Council on Teacher Education Team
Promoting excellence in education through continuous improvement of the field, we act as trusted advisors to our partners by fostering engagement and collaboration.
Jill Donnel, Executive Director
Dr. Donnel is the Executive Director of the Council on Teacher Education and leads the work of the Council while chairing the CoTE Executive Committee. In addition, she works with state agencies, legislators, and state leaders to advocate on behalf of Illinois educator licensure and preparation.
Jill has served as a project partner with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Community College Board, the Office of the Governor, the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA), and university administration leading and/or supporting multiple initiatives and programs related to educator licensure and preparation. She has been an educator for over thirty years serving as a K-12 teacher, director of curriculum, and principal. Most recently, prior to joining the Council on Teacher Education, she served as the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Programs and Advising at one of the largest teacher preparation departments in the U.S. where she coordinated early childhood, elementary, middle level, and secondary sequence programs and managed student teaching supervisors and professional development schools.
Contact: jilldonn@illinois.edu
Suzanne Lee, Associate Director
Dr. Lee is the Associate Director and Licensure Officer for the Council on Teacher Education. She leads Council activities that support licensure programs in delivering high quality educator preparation aligned with state standards and regulations. Suzanne has decades of experience working in an Illinois licensure program as an instructor and coordinator. She has been elected to leadership positions in state educator preparation organizations and helped to shape state licensure policies by serving on advisory boards and working committees.
Contact: suzannel@illinois.edu
Alex Bernardes, Data Systems Developer
Alex is a professional developer supporting the Council on Teacher Education with data analytics and assisting the College of Education with the management of their data systems. He is responsible for maintaining the council’s portal and application for staff, students, and external personnel. With a background as an IT Consultant in the banking industry, Alex has developed strong expertise in back-end development and software architecture. He is dedicated to developing and designing solutions that meet the university's specific requirements.
Contact: alexbern@illinois.edu
Robin Craig, Licensure Officer
Robin supports students, program staff, and advisors by providing guidance on licensure and subsequent endorsement requirements. She conducts audits of student records to identify outstanding licensure requirements and ensures all candidates meet state and program requirements before processing applications for licensure and formally reporting program completers to the Illinois State Board of Education. Robin is a graduate and long-term employee of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has over a decade of experience in medical professional credentialing and accreditation, a foundational background for her compliance and detail-oriented role.
Contact: rcraig@illinois.edu
Leslie Ellis, Program Specialist
Leslie collaborates with program faculty and staff to ensure our programs meet state requirements and deliver excellence in educator preparation for our candidates. She supports Council activities involving program approval and reporting. She coordinates and advises faculty, staff, and units on approved professional development activities and micro-credential processes on the Illinois campus and manages affiliation agreements between licensure programs and partner school districts.
Leslie has dedicated her career to teaching and learning, first as a high school English teacher. Then, she supported hundreds of exceptional teachers as an instructional coach and professional learning specialist. Leslie now supports the preparation of excellent pre-service educators through her work at the Council.
Contact: laellis3@illinois.edu
Vaskia Reid, Technology Information Specialist
Vaskia is the Information Technology Specialist for the Council on Teacher Education. She was hired as a Parkland College intern in Office Support, and has been with the Council for almost 30 years. Over the years Vaskia earned her Bachelor of Science from Franklin University and was promoted to IT for the Council in 2009. Vaskia supports data reporting and database/portal maintenance and enhancements for the Council.
Contact: vreid@illinois.edu
Candice Steidinger, Program Assistant
Candice serves as an initial point of contact for most interactions with the CoTE team. She supports students as they enter the licensure program, communicating training requirements to students and tracking their completion. She also manages the tuition and fee waiver program and acts as a resource for cooperating personnel as they use their waivers towards university courses and programs. As an Illinois alum with several years of experience as faculty support, Candice uses her knowledge of university policies and procedures to provide effective support to students, cooperating personnel, and the CoTE team.
Contact: steidin2@illinois.edu