PDK International Hosts Distinguished Educators and Emerging Leaders at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference

June 30, 2025—Orlando, Florida. PDK International is proud to announce that the recipients of its 2025 fellows program enabled both its emerging leaders (for educators under the age of 40) and distinguished educators (for those over the age of 40) to participate in leadership development activities with PDK Board Members and staff.

As part of their work with PDK over the coming year, they will engage in problems of practice, impacting the field of education. As part of that effort, they will be preparing content for Kappan magazine and a podcast episode in their collaboration with students from the organization’s Educators Rising career and technical student organization.

This year’s Emerging Leader Fellows include:

  • Regina Digilormo (Bossier City, Louisiana),
  • Karina Lee (Racine, Wisconsin), and
  • Dr. Ryan Tauriainen (Washington, D.C.).

This year’s Distinguished Educators include:

  • Dr. Tatum Boothe (Rosedale, New York),
  • Dr. Michael Conner (Webster, New York),
  • Dr. Luana Ferreira (New York, New York),
  • Dr. Simone Griffin (Chicago, Illinois), and
  • Dr. Scott McLeod (Lafayette, Colorado).

Educators who are recognized in the PDK fellows program are innovators, thought leaders, and problem solvers and members of the Phi Delta Kappa Association, which was founded in 1906. PDK Association membership serves to support education professionals from classrooms to administration and beyond. PDK Association membership is for those educators who are invested in digging deeper into the most pressing issues facing educators today and navigating the intersection between research and practice. PDK Association membership is for any educator who wants to learn about the most cutting-edge research in education, grow their skill set, influence the national conversation on education, and support the next generation of future educators.

Chief operating officer Albert Chen noted:

“This year’s cohort of Emerging Leaders and Distinguished Educators showcase the extraordinary leadership represented among our members’ professional lives. We stand committed to supporting their further leadership potential as part of this program as we work collectively to reimagine educator pathways.”

For more information about the PDK Fellows program, visit our website at pdkintl.org.

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About PDK International
Established in 1906, PDK International supports P-20 educators, researchers, and policy makers by strengthening their commitment to the profession throughout the entire arc of their careers. We are committed to elevating the profession through the intersection of research and practice. Through our core values of excellence, service, community, optimism and leadership we encourage educators and stakeholders to elevate the discourse and change the narrative around teaching and learning to ensure that every student has a high-quality education. https://www.pdkintl.org