Dan Lesko

Dan Lesko is a dual credit high school English instructor, English department chair, former English university lecturer, and advocate for utilizing technological advancements to improve education, especially when it comes to distance learning opportunities for students in rural districts, such as the small towns where he grew up in Southern Illinois. Beyond educating, Dan also sponsors his district's student-run newspaper, manages the school’s tabletop wargaming club, keeps his Student Council out of trouble whenever humanly possible, and acts as the main DM for the high school D&D club. He has been twice nominated for a Pearson’s Master Teacher Award, is a founding member of The Rural Assembly on English Literacy and Language Education (TRAELLE) at NCTE, and a member of the Local Advisory Panel (LAP) for Transitional English via Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) for the State of Illinois. Dan holds a BA in English from Valparaiso University and a Master’s of Arts in Teaching from Western Illinois University, as well as a Master’s of Arts in English Literature and a Post Baccalaureate in the Teaching of Writing, both from SIUE. A lifelong learner, he is currently enrolled in a Master of Arts in Communication at ASU. Outside of academia, he has years of experience in the business world, including serving as the Chief Marketing Officer for 5 years of a local Inc. 500 ranked conglomerate, where he helped facilitate 600% growth within his first three years at the company. Dan believes that education is the true key to creating great future citizens and providing the next generation with the tools necessary to elevate their positions within our society and better our communities.