Mission Statement

With a membership of 345 educators, the Bremen District 228 Joint Faculty Association (JFA) is a professional organization comprised of teachers, counselors, librarians, social workers, psychologists, speech pathologists, and nurses. Our collective mission is to advance quality public education for the 5000 students we serve in the communities of Country Club Hills, Hazel Crest, Markham, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Posen, and Tinley Park as well as to promote the welfare of our active members. The JFA is affiliated with the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).
JFA House of Representatives
Executive Board
- Gregory Fitch - President
- Willus Vivian - Vice President
- Amy Elias - Treasurer
- John Stevens - Secretary
- Ryan Welbourn - Early Career Educator Rep
- Barbara Wade - Ethnic Minority Representative
Region 56 Council Representatives
House Reps (Bremen)
House Reps (Hillcrest)
House Reps (Oak Forest)
House Reps (Tinley Park)
Tech Committee
- The Tech Committee updates content on the JFA web site and all JFA social media platforms.
Addenda Committee
- The Addenda Committee, formed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement, meets to assess addenda based on established criteria.
- Matt Spreadbury
- Positions Available
Class Size Review Committee
- The Class Size Review Committee, formed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement, was established to make recommendations to the School Board concerning class size and member workload.
Elections Committee
- The Elections Committee, formed by our Bylaws, disseminates notices concerning an election and conducts the election. No person running for an office may be part of the Elections Committee for that election.
- Rob Fantozzi
- Steve Hogan
- Kelsey Neylon
- Lori Vitt
- Renee Yunker
- Positions Available
District Evaluation Committee
- The District Evaluation Committee, formed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement, may make recommendations to the Superintendent for the revision of the district evaluation instrument.
Grievance Committee
- The Grievance Committee, formed by our Bylaws, shall operate in accordance with the procedure covering grievance as determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- Heather Gatton- Chair
- Positions Available
Negotiations Committee
- The Negotiations Committee, formed by our Bylaws, represents all JFA members at the bargaining table and prepares the bargaining package.
- Kara Bucci - Chair
- Sarah Bogard
- John Cullnan
- Greg Fitch
- Heather Gatton
- Clemerson Hajjar
- Steve Hogan
- Theresa Kelsey
- Chuck Moore
- Nikita Odom
- John Pfeffer
- Michele Smith
- Willus Vivian
- Ryan Welbourn
Professional Council
- The Professional Council's, formed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement, duty is to communicate concerns and issues that arise at either the building or district level.
- Rob Fantozzi
- John Pfeffer
- Willus Vivian
- Positions Available
Delta Rep (off-site)
Union Advantages

Top Ten Reasons to Belong to IEA
Your Legal Rights
Right to Union Representation
Collective Bargaining
Resources
Licensure/ Prof. Development
Our Beliefs
The purpose of our Joint Faculty Association (JFA) is to ensure the district is providing the means necessary to meet the needs of our students. This includes exemplary working conditions as well as incentives to attract and retain the highest quality professional #Educators possible. Collective bargaining is the means to this end. The JFA has faced a struggle in bargaining with the D228 School Board during our last several contract negotiations. We face that struggle again. But the JFA is proving resilient and we are ready to stand strong for what we know is in the best interest of our students, our communities, and the future of District 228.