LEADERSHIP
President - Nicole Finnesand
Teaching since 2011, Nicole Finnesand has found home at Tri-Valley High School where she currently teaches 9th and 12th grade English, Creative Writing, ACT Prep, and advises the Yearbook. Additionally, Nicole serves on the ELA Advisory Committee for the Dept. of Education and has served on standards workgroups and committees in the past.
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Nicole earned her BA in English and Secondary Education from Augustana University, her M.Ed in Reading from Black Hills State University, and most recently became a National Board Certified Teacher in ELA for Early Adolescence.
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Outside of the classroom, Nicole spends time with her husband and two young sons and pursues her love of gardening, baking, reading, singing, and drinking coffee.
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Vice - President - Sam Hettinger
It’s hard to believe, but Sam Hettinger is already going into her 11th year of teaching! Sam spent her first five years teaching language arts and reading at the middle school level. In 2018, she moved into the Harrisburg School District and has taught high school (primarily freshmen) since. The school is moving into its new Freshmen Academy facility this year, and she is so excited to be part of the big changes happening in her district. Since joining the Harrisburg community, Sam has been fortunate to step into a few other roles, including advisor of the HHS Student Council and assistant director for the Harrisburg Summer Performing Arts (SPA) program.
She lives with her husband, three kids, and two black labs. Sam likes sushi, Skittles (purple bag), painting and crafting, cooking and baking, and doing a mediocre job of managing two fantasy football teams.
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Sam earned her bachelor’s degree in English from South Dakota State University in 2013 and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida in 2016. She is currently working as a specialist in education administration through USD. Her favorite part of SDCTE has been networking and sharing ideas with master English educators across the state. Sam is thrilled to step into the role of VP and can’t wait to see what exciting opportunities for professional development and collaboration the organization will offer this year.
Past President - Corrine Kallemeyn
Corrine Kallemeyn started her teaching career in 2000 teaching all 9-12 English and Journalism at Bristol High School. Since that time, she has taught in a number of small schools in northeastern South Dakota. She has taught every ELA course in 7-12 English, directed school plays, advised the yearbook, and coached oral interp. She is currently in her 24th year of teaching Speech and English 10 at Watertown High School. Corrine is the head oral interp coach and one-act/fall play director.
Corrine has been an SDCTE member off and on since 2009. She came to the board as the vice president-elect in 2017. Corrine enjoys leading the Spring Book Study and Summer YOUniversity. She is a member of the Educators Rising Board and the SDHSAA Advisory Board. She is an active Scout mom, the Scoutmaster for Scouting America Troop 8G, and a past assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 209.
Corrine earned her BA in English from South Dakota State University. Outside of teaching, she hangs out with her husband, Joel, and her two children, Eric and Emily, attending concerts and theater shows. Reading, crafting, gardening, and birding keep her busy during the summer.
Treasurer - Susan Farrell-Poncelet
Susan Farrell-Poncelet is the eighth through twelfth grade English, photography, and art teacher, prom advisor, oral interp coach, speech and debate coach, yearbook advisor, and senior capstone project coordinator at Sanborn Central. In addition, Susan teaches special-topic graduate courses through DSU in conjunction with SDCTE.
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Susan earned her A.S. and B.S. in Business Administration with a health care concentration from Colorado Technical University, her teaching certification from Dakota State University, her M.S.Ed. in English Education from Valley City State University, and her K-12 administrative certification through the University of Kansas.
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In addition to serving on the SDCTE executive board, Susan is a member of the Speech Communication Association of South Dakota and the National Council of Teachers of English, as well as serves on the Young Adult Reading Program committee through the South Dakota Library Association and is the chairperson of the Sanborn Central Education Association.
When she is not teaching, Susan likes to travel, spend time with her family, fish, hike, paint, and photograph old buildings.
Secretary Vicky Gleason
Vicky began teaching in 2014. She taught 3rd grade for six years before moving to high school ELA in 2020, teaching in Summit, South Dakota. She also teaches career exploration. Outside of teaching and spending time with her husband and daughter, she coaches oral interp and directs the one-act and all-school plays.
She also brought Project LIT to her school. Her favorite hobbies are reading, baking, and spending time outside. Her favorite books are Little Women and Long Way Down, and she loves COWS!
Post-Secondary Liason - Laura Cruze
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Laura is the Post-Secondary Liaison TYCA (Two-Year College). She teaches English classes full-time at Southeast Technical College.
When she is not teaching, she likes reading, remodeling her house, gardening, hiking, traveling, water aerobics, and playing music (piano). She is crazy about Masterpiece Theater, British spy series, and PBS Great Performances, especially their Shakespeare productions. Her husband and four children are her greatest treasures.
Post-Secondary Liason - Jen Weber
