The ExC-ELL Team

Dr. Bobby serves as executive search consultant and senior advisor for Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at the Association of Governing Boards for Universities and Colleges (AGB). Prior to joining  AGB, she was chief diversity officer and associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Puget Sound (WA). Dr. Bobby has served as chief of staff for Prince George’s Community College, director of Leadership Programs at the American Council on Education (ACE), and in K–12 leadership roles prompting access and equity in education. She has also served as a consultant to the College Board, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the College Success Foundation focusing on leadership development, college access, and organizational transformation. Dr. Bobby has written and spoken on leadership development, creating an inclusive campus climate, appreciative inquiry, and creating effective leadership programs as a pipeline to achieving diverse campus leadership teams. 

Heather Cox is a dedicated educator who is passionate about the literacy achievement of English Language learners.  She has been an ESOL teacher in Gwinnett County Public Schools for 14 years.  In this role, she collaborates with teachers to best support the language needs of students and facilitates professional development for teachers and staff.  Prior to becoming an ESOL teacher, Heather taught 1st grade for 12 years.  She is an advocate for the students and families she teaches and finds that building relationships with the students she works with is key to their success. Most recently, Heather was trained as a Successful Start teacher in conjunction with Georgia State University. Heather was also a part of Gwinnett County’s Early Literacy Coaches Cohort. Heather was recently selected as her local school’s Teacher of the Year and facilitates yearly programs at her school to help families in need with food and other supplies. Outside of teaching, Heather enjoys coaching others in their health and wellness journey, spending quality time with friends and family, volunteering, as well as being active.

Con amplia experiencia en el área de educación infantil. Es colaboradora en los métodos de aprendizaje como: ACE-LERA (Acelerando la Comprensión en Español) y RIGOR (Reading Instructional Goals for Older Readers) en New York y Puerto Rico. Instructora de maestras y padres de familia en talleres: “Cómo Aprender Jugando”, “Formación de Pequeños Líderes” y “Talleres de Lecturas para Padres e Hijos” en la comunidad de “La Mujer Obrera” en El Paso TX. Coautora de ACE-LERA y RIGOR en español. Escritora de materiales para maestros y cuentos para niños.

Joanne Marino is an educator who provides professional development, coaching, and leadership support to schools with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Her workshops target building language and literacy within the content areas, assessment, lesson planning, and collaborating within the school and community to raise academic achievement for English learners. Marino had a multifaceted career in education as a teacher (English as a second language (ESL) and social studies), materials developer, teacher trainer, and administrator. She taught in the United States, Peru, and Kuwait. Marino was a certified WIDA trainer. In addition, she served as an ESL consultant for North Carolina with responsibility for the administration, implementation, monitoring, data collection, and reporting for Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act at the state level; created and delivered professional development; and provided leadership for curriculum development, enhancement and support; and program evaluation. Marino was recognized by the Office of English Language Acquisition for Teacher Excellence and Professionalism. She earned National Board Certification in English as a New Language and was a validator for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Marino holds a master’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Hector Montenegro, President/CEO of Montenegro Consulting Group, LLC, is currently Senior District Advisor for the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and works with districts and administrators nationally and internationally on systemic implementation of SEL. He is also a Senior Associate for Margarita Calderon and Associates (MC&A) and provides training on instructional strategies for ELLs, leadership development for administrators, instructional coaching.
Dr. Montenegro is an internationally recognized keynote and motivational speaker, both in person and virtually, and has been a special education advisor in Chile, Peru and Saudi Arabia through the US Embassies. He works directly with administrators, faculty and staff in developing leadership skills to establish structures that promote student success and support collaborative cultures. He serves as a volunteer for the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation to annual projects in Brazil, El Salvador and Uganda.
Dr. Hector Montenegro has been a math teacher, an assistant principal and principal in Washington, DC and served as Chief of Staff of the DC Public Schools. He was also an Area Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent for Instructional Services, and Superintendent of Schools for three school districts in Texas. He obtained his masters from Stanford University and doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.

Elizabeth Montes has 35 years experience in public, private and corporate education. In addition to being a teacher of English, Spanish, and French, she worked in central office administration for the El Paso Independent School District as an Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and a Director of Advanced Academics. For the past five years she has served as Head of School for a K-8 private academy. During that time she has also worked in various states as a trainer and coach with Margarita Calderon and Associates.

Elma has been an educator for forty-eight years. She spent thirty-two years in the classroom as a bilingual teacher, reading teacher, and literacy facilitator focusing on the needs of all students, especially bilingual and English Learners. Before joining us, she worked for Success for All. She now shares her talents with our team by training and coaching with MC&A nationwide.

Alyson Reilly lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her family. She is originally from Pennsylvania but has spent the last 20 years in metro Atlanta. Alyson has always had a passion for teaching ELs and learning about language and culture.  She has been an advocate for ELs in a variety of capacities such as a content area teacher, an Early Intervention Program teacher, a literacy specialist and writing coach and currently a Lead K-5 ESOL teacher with Gwinnett County Schools.  Alyson recently had the honor of being selected as Teacher of the Year along continuing to the next level as being one of the Top 25 Teachers of the Year in her district.  Along with teaching, Alyson designs, implements and delivers professional learning across her district, mentors new teachers and leads an ESOL teacher collaboration group with her colleagues. Alyson has wanted to be a teacher since she was in 2^nd grade and considers each day with her students an honor and a privilege. When she is not teaching, she is busy with her teenage daughter and all the hobbies that they enjoy together.  

Karen Solis is an EL Teacher for Gaston County County Schools, North Carolina, where was awarded the title Teacher of the Year. She is a member of the GCS Pinnacle Leaders Network, an innovative team who specialize in technology integration in the classroom. She has been a member of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction state EL Support Team since 2010 as a developer, trainer and coach. She has taught at Elementary and Middle School levels and has led professional developments for preK-higher ed teachers and leaders. Karen is currently working on her Master’s in Technology Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Karen is an ExC-ELL trainer and coach.

Ms. Tartaglia is a high school assistant principal with Loudoun County Public Schools with over 20 years of public-school experience. She has been a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and coach at the elementary and high school levels.  She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education from East Stroudsburg University, a master’s degree in reading from East Stroudsburg University, a TESOL endorsement from George Washington University, and an administration and supervision endorsement from Longwood University. She is an ExC-ELL coach and trainer. 

Leticia M. Trower (she/her/hers) has been passionate about language her entire life. She began her career in education as an elementary ESL teacher, and the majority of her work over the last twenty years has focused on language learners, professional learning for educators, and/or equity. She is currently Director of Professional Learning at Margarita Calderón & Associates, and a graduate student in the Diversity and Equity in Education program at the University of Illinois. Her research interests include the impact of professional development in K-12 schools and the relationship between teachers’ language, beliefs, and practices.

Becky Upchurch has worked as an instructional coach at both the district and school level for the last decade, providing coaching and professional development to teachers across grades K-12. Prior to becoming a coach, she was a classroom teacher and department chair serving English learners and taught reading, English, math, science, writing, and history. Becky has a Master’s in Education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction and a focus on multicultural/multilingual education. She has also completed master’s programs in education leadership and addiction and recovery; the Core Essentials Program at Coach U, a coach training program accredited by the International Coach Federation; and over 75 hours of Cognitive Coaching training. Becky is also the CEO of Higher Good Coaching, offering life and mindset coaching for professional women and speaking and training on a variety of topics, as well as a proud dog mom of two rescue pups!  

Cristina has been an advocate for ELs and their teachers for over 14 years in Gwinnett County Public Schools just outside of Atlanta, GA as an EL Programs Instructional Coach for teachers of ELs K-12. Before that she taught ESOL K-5 and has also been a Spanish teacher and a content area teacher. Her passion for advocating for ELs, their teachers and their families stems from her parents’ experience as Cuban refugees when they arrived in the US in their teens. She has developed and delivered PD for teachers in Gwinnett County for over 20 years and has presented at several conferences. She was also part of the team that developed Gwinnett County Public School’s ESOL Instructional Framework. Cristina is proud of her Cuban heritage while also being proud to be American. She is a mother of two teenage boys and wife to her Navy Vet husband. During her down time she enjoys being with her large extended family, visiting the beach and sharing natural health solutions.