J. Helen Perkins, a professor of literacy at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, is the newly elected vice president of the ILA Board of Directors. Perkins has been serving as a Board member-at-large since 2020. Her new term begins July 1, 2023, and she will assume the presidency of the Board on July 1, 2024.

An ILA member since 1998, Perkins has more than 43 years of experience in education, having served as a reading specialist, classroom teacher, literacy coach, and various other roles. She has been at the University of Memphis since 2005, where her scholarly work focuses on children of poverty, their literacy acquisition and enhancement.

She has also served ILA in multiple capacities prior to her Board service, including coeditor of The Reading Teacher journal and a lead writer for Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals. Currently, she serves as a member of the Membership Committee and cochair of the Anti-Racism, Social Justice, and Equity Committee, and she is chair of ILA’s National Recognition Commission, which oversees the organization’s National Recognition program—a seal of approval for college and university literacy professional preparation programs.

“I have had the pleasure of serving as a literacy advocate for the majority of my life. As vice president, I will continue to support ILA’s mission, strategic plan and goals as we advocate for students, families, educators and all stakeholders globally,” Perkins said. “My vision is for ILA to enhance our membership and global work, and to continue to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in all that we do.” 

Three new Board members-at-large were also elected for the 2023–2026 term:

• Young-Suk Kim, professor and senior associate dean, School of Education, University of California Irvine. Kim, an ILA member since 2022, is a regular contributor to ILA—having written multiple articles for Reading Research Quarterly, presented during digital events, and served as guest editor of the membership magazine. Her scholarship focuses on oral language, reading, writing, dyslexia, and higher-order cognitive skills.
• Zoi Traga Philippakos, associate professor in literacy education at the University of Tennessee. Philippakos has been an ILA member since 2004. In addition to contributing to all three of ILA’s journals, she has presented during digital events and served as a member of ILA’s Writing Task Force. Her research interests include reading and writing instruction in K–12 classrooms as well as postsecondary strategy instruction with self-regulation, motivation, and teacher professional development.
• James Darin Pope, deputy superintendent, Tuscaloosa City Schools, and adjunct instructor, University of Alabama. Pope, an ILA member since 2008, is focused on foundational reading skills and literacy across the content areas. An educator for 26 years, he has served on the Strategic Planning Committee on Teaching Reading and the Literacy Task Force of the State of Alabama.

Kim, Perkins, Philippakos, and Pope were elected by ILA’s membership during the ILA 2023 Board Election, which was conducted online between March 27, 2023, and May 5, 2023. The new vice president and members-at-large will begin their terms on July 1, 2023.