It may be a sign of the times, as Kane County’s 2014 Educator of the Year was celebrated not only with thunderous applause at the annual ceremony Friday, but a resounding and happy tweet.

Congratulations to Carol Mertes of @EASD131. She is our 2014 Kane County Educator of the Year! #KaneEOY14 pic.twitter.com/1YoPbzw7LO

For the first time, the Kane County Regional Office of Education used Twitter to sound out the winners, under the hashtag #KaneEOY14.

You can read more — and see more than 80 photos — right here on the Kane County Regional Office of Education website.

Nine new categories were added to the 2014 awards, which were held May 2 at the Q Center in St. Charles. The winners and nominees are as follows:

 

2014 Distinguished Educators
*    indicates Category winner
**   indicates Regional Superintendent Award
***  indicates 2014 Educator of the Year

Educational Service Personnel

• Linda Lou Caine ~ St. Charles East High School
• Sandy Diaz ~ Waldo Middle School
• Gigi Renee Hansen ~ Country Trails Elementary
• Bryan M. Johnson ~ St. Charles District 303 Transportation
• *  Julio Rubieles ~ St. Charles North High School

Student Support Personnel

• *  Mary Ellen Adkins ~ Alice Gustafson School
• Anita Gail Masching ~ Algonquin Lakes Elementary
• Jennifer Lynne Sullivan ~ Waldo Middle School

Early Career Educator

• Julie Newquist ~ Country Trails Elementary

Pre-School Teacher

• Pamela Maxey ~ District 131 Early Childhood Development Center

Elementary Teacher

• *  Kathleen Theresa Bujak ~ Cambridge Lakes Charter School
• Doreen Lynn Dietrich-Reineck ~ Gilberts Elementary
• ***Carol A. Mertes ~ Johnson Elementary
• Dr. Gregorio De Jesus Posada ~ Gifford Elementary
• Mary Therese Underhill ~ Liberty Elementary
• Sara Beth White ~ Dieterich Elementary

Middle School Teacher

• Evan Borkowski ~ Algonquin Middle School
• *  Edward Johnson Jr. ~ Waldo Middle School
• **  Kelly Lynn Uehlein ~ Lakewood School
• Jodi Denee Winburn ~ Dundee Middle School

High School Teacher

• Matthew Robert Holm ~ Batavia High School
• Jeffrey Holstein ~ Oak Ridge Alternative School
• *  Ame Kazmer ~ Geneva High School
• Jennifer Lynn Kull ~ St. Charles East High School
• Robert Prentiss ~ St. Charles North High School

School Administrator

• Julia Briggs Doverspike ~ Dieterich Elementary
• Charlie A. Kyle ~ St. Charles East High School
• *  Dr. Stephanie Ramstad ~ Carpentersville Middle School

 

SOURCE: Kane County Regional Office of Education

 

 

Nominee Name / District School / School, Address City State Zip

Mary Ellen Adkins —  School District 101, Alice Gustafson School, 905 Carlisle Road Batavia IL 60510

Evan Borkowski — School District 300, Algonquin Middle School 520 Longwood Drive Algonquin IL 60102

Kathleen Theresa Bujak — School District  300, Cambridge Lakes Charter School 900 Wester Blvd. Pingree Grove IL 60140

Linda Lou Caine — School District  303, St. Charles East High School 1020 Dunham Road St. Charles IL 60174

Sandy Diaz — School District  131, Waldo Middle School 56 Jackson Street Aurora IL 60505

Doreen Lynn Dietrich-Reineck — School District  300, Gilberts Elementary School 729 Paperbark Road Gilberts IL 60136

Julia Briggs Doverspike — School District  131, Dieterich Elementary 1141 Jackson Street Aurora IL 60505

Gigi Renee Hansen — School District  301, Country Trails Elementary 3701 Highland Woods Blvd.Elgin IL 60123

Matthew Robert Holm — School District  101, Batavia High School 1200 W. Wilson Street Batavia IL 60510

Jeffrey Holstein 300 — School District  Oak Ridge Alternative School 229 Lake Marian Road Carpentersville IL 60110

Bryan M. Johnson — School District  303, St. Charles District 303 Transportation901 S. Peck Road St. Charles IL 60175

Edward Johnson Jr. — School District  131, Waldo Middle School 56 Jackson Street Aurora IL 60505

Ame Kazmer — School District  304, Geneva High School 416 McKinley Avenue Geneva IL 60134

Jennifer Lynn Kull — School District  303, St. Charles East High School 1020 Dunham Road St. Charles IL 60174

Charlie A. Kyle — School District  303, St. Charles East High School 1020 Dunham Road St. Charles IL 60174

Anita Gail Masching — School District  300, Algonquin Lakes Elementary 1401 Compton Drive Algonquin IL 60102

Pamela Maxey — School District  131, Early Childhood Development Center 278 E. Indian Trail Aurora IL 60505

Carol A. Mertes — School District  131, Johnson Elementary 1934 Liberty Street Aurora IL 60505

Julie Newquist — School District  301, Country Trails Elementary 3701 Highland Woods Blvd.Elgin IL 60123

Dr. Gregorio De Jesus Posada — School District  U-46, Gifford Elementary 240 S. Clifton Avenue Elgin IL 60123

Robert Prentiss — School District  303, St. Charles North High School 255 Red Gate Road St. Charles IL 60175

Dr. Stephanie Ramstad — School District  300, Carpentersville Middle School 100 Cleveland Avenue Carpentersville IL 60110

Julio Rubieles — School District  303, St. Charles North High School 255 Red Gate Road St. Charles IL 60175

Jennifer Lynne Sullivan — School District  131, Waldo Middle School 56 Jackson Street Aurora IL 60505

Kelly Lynn Uehlein — School District  300, Lakewood School 1651 Ravine Lane Carpentersville IL 60110

Mary Therese Underhill — School District  300, Liberty Elementary 6500 Miller Road Carpentersville IL 60110

Sara Beth White — School District  131, Dieterich Elementary 1141 Jackson Street Aurora IL 60505

Jodi Denee Winburn — School District  300, Dundee Middle School 37 W 450 Route 72 West Dundee IL 60118