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TCTA general structure

The TCTA Directors' Council is composed of the following:

  • A 10-member TCTA Executive Board of statewide elected leaders:
    • TCTA President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President (one-year term in each office); and,
    • TCTA statewide committee chairs elected to two-year terms for the following committees: Budget, Curriculum & Instruction, Governance, Legislation, Membership, Professional Rights & Responsibilities, and Teacher Personal Services. (The TCTA President-Elect serves as chair of the Communications/Public Relations committee.)
  • TCTA District Directors elected by individual districts for one-or two-year terms. TCTA is broken into 20 districts, following the same lines used by TEA for Regional Education Service Centers. Also, TCTA Directors-at-Large are elected, as needed.

For a list of TCTA's current Directors' Council, please see Who's Who in TCTA.

TCTA headquarters staff

A professional team of TCTA staff members is available to provide information or assist members with a myriad of questions or problems, including employment-related legal information, legislation questions, professional development and community/public relations information. TCTA departments and staff contacts include the following:

Attorneys

TCTA is proud to have more staff attorneys per member than our closest competitor! Staff attorneys are available to members, toll-free and at no additional charge, to discuss employment-related legal problems/questions and for representation, when appropriate. TCTA also maintains a $250,000 Teacher Defense Fund to hire outside counsel to assist members when circumstances warrant. TCTA retains almost 70 attorneys throughout the state to use when local counsel is needed. The combination of nine TCTA staff attorneys and the Teacher Defense Fund allows us to appeal meritorious cases without preset funding limits.

TCTA staff attorneys are widely recognized as experts in both successful teacher legal representation and in legislative and educational policy influence at the State and Board level.

Business Office

The TCTA Business Office maintains the financial needs of the organization. In addition to paying bills, providing financial statements and maintaining the budget, this department monitors tax legislation that could affect the association. The director of accounting is Candace R. Seekatz, who joined the TCTA staff in 1998.

Communications Department

TCTA members are continually provided with materials to keep them up-to-date on important education-related information. This department produces an award-winning quarterly magazine, sends "e-Updates" and other materials that are emailed to all members with current email addresses. The department also maintains this Web site, is the point of contact for the media, and directs other TCTA communications efforts. Kelley Strutton, director of publications, joined the TCTA staff in 1997. Melissa Korpi, communications specialist, brought her expertise in media relations to TCTA in 2008.

Legislative Services

TCTA’s lobby team is the top-ranked education group in its category according to "Capitol Inside" in both its 2007 and 2009 Texas Lobby Power Rankings reports. The TCTA legislative team has consistently proven effective, and during legislative sessions, it is not uncommon for key state lawmakers to turn to TCTA for assistance with the wording of bills or for expertise on education issues. TCTA's legislative staff at headquarters is directed by Lonnie Hollingsworth, Jr., director of legal services/governmental relations; and Ann Fickel, director of legislation, who has been with TCTA since 1990.

Membership Department

The Membership Department actively recruits new TCTA members, assists current members and provides local associations with needed information and support. The director of membership is Julia Swope, who has been with TCTA since 1985.

Professional Development and Advocacy

The Department of Professional Development and Advocacy monitors and works with many state boards and agencies and is a strong advocate for TCTA member interests. The department is involved with policy initiatives generated from the Texas Education Agency, State Board for Educator Certification and others; is an active participant in various state-level meetings and provides input on proposed rules; is a research resource to the Association; handles inquiries regarding such areas as certification, curriculum, assessment and special education; and assists TCTA in the area of professional development: providing seminars to members, researching trends, and attending statewide and national professional development meetings and conferences to stay current in this important member-service area. The director of professional development and advocacy is Holly Eaton, who has been with TCTA since 1996.

Services Corporation

The TCTA Services Corporation is a separate, solely owned corporation that administers TCTA member benefit services and programs. Through the Corporation, TCTA members have access to professional liability insurance as well as numerous discounts and programs to save time and money. The liaison for the Services Corporation is Jan Lanfear, who has been with TCTA since 1971. Additional information on member benefits is available on our benefits, discounts & services page.

Updated: 06/10/10