March 5, 2026

Dear NESPRA Members,

I am writing to provide an update on elections for officers on the NESPRA Executive Board for the May 2026-May 2028 term.

Congratulations to Our 2026-2028 Executive Board Members!

I would like to express my deep congratulations to NESPRA members who will be part of the 2026-2028 Executive Board. We do not have any contested seats for these roles, and therefore do not need to hold elections for these seats.

Congratulations to:

• Julia Mitchell of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, who will automatically become the NESPRA President for 2026-2028. She is currently the Vice President and a founding board member.

• Sean Siciliano of Middleborough Public Schools in Massachusetts, who will become the Vice President for 2026-2028. Sean is currently the board’s Communications Coordinator.

• Jennie Oesterreicher of Holyoke Public Schools in Massachusetts, who will be the board’s Treasurer for a second term for 2026-2028.

• Cynthia Johnson of Taunton Public Schools in Massachusetts, who will be the board’s Membership Coordinator for 2026-2028.

• Emily Morgan of Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut, who will be the board’s Communications Coordinator for 2026-2028.

• Yelitza Brooks of Norwich Public Schools in Connecticut, who will be the board’s Connecticut State Representative for 2026-2028.

• Jennifer Cowart of Cranston Public Schools in Rhode Island, who will be the board’s Rhode Island State Representative for a second term for 2026-2028.

• Genevieve Brown of Oyster River Cooperative School District in New Hampshire, who will be the New Hampshire State Representative for a second term for 2026-2028.
  
  

• Russell Elek of Burlington School District in Vermont, who will be the Vermont State Representative for 2026-2028.

As the current President, I will automatically serve as the board’s Immediate Past President for 2026-2028.

At the Annual NESPRA Conference on May 8, we will formally welcome our new board members and honor those who are stepping down for all of their hard work and dedication.

Vacant Seats

For our 13-member Executive Board, there are currently three positions for which no one has declared candidacy. Those positions are:

• Secretary

• Massachusetts State Representative

• Maine State Representative

Please contact me if you are interested in holding any of these positions.

These positions will be vacant unless a NESPRA member indicates they would like to hold the position. In accordance with our chapter bylaws, once a member expresses interest, the chapter will publicly announce the position is open in order to solicit any additional candidates for a period of 10 business days. If one or more additional members express interest, an election will be held; if not, then the sole candidate will be appointed to the position and serve the remainder of the term.

Thank you all for your support and continued advocacy of the school communications profession! We hope to see you at the Annual NESPRA Conference on May 8, 2026!

Sincerely,

Dan O’Brien
President, NESPRA
Chief Communications Officer, Worcester Public Schools (MA)