.

My Story

Computer Science Instructor at CodeRVA Regional High School teaching all levels of Computer Science for over 2.5 decades. Supervisor and co-instructor of Student CS Teachers at the University of Mary Washington.

Awards Committee Member

Esmeralda Tovar

My CSTA Story

Esmeralda Tovar is a member of the Awards Committee

Middle School Subcommittee, 2025 Conference Committee; Awards Committee Member

Ian MacIntyre

My CSTA Story

Ian has been an 8th-grade teacher at Sartartia MS (Fort Bend ISD) since 2005 and an active member of CSTA since 2015. He teaches Fundamentals of CS, coaches multiple sports, leads Technovation Texas, and sponsors a thriving Girls Who Code club. He is energized by introducing students to the field of CS, allowing them space to create and solve problems in their community.

My Story

He is currently the Vice President for CSTA Greater Houston, Chair of the National CSTA Awards Committee, and the Technovation Ambassador for the Houston area. Connect with him on Twitter @SMS_Coding to learn more about the awesome work that Ian is doing! For more information, email Ian at ian.macintyre@fortbendisd.com

Equity Subcommittee, Conference Committee

Jaci McCune

My CSTA Story

I have been a CSTA member since 2018, but became an active volunteer in 2022. Reviewing student and teacher awards and serving on the conference committee are highly rewarding, as it brings us closer to teachers and students.

My Story

Dr. Jaci McCune is an educator, researcher, and advocate for computer science education. Her vast experiences as a teacher, professional learning facilitator, state education department professional, and researcher prepared Dr. McCune with a landscape view of computing education ecosystems from local to national levels. As the current Deputy Director for the ECEP Alliance, Dr. McCune works alongside states to broaden computing education opportunities for all students.

Teacher Standards Committee Chair

Janice Mak

My CSTA Story

Janice was inspired to be a part of CSTA initially through her local CSTA AZ chapter where she was surrounded by like-minded and passionate CS educators who cared about bringing CS to students in equitable and inclusive ways. To this end, she has served as president of CSTA AZ and on the board of CSTA.

My Story

As a former CS teacher, instructional coach, administrator, state board of education member, and now researcher, Janice brings a unique lens to her work of advocating for more equitable systems to support students toward full participation in CS education. She has been honored to be a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, NCWIT K-12 Educator, ISTE Making IT Happen, and NSF CAREER award recipient.

Professional Development Committee Chair

James Koontz

My CSTA Story

James first came across the CSTA through the K-12 CS Standards as he was working to build a K-6 CS curriculum in Fairfax County, Virginia. With a passion for quality CS professional development, he joined the CSTA Professional Development Committee, eventually becoming a co-chair, and now serving as chair emeritus.

My Story

After working with the U.S. Army, NSA, and a variety of defense contractors, James became interested in making a difference through education. He became an elementary school teacher, sharing his love of computer science through after school clubs before founding a STEAM Lab for students in K-6. He currently works as an educational technology coach in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia.

Professional Development Committee Chair; Teacher Standards Committee Member

Jared O’Leary

My CSTA Story

The last semester of my coursework for my PhD in music education I audited a class on coding music apps with a graphical programming language called Max. While taking the class I kept asking myself: When is this music? When is this coding? And when are the two indistinguishable? I explored these questions in K-8 coding and makerspace classes that focused on arts-based coding and interest-driven learning through Scratch, ScratchJr, Ruby, JavaScript, Code.org, and Swift. I eventually left the classroom to develop elementary computer science curricula and professional development used by hundreds of thousands of students and thousands of teachers around the world. I now create free content for gamers, drummers, and computer science educators at www.JaredOLeary.com, such as the #CSK8 Podcast, a podcast for computer science educators.

My Story

I am a multiplicity who creates free content for gamers, drummers, and computer science educators at www.JaredOLeary.com, such as the #CSK8 Podcast, a podcast for computer science educators.

Professional Development Committee Member

Jennifer Albert

My CSTA Story

Jennifer Albert is a member of the Professional Development Committee

Teacher Standards Committee Chair

Jennifer Rosato

My CSTA Story

I first joined CSTA when I started working with K12 teachers as part of a CS4HS grant project. The CSTA community holds the best interests of students and teachers at its core and is aligned to my personal values of wanting to see all students have engaging CS learning opportunities where they feel like they belong. I was a co-founder of the CSTA-MN chapter and part of the leadership team for several years until joining the CSTA Board of Directors.

My Story

Jennifer Rosato is the director of the Northern Lights Collaborative for Computing Education at the University of Minnesota, leading efforts to create more inclusive computing education opportunities. She has been supporting educators in K-12 and higher education in efforts to broaden participation in computing for over 20 years. She is passionate about collaborating with partners across systems and stakeholders to increase equity. She has led multiple grants and projects that provide curriculum and professional development for teachers and districts, is a CSforAll-MN steering committee member working on educational policy in Minnesota, and previously served as chair of the CSTA Board of Directors.

Awards Committee Member; Policy Committee Member

Jeremy Maker

My CSTA Story

Jeremy Maker is a member of the Policy and Awards Committee

High School Subcommittee Member, Conference Committee

Jessica Yauney

My CSTA Story

Jessica joined CSTA as a first year computer science teacher in Los Angeles in 2015. Since then she has been a member of the Los Angeles Chapter, Orange County Chapter and is now Co-President of the Utah Chapter. She served on the awards committee and the conference committee and is volunteering at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

My Story

Jessica taught high school computer science in Los Angeles for 3 years and began leading summer training for new AP teachers. Since then she has earned a Master’s degree in Technology from Brigham Young University researching K-12 computer science education. Now, she is a PhD candidate at Stanford University studying education and computer science.

2025 DEIA Chair; 2024 Equity Strand Lead, Conference Committee

Jigar Patel

My CSTA Story

During the 2020 pandemic, one of my colleagues was looking to start a local CSTA chapter in Central Pennsylvania. After learning more about the amazing support system that CSTA has for computer science educators at all levels, I decided to jump on board and became the founding member and now Vice President of the CSTA Susquehanna Valley Chapter. I am deeply engaged in promoting equity in computer science education, especially in rural areas. I am also a volunteer on the conference committee.

My Story

Jigar Patel is the Coordinator for Innovation & Special Projects at Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 and Vice-President of the CSTA Susquehanna Valley Chapter. A 2022-23 CSTA Equity Fellow and a Raspberry Pi Certified Educator, Jigar leads professional development across Pennsylvania and supports TIU11’s Spark Lab, a makerspace fostering K-12 innovation. Recognized as the 2021 PAECT Outstanding Leader of the Year, Jigar champions equitable learning in rural areas, driven by his passion for leveling the educational playing field.

Editorial Board Member

Joyce Seaman

My CSTA Story

Joyce joined CSTA in 2019 and has enjoyed being a part of this group of educators. The innovation and enthusiasm in the CSTA organization is an incredible source of inspiration. In 2022, Joyce began volunteering by being a part of the Cutler-Bell Award selection committee, the CS Teaching Excellence Awards selection committee, and the CSTA conference proposal selection committee. She is looking forward to other opportunities to volunteer within the organization.

My Story

Prior to volunteering with CSTA, Joyce has had over 26 years of experience in education. Starting as an art teacher, and then moving into teaching technology, Joyce has been mentoring teachers and pre-service teachers on how to integrate technology in their classrooms from the PK-College level for more than 20 years. Her favorite part about coaching others is seeing the moment when teachers see how the use of technology can enhance activities in their classrooms, and then watching students light up when they experience the activities. She loves to integrate robotics into the curriculum, and is a Certified Ozobot Educator. Joyce has also won grants from the NSA for the Gencyber program which brought cybersecurity summer camps to Winthrop University two years in a row for both teachers and middle/high school students. She partnered with the Citadel to bring Code.org training to Winthrop University for a programming summer camp for local teachers. In her free time, Joyce loves traveling with her husband and 4 teenage children.

Equity Strand Lead, 2025 Conference Committee

Julie York

My CSTA Story

Julie York helped found the main chapter of CSTA out of a desire to meet other teachers in the state and grow connections with people outside of her school district and classroom. As one of the only computer science teachers in her building, Julie really wanted to gain more networking opportunities with computer science teachers throughout the state and country. What really attracted her to CSTA was the idea that it is not just a state program but a program that extends across the country and even to other countries around the world. Eventually, she was honored to be selected as a 2023 CSTA Equity Fellow and got a chance to develop her leadership skills and meet others in the country working on issues she is passionate about. As someone who loves community and building communities within her own life, Julie really enjoys being part of an organization that emphasizes building a strong network of communities throughout the country. The opportunities that CSTA presents, like being on the conference committee and having chances to speak at different locations and with different organizations, are incredible!

My Story

Julie York has been teaching computer science and media electives at South Portland High School in South Portland, Maine since she was hired in 2002. Hired to teach Video Production, she has gone on to develop and maintain many new classes for the school community that include Animation & Game Design, Digital Graphics, Advanced Technology, and Introduction to Computer Science. Community and joy are two main focuses in her life and teaching: with representation, inclusion, involvement, creating, passion, empathy, and diversity at the forefront of her planning and development. She is married with two children and has two businesses she founded and continues to run for fans of anime and gaming in Maine: Weekend Anime & Games and PortConMaine.

Awards Committee Member

Juan Marquez

My CSTA Story

Juan is a teacher that enjoys using all available tools for success. He discovered how technology can give voice and ownership to students’ learning, but soon, he felt lonely. No many teachers like to try new things, even less technology. When he heard about a group of teachers that help each other for CS learning, teaching and implementing it in the classroom, he didn’t hesitate from joining. This has been 6 years and he is now an active CSTA member.

My Story

Juan is a passionate teacher who strongly believe in the Power of Yet and growth mindset. He lives by these believes inside an outside the classroom. Origanlly from Mexico, Juan came to the US and became a bilingual teacher. He has taught in Title I schools with major focus on ESLs. “One thing I really enjoy from teaching school year is witnessing the whole transformation that students go through. Watching them how things were at the beginning and then at the end of the year is so rewarding.”