Born in Hawaii into a family of multi-lingual speakers, Ms. Bainter earned her B.A. in French and English at the University of Santa Barbara and her lifetime teaching degree from the California State University campuses in Long Beach and San Jose. She began teaching in the Salinas Union High School District at Salinas High School, subsequently transferring to Alisal High School where she served as department chair for over twenty-five years and where she taught for over thirty-five years.
     Ms Bainter's work included language articulation with the local college and high schools. She was a mentor and PAR coach for the district, and served as an active member of many language and teacher-oriented organizations, such as DKG, CLTA, FLAMCO, and CFT.
     Since 1982, Ms. Bainter has been a consultant and team member for the Bay Area Foreign Language Project based at Stanford University. Having consulted on the 1989 California Language Framework, she presented workshops on second language acquisition for California language organizations and second districts. She is married to Michael, a former teacher of English/retired police sergeant and now law enforcement consultant. Together they enjoy traveling, working on antique autos, attending many fine arts programs world-wide, and being with family and friends. She especially loves skiing, reading, films, photography, and water sports. Nancy has served ILCF in many capacities, including that of Past Chair.