BOARD & STAFF

Hillsborough CTA Directors are elected by groups that are numbered one (1) through ten (10) with even and odd groups elected in rotating cycles. Groups 1 through 7 are designated for teacher candidates and are elected by teachers only; groups 8 through 10 are designated for ESP candidates and are elected by ESP members only.

You may click on any of the names highlighted in blue to send an email to that person. If you have a question and are not sure who to contact, please reach out to Member Rights Specialist Xiomara Martinez who will connect you with a member advocate.

HCTA Executive Board:

Rob Kriete

President

I was born and raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, while attending the same elementary school as my great-grandparents, grandparents, and mom, P.S. 115. I knew early on that I wanted to be a teacher after getting a summer job teaching campers how to swim. When they were successful, I found it so very rewarding. So, I found myself at U.S.F. and began my teaching career here in Hillsborough at Wilson Middle School in 1993. I come from a union family, and being a part of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association has been a big part of my career. Early on, frankly, I wanted the protection of our union. But, as I became a more seasoned educator, I saw the passionate work HCTA did locally to advocate for public education and how they represented and supported employees in so many ways, I saw beyond the protections offered members. Serving on the HCTA Board of Directors, and now as your proud president, I get to lead our efforts for better conditions of teaching and learning while advocating for the dynamic teachers and education support professionals in Hillsborough. I truly believe that together we are strong!

Regina Gambrell

Vice-President

I was born and raised in Hillsborough County and a product of Hillsborough County Public Schools. Although I was a teen mother, I was able to graduate from the Health Academy at Tampa Bay Technical High School as NHS inductee and Bright future scholar. Immediately after graduation and with my family’s support, I attended University of South Florida attaining Junior status before leaving to join the workforce full time to provide for my kids as they started grade school. Fast forward to now, I am a mother of five beautiful kids ranging from 5 to 23, most recently embracing my role as a new grandmother.

Because of my passion to help others, I was able to receive work experiences in healthcare, finance, civic and customer service. My joy came from volunteering in my community landing me various positions on Hillsborough County government boards, Hillsborough PTA, HCPS committees and to be in various spaces with changemakers around the Tampa Bay area. My Policy council work in Head Start sparked my interest in education and landed me my first paraprofessional job as a Parent Liaison later moving into the clerical family as Data Processor at Sulphur Springs PreK-8 Community Partnership School, a title one and transformation school. Throughout both roles, I was able to bridge the gap between parents and school as well as build on parent, family, and community engagement. These opportunities opened an opportunity to co-facilitate in the school district’s Parent School Partnership trainings.

After so much experience advocating for my family, community, parents, teachers, students, and my school, I found my new voice to advocate for Public Education and all educators thru union work. Since 2020, I have been able to earn micro-credentials, organize and recruit members, engage in book clubs, ESP committee, GREAT team, and HCR-EMAC. My leader roles include Site rep, HCTA Board member and co-facilitator with Project LEAP as an ESP Professional Learning Leader. I have also had the opportunity to engage in legislative work in Tallahassee, NEA/FEA/AFT conferences to include co-facilitating at NEA ESP conference and FEA Summer Leadership Academy. My continued dedication to union work and leading others landed me here as your newly elected Vice President and I am eager to continue my work beside you and our fellow union members.

Valerie Chuchman

Secretary-Treasurer

I want to live in a world where public schools are valued, educators are respected for their expertise, houses are self-cleaning, and great ideas formulated in the shower are not forgotten.

I spent 23 years teaching high school science and am honored to have been named Teacher of the Year while in Milwaukee (2006) and at Riverview High School (2016). I served as a building rep early in my career, but my union activism ramped up in 2011 when the governor of Wisconsin introduced union-busting legislation. Wisconsin winters were not made for protests. After six weeks in the cold and snow, I conceded that I was not genetically inclined to Midwestern winters. This was the push my wife and I needed to finally move to Tampa in the summer of 2011.

My plan to lay low in Hillsborough was thwarted in August 2015 when I was nudged into serving as the senior rep for RvHS. During that time, I focused on building a positive CTA culture, and over the last six years, our membership density grew by 30%. I am proud to call Hillsborough County my home and pleased to have served our members as an FEA, NEA, and AFT delegate, HCTA Executive Board member, and now as your secretary-treasurer.

When I’m not working to increase the power of our union, you can find me whipping up low-carb dishes, raising monarch caterpillars, attending an Indigo Girls concert, or cuddling with my cats.