TRWP Leadership Team

Dr. William P. Banks, Co-Director

Will Banks has been Assistant Professor of English at East Carolina University since Fall 2003; he also serves as Associate Director of Composition and Director of the First-Year Writing Studio in addition to his work as Co-Director of the Tar River Writing Project. Will has been a member of the National Writing Project since his first Summer Institute in 1998 (Georgia Southern Writing Project). While in graduate school, Will worked as Technology Liaison for the Illinois State Writing Project, and took on various responsibilities with the NWP on a programmatic level. These include serving for 8 years as an E-Team member for the NWP E-Anthology, and 3 years as a facilitator at the NWP Tech Matters Institute (Marshall University WP). Currently, in addition to working with the TRWP, Will continues to serve on leadership committees with the NWP and as a facilitator for the Writing and Technology writing retreat each summer in Nebraska.

Dr. Todd Finley, Co-Director

Todd Finley, Associate Professor of Education (English Education) at East Carolina University in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, is certified to teach at the elementary education and 8-12th grade English. He has earned an MA in English and PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Finley has over 20 years of experience teaching, researching and publishing in the field of curriculum, instruction, and technology. He regularly conducts staff development workshops, consults, and develops technology-mediated teaching/learning tools. Currently, Todd is finishing Time Savers for Teachers. He lives a happy life with his wife, Randi, and daughter, Rachel, and has a strange love of Newfoundland dogs and longboards. Read his blog, English Education Professor for secondary education language arts tips and notes.

Ms. Jennifer Sharpe-Salter, Associate Director & K-12 Liaison

Jennifer Salter, Instructional Coach at Nash Central High School, has 14 years experience in education. After earning a BA in English Education from Barton College, Jennifer went on to teach either English or English as a Second Language (ESL) at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. She holds a NC Teaching License in English and ESL, and National Board Certification in Adolescence and Young Adulthood English Language Arts. Jennifer joined the Tar River Writing Project as a participant in the inaugural summer institute. Supporting teachers through quality staff development is a priority for her. She has presented at conferences and delivered in-service training with several organizations including Teach For America. Currently, Jennifer is pursuing an MA in School Administration through NC State University, and completing requirements for an MA in English at East Carolina University. Her research interests include high school writing centers, creating and sustaining writing communities in public schools, and the impact of distributive leadership on student achievement.

Mr. Jonathan Bartels, Technology Liaison

Jonathan Bartels, a Williamston High School English teacher and Wetpaint.com's Education Ambassador, earned a BS in secondary English Education from East Carolina University. He joined the Tar River Writing Project as a summer institute participant in 2007. Jonathan actively presents at a variety of educational conferences. He is currently pursuing an MAEd in English Education from East Carolina University. Jonathan's research interests include the incorporation of technology in education, collaborative learning environments, and dialectic complications in the classroom.