Board of Trustees | Gateway Technical College

The Gateway Technical College District is governed by a nine-member board of trustees representing the communities served by the three-county district. The board comprises two employer members, two employee members, one elected official, one school district administrator, and three additional members. Members are appointed by the chairpersons of the Kenosha, Racine and Walworth County Boards of Supervisors and serve staggered three-year terms.

Contact the board at 262-564-3018 or by email (below).

Jason Tadlock
Chairperson
tadlockj@gtc.edu

Jason Tadlock's career in public education spans more than 20 years, during which time he has taught Spanish in the classroom and taken leadership roles as a K-12 and 6-12 principal and for the past 10 years as a superintendent. A graduate of Utah State University (BA, Spanish) and UW-Superior (EdS, Educational Leadership), Jason serves as superintendent of Elkhorn Area School District and holds the School District Administrator Member position on Gateway's Board of Trustees.

Zaida Lange-Irisson
Vice Chairperson
hernandezirissonz@gtc.edu

Zaida Lange-Irisson started at Gateway in the ESL program before earning a Barber/Cosmetology technical diploma and Electrical Engineering Technology associate degree with a Biomedical emphasis. She served as district ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College System and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. She is currently a project manager for hybrid engineering at Twin Disc Inc. Zaida serves as the Additional Member for Racine County.

Preston Gardner
Treasurer
gardnerp@gtc.edu

Preston Gardner is the president and co-owner of Respawn, LLC, a video gaming furniture and accessories business. He is also the vice president and co-owner of Palmer Hamilton, LLC, a furniture manufacturer in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Preston earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and also attended the College of DuPage earning credits toward his associate’s degree. Preston represents the Employer Member of Walworth County.

Nicole Oberlin
Secretary
oberlinn@gtc.edu

Nicole Oberlin is a Gateway Alumni, having earned her Associate of Arts degree with a humanities emphasis. She served as district ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College System, served two terms as the student trustee on the Gateway board and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Nicole currently works at Union Grove High School and also serves in a variety of capacities for local non-profits. She is the Employee Member for Racine County.

Ram Bhatia
bhatiar@gtc.edu

Ram Bhatia retired as a senior executive with over 35 years in the electrical engineering industry. In both Fortune 500 global companies and small, local outfits, he managed departments and turnkey projects. With two master’s degrees in engineering and an MBA from UW-Parkside, he is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and director for the Milwaukee Section of IEEE. He has served on the Gateway District Board since 2005 as the Additional Member for Racine County.

D. Benjamin DeSmidt
desmidtd@gtc.edu

D. Ben DeSmidt is co-owner of the Union Park Tavern and associate professor emeritus of classics and great ideas at Carthage College. He co-founded and continues to co-direct the Humanities Citizenship Initiative, a grant-funded college bridge program for underserved high school students. DeSmidt holds a B.A. degree in classics from the University of Chicago and M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in classics from Columbia University. DeSmidt serves in the Employer Member category for Kenosha County on Gateway’s Board.

William Duncan
duncanw@gtc.edu

William B. Duncan is president of Duncan Mediation & Consulting Services, LLC. He retired as senior vice president of Aurora University after serving as administrator at George Williams College. He earned a BA from the University of California-Davis, an MS from George Williams College, and a Doctor of Education in Adult Continuing Education from Northern Illinois University. Duncan has represented the Additional Member category on the Gateway Technical District Board since 2013 for Walworth County.

Rebecca Matoska-Mentink
matoskamentinkr@gtc.edu

Rebecca Matoska-Mentink is the Kenosha County clerk of circuit court. She joined Kenosha County in 1998 and held various positions in the Child Support Agency before becoming office manager of the district attorney’s office. She has held her current elected position since 2007. She earned a BA in History from UW-Parkside, her paralegal certification from Carthage College and her Master of Science in Management from Cardinal Stritch University. She also serves on various local non-profit boards in Kenosha. Rebecca serves as an Elected Official member for Kenosha County.

R. Scott Pierce
pierces@gtc.edu

R. Scott Pierce retired as district administrator for Central High School District of Westosha from 2008-2018. He began his career in education in 1983 as an assistant principal in Platteville, Wisconsin. With a BA from Carthage College, a master’s from UW-Whitewater, an Education Specialist in Educational Administration from UW-Milwaukee and a Doctorate of Education from Cardinal Stritch University, Pierce has served on the Gateway Board since 2009.

Andrea Nuñez
Student Trustee
nuneza15@mail.gtc.edu

Andrea Nuñez is enrolled in the Interior Design program at Gateway Technical College and has taken on numerous leadership roles, including Lieutenant Governor for United Student Government, President of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Student Chapter and Vice President for the Latinos Unidos Club. She is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the National Society of Leadership and Success. Andrea works in the Student Life office, honing her skills in communication, event planning and student advocacy. She is passionate about organizing and creating inviting environments both physically and figuratively. Prior to Gateway, Andrea played an integral role in her family’s small business, where she developed a strong work ethic and a keen understanding of community responsibility.

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