Board Member Bios

Home Parish:

St. Patrick's Church of Merna Parish

Corpus Christi Catholic School

Family:
Jay Percell grew up in Louisville, Colorado and taught high school for 10 years in Colorado and Arizona before moving to Illinois. Jay and his wife, Renée, founded the FIRE Foundation of Central Illinois as an affiliate of the FIRE Foundation located in Kansas City in February of 2020. They have two boys, Micah and Ezra, who attend Corpus Christi Catholic School in Bloomington, IL. Their daughter, Adele, has a chromosome deletion of her 16th Chromosome, and currently attends kindergarten at their local public school.

Career and Work:
Jay is an Associate Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University. He has been in the field of education for over two decades serving as a classroom teacher, higher education instructor, and a coach. Currently, he teaches future secondary teachers and is a liaison for the Professional Development School for secondary education majors at ISU. He is also the faculty advisor for registered student organization Educators Rising.

Reason for the FIRE:
Jay and Renée were motivated to start the FIRE to support their daughter, Adele, and the additional supports she will need throughout her school career. Jay believes that Inclusion is at the heart of our mission as both Catholics and Educators. All students deserve a chance to have their needs met in the classroom and all teachers deserve the proper resources and materials in order to provide their students with the most optimal learning environment.