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Vice-President and Treasurer:

Bio:
Mike Sullivan is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Chicago State University where he taught for 34 years before retiring a few years ago. Sullivan has been writing math texts for over 30 years. He currently has 15 books in print: three Precalculus series with Prentice-Hall and one Business series with John Wiley.

Sullivan is a member of the Council of Fellows of TAA and has been awarded a Texty and a McGuffey award for two of his books. He is currently Treasurer of the TAA Foundation and the Immediate Past President of TAA.

He has four children: Kathleen, who teaches college mathematics, Mike III, who teaches college mathematics and co-authors with his dad on two series, Dan, who is a sales representative for Prentice-Hall, and Colleen, who teaches middle-school mathematics. Eleven grandchildren round out the family.

Board Member:

Bio:
Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is a Professor in Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distinguished contemporary scholars, Asante has published 65 books, among the most recent are The History of Africa: The Quest for Eternal Harmony (2007), Cheikh Anta Diop: An Intellectual Portrait (2006), Spear Masters: Introduction to African Religion (2007), Handbook of Black Studies, (2005), co-edited with Maulana Karenga, Encyclopedia of Black Studies, (2004), co-edited with Ama Mazama, Race, Rhetoric, and Identity: The Architecton of Soul, Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation, (2003), Ancient Egyptian Philosophers (2003), Scattered to the Wind, Custom and Culture of Egypt, and 100 Greatest African Americans. The second edition of his high school text, African American History: Journey of Liberation, 2nd Edition, (2001), is used in more than 400 schools throughout North America.

Board Member:

Bio:
Richard Hull was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to a former newspaper reporter and an executive assistant to the local Chamber of Commerce. His undergraduate degree in philosophy is from Austin College, Sherman, Texas, and his PhD in philosophy from Indiana University.

After spending thirty years in the SUNY at Buffalo Department of Philosophy, he took early retirement in 1997 to take the position of Executive Director of the Texas Council for the Humanities in Austin, Texas. He spent portions of the next year as an independent book producer. In the years 2000-2004, he worked as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations and spent a semester as a Visiting Distinguished Professor at the University of Montana’s Institute of Medicine and Humanities.

A second edition of his reader-text Ethical Issues in the New Reproductive Technologies was published by Prometheus Books in 2007. His current research centers chiefly on the biographies and publications of the presidents of the American Philosophical Association from its inception in 1900 to the present day. To date, he has published six volumes, with a seventh volume in press and three more in initial proofreading stages, all now bought out by Prometheus. In addition, he edits three special series of the Value Inquiry Book Series: Werkmeister Studies, Lived Values and Valued Lives, and Histories and Addresses of Philosophical Societies, all for Editions Rodopi. He publishes several book chapters, articles, and reviews each year.

Richard moved to Tallahassee, Florida, in 2004 where his wife is Professor in Florida State University’s department of psychology and its interdisciplinary neuroscience group. He was appointed Executive Director of TAA in July of 2005.

Board Member:

Bio:
Charles P. "Pat" McKeague earned his BA in Mathematics from California State University, Northridge and his MS in Mathematics from Brigham Young University. He began his teaching career at Lompoc High School in Lompoc, California in 1970. In 1973 he became a full-time instructor at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. A well-known author and respected educator, he is currently a full time writer and a part time instructor at Cuesta College. He has published over 16 textbooks in mathematics, from basic mathematics through trigonometry. He is very active in the mathematics community and is a popular speaker at regional conferences throughout the country. He is on the writing team for the AMATYC Crossroads project.

"I joined TAA as soon as it came into existence because of the respect I have for Mike Keedy, the founder of TAA. I knew he would put together a great organization, and he did. I attended the first TAA conference in Las Vegas and was very impressed with the other attendees. It was enlightening to talk with other authors, and share our concerns. I have served on the board of TAA and also on the TAA Foundation Board. I have used the TAA model contract to improve my own contracts, and have been very impressed with the legal referrals I have had from TAA. I always recommend TAA to anyone interested in writing a textbook."

Board Member:

Bio:
Stephen E. Gillen is an attorney practicing in Cincinnati, Ohio, and concentrating on publishing and entertainment transactions and disputes, internet issues, advertising law, computer law, copyrights, trademarks, technology transfer, trade secrets, and related matters. Prior to entering private practice in 1994, Gillen served for 8 years as house counsel for an educational publisher, and before that as an executive editor, editor, freelance writer, and published book author. In addition, Gillen has served on copyright and permissions committees with the Association of American Publishers. He has written and spoken nationally on various publishing and copyright topics and teaches a course in Media Business and Law at the University of Cincinnati and a course in Electronic Media Law at the College Conservatory of Music. He currently serves on the Council of Advisors to the Text and Academic Authors Association, the Board of Trustees of Voyageur Media Group, Inc., and is a member of the Authors Guild. Gillen is admitted to practice in Ohio and before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Board Member:

She taught writing at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, for 30 years while authoring or co-authoring over 30 trade books and college-level textbooks on a variety of topics including financial planning, dental marketing, art, literature, engineering, hospice care, reading, management and report writing. She currently is writing full time, keeping 10 criminal justice textbooks she has authored or co-authored current for Wadsworth Publishing Company, several going into their eighth and ninth editions. She is also the editor for Innovative Systems - Publishers, Inc., a company her husband owns and operates.

Dr. Hess is a charter member of TAA and served as the TAA Council secretary for two terms. She is also a member of the TAA Council of Fellows, as well as a member of several other professional organizations.

She has been married for 44 years and has two grown children. Timothy is a major in the U.S. Air Force. Christine Hess Orthmann, works as a writer and researcher for Kären.

"When I was asked to consider being nominated to serve on the TAAF Board of Directors, I was deeply honored. The mission of TAA has been in line with my own professional goals since its inception. As a charter member, I was very active in TAA, but as my life got busier, my involvement declined. I owe a great deal to TAA for what I have learned at the many conventions I have attended as well as from its newsletters. I am happy to give back to the organization by serving as a TAAF board member."

Board Member:

Bio:
Alberto M. Ochoa earned is B.A. in Sociology from CSU Los Angeles in 1968, his B.A. in Latin American Studies from CSU Los Angeles in 1969, his M.S. in Special Education from the University of Southern California in 1971 and his Ed.D. in International Education with an emphasis in community development, from the University of Massachusetts in 1978. He is a Professor in the Policy Studies Department, and Chair of the Department for Policy Studies in Language and Cross Cultural Education at San Diego State University. He is also a researcher and consultant to community development agencies. His research interests include public equity, school desegregation, language policy, critical pedagogy, student achievement, and parental leadership. In the last ten years, he has been involved in developing processes for forecasting the educational needs of school districts through demographic trends, socio-political conditions, fiscal allocation of resources, and educational reform trends.

Ochoa is also involved with teacher education programs promoting biliteracy/multicultural inclusion, the Diversity Committees of Planned Parenthood and United Way of San Diego County. He is one of a core group of people coordinating the San Diego Latino Coalition on Education. He is a founding member and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Parent Institute for Quality Education.

He has published more than 50 articles on non-formal education, educational planning and development, parental leadership, bilingual desegregation, language policy and evaluation. He has also edited journals, offered seminars, evaluated early childhood education programs, and developed advocacy oriented programs.

Diversity Committee:

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Diversity Committee:

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Diversity Committee:

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Diversity Committee:

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Diversity Committee:

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"Raising the standard for diversity in education has been long overdue and is absolutely essential to the growth and scholastic advancement of so many underrepresented minority groups, at all levels of the spectrum — undergraduate, graduate and even post-doctoral levels! As a first generation Dominican, I longed for the day when I would walk into a classroom to find a Latino professor (anywhere other than in the halls of a Spanish Literature class). I will never forget the day when I walked into my Bio-Psychology class and encountered my first Latino Psychology professor...ever (pre or post graduate). Her name was Prof. Catalina Perez. She was smart, tough, and incredibly engaging. She not only made me work the hardest I’ve worked for an “A” but also made it possible for me to witness that I too, could one day, aspire to be a competent, Neuroscience professor, just like her…only if I had enough discipline to go after my dreams. That was a pivotal moment in my academic journey. That dream has not yet vanished."

Diversity Committee:

Bio:
Irina Weisblat, an adjunct professor of business at Southwestern Community College that serves a multilingual population in proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. She teaches International Business and Management courses. In addition to teaching, Irina has fifteen years of work experience in the international business environment. Her rich personal and cultural experiences as a bilingual individual prepared her well for functioning effectively in diverse cultures. Irina is a Doctoral student in the Educational Leadership program at San Diego State University, and her research interests are associated with the issues of internationalization of postsecondary education, quality curriculum and textbooks for diverse students. She looks forward to having an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Text and Academic Authors Foundation (TAAF) and put into action her practical knowledge and cross-cultural competencies. She will truly speak to academic authors from her own experience in the culturally diverse world and promote Diversity in Education and Academic Authorship.

Diversity Committee:

Bio:
Jackson's life experiences include President and CEO of Culturally Competent Consulting, Inc. with the mission of providing teachers with the tools to effectively communicate with children of color and understand their worldviews. Increased self-efficacy and self-worth for children of color are good indicators for academic success.

Her educational history includes B.S. in Industrial Management; M.Ed. in Community Counseling; and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Virginia Tech where she also specialized in Race & Social Policy. She has published academic articles and taught as an Assistant Professor in Counseling/Psychology programs teaching courses such as Abnormal Psychology, Practicum/Internship, and Multicultural Counseling.

Jackson is a certified Study Circle on Race Facilitator charged with facilitating groups that help people work together for creative community change.  She is a member of The American Counseling Association subscribed to the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development.

"I really enjoyed reading of TAAF's partnership with Palm Beach Community College to create MEDI. This is the kind of action that inspires me as an African American educated woman and as a human being. As you state in the article, you are "exposing the faculty to the process of textbook authoring hoping they will undertake their own textbook writing projects.

WOW! You have increased my "hope" factor for those marginalized in higher ed."