Celia Chomón Zamora

Department: Top 30 List 2023
Experience: Director, Professional Learning and Certification

Personal Information:

I have two: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”- Ralph Waldo Emerson, and “When Someone Says You Can’t Do It – Do It Twice – And Send Them Pictures” (unknown)

Dr. Celia Chomón Zamora currently serves as ACTFL’s Director of Professional Learning and Certification. Dr. Zamora has served the language education community since 2005, where she has worked as a K-12 language teacher and administrator in public and private school settings, a postsecondary language program instructor, assistant director, Quality Assurance Senior Manager, author, and researcher. The daughter of first-generation immigrants from Venezuela and Cuba, Dr. Zamora is a passionate advocate of heritage language learners. She currently serves as a scholar for the Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP), and recently earned the prestigious Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.

Dr. Zamora completed her doctoral degree in Spanish Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University, where she was awarded the Harold N. Glassman Distinguished Dissertation Award in the social sciences. At ACTFL, she is currently focusing on providing a platform to amplify the voices of underrepresented language learning communities, developing resources and communities of support for less commonly taught and Indigenous languages, and continuing to advocate and support heritage language learners and teachers. She serves as the Chairwoman for Association Latinos, is active in her son’s homeschool co-op community, serves as a mentor for Latino graduate students entering the workforce, and is an avid marathon runner.