JEA board of directors elections took place Feb. 24 through March 3, 2025. Of the 2,402 total ballots successfully emailed, 190 members voted.
President
Valerie Kibler, MJE, Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School, has been elected as the president and will serve on the JEA board for two years starting May 1. Kibler ran uncontested and received 177 votes.
Kibler advises newspaper, website and yearbook at Harrisonburg High School. A journalism educator since 1988, Kibler’s Harrisonburg news program has been consistently recognized with state and national honors.
She has been JEA’s president since 2020 and has been the state director for Virginia as well as president and treasurer of the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers.
Kibler was a National Scholastic Press Association board member for three years. She helped begin jCamp and jDay in Virginia and helped found the JEA Partner Project to reach underserved regions. She was the initial writer of the leadership module for the JEA curriculum. Kibler also was the local chair for the 2009 and 2014 national conventions in Washington, D.C., and is an active JEA mentor.
In recognition of commitment to helping journalism educators, students and programs nationwide, Kibler has been awarded the 2010 Dow Jones Newspaper Fund National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, 2011 Gold Key from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the 2014 Pioneer Award winner from National Scholastic Press Association, the 2014 JEA Medal of Merit winner and inducted into the VHSL Hall of Fame in 2020. She received JEA’s Carl Towley Award in 2021.
Vice President
Justin Daigle, MJE, Brighton (Colorado) High School, has been elected as the vice president and will serve on the JEA board for two years starting May 1. Kibler ran uncontested and received 169 votes.
Daigle advises the Reflections yearbook at Brighton. His students’ publications have earned state and national awards including CSPA Crowns, NSPA Pacemakers, and Best of Show trophies. Daigle has received the CSPA Gold Key (2020) and was named the Colorado Student Media Association Teacher of the Year (2009), JEA Rising Star (2010), Special Recognition (2014) and Distinguished (2016) Yearbook Adviser of the Year, and the Medal of Merit (2022). He serves as JEA Colorado state director. This will be his first term serving on the JEA board of directors.
Educational Initiatives Director
Rachel Steil, MJE, Stillwater (Minnesota) Area High School, has been elected as the educational initiatives director and will serve on the JEA board for two years starting May 1. Steil ran uncontested and received 174 votes.
Steil Blurb
Director-at-Large
Shari Chumley, MJE, Tupelo (Mississippi) High School, has been elected as a director-at-large and will serve on the JEA board for two years starting May 1.
Shari Chumley, CJE, is a dedicated journalism educator and advocate who has transformed student media at Tupelo High School in Mississippi. Recognized as the 2020-2021 Tupelo High School Teacher of the Year, a CREATE Foundation Teacher of Distinction and the Mississippi Yearbook Adviser of the Year, she has led her students to win multiple state awards across print, digital and broadcast platforms.
Beyond the classroom, Chumley serves on the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association board, where she has strengthened state-level journalism contests and outreach efforts. Passionate about supporting new and underserved advisers, she is committed to expanding access to scholastic journalism, particularly in states lacking legal protections for student journalists. Her leadership continues to empower young storytellers and reinforce journalism’s essential role in education and democracy.
Director-at-Large
Timm Pilcher, MJE, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, has been elected as a director-at-large and will serve on the JEA board for two years starting May 1.
Timm Pilcher has dedicated nearly 30 years to advancing scholastic journalism as a publications adviser, administrator, and national advocate. A past Iowa High School Journalism Teacher of the Year and former president of the Iowa High School Press Association, he now teaches at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication while helping shape the PRAXIS exam for journalism educators.
As a Master Journalism Educator and longtime JEA member, Pilcher is passionate about protecting press freedom, fostering diversity in media, and mentoring new advisers. His work spans teaching, certification, judging, and advocacy—always with a focus on empowering student voices and strengthening journalism’s role in democracy.
Founded in 1924, JEA supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, promoting professionalism, encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement, and an atmosphere which encompasses diversity yet builds unity. It is headquartered at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.