We are the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association (NRMERA), the regional affiliate of the American Educational Research Association. While our membership draws mostly from among researchers and educators in the Rocky Mountain West, we welcome all researchers and educators to be a part of our organization. We host a yearly conference as well as publish a peer-reviewed journal, Educational Research: Theory & Practice.
NRMERA was founded in 1984 and is a research-friendly learned society. Many of the current NRMERA members began their connection with this association as graduate students. It is our hope that each NRMERA member encourages graduate students at their institution to submit a proposal for this conference. In addition to graduate students, proposals from school administrators, teachers, and educational practitioners of all kinds are encouraged.
NRMERA is a supportive environment for all. As an organization that prides itself on providing a supportive environment for graduate students as well as more experienced members, NRMERA strives to provide a setting where one can present research, receive feedback, and learn from colleagues. Conferences like NRMERA offer a range of opportunities to make connections; however, as professionals, we are ultimately responsible for maximizing these opportunities when evaluating the success of our experiences. We encourage and invite graduate students, teacher educators, state and local administrators, and public and private educators to explore some of these opportunities to make ever-lasting connections.
Join NRMERA. Become a member of NRMERA and enjoy the benefits. A one-year membership is $45 and includes a yearly subscription to Educational Research: Theory and Practice, NRMERA’s peer-reviewed journal. The membership year begins November 1 and ends October 31. Membership is automatically included in your conference registration so if you register for the annual conference, no need to pay anything additional for your membership for that year!
NRMERA Leadership 2025 and Beyond
Position | 2024-2025 Salt Lake City, UT | 2025-2026 Seattle, WA | 2026-2027 | 2027-2028 |
President | Suzanne Beasterfield | Amanda Obery | Amy Ratto-Parks | |
President-Elect | Amanda Obery | Amy Ratto-Parks | ||
Immediate Past-President | Tara Beziat & Lindsay Diamond | Suzanne Beasterfield | ||
Secretary | Amy Ratto-Parks | Karen Jensen | ||
Treasurer | Gus Nollmeyer | Gus Nollmeyer | ||
Journal Editor | Christopher Was | William Cain & Leslie Grant | ||
Communications Manager | Amanda Eller | Amanda Eller | ||
Conference Mentor | Suzanne Beasterfield | Aaron Richmond | ||
Conference Program Chair | Amanda Eller | Suzanne Beasterfield | ||
Graduate Student Rep (annually) | Jennifer Shorett (NV) | Maria Zaman (ND) | ||
Colorado Rep (even) | Leslie Grant | Leslie Grant | ||
Idaho Rep (even) | Corey Bartle | Corey Bartle | ||
Montana Rep (even) | Melanie Reaves | Melanie Reaves | ||
North Dakota Rep (even) | Justin Benna | Justin Benna | ||
Utah Rep (even) | Karen Jensen | Chanté Wilson | ||
Nebraska Rep (odd) | Darolyn Seay | Darolyn Seay | ||
Nevada Rep (odd) | Lois Paretti | Lois Paretti | ||
South Dakota Rep (odd) | Bill Young | Bill Young | ||
Washington Rep (odd) | Amanda Obery | Maria Hays | ||
Wyoming Rep (odd) | William Cain | William Cain | ||
At-Large Rep (odd) | Lori O’Malley | Donna Sharp |
2024 NRMERA Organizational Changes
At the 2024 NRMERA Conference, the positions of Webmaster and Membership Manager were combined into the role of Communications Manager. Additionally, Washington was voted in as a member state and Minnesota was removed. A new chart was started that reflected these changes.
NRMERA Leadership 1984-2024
Year | President | President-Elect | Treasurer | Secretary | Membership | Webmaster | Journal Editor(s) | Program Chair / Conference Manager | Graduate Student Rep |
2024 Lake Tahoe, NV 2023 Omaha, NE | Lindsay Diamond & Tara Beziat Faye Haggar | Suzanne Beasterfield Lindsay Diamond & Tara Beziat | Gus Nollmeyer Gus Nollmeyer | Amy Ratto-Parks Amy Ratto-Parks | Sara Westerlin Darolyn Seay | Amanda Eller Amanda Eller | Christopher Was Bob Ives | Lois Paretti Darolyn Seay & Sara Westerlin | Naomi Beckwith Marissa Williams |
2022 Billings, MT | Melanie Reaves | Faye Haggar | Tara Beziat | Lindsay Diamond | Darolyn Seay | Amanda Eller | Bob Ives | Mel Sullivan-Walker | Kathryn Watson |
2020-2021 Ketchum/Sun Valey, ID (Two years due to COVID) | Amanda Eller | Melanie Reaves | Tara Beziat | Lindsay Diamond | Darolyn Seay | Melanie Reaves | Bob Ives | Suzanne Beasterfield | Lindsey Hogue |
2019 Denver, CO | Courtney McKim | Amanda Eller | Tara Beziat | Lindsay Diamond | Darolyn Seay | Melanie Reaves | Bob Ives & Rod Case | Suzanne Young | Lindsay Hogue Jed Locquiao |
2018 Salt Lake City, UT | Elaine Tuft | Courtney McKim | Tara Beziat | Lindsay Diamond | Darolyn Seay | Aaron Richmond | Bob Ives Rod Case Peter Cobin | Ann Sharp | Oluwole Ilesanmi |
2017 Boulder, CO | Athena Kennedy | Elaine Tuft | Tara Beziat | [vacant] | [vacant] | Aaron Richmond | Aaron Richmond & Shanon Taylor | Suzanne Young | Lisa Baaske |
2016 Reno, NV | Shanon Taylor | Athena Kennedy | Elaine Tuft | Loretta Zost | Sandra Jay | Aaron Richmond | Christopher Was | Tammy Abernathy & Richard Vineyard | Colleen Dragovich |
2015 Boise, ID | Chris Was | Shanon Taylor | Elaine Tuft | Loretta Zost | Vessela Ilieva | Bryan B. Korth | Shanon Taylor Chris Was | Tara Beziat & Courtney McKim | Anna Treacy |
2014 Rapid City, SD | William Young | Chris Was | Elaine Tuft | Elaine Tuft | Vassela Ilieva | Bryan B. Korth | Shanon Taylor | Brett Foley Greg Zost Faye Haggar | Anna Treacy |
2013 Jackson, WY | Aaron Richmond | William Young | Elaine Tuft | Elaine Tuft | Vassela Ilieva | Bryan B. Korth | Kathy Canfield-Davis | H. Mark Krank Chris Was Randy Issacson | David Des Armier, Jr. |
2012 Park City, UT | Brett Foley | Aaron Richmond | Elaine Tuft | Elaine Tuft | Leslie Rush | Barbara Schroeder | Shanon Taylor | [unknown] | Athena Kennedy |
2011 Jackson, WY | Pamela Cantrell | Brett Foley | Kate Muir Walsh | Darcy Jack | Leslie Rush | Barbara Schroeder | Kathy Canfield-Davis | Leigh K. Smith | n/a |
2010 Big Sky, MT | Art Bangert | Pamela Cantrell | Kate Walsh | Darcy Jack | Leslie Rush | Barbara Schroeder | Lawrence Rogien | Aaron S. Richmond & Heidi Shukert | n/a |
2009 Jackson, WY | Suzanne Young | Art Bangert | Darcy Jack | Darcy Jack | Robert Spies | Barbara Schroeder | Lawrence Rogien & Cheryl Franklin | Leslie Rush Kate Walsh | n/a |
2008 Lake Tahoe, NV | Richard Vineyard | Suzanne Young | Darcy Jack | Darcy Jack | Robert Spies | Barbara Schroeder | Lawrence Rogien & Cheryl Franklin | Lori Olafson & Gregory Schraw | n/a |
2007 | Chad Buckendahl | Richard Vineyard | Darcy Jack | Darcy Jack | Richard Ponzio | Barbara Schroeder | Lawrence Rogien & Cheryl Franklin | Susan Davis & Barbara Badgett | n/a |
2006 | Michael Brunn | ||||||||
2005 | Tammy Abernathy | ||||||||
2004 | Gail Ingwalson | ||||||||
2003 | Nancy Wentworth | ||||||||
2002 | Larry Rogien | ||||||||
2001 | Ray Wong | ||||||||
2000 | Marian McKenna | ||||||||
1999 | Gary Alexander | ||||||||
1998 | Shannon Butler | ||||||||
1997 | Missy Parker | ||||||||
1996 | Mary Lou Fuller | ||||||||
1995 | Janice Fauske | ||||||||
1994 | Gene Burns | ||||||||
1993 | Charlotte Farr | ||||||||
1992 | Steve Dempsey | ||||||||
1991 | Hank Slotnik | ||||||||
1990 | Joe Stepans | ||||||||
1989 | Mark Clark | ||||||||
1988 | Carl Edeburn | ||||||||
1987 | Diane Peters | ||||||||
1986 | Gary Render | ||||||||
1985 | Amy Driscoll | ||||||||
1984 | Wayne Lanning |
2008-2024 State Representatives (Even-Year Caucuses)
Year | Colorado | Idaho | Montana | North Dakota | Utah |
2022-2024 | Jean Kirshner | Suzanne Beasterfield | Brynn Cadigan | [none] | Rebecca Sansom |
2020-2022 | Brian Coppess | Suzanne Beasterfield | Amanda Obery | Ryan Summers | Suzie Jones |
2018-2020 | Katie Anderson-Pence | Suzanne Beasterfield | Kari Dahle-Huff | Lisa Ortmann | [none] |
2016-2018 | Katie Anderson-Pence | Amanda Eller | Kari Dahle-Huff | [none] | Ann Sharp |
2014-2016 | Aaron Richmond | Amanda Eller | Art Bangert | Elizabeth Roumell | Mary Sowder |
2012-2014 | Becky Norman Dvorak | Kathy Canfield-Davis | Mary Leonard | [none] | [none] |
2010-2012 | Wendy Chiado | Kathy Canfield-Davis | Art Bangert | Gail Ingwalson | Susan A. Turner |
2008-2010 | Wendy Chiado | Kathy Canfield-Davis | Art Bangert | Gail Ingwalson | Elaine Tuft |
2007-2023 State Representatives (Odd-Year Caucuses)
Year | Nevada | Nebraska | South Dakota | Wyoming | Minnesota | At-Large |
2021-2023 | Shanon Taylor | Sara Westerlin | Bill Young | Trina Kilty | [none] | Gus Nollmeyer |
2019-2021 | Peter Wiens | Faye Haggar | Bill Young | Joe Schroef | Lisa Ortmann | Gus Nollmeyer |
2017-2019 | Richard Vineyard | Spencer Vogt | Bill Young | Doris Bolliger | [none] | Gus Nollmeyer |
2015-2017 | Richard Vineyard | Darolyn Seay | EliAnn Carr | Courtney McKim | Greg Zost | Tara Beziat |
2013-2015 | Karen Grove | Greg Zost | Faye Haggar | Courtney McKim | Marla Mastin | Tara Beziat |
2011-2013 | Shanon Taylor | Greg Zost | [none] | Jennifer Forrester | Marla Mastin | Michelle VanderVeldt |
2009-2011 | Shanon Taylor | Brett Foley | Cynthia Howell | Doris Bolliger | Marla Mastin | Michelle VanderVeldt |
2007-2009 | Linda Quinn | Brett Foley | Cynthia Howell | Peggy Laughlin | Marla Mastin | Michelle VanderVeldt |
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