Spotlight: Kimberly Pennington, Associate Board Member
The READ: November Newsletter
Board Spotlight: Mariana De la Vega
Director, Deals Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Read Alliance board member since April 2020
“The fact that our organization was able to transition from in-person to online programming, and that the teens, some of whose parents had lost jobs, were able to still count on READ to help them through this time, was very rewarding.”
How did you learn about Read Alliance?
I was nominated by PwC to take part in a program called BoardLead, which provides you with 20-plus nominated non-profit organizations and helps you apply to serve on a board. You select the organizations you are passionate about and they match you based on the need.
Read Alliance instantly got my attention. At the time, I was part of a mentorship program with young kids for which I was the mentor. I knew the impact a mentor can have in a kid’s life because of this. What I loved about Read Alliance was the dual-impact, not only focusing on the young kid but on the teen, and in minority communities, as someone of Mexican heritage, this was important to me. Read Alliance was my first choice and thankfully I was matched with the organization.
How does PwC culture support you as a volunteer leader?
PwC culture is very open, very flexible and wants to make sure employees have a wholesome experience. My nomination to serve on a non-profit board is a good example. When the firm evaluates you year-over-year, it cares about you not only as an employee serving a client but about your personal sense of fulfillment and how you are helping the community.
What was important to you in joining a non-profit board?
I wanted to have an impact, become more involved with an organization, have a say. The time I spend learning about Read Alliance and in the committee meetings is very rewarding. You can see the impact you’re having through the numbers and reviewing the program’s results. That drove me to be part of a non-profit board, particularly this one.
In the communities Read Alliance serves, many of these kids’ lives are very hard. This program helps both the teen leaders and younger students to get to college, to find jobs. Being involved in providing that is a privilege.
Can you describe one of the most rewarding moments for you since joining the board?
I joined the Crisis Response Committee, which came together to figure out how the organization could operate in the pandemic environment, through online means.
It was very rewarding to see our planning come to fruition as the summer program kicked off and it worked, generating results. The fact that our organization was able to transition from in-person to online programming, and that the teens, some of whose parents had lost jobs, were able to still count on READ to help them through this time, was very rewarding.
What aspect of the 20th anniversary gala on November 2nd are you most looking forward to?
I am very excited to see how, through these events, so many people are brought together online, including from different parts of the country. I had the luck of joining this great organization as it turned 20-years-old. I’m sure it’s going to be the best gala yet.
In your role with PwC, you work with many organizations. What does it mean for an organization to be around 20 years?
It means the organization is strong and is achieving its purpose. An organization that doesn’t achieve its purpose wouldn’t be around 20 years later. It also means the organization is creating an impact such that resources are available and the results are so big that you see the organization growing as a result of being able to show those results. This is clearly an organization that has had a big impact on those it has served throughout its 20 years.
As you think about Read Alliance's future, what are you most looking forward to?
In respect to my role, getting more and more involved and being helpful and useful. I’m very much looking forward to READ expanding its operations, maybe geographically now, too, with its online program. I’m also excited about accumulating all of its data so that meaningful long-term results can be gleaned. How many Read Alliance students and teen leaders go to college? How many get a job? This data collection is part of an initiative in-place right now.
What advice would you have for someone considering a volunteer leadership role with a non-profit organization?
Do it! It’s very rewarding but you do need to choose the organization you are passionate about. That’s what makes board service unique and motivating. Don’t just do it because it helps you professionally but because you’re passionate about the cause. That makes all of the difference.
Board Spotlight: Patrick Ramsey
Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, BofA Securities, Inc.
Read Alliance board member since 2008
“I wanted [to become involved with] something that was low-frills and high-impact as it relates to the organization. That describes READ perfectly, both where it was all of those years ago and where it is today. That’s the focus and that’s the focus by design.”
1) How did you learn about Read Alliance? And what was your first meaningful interaction with the organization?
I first learned about READ through Alain [Lebec, Read Alliance Co-Founder]. Alain was a longtime colleague of mine and continues to be a mentor and close friend. We had lunch and he told me a bit about the organization and asked me to get closer to it.
I headed up to the Bronx to see the tutoring in action and that first site visit really made an impact on me. There’s only so much you can learn from hearing about it - but to see the students and teen leaders in action, the engagement of the kids and the bond developing...there’s nothing like it.
2) What was important to you in joining a non-profit board? What attracted you to this leadership role?
I wanted something that was low-frills and high-impact as it relates to the organization. That describes READ perfectly, both where it was all of those years ago and where it is today. That’s the focus and that’s the focus by design.
I also wanted something focused locally in the five boroughs, where I lived for a long time and where I have spent my entire career, and focused on helping kids in need. In addition, my wife and I have always been big believers in education as the ultimate equalizer, and the ability to bring kids up to grade level in reading very early in their educational journey, before they fall behind in everything, really resonated with me.
3) Can you describe one or two most rewarding moments for you since joining the board?
There have been many over the years but I would say one of the most rewarding moments was the first time I heard a school principal talk about the impact of the program and the passion that she had for READ and the impact it had on kids in that school. School budgets are very tight and there’s never enough money to go around. The fact that schools find the money to help bring READ to their kids speaks volumes about their belief in the program’s impact.
4) How has the organization changed during your tenure? In what key ways has it remained the same?
READ has evolved with the environment as [state and federal funding for schools] has changed dramatically. With Kelley and now Danielle, we’ve had two fantastic leaders and, together with a terrific and well-qualified board, they have helped the organization adjust to the times. Kelley [Perkins, who worked at READ for 14 years, six as executive director] took over at a difficult time as the funding backdrop was changing for the worse and made all the difference. Danielle [Guindo, current executive director] had big shoes to fill and has done a terrific job in leading the organization and keeping it on the right path.
READ also remains the same, scrappy organization singularly focused on its mission to serve the tutors and the students. This scrappiness and singular focus have not changed and are admirable. This speaks to the people in the organization, its culture and its priorities.
5) What aspect of the 20th anniversary gala on November 2nd are you most looking forward to? What should potential supporters know about the occasion?
This will be an especially interesting event because it’s our first-ever virtual one. I’m excited about that in the sense that hosting the event virtually broadens the opportunity for people to learn about and engage with READ and with the people impacted by READ. We’ve had terrific galas in the past with a packed room, and this is an opportunity for a broader set of people to better understand READ. One of the things that I always look forward to is hearing from the principals and hearing from the students who are intermingling. Looking forward to that aspect as well.
6) As you think about Read Alliance's future, what are you most looking forward to? What are your hopes for its 40th anniversary?
I’m most looking forward to READ’s ability to continue to grow and impact more and more teens and students and I have no doubt that it will, given the singular focus on the mission and the organization’s resourcefulness through many different environments to deliver on that mission.
On the 40th anniversary, I look forward to having former students of the program serving on the board, continuing to be a part of the organization and giving back. I look forward to a time when we will be serving 10,000 students and 10,000 teen leaders per year [approximately 10x where we are today].
7) What advice would you have for someone considering a volunteer leadership role with a non-profit organization?
I would put a priority on local impact and on passion for the mission. You want to feel that passion yourself, and you want to see that passion within the organization and its people.
Spotlight: Ariana Sadoughi, Associate Board Member
The READ: September Newsletter
The READ: August News and Updates
Board Spotlight: Adam Baxter
Read Alliance board member since July 2017
Managing Director, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets
How did you first connect with Read Alliance?
Macquarie Group is affiliated with the organization BoardLead, which partners with firms to place executives on not-for-profit boards with missions they feel aligned with. I had experience in Australia and Asia with similar programs that focused on improving literacy in youth, particularly those from high risk environments or where their language at home is not English. I was drawn to Read Alliance’s focus on giving a hand up rather than a hand out, as well as empowering teens to be more community-minded and provide meaningful employment in community initiatives.
Macquarie Group places a strong emphasis on giving back to our communities across all levels of seniority, not just through monetary donations but also utilizing our skill-sets to support and help develop community organizations.
Did you have a particular connection to literacy?
Growing up there was a strong emphasis on education, and reading in particular, in my home. It's also something I consider to be a key prerequisite in people advancing their position in life – without empowering youths with strong literacy skills and tools their path to real improvement faces meaningful challenges.
What clinched your decision to serve on Read Alliance’s board?
Read Alliance’s mission was not only something I felt strongly aligned with, it also had an excellent track record of executing on it – driving meaningful improvement in communities through real action and groundbreaking initiatives.
What has most excited you since joining the board?
Being able to meet both the students that we’re targeting with improved literacy programs as well as the tutors. In many cases, the tutors are far more impressive than I certainly was at their age. Seeing the trajectory of both these students and tutors is really exciting.
What has been an especially memorable experience?
At the annual gala, when the senior teen leaders were working the room and discussing the program with people. I would have found that incredibly imposing at their age but they embraced conversing with those far more experienced then themselves with aplomb.
What is it like serving on the Read Alliance board?
The board’s diversity is very impressive and something that I find incredibly valuable. There are those with financial and corporate backgrounds coming together with those who have spent their long, distinguished careers in education in order to assist READ to effectively execute its mission.
How does Read Alliance leverage board members’ expertise?
As a recent example, we dedicated significant time in addressing the impact of COVID-19 and assessing how READ would be able to stay on mission. This required contributions across financial, technological, educational and organizational skill-sets in a coordinated way to ensure we can continue to drive meaningful community improvement in these uncertain times.
What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
I’m looking forward to us being able to get back to face-to-face learning and engagement. I think the virtual literacy program has been wonderful, though the in-person context is important not just for literacy but also social development.
What advice would you have for other professionals considering volunteer leadership?
The most important thing is to just do it. Actions speak louder than words. There are any number of initiatives people can get involved in and it’s important to do something that presents as something you are aligned with rather than wait for a “perfect” opportunity or moment to emerge, and thus lose time and momentum through which you could be making a real difference.
READ Featured on the Evening News!
On Monday evening, PIX11 featured Read Alliance, highlighting the impact of its virtual summer program. Reporter Monica Morales spoke with the parent of a READ student, two teen leaders, three certified teachers, as well as READ Executive Director Danielle Guindo.
"There's nothing more important than teaching your child to read," Morales begins. "When the pandemic hit, a New York City program sprung into action, connecting more than 80 teenagers who needed jobs with kids who needed a little bit of help with their reading." Read Alliance has enrolled 112 children in its citywide program this summer and plans to be able to implement the virtual program model during the school year as well.
You can view the complete segment both by clicking the image above and here.
Virtual Summer Tutoring Program Featured Primetime
The READ: July News and Updates
Battling "COVID-19 Slide" with our Virtual Tutoring Program
In New York City, there will be no summer school for K, 1st and 2nd graders this year - creating a missed opportunity for preventing learning gaps from further widening. This is happening just as educators are striking the alarm especially for students of color who reside in low-income neighborhoods.
A recent New York Times article[1] warned the average student could fall seven months behind academically. Alarmingly, Black and Latinx students could experience even greater learning loss, equivalent to 10 months for Black students and nine months for Latinx students, according to an analysis from McKinsey & Company. The potential educational outcome for elementary school students is so dire that it has been coined the “Covid-19 slide.”
In response, Read Alliance (READ) launched a pilot virtual tutoring program this month, which will scale up to a summer program engaging more than 100 early education students this summer, and employing over 100 teens as one-to-one tutors.
And because teens have fewer options for employment this year than any year in recent history, READ’s dual model provides opportunities for teens to continue earning – while learning – throughout this crisis.
Over the past 20 years, Read Alliance has shown that this strategy is effective. More than 85% of READ’s young readers gain more than a grade level’s worth of reading ability over the course of just four months of programming.
With the national spotlight finally illuminating inequities that we have long worked to address, READ believes that solutions that promote potential and promise are key to moving toward a future where children from all backgrounds have equal opportunity to succeed.
[1] Goodstein, Dana. Research Shows Students Falling Months Behind During Virus Interruptions. The New York Times, June 5, 2020.
