About Us



2024-2025 Building Reps

East End: 

Longfellow: 

Lyseth: Kristen Tedesco

Ocean Ave: 

Island Schools: Ben Robinson

Presumpscot: 

Reiche: Emily Leibling, Meghan McDonough, Shawna DeRice

Rowe: Amelia Clancy

Talbot: Jess Kalloch, Coreena Behnke, Sierra Sawyer, Kim Cicca

King: Judy Harris, Paul Clifford, Lisa Hatch

Lincoln: 

Moore: 

Casco Bay: 

Deering: 

Portland: 

PATHS: 

Adult Ed: 

CO: 

Executive Board

Job descriptions and contact information for the executive board can be found by scrolling down.

Kerrie Dowdy

President

Taryn Southard

                    VP

Carol Hager

Secretary

Audrey Cabral

Treasurer

Appointed Leadership

Open Position

Member Outreach Chair

Beth Jackson

Membership Chair

Michael Kennedy

Tech Advisor

Beth Romano-Arsenault

Chief Negotiator

Job Title:   President

Contact If You Need: Representation; help with contract questions, questions regarding grievances, advocacy, or negotiations
Held By: Kerrie DowdyContact Email: president@portlandea.comAt School(s): At LargeTerm Ends: June 2024
Time Commitment: this position is a full-time release from the classroom with work year-roundStipend: $6,600 PEA + district Level C stipend ($12,000)
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Contract negotiations and upholding
  • Member support and advocacy, especially around contract issues
  • Regular meetings and relationship building with educators, administrators, School Board members, other elected officials, the MEA, the NEA, and members of the greater community
  • Attend twice monthly School Board meetings
  • Compliance maintenance with the PEA, MEA and NEA Constitution and Bylaws, as well as federal, state, and local laws
  • Plan and run monthly RA meetings, Executive Board meetings, and be available upon request for school-based member meetings and events
  • Communication with members via email, website, and social media
  • Serve as contact for media
  • Oversee candidate screening and PEA elections/ratifications

Job Title:   Vice President

Contact If You Need: a representative of the PEA; help with contract questions, advocacy, or negotiations; help with questions on procedure; general problem solving,; and when you can't reach the President
Held By: M WhiteContact Email: vicepres@portlandea.comAt School(s): LincolnTerm Ends: June 2024
Time Commitment: currently two hours of Exec Board and RA meetings a month plus time answering questions from membersStipend: $2,800
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Member support and advocacy
  • Readiness to assist PEA leadership with additional duties or to take over for the president

Job Title:   Chief Negotiator

Contact If You Need: an idea considered for the next round of contract negotiations
Held By: Beth Romano-ArsenaultContact Email: betharsenault@hotmail.comAt School(s): Portland HighTerm Ends: appointed
Time Commitment: extensive during negotiating years and pandemics; on off-cycle contract years, commit to RA/Exec Board meetings/contract subcommittee meetingsStipend: $2,800
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Member support and advocacy; research contracts and survey members for preferences; lead the Contract Negotiations Team; negotiate the contract (every three years); lead a contract research subcommittee (off-negotiation years); serve on the Executive Board

Job Title:  Treasurer

Contact If You Need: answers to questions about the PEA budget
Held By: Audrey CabralContact Email: treasurer@portlandea.comAt School(s): Lincoln, King, Longfellow, Ocean Ave, Rowe, TalbotTerm Ends: June 2024
Time Commitment: Stipend: $2,800
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Make sure amounts the district deducts from our paychecks for dues equals the amounts they wire transfer into our bank account
  • Provide MEA with dues report so they can reconcile  dues deductions with the MEA member list
  • Provide PEA membership secretary with dues report so s/he can reconcile deductions with member list
  • Attend monthly executive board meetings
  • Attend monthly RA meetings

Job Title:  Secretary

Contact If You Need: to update your contact info name, school, position
Held By: Carol HagerContact Email: chager.pea@gmail.comAt School(s): Adult EdTerm Ends: June 2024
Time Commitment: Busiest time at the beginning of the school year, updating email lists. Regular note-taking at PEA Exec Board and RA meetingsStipend: $2800
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Maintain PEA email contact list
  • Note taking at PEA Executive Board meetings
  • Note taking at PEA RA meetings

Job Title:  Membership Chair

Contact If You Need: to join the PEA, a membership application, need to verify or update membership information (full time, part time, teacher, ed tech, name change, building assignment, etc)
Held By: Beth JacksonContact Email: bethspinney.pea@gmail.comAt School(s): Ocean and RoweTerm Ends: not an elected position or defined by term
Time Commitment: Heaviest months are August-October, Year-round monthly communication with MEA and PPS payroll to clear up discrepancies with billing/payroll deductions, and processing of new membership applications. Stipend: $2800
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Membership for teachers and ed techs
  • Process new membership applications  with PPS payroll and MEA office
  • Support with membership recruitment (August new teacher PD, etc.)
  • Distribute membership materials to each building RA
  • Verify and update membership information and building assignments Prepare membership voting rosters for each school 
  • Monitor membership billing/payroll deductions (monthly) 
  • Work with payroll and MEA office to fix any billing/payroll discrepancies (monthly)
  • Attend monthly executive board meetings
  • Attend monthly RA meetings

Job Title:  Member Outreach chair

Contact If You Need: a "sunshine" gift for a colleague
Held By: Contact Email: At School(s): Term Ends: not an elected position or defined by term
Time Commitment: About 2.5 hours/month for prep, plus about 30 hours/year attending meetingsStipend: $1,000
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Shop for RA/Exec Board/special event food and drinks
  • Coordinate with HR, then plan and host PEA retirement social
  • Coordinate sunshine gifts with building reps
  • Organize process and prizes for PEA scholarhip raffle
  • Attend monthly executive board meetings
  • Attend monthly RA meetings

Job Title:  Technology Advisor

Contact If You Need: Technology Assistance
Held By: Michael KennedyContact Email: mr_kennedy@me.com or admin@portlandea.comAt School(s): Portland HighTerm Ends: appointed
Time Commitment: About 30-40 hours/year for coding, administrating, designing, plus about 20 hours/year attending meetings or working with colleagues with technical issues.Stipend: $1,000
Roles and Responsibilities:
  • Maintain Portlandea.com
  • Administrate PEA Leadership Accounts
  • PEA Applications and web tools
  • Organize process and tools for PEA Elections
  • Research current technology to support members
  • Troubleshoot technology issues and needs

Job Title:  Nominations and Elections Committee Chair

Contact If You Need: to declare yourself or nominate someone else for an officer or building rep position or if you have any questions about elections in general


Held By: 

Contact Email: 

At School(s): 

Term Ends: not an elected position or defined by term


Time Commitment: About 2 hours/month in the earlier months of the school year and 5-10 hours/month in the later months in the school year leading up to elections, plus about 30 hours/year attending meetings

Stipend: $1,000


Roles and Responsibilities: