ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ACTFL is pleased to announce the newly elected and appointed members to its Board of Directors for 2027. Pablo Muirhead, Ph.D. (President-Elect) of Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, WI; Catherine Ritz, Ed.D. (Higher Education, At-Large) of Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston, MA; Bobby Hobgood, Ed.D. (SCOLT representative); and Melissa Carson (SWCOLT representative) will each begin their terms on January 1, 2027.
"We are proud to welcome these distinguished leaders to the ACTFL Board of Directors," said Krishauna Hines-Gaither, Ph.D., 2026 ACTFL President. "Each has an impressive history of service, scholarship, and dedication to language education. Their expertise will enhance our shared efforts and help ACTFL continue to promote meaningful, inclusive, and high-quality language learning for all."
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Pablo Muirhead, Ph.D. — Raised bilingually in the United States and Peru, Pablo Muirhead later lived in Indonesia and Germany. These experiences shaped his commitment to connecting cultures through language education and his belief in #MultilingualismForAll.
Muirhead has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels, including more than 20 years teaching Spanish and heritage language courses at Milwaukee Area Technical College. His classroom was featured in the ACTFL Annenberg video series, and for more than a decade he has led ACTFL workshops on proficiency-based instruction and integrating culture into language teaching.
As President of the Joint National Committee for Languages – National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS), Pablo advocated for language education on Capitol Hill. As ACTFL Treasurer and Board Member, he championed budgeting that prioritized equity, accessibility, and teacher support. As ACTFL President-Elect, he aims to strengthen national advocacy and address teacher shortages by supporting alternative certification pathways, particularly for heritage language speakers.
AT-LARGE (HIGHER EDUCATION)
Catherine Ritz, Ed.D. —Catherine Ritz is a Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director for World Language Education and Curriculum & Teaching at Boston University's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Before joining BU, she spent more than a decade in K–12 education, teaching French and Spanish, earning National Board Certification, and directing a public school district's world language program.
At BU Wheelock, Ritz teaches graduate courses and developed the college's first short-term, faculty-led study abroad course in France. Her research on world language instruction, program leadership, and equity has appeared in Foreign Language Annals and The French Review. She co-authored two ACTFL books on proficiency-based instruction and wrote Leading for Proficiency: An Essential Guide for World Language Programs. She has served as vice president of the American Association of Teachers of French and received the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association's Distinguished Service Award in 2022.
SCOLT REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
Bobby Hobgood, Ed.D. —Bobby Hobgood is the Director of the Language Resource Center in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He supports the integration of technology and active learning strategies in the Department. He was awarded both the Educator of Excellence award and the Founder's award by the Southern Conference on Language Teaching for whom he has also served as President.
He received Honorary Lifetime Member status for the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina and served as the Keynote speaker for their annual conference in October 2026, marking his 33 consecutive year as a presenter at FLANC. He is the co-author of How to Study a World Language: An Interactive Guidebook. His most recent publication is the book chapter, "Student Feedback and Uptake in World Language Education," in "The Handbook of Research in World Language Instruction." Bobby serves on numerous ACTFL committees.
SWCOLT REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
Melissa Carson — Melissa Carson is the World Languages Content Specialist for Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada, where she also teaches advanced Spanish courses, including AP Spanish Language and Culture. Drawing on extensive classroom experience across multiple levels, she is passionate about designing meaningful learning experiences that empower both students and educators. Her work focuses on curriculum development, instructional clarity, and building teacher capacity through intentional, collaborative professional learning. Carson has presented at the district, state, and national levels, facilitating professional learning that connects research-based practices with classroom application. She is committed to fostering reflective instructional practices that honor students' strengths, deepen learning, and promote equitable opportunities for success.
"It is a pleasure to welcome these exceptional world language education leaders to the ACTFL Board of Directors," said Lawrence M. Paska, Ph.D., CAE, ACTFL Executive Director. "Their knowledge, commitment, and vision will help to guide ACTFL as we lead the profession through the shifting landscape of language education."
Those Board Members whose terms conclude at the end of 2026 are Milton Alan Turner, Camela Bernadetta Scala, Ph.D., Jill Landes-Lee, Ed.D., and Thomas Soth.
"We are grateful to our departing board members for the invaluable contributions they have made in service to ACTFL during their term," continued Paska. "Their leadership and commitment have strengthened our association and positioned it for continued success."
About ACTFL:
Providing vision, leadership and support for quality teaching and learning of languages, ACTFL is an individual membership organization of thousands language educators and administrators from elementary through graduate education, as well as government and industry. Since its founding in 1967, ACTFL has become synonymous with innovation, quality, and reliability in meeting the changing needs of language educators and their learners. It is where the world's educators, businesses, and government agencies go to advance the practice of language learning.
ACTFL's work as a trusted, independent center of excellence empowers educators to prepare learners for success in a 21st century global society; helps government agencies build language capacity in the U.S. and abroad; and connects businesses with the resources and relationships they need to succeed.
SOURCE ACTFL
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