Our Staff

Melina Wright is the Interim Director of the Illinois CTE Project within the Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development at Northern Illinois University. In this role, Melina coordinates and collaborates with the field, ISBE team members and others to execute professional development, resource creation, and ongoing improvement efforts for CTE educators and students within Illinois.

Previously, Melina was the Project Manager and Outreach Coordinator in the Illinois Interactive Report Cards Office at NIU. In that role, she managed several projects, including redesigning the My Data Dashboard tool, previously Ed360, that assists districts in better using and understanding their data to improve decision-making. Before joining NIU, Melina worked with the Chicago area Illinois Regional Education offices as Director of Implementation and Advocacy. She spent 10 years with the Illinois State Board of Education as the Division Administrator and Federal Liaison. There, she oversaw the creation of the ESSA State Plan and managed the Title I Department, which provided over a billion dollars in grants to districts across Illinois.

Melina considers herself a public servant and strives to ensure data and stakeholder feedback drives programmatic decisions. In all aspects of her work, she seeks to make the work being done at the local level easier and thereby improve outcomes for students. She earned her law degree and a master's degree in Education Law from Franklin Pierce Law School in New Hampshire and subsequently worked as a lobbyist for the National PTA in Washington, DC. Melina’s diverse experiences with education law and policy make her a skilled educational advocate and program leader in Career and Technical Education in the state of Illinois.

Shavina Baker has served as a teacher, RTI specialist, athletic director, after-school program director, director of operations and, most recently, a principal in Rockford. Before becoming an educator, Shavina worked in the insurance industry and as a small business owner, bringing additional workplace experience to her work on this state-wide CTE initiative. Shavina earned a B.A. in Corporate and Interpersonal Communications from Northern Illinois University. She has two Masters’ degrees, one in Educational Supervision and Administration, and the other in Secondary Education, and she is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Shavina has extensive experience in her school leadership roles in implementing strategies to develop a culture that supports diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, in those same school leadership roles, she has developed and led professional learning as well as worked extensively with curriculum, instruction and assessment. Shavina is married with four children and resides in Rockford, Illinois. She loves the outdoors and animals.

Bill Rose has served in various teaching and leadership roles for Rockford area youth for the past 15 years. As a Social Studies teacher, Bill’s background in sociological theory, history and economics, combined with his prior work experience in business, led him to become a CTE Certified Business teacher. Over time Bill received a master’s degree in Curriculum Development and Instruction, focusing his research on the impacts of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences on students learning. Bill wrote curriculum and supported teachers in his role as a CTE Director at Rockford East High School. Bill is a fervent supporter of Problem Based Learning in primary instruction and believes that Career and Technical Education is teaching our youth “the arts” of various careers. He is a student advocate who understands the importance of equity in all classrooms. Bill is currently working on his doctoral degree at Northern Illinois University, focusing his research on Curriculum and Instruction around Special Populations in Career and Technical Education.

Betsy Westergreen is a dedicated educator with over a decade of experience in the CTE classroom. For ten years, Betsy passionately taught students the intricacies of finance, helping them to develop critical skills for their future careers. Before joining the Illinois CTE Project team in 2023, Betsy served as the Career and Community Services Coordinator at Pontiac Township High School. In addition to teaching in this role, she was actively involved in leading school-wide efforts to implement the PaCE Framework and the Work-Based Learning Continuum. She also served as a liaison with community and business partners and the community college. In addition, Betsy also worked on the Innovative Curriculum Resource Project at Illinois State University under contract with ISBE. Betsy served many years as a CTE teacher in Flanagan-Cornell Unit School District 74. She taught classes across the Arts and Communications, Finance and Business Services and Information Technology Career Pathways and led a range of student activities. Betsy was named IBEA Secondary Business Teacher of the Year in 2017. She has been instrumental in bridging the gap between students and their career aspirations, fostering strong community partnerships, and creating valuable student growth and development opportunities. Betsy resides in Lexington, Illinois, with her husband and two daughters. Her family enjoys participating in outdoor activities together.