Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1546952
Denise Bradford DISTRICT N A member of Saddleback Valley Educators Assn., where she held positions from site rep to president, Bradford has worked at all school levels including adult education, giving her a unique perspective of students and educators' changing needs and challenges. She has been an English Language Development specialist, student teacher mentor, Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment provider, tech- nology coordinator, school curriculum leader and member of CTA's Teacher Leadership Cohort and Instructional Leader- ship Corps. Bradford chaired the State Council Retirement Committee, leading to her election as California State Teach- ers Retirement System trustee, representing Kâ12 teachers. She is currently serving her second term. Fun fact: Bradford was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Vienna, Austria. Gregory Abt DISTRICT O Abt has more than a quarter century of experience as an educator. He currently teaches social science/history within the special education department at Beaumont High School in Riverside County. He served as site rep, vice president and seven years as president of Beaumont Teachers Assn. At State Council, Abt became vice chair of the Special Education Committee after serving as chair of the Legislation subcommittee. Fun fact: Abt is an accomplished cook who owned a cater- ing company for 13 years. Kisha Borden DISTRICT P Veteran elementary educator Borden grew up in San Diego, graduated from San Diego public schools, and began teach- ing in 1996 at a school not far from where she was raised â and where she still teaches. She served as a site rep for 10 years, and board member, treasurer, vice president and pres- ident of San Diego Education Assn. She served on SDEA's bargaining team and member engagement committee; for her activism, SDEA honored her with a WHO Award. Borden has served 12 years each as a State Council delegate and NEA RA delegate. Fun fact: Kisha and her husband love to travel and have visited six continents. Wendy Brill-Wynkoop DISTRICT Q Brill-Wynkoop has been a professor of photography at Col- lege of the Canyons for 30 years. Representing community college faculty and CTA Aspiring Educators statewide, she previously served as president and political action chair of the College of the Canyons Faculty Assn., where she led a successful campaign to elect a labor-friendly board of trustees. Statewide, she served as president of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) and on the CTA State Legislative Committee. A fierce advocate for contingent faculty equity, Brill-Wynkoop received the 2025 CTA Higher Educator of the Year and 2026 NEA Travel- ers Award for Teaching Excellence. Fun fact: Dedicated to on-the-ground advocacy, Brill-Wyn- koop has already visited 80 of California's 116 community colleges and is working on visiting the rest. Grant Schuster CTA/NEA COORDINATOR Middle school teacher Schuster is in his fourth year as CTA/ NEA Coordinating Director and sixth year serving CTA on the NEA Board. He works to provide locals with access to the program, staff and monetary resources of CTA and NEA to support local organizing and coalition building. As pres- ident of Anaheim Secondary Teachers Assn. for six years, he built organizational power through strong school sites and relationships with students, parents and community. He helped the California Alliance for Community Schools orga- nize its collective power to fight privatization and promote the reimagination of public schools. Fun fact: Schuster can often be found at LA Kings hockey games or a goth music concert. Angela Der Ramos AT-LARGE Der Ramos is an elementary teacher and member of Alisal Teachers Assn. Her leadership roles have included NEA Board Director, CTA liaison to the State Board of Education, CTA Instructional Leadership Corps member, and CTA Human Rights Cadre trainer. Der Ramos was a former school board member for Salinas Elementary School District, and a current trustee for Hartnell Community College. Recognition for her service includes the State WHO Award, a CTA Com- munications Award for social media engagement, and a local Lighthouse Teacher award. Fun fact: Der Ramos has more books and pets than she needs. Robert Ellis AT-LARGE Ellis has been an elementary teacher for over two decades and a member of the United Teachers of Richmond, CTA/ NEA. He has served as an executive board member and vice president, and chaired the bargaining and organizing teams. He was elected to State Council for more than 18 years, where he chaired a policy committee and the CTA African American Caucus. He served on the NEA Board of Directors. He is currently the Treasurer of the NEA Black Caucus and the vice president of the Bayside Council of PTAs. His honors include CTA's Lois Tinson Human Rights Award and local and state WHO awards. Fun fact: Ellis is president of the Bay Area Girls Club. 52 cta.org Our Union