AATG Executive Director Transition & Search

Dear Colleagues and Friends of the AATG,

Dr. Michael (Mike) Shaughnessy will step down as Executive Director of the American Association of Teachers of German in February 2027. We want to take a moment to recognize what he has done for the association and for German education in the United States.

Mike became Executive Director in 2020, at the start of a pandemic that upended classrooms, exchanges, and study abroad. Since then, he has grown the AATG's direct support for students, teachers and programs. His view is that access to language learning should reach well beyond the wealthiest districts.

Through his tireless work on behalf of instructors and students of German, Mike is leaving the AATG in a strong position. Yearly grant and scholarship funding has grown about fivefold, from about $90,000 in 2020 to more than $450,000 in 2026. From 2020 to 2026, the AATG has awarded more than $2.6 million in grants and scholarships to over 2,700 recipients. Under Mike's leadership, the AATG has built support that will outlast his time as Executive Director, including new endowments, scholarships, and grants. Mike has been a strong voice for world languages in federal advocacy, and he has strengthened the AATG's partnerships in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Although Mike is leaving the AATG, he will continue to advocate for languages in his new role as Executive Director of the Modern Language Association. The MLA and its nearly 20,000 members in more than 100 countries work to strengthen the study and teaching of languages and literature. We are happy to know that someone from our ranks will have a voice in issues of concern to all of us.

A search to identify the next Executive Director of the AATG begins immediately. A search committee, chaired by me as Board President, has been formed and will begin reviewing applications on November 16, 2026. Details about the position and how to apply can be found on AATG's website.

With gratitude, 

Jennifer Redmann

President, on behalf of the AATG Board of Directors