National Association for Student Activities

Eastern Region

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

Brenda O'Shea (2024)

NEW YORK

Brenda serves as the Coordinator of Student Life and student council advisor at Somers High School in New York. She has been a member of the Adult Board of the New York State Council on Leadership and Student Activities (NYSCLSA) and chaired both PAL and NYSCLSA Conferences. Brenda was the 2017 NYSCLSA Advisor of the Year and the Region 2 Warren E. Shull Award recipient in 2018. Brenda attended her first NCSA at Scottsdale, AZ in 2014.

You can contact Brenda at boshea@na4sa.org.

Lyn Fiscus (2025)

VIRGINIA

Lyn currently serves as Extracurricular Specialist for the Loudoun County Public Schools and is also the Director of the Virginia Student Councils Association. She previously taught leadership and social studies while serving as a Student Council adviser in both Virginia and Missouri. Lyn was editor from 1995–2007 of Leadership for Student Activities, published for Student Council and National Honor Society advisers by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), and also served as a Board member of the National Association of Student Activity Advisers (NASAA). She was instrumental in the founding of the Alliance for Student Activities, a nonprofit association to promote the value of student activities, and was selected as the 2005 National Earl Reum Award recipient. Lyn attended her first NCSA at Las Vegas in 1987.

You can contact Lyn at lfiscus@na4sa.org.

Central Region

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Trisha Bemboom (2025)

MINNESOTA - SECRETARY

Trisha is Coordinator of Student Activities for the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP). She was a special education teacher, Leadership class teacher, and Student Council Advisor at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in Sauk Rapids, MN before assuming her current position. While at Sauk Rapids, her Student Council hosted the Minnesota Association of Student Councils (MASC) state conference twice and their Summer Leadership Academy. Trisha was the Minnesota state Advisor of the Year and Region 4 Warren E. Shull Award recipient in 2015. Trisha attended her first NCSA at Niagara Falls in 2015.

You can contact Trish at tbemboom@na4sa.org.

Tom Heethuis (2024)

MICHIGAN - PRESIDENT

Tom has worked with student leaders and advisors for more than 45 years. He has been a science teacher, Student Government Advisor, Leadership Class teacher, Director of Student Activities, building administrator and leadership camp director at both the state and national level. Tom has served on the Boards of the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) and the National Association of Student Activity Advisors (NASAA). Since his retirement, Tom has served as Advisor Liaison and Training Facilitator for the Michigan Association of Student Councils (MASC). He has presented advisor training workshops in 15 states and 6 Canadian provinces. He has been recognized as the MASC Advisor and Principal of the Year and was the initial inductee into the Michigan Student Leadership Hall of Fame. Tom was selected as the 2017 National Earl Reum Award recipient and has served on the NA4SA Board of Directors since 2015. He attended his first NAWD Conference in 1988 at Nashville.

You can contact Tom at theethuis@na4sa.org.

Southern Region

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

Henry Foust (2026)

NORTH CAROLINA

Henry is a retired Spanish teacher and Student Council adviser, who in his 35 years of active service attended 11 NAWD/NCSA Conferences, 20 NASC National Conferences, 2 Vision Conferences, and more than 30 NCASC State and District Conventions. He is the current Outreach Director for the North Carolina Association of Student Councils (NCASC). He served as the Central District Director for thirty years, and was an integral part of the NCASC Summer Leadership Workshop staff between 1988 and 2023. Henry has also served on the NASSP Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Staff for over 10 years, and continues to serve his community through several organizations. Henry attended his first NCSA at New Orleans in 1994.

You can contact Henry at hfoust@na4sa.org.

Katie Keyes (2024)

TEXAS

Katie has been a student council advisor in Texas since 1998 and is presently advisor at Boswell High School in Fort Worth, Texas. Her school was recently selected as the Texas state president’s school for the coming year. Katie has been a summer leadership workshop consultant since 2006, and state conference coordinator since 2013, dealing with state conference attendance of over 5000 delegates. Katie prides herself in seeing the “big picture”. She brings to the NA4SA Board a positive and optimistic view and is excited to help continue the growth and transformation of our programs. Katie attended her first NCSA at Minneapolis in 2007.

You can contact Katie at kkeyes@na4sa.org.

Western Region

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

James Layman (2025)

WASHINGTON - TREASURER

James has was hired by the Association of Washington of Student Leaders (AWSL) in 2017, and was appointed State Director of AWSL in 2021. James oversees and directs all student voice initiatives and programs for AWSL and works collaboratively with the state principal organization. James was a music educator throughout the Spokane area before joining AWSL. James, through AWSL, is a keynote speaker, program facilitator, curriculum writer, and equity consultant throughout Washington State. James attended his first NCSA in 2017.

You can contact James at jlayman@na4sa.org.

Sandy Ginger (2026)

NEVADA - VICE PRESIDENT

Sandy worked for the Clark County School District (CCSD) from 1987 to 2020, serving as a Leadership Advisor for 11 years before being appointed as Director of Student Activities for CCSD, the fifth largest school district in the United States. Sandy has been an Executive Director for the Nevada Association of Student Councils (NASC) since 1993 and hosted National Conferences for the National Association of Student Councils in 2004 and 2013. Sandy is a member of the California Association of Directors of Activities (CADA) Hall of Fame and was the Area H 2017 Bob Burton Spirit Award Winner. In 2007, Sandy was selected as the National Earl Reum Award recipient. Sandy attended her first NCSA at New Orleans in 1994.

You can contact Sandy at sginger@na4sa.org.

Non-Voting Members

There are currently five non-voting members on our Board of Directors. The Executive Director and Registrar are appointed for three year terms, while other non-voting members are appointed annually.

Lou Miller

NEW JERSEY - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Lou has been a math teacher at Brooklawn Middle School in Parsippany, New Jersey since 1989, and Student Activities Coordinator for nearly 30 years. Since 2006, he has been an Executive Director for the New Jersey Association of Student Councils (NJASC). The National Warren E. Shull Middle Level Advisor of the Year in 2010, Lou served on the National Advisory Council of the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) from 2010-2012 and again in 2015. Lou also served as President of the National Association of State Student Council Executive Directors (NASSCED) in 2015 and 2016. Lou was selected as the 2021 National Earl Reum Award recipient and represented the Eastern Region on the NA4SA Board of Directors from 2017-2022 before being named the third Executive Director of NAWD/NA4SA. Also a workshop presenter and advisor training consultant, Lou attended his first NCSA at Minneapolis in 2007.

You can contact Lou at lmiller@na4sa.org.

Sandy Hillman

INDIANA - PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR

Sandy is a retired school administrator. in her career she served as a middle school and high school principal, Guidance Counselor, Spanish teacher, student council adviser and Activities Director. Her school, Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana hosted the 2010 National Conference for the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). She served as the Director of the Indiana Association of Student Councils for 18 years and was their Adviser Programming Director for 13 years. Sandy also served on the NASC Executive Board from 2006-2009 and on the Executive Board of the National Association of State Student Council Executive Directors (NASSCED) for four terms. She was named the NAWD Workshop Director of the Year in 2001 and hosted the NCSA in 2000. Sandy attended her first NAWD Conference at Breech Academy in 1978.

You can contact Sandy at shillman@na4sa.org.

Dr. Felix Yerace

PENNSYLVANIA - EDUCATIONAL & ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Felix is Assistant Executive Director and Advanced Leadership Camp Codirector for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC). He is a former member of the NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee, a faculty member for the NHS State Summit Series, a LEAD Conference Planning Committee member, and was the 2019 NatStuCo conference host adviser. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania ASCD Executive Board, the Pennsylvania Teachers Advisory Committee (PTAC), an associate editor of MAPP Magazine, a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Servant-Leadership and ASCD Press, and was a 2015 ASCD Emerging Leader. Felix was selected as the 2023 National Earl Reum Award recipient and has served on the NA4SA Board of Directors since 2021. He attended his first NCSA at Niagara Falls in 2015.

You can contact Felix at fyerace@na4sa.org.

Terry D'Imperio

NEW YORK - PAST PRESIDENT

Terry served as a Leadership class teacher, chair of the Mathematics Department, and Student Council advisor at Livonia Central High School in Livonia, New York before retiring from teaching in 2021. She also served on the Executive Board of the New York State Council on Leadership and Student Activities (NYSCLSA), hosting several district and regional conferences for NYSCLSA. A frequent presenter at National Student Council (NatStuCo) conferences and the National Conference on Student Activities (NCSA), she was part of the team that hosted the 2015 NCSA in Niagara Falls, NY. Terry attended her first NCSA at Salt Lake City in 2011.

You can contact Terry at tdimperio@na4sa.org.

Kathy Coll

PENNSYLVANIA - REGISTRAR

Kathy, a retired teacher from Pittsburgh, served as Assistant Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC) for over 25 years. A Student Council Advisor for many years, Kathy was named the National Warren E. Shull Advisor of the Year in 2009. Kathy has also been actively involved at the national level throughout her career, serving on the Executive Board of the National Association of State Student Council Executive Directors (NASSCED) and the National Advisory Council for the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). A frequent workshop presenter through the years, Kathy was the National Earl Reum Award recipient in 2012. Kathy attended her first NCSA at Seattle in 1996.

You can contact Kathy at kcoll@na4sa.org.

NA4SA Board of Directors