Welcome to the National Literacy Coalition Conference and Annual Literacy Funders Network Symposium!

The National Literacy Coalition Conference is specially designed for coalition directors, board delegates, coalition members, and other local leaders, including those in government, schools, civic organizations, business, faith communities, and all others who participate in local literacy collaborations.

Your coalition’s national and local funders will also be gathering at the InterContinental Hotel Near the Galleria in Houston on November 2 and 3, 2011 for the Literacy Funders Network Annual Symposium. Valuable joint sessions, luncheon, and gala dinner will be enjoyed by all.

The coalition conference and funders symposium are designed around the five vital pillars of the Right to Literacy Declaration. To help you accomplish your goals, there is a network of over 120 literacy coalition partners that you have access to, a growing team of great experts, ready to provide mutual support. Additional national experts are being gathered to help you learn about and realize even greater performance impact. We want to thank you again since it is your work and dedication that are changing lives, communities, and the country. This conference is the opportunity to expand your horizons, learn new skills, and tap into an incredible network of literacy advocates!

Literacy Powerline and the Houston READ Commission look forward to bestowing a BIG Texas welcome on one and all!

Your Hosts,

Margaret Doughty and Sheri Foreman

Have a question? Couldn’t find the information you were looking for? We look forward to seeing you in Houston and are ready to provide the help you need to plan your trip and participate in the conference. Just send an e-mail or call and I will help you find the answer!

Kim Scott

315.857.6960

Time	Pillar	Session	Speakers	Location
Nov. 1st6:00-9:00pm		Registration
Nov. 2nd7:00-8:00am		Registration and Beverages		Discovery Center A & B Prefunction
8:00-10:00am	#1 Building Community	Opening Session: Power of CollaborationIntroduction of Right to Literacy Pillars and their infusion into our broad social environment.	Corinne Ribble, The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc.	Discovery Center A & B
10:00-10:15am		Break		Founders Ballroom Prefunction
10:15-11:45am	#1 Building Community	Developing Effective Partnerships with School DistrictsExpert dialogue on elevating school/community engagement to increase learning outcomes.	Terri Clark, Bring Me A BookDr. Ida Acuña-Garza, South Texas Literacy CoalitionDarlene Kostrub, Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition Kathleen Rinaldo, Madison County Literacy Coalition	Founders Ballroom I
	#1 Building Community	Building Civic and Service Organization PartnershipsConnect with service and civic leaders to maximize community awareness and leverage resources.	Peter Hahn, United Way WorldwideLeigh Forstman, Junior League of BirminghamKeith Lyons, Collaborative Center for Literacy Development/University of Kentucky	Founders Ballroom II
	#4 Improve Workforce	Meeting the Job ChallengeHow prepared are you to scale up workforce literacy activities in your community in this challenging jobs environment?	Gloria Mwase, Jobs for the FutureSheri Foreman, Houston READ CommissionJon Lamirault, Jewish Vocational Services of Los Angeles Greg Smith, Florida Literacy Coalition Becky Raymond, Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition	Founders Ballroom III
	#5 Transform System	Right to Literacy Campaign 2012Creative strategies to build partnerships to meet the volunteer challenge. Come pick up your kits and hear how you can be part of the national volunteer drive.	Margaret Doughty, Literacy PowerlineDavid Harvey, ProLiteracyRyan Sullivan, literacy advocate	Founders Ballroom IV
12:00-1:30pm	Coalitions and Funders Together	Community Collaboration -> Changing Lives LuncheonCampaign for Grade-Level Reading seeks to mobilize the nation to find and put in place solutions to making progress on grade-level reading by the end of third grade.	Keynote:Ralph Smith, The Annie E. Casey Foundation	Discovery Center A & B
1:45-3:15pm	#3 People’s Right	Equity Matters: Restoring the BalanceBuilding on leaders of the past, learn lessons for the future. The role of coalitions in addressing educational inequities. What concrete steps can we take to make change?	Vicki Clark, Literacy PowelineTom Sticht, literacy historianDavid Greene, The Newark Freedom School Stephen Bridgers, Literacy Council of West Alabama	Founders Ballroom I
	#2 Strengthen Family	Keys to Family Literacy Center SuccessInfuse community collaboration in family learning center models. Learn lessons from challenges and successes.	Brenda Logan and Bonnie Lash Freeman, National Center for Family Literacy	Founders Ballroom II
	#4 Improve Workforce	Power Tools for WorkWe all need a good toolkit! Ideas and strategies for your workforce literacy initiatives.	Dr. Ann Lopez, Literacy PowerlineStephen Kramer, Home Builders InstituteDebbie Johnson, Literacy Texas Michael Kheyfets, Aztec Learning Terrie Lipke, ProLiteracy	Founders Ballroom III
	#5 Transform System	Leader to Leader: Sharing Insights and SolutionsOpen space to cry and laugh and share your coalition challenges.	Dr. Ray Hart, Literacy Powerline	Founders Ballroom IV
3:15-3:30pm		Break		Founders Ballroom Prefunction
3:30-5:00pm	#1 Building Community	Telling a Great StoryUsing stories to support data to build awareness, raise community interest, and make the case for funding.	Dr. Bruce Berger, University of Alabama	Founders Ballroom I
	#2 Strengthen Family	Program & Resource IdeasExplore how to implement and fund successful national models at the local level and make community-wide impact.	Kim Scott, Literacy PowerlineDavid Dotson, Dollywood FoundationElaine Shiver, Parents as Teachers Rick Noriega, AVANCE Heather Ritchie, MCAEL Ombola Lana, The Literacy Cooperative	Founders Ballroom II
	#5 Transform System	Implementation and Scale Up of Effective PracticesJust good planning is not enough, implementation is the key to success. Close the gap between science and service by improving the science and practice of implementation in relation to evidence-based programs and practices.	Dr. Dean Fixsen, National Implementation Research Network	Founders Ballroom III
	#5 Transform System	Wise OwlsJoin an opportunity for new and emerging coalitions to share and learn from experienced coalition leaders.	Elyse Barbell, Literacy Assistance CenterDarlene Kostrub, Palm Beach County Literacy CoalitionJose Cruz, San Diego Literacy Council	Founders Ballroom lV
6:00-8:30pm	Coalitions and Funders Together	Transforming Communities -> Changing Lives Gala Dinner	Keynote:Tony Plana, literacy provider and star of Ugly Betty	Discovery Center A & B
Nov. 3rd8:00-10:15am	Coalitions and Funders Together#5 Transform System	Forum on Supporting System ChangeDiscover the challenges and explore the practical solutions for system turn-around to meet the vision of 100% literacy.	Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, Say Yes to EducationRalph Smith, The Annie E. Casey FoundationDr. Mary Henderson, J. Marion Sims Foundation Dr. Dean Fixsen, National Implementation Research Network	Discovery Center A & B
10:15-10:30am	Break			Discovery Center A & B Prefunction
10:30-11:30am	Coalitions and Funders Together#3 People’s Right	Equity + Education = ProsperityHow can we all play a part in transforming families, communities, and our nation?	Lisa Ranghelli, National Committee for Responsive PhilanthropyFederico Salas-Isnardi, TexasA&M University	Discovery Center A & B

Time	Pillar	Session	Speakers	Location
Nov. 2ndNoon – 1:30pm	Coalitions and Funders Together	Community Collaboration -> Changing Lives LuncheonCampaign for Grade-Level Reading seeks to mobilize the nation to find and put in place solutions to making progress on grade-level reading by the end of third grade.	Keynote:Ralph Smith, The Annie E. Casey Foundation	Discovery Center A & B
1:45-2:15pm	Funders Only	Literacy Funders Network Update & Discussion		Champions V
2:15-3:30pm	Funders Only#4 Improve Workforce	Developing Workforce PipelinesExplore foundations’ roles in developing career pathways for those with limited literacy skills. Develop strategies for Workforce Matters and Literacy Funders Network joint implementation.	Stephanie Powers, Council on FoundationsWhitney Smith, Joyce FoundationGloria Mwase, Jobs for the Future	Champions V
3:30 – 3:45pm	Break
3:45-5:00pm	Funders Only#1 Building Community	Tracking, Measuring, and Bringing to Scale Collaborative Community InitiativesUsing real-life cases, discuss with fellow funders’ the ‘how to’ of building/supporting sustainable coalitions.	John Eberle, Central New York Community FoundationBob Paponetti, The Literacy CooperativeDenine Torr The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Robert Wimpleberg Alliance for Kids	Champions V
6:00-8:30pm	Coalitions and Funders Together	Transforming Communities -> Changing Lives Gala Dinner	Keynote:Tony Plana, literacy provider and star of Ugly Betty	Discovery Center A & B
Nov. 3rd8:00-10:15am	Coalitions and Funders Together#5 Transform System	Forum on Supporting System ChangeDiscover the challenges and explore the practical solutions for system turn-around to meet the vision of 100% literacy.	Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, Say Yes to EducationRalph Smith, The Annie E. Casey FoundationDr. Mary Henderson, J. Marion Sims Foundation Dr. Dean Fixsen, National Implementation Research Network	Discovery Center A & B
10:15-10:30am	Break			Discovery Center A & B Prefunction
10:30-11:30	Coalitions and Funders Together#3 People’s Right	Equity + Education = ProsperityHow can we all play a part in transforming families, communities, and our nation?	Lisa Ranghelli, National Committee for Responsive PhilanthropyFederico Salas-Isnardi, Texas A&M University	Discovery Center A & B

Tony Plana

Many will recognize him from as the award-winning star of Ugly Betty and a director of stage and screen. But, did you know that Tony Plana is also a literacy provider? He is co-founder and executive artistic director of East L.A. Classic Theatre, a group comprised primarily of Hispanic American theater professionals. The East L.A. Classic Theatre is dedicated to serving the Latino community through educational outreach programs to primary and secondary schools and through bilingual productions of traditional and contemporary classics. Through the East L.A. Classic Theatre, Plana has developed a unique and innovative literacy program called Beyond Borders. Its designed to enable students to expand their educational horizons and academic achievements by moving beyond their personal, cultural and vocational borders.

Tony Plana earned a bachelor’s degree through the Honors Program in Literature and Theater Arts at Loyola-Marymount University, graduating magna cum laude. He received his professional training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

As an actor he has starred in more than 60 feature films, including JFK, Nixon, An Officer and a Gentleman, Three Amigos, Born in East L.A., The Rookie, and Picking Up the Pieces with Woody Allen. He recently appeared in the action thriller Half Past Dead with Steven Segal.

He has received two Nosotros Golden Eagle awards for outstanding work in film and television, as well as, five Los Angeles Dramalogue Awards for Theatre. In addition to his extensive involvement in the media arts, he also serves on various boards including the American Red Cross, the Mariachi Heritage Foundation, the East L.A. Community Youth Center, and the Young Musicians Foundation created by Henry Mancini.

Ralph Smith

Ralph Smith, executive vice president, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides day-to-day leadership and management of the Foundation. Previously, as senior vice president and director of planning and development, he helped design the Foundation’s comprehensive effort to help communities improve outcomes for children by strengthening families and neighborhoods. Ralph serves on the Boards of the Council on Foundations, the Foundation Center, Wachovia Regional Foundation, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, and Venture Philanthropy Partners.

A legal scholar and attorney, he was a member of the law faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and authored briefs in landmark cases before the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He served in senior leadership positions for the Philadelphia school district and as senior advisor to the mayor. He is the founding director for the National Center on Fathers and Families and the Philadelphia Children’s Network. Smith is an active participant in various councils and networks working to improve national and international philanthropy.

Bob Paponetti

Bob Paponetti currently serves as the Executive Director of The Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland. In this capacity, Mr. Paponetti works to improve the literacy levels of the residents of Cuyahoga County by integrating literacy into community initiatives, aligning literacy services with employer needs, and identifying best practices around standards of quality and accountability. Other initiatives include providing professional development and training opportunities to literacy instructors, piloting kindergarten readiness services, and raising the level of awareness and implications of low literacy.

Prior to joining The Literacy Cooperative, Mr. Paponetti served as the Vice President of Cuyahoga Community College’s Workforce and Economic Development Division and the Executive Director of the Workforce Solutions Division. In his capacity, he developed, implemented and directed a wide array of workforce preparation initiatives and training programs that supported regional economic growth. Mr. Paponetti incorporated innovative workplace literacy and contextualized learning components into the training curriculum that met the needs of the business community.

Bonnie Lash Freeman

Bonnie Lash Freeman is Senior Training Specialist for the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). In this capacity, she manages various projects and grants focused in the areas of family literacy program development, family involvement, trainer development, elementary and early childhood language and literacy development. Her expertise in program development includes NCFL’s Toyota Family Learning Program, the Head Start Family Literacy Project, the Parent-Child Interaction Project, the Prichard Committee Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, the Kentucky Reading Project and the Chase Building Readers Project. Bonnie presently serves as a Commissioner representing Kentucky on the Education Commission of the States. From 2004 to 2008, Bonnie served on the Kentucky Board of Education. Her leadership roles included Chair of the Curriculum and Assessment Committee and Vice Chair from 2006 to 2008.

Brenda Logan

In July of 1999, Ms. Logan accepted the position of Director of School Reform Initiatives for the National Center for Family Literacy. She directed the development of the Toyota Families in Schools program which focused on at-risk school-age children and their parents and she has worked directly with some 35 school districts and over 100 elementary schools across the country. She later led a follow-up initiative that focused on immigrant children and their parents which was named the Toyota Family Literacy Program. She led product development of materials that focused on elementary-aged children and their parents – products that have been used extensively across the country. The 100 elementary schools became learning labs to test specific literacy interventions so that NCFL could produce quality materials that directly addressed needs of the community. Ms. Logan stays connected to some 35-40 school districts as she oversees a continuing partnership initiative that brings school district staff together yearly for professional development and a time to share information about family literacy and other information.

Ms. Logan earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisville.

Bruce K. Berger, Ph.D.

Bruce K. Berger, Ph.D., is Reese Phifer Professor of Advertising & Public Relations in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. He also serves as a board member of The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations in the College. Berger is a member of the board of directors of the Literacy Council of West Alabama and vice president of its marketing and communications committee. He also is the faculty advisor to Literacy is the Edge, a student advocacy group he created at the University in 2008.

Berger earned his Ph.D. in Communication in 1999 at the University of Kentucky, where he also taught courses in public relations and organizational communications. He has received a number of teaching awards, including: an Excellence in Teaching Award (1997) at Kentucky; an Educator of the Year Award (2006) from the Public Relations Society of America; the Knox Hagood Faculty Award (2006) at UA; and the College’s Board of Visitors Teaching Excellence Award (2008).

Prior to entering academia, Berger was a PR professional and executive for 20 years. From 1975-1989 he worked at the (then) Upjohn Company, a pharmaceutical research and manufacturing company. His assignments included serving as manager of Public Affairs, based in Brussels, Belgium, and subsequently as director of Worldwide Human Health Public Relations. He worked on public relations programs in 30 countries. In 1989 Berger became corporate VP of Corporate Affairs for Whirlpool Corporation, and president of the Whirlpool Foundation. He was responsible for developing and implementing the company’s first global PR strategic plan.

 

Corinne Ribble

Corinne is president of the Literacy Funders Network. The Network’s mission is to increase the philanthropic community’s knowledge and understanding of literacy as a systemic issue and a tool for community change. As Director of Philanthropy at The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc., Corinne leads all aspects of grant-making; guiding community engagement initiatives; developing and stewarding relationships with donors to maximize their philanthropic partnership with The Foundation; leading the marketing team to design and implement communication strategies and materials; and assisting in the development and implementation of The Foundation’s strategic plan.

Corinne completed her undergraduate work at Colgate University and earned her Masters in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She has been a speaker and presenter on numerous occasions.

Darlene Kostrub

Darlene Kostrub is the Chief Executive Officer of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, Florida. The mission of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is to improve the quality of life in our community by promoting and achieving literacy. The goal is to ensure that every child and every adult in Palm Beach County becomes A READER.

She serves as Vice President of the Florida Literacy Coalition and is a graduate of Stetson University and Leadership Palm Beach County and is a recent Athena Award Finalist. Her agency has grown from one employee to a staff of 49 and 40 AmeriCorps members.  The Coalition has nine direct service programs in addition to overall Coalition responsibilities.

David Dotson

David Dotson serves as the president of The Dollywood Foundation of USA, Canada and UK. He oversees the international replication and continued expansion of Dolly’s Imagination Library. His responsibilities include planning, administration, public relations, and providing general support to Dolly Parton Productions.

The Imagination Library now works with local communities in the United States and Canada to provide books to 560,000 children per month – over 30 million books have now been mailed to children ages birth to 5 years of age.

Prior to joining The Dollywood Foundation, David served as Executive Director of Associated Catholic Charities of East Tennessee for 13 years. He led the organization as they provided emergency and respite shelter to children and adults, housing, a thrift store, counseling services, adoption services, and refugee resettlement services in the eastern part of Tennessee.

David also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Public School Forum for East Tennessee. He received his Masters in Social Work from University of Georgia.

David Greene

David Greene is a retired New York City adult education teacher. He worked for forty years in adult education and community organizing efforts in West Virginia, New York and Ohio. He co-founded and taught in the Southern Appalachian Labor School in the coal fields of West Virginia, the Paulo Freire Institute in New York and is currently leading the Newark Freedom School in Ohio. He authored articles including, “Against the Tide: The Role of Adult Student Voice, Leadership and Organization in Social Transformation” and “Gatekeepers, the Role of Adult Education Practitioners and Programs in Social Control.” David has traveled to Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico to study literacy campaigns and popular education and has worked closely with the Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee. He is currently completing work on a book about the fight for literacy and education for social change.

David C. Harvey

David C. Harvey is president and CEO of ProLiteracy, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the cause of adult literacy and basic education programs in the United States.

David has led efforts to strategically reposition the organization with a focus on innovation, expanding its public policy work and advocacy presence in Washington, D.C., and fostering new foundation, corporate, and federal funding partnerships. Other key initiatives include diversifying ProLiteracy’s staff and board of directors, increasing branding and marketing efforts, and relocating its headquarters to Syracuse’s Near West Side neighborhood–one of the poorest census tracts in the United States.

Harvey has a long history of working on behalf of vulnerable populations and disenfranchised communities. Before joining ProLiteracy in September 2007, he was founding executive director of AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, a national training, research, and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.

Harvey holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Clark University and a master of social work from the National Catholic School of Social Service, Catholic University of America.

Dean Fixsen, Ph.D.

Dean L. Fixsen, Ph.D. is co-director of the National Implementation Research Network and of the State Implementation and Scaling up Evidence-based Practices Center. He has spent his career developing and implementing evidence-based programs, initiating and managing change processes, and working with others to improve the lives of children, families, and adults. In addition to co-authoring over 100 publications, he has advised federal, state, and local governments. Dean is a Senior Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Dean began his career in human services in 1963 as a Psychiatric Aide in a large state hospital for children with profound developmental delays. Dean combined this work with education and received his doctorate in Experimental Psychology from the University of Kansas in 1970. Beginning in 1969 he served as Co-Director of the Achievement Place Research Project during the years of intense research on the treatment components of the Teaching-Family Model. In 1975, Dean was one of five Teaching-Family researchers who moved to Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home to transition that large organization from institutional care to family-based care for boys and girls. In 1979, Dean, Karen Blase, and others began developing and evaluating a system to replicate and implement the Teaching-Family Model nationally. In 1986, Dean and his colleagues helped to establish and test adaptations and extensions of the Teaching-Family Model in home-based treatment settings and treatment foster care settings in Alberta, Canada and developed self-help Family Resource Centers in neighborhoods in Calgary.

In 1995, Dean began to focus on the critical dimensions associated with national implementation of a variety of evidence-based programs. This work has led to a major review of the implementation evaluation literature, reviews of successful implementation practices, and the development of a network of program purveyors, implementation sites, family and cultural experts, state and federal policy makers, and researchers.

Denine Torr

Denine Torr joined Dollar General’s community initiatives team in the fall of 1999. As director of the Community Initiatives division, she oversees corporate and foundation giving, employee volunteer engagement efforts and assists with the development of cause related partnerships for Dollar General’s thirty-eight state market.

Since 1999, Mrs. Torr has designed and executed funding initiatives for Dollar General that have raised more than $63 million for charity.

Mrs. Torr received her Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Communications from Middle Tennessee State University in 1993 and a certificate in Corporate Citizenship from Boston College in 2002. Prior to Dollar General, Mrs. Torr’s experience includes network television production, free-lance writing and public relations.

Mrs. Torr’s community engagement includes serving as a director on the boards of the YWCA and the Pencil Foundation, and as president of the Goodlettsville Chamber of Commerce. She is also the co-chair for the Mayor’s Adult Literacy Advisory Council in Nashville, Tennessee.

Elaine Shiver

Elaine Shiver is Program Director of the Texas Parents as Teachers Program, an international educational program for parents of children ages prenatal to five. Sponsored by the Mental Health America of Texas and provided through various school districts, and community organizations throughout the state, Parents as Teachers has received strong support from foundations, corporations and other community organizations.

Ms. Shiver has been an advocate for children’s services as staff member and volunteer for more than thirty years. She has a Master of Science Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington with an emphasis in Administration and Planning. She was previously with the Department of Human Services in Protective Services to Children and has served twenty two years in her current position.

Federico Salas-Isnardi

Federico is the adult literacy specialist at the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M University, where he is also pursuing a PhD in Adult Education. He has been in the field of adult ESL and adult education for 24 years and has extensive experience as an administrator at the local and state levels and as a professional developer particularly in the areas of social justice, diversity, leadership in education, literacy development, and skills for the 21st century. Recently, Federico co-authored an adult ESL textbook series Future: English for Results and a companion textbook Future US Citizens. Between 2005 and 2010, he was a consultant to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office, serving on the task force that redesigned the USCIS Citizenship test. Currently, he is chair-elect of the Association for Adult Literacy Professional Developers.

Gail Purvis

For fifteen years, E. Gail Purvis has held the position of Executive Director of The Trull Foundation, in Palacios, Texas. She feels privileged to represent a foundation that gives 80% of its grants in Texas and 20% throughout the United States and internationally. The Trull board has a focus on supporting projects in rural communities with approximately 25% of total grants given to literacy projects.

Prior to entering a career in philanthropy, Gail spent 18 years in public education. As executive director, she helped organize the Gulf Coast Funders Collaborative, encouraging a partnership of area foundations. She just entered her tenth year serving as Chairman of the Board for the local Palacios Rural Critical Access Hospital. In 2011, the Palacios Chamber of Commerce honored her as Woman of the Year recognizing her work with the hospital.

Gloria Moritz

Gloria Moritz is President of the Board for Literacy Texas, the statewide literacy coalition for Texas. She guides their efforts to connect and equip literacy programs through resources, training, networking and advocacy, and to build capacity for community-based organizations providing literacy services. Ms. Moritz is retired from El Paso Corporation where she managed the company’s philanthropy and community outreach programs. She has served on local, state, and national boards that address issues of literacy, K-12 education, and child abuse. A native Houstonian, who understands the worth of volunteers, she has worked to identify ways to break the cycle of established social ills through supporting community endeavors that are correcting the basic elements causing poverty and family discord. One solution to helping adult learners find better paying jobs is WorkReady! training for instructors. The WorkReady! project is funded by Verizon so Literacy Texas can share tools with literacy providers to strengthen workforce readiness skills for the traditionally underserved group of adult learners.

Gloria Mwase, Ph.D.

Gloria Mwase is a Program Director for Jobs for the Future. Gloria Mwase’s work centers on helping low-skilled adults advance to family-sustaining careers, while enabling employers to build and sustain a productive workforce. Her projects include Breaking Through, enabling adults with less-than-8th-grade skills to prepare for and succeed in community college technical programs. She also leads the capacity-building and peer-learning efforts of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, which supports local funding collaboratives investing in workforce partnerships that recruit, train, place, retain, and advance new and incumbent workers in key industry sectors.

Dr. Mwase brings a decade of experience managing projects in the nonprofit sector. Her publications include studies that explore the role of community-based organizations in employment training and economic development, as well as an analysis of state policies affecting remedial instruction for adults.

Dr. Mwase has taught at Cambridge College and the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She earned a B.A. in economics from Tougaloo College and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Heather Ritchie

Heather Ritchie is Program Manager at Montgomery County Coalition for Adult English Literacy. An international education specialist and ESOL teacher, Heather has taught ESOL, locally and abroad, to students of all ages from around the world. She has held positions as Director of Evening Programs for an ESL school (Maryland), Activities Coordinator for ESL students (Virginia), ESL trainer for new teachers (Prague) and ESL teacher (DC metro area/Czech Republic). She has taught students of all ages from around the world in a variety of subjects including conversation, writing, pronunciation, American History, TOEFL, and for the Cambridge Tests (KEY/PET).

Previous to Heather’s work in ESOL education, she worked in a variety of program management, communications and business development positions. Heather has two degrees from Virginia Tech, one in Communications and the other in Theatre Arts, and holds a Master’s in International Training and Education from American University.

Dr. Ida H. Acuña-Garza

Dr. Ida H. Acuña-Garza is Executive Director for the South Texas Literacy Coalition. She has been involved in community outreach for over 40 years – as a former County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, director of research for a parent outreach program designed to help parents involve themselves in their children’s education and high school graduation, private consultant in nutrition science and education, and general outreach training in working with a variety of audiences, and leadership development. She also served as a part-time lecturer in the College of Education Counselor Education program at the University of Texas – Pan American.

Dr. Acuña-Garza is a community volunteer as a library board member, service club president, and is active in her church. She received her doctorate in Adult Education from Texas A&M University in College Station, a master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Texas – Pan American, and a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics – Foods and Nutrition from Texas A&I University in Kingsville.

James McCrary

James McCrary joined the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham in 2008 and became Vice President Grants & Evaluation in 2011. His previous work in the nonprofit community included the Alabama Kidney Foundation and the predecessor to the Alabama Association of Nonprofits.

He has a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an M.B.A. from University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has served on the boards of Hand-In-Paw and the local chapter of the American Society of Training and Development and currently serves on the board of Promise Homes, which provides provides quality family-style housing for adults with developmental disabilities.

John G. Eberle

John Eberle is Vice President for Grants and Community Initiatives at the Central New York Community Foundation. In that role he oversees all grantmaking, convening and community initiatives for the Foundation and the new CNY Philanthropy Center. He’s been with the Community Foundation since November 2006. As the founding Chair of the Managing Partners for the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, John has had a bird’s eye view of all aspects of coalition development. John currently serves on the Literacy Coalition’s Executive Team providing governance support to the Executive Director and many teams devoted to systemic change and community transformation through literacy.

Prior to coming to the foundation, John worked for 14 years with Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse NY, one of the largest and oldest missions in the country. During his tenure there he served in multiple executive leadership positions. John holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. His emphasis of study was nonprofit leadership and management. He also earned a certificate of advanced study in conflict resolution while at the Maxwell School. John received his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Columbia International University.

Jose Cruz

Jose Cruz is the chief executive officer for the San Diego Council on Literacy, a model urban literacy coalition. He has 26 years of experience in the literacy field and is known in the national literacy network for his leadership in organizing collaborative efforts for literacy.

Jose is the recipient of the 2003 San Diego Union-Tribune, “Educator of the Year” award, and has served as president of the National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions and the San Diego Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. He is a two-time recipient of the International Reading Association’s “Celebrate Literacy Award,” and, in 2007, was recognized by KPBS and Union Bank as a Hispanic Heritage Month “Local Hero,” in the Education category.

Jose is a native San Diegan, a graduate of the University of Southern California, and a product of the San Diego Community College District.

Kathleen Rinaldo

Kathleen Rinaldo has been working in the area of adult and continuing education for over 20 years. Her work has included developing vocational training programs, customized training for industry, and oversight of adult and out-of-school literacy programs. She is employed by Madison-Oneida Board of Cooperatives Services (BOCES), which is an organization that provides comprehensive menu of educational programs, student support services and central office services to nine component school districts in central New York State. As the Director of Adult and Continuing Education she currently oversees programs that are offered to the residents of two BOCES – a total of 22 component school districts.

Most recently, Kathleen has helped form and shape two literacy coalitions, one in a rural setting – Madison County and one in an urban setting – the Greater Utica area in Oneida County. She has discovered the power of partnerships through her affiliation with these coalitions and is pleased to share her experiences in building community.

While Kathleen’s undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural Design (Rhode Island School of Design), she found her niche in Adult Education later in her career, as so many people do. She received her Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College in 2009.

Keith Lyons

Keith Lyons is the Marketing, Communications, and Promotions Coordinator for the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development (CCLD). He has been a part of CCLD for almost nine years, supporting its mission and goals as the ambassador for the center bridging various entities for the common focus of literacy. With a Special Education background in math and English, he served students for a few years before returning to the private sector in operations and marketing. Keith has served on a number of community, humanitarian, and professional organization boards, including his current role as Membership Coordinator for the Kentucky Reading Association.

 

Leigh King Forstman

Leigh King Forstman is President of the Junior League of Birmingham, Alabama, the fourth largest Junior League internationally with nearly 2,600 members. Ms. Forstman was recently selected for the 2011 Inaugural Edition of the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers in the field of Civil Trial Practice based on the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. She is a partner with the firm of Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, P.C. Ms. Forstman obtained her B.A. from Auburn University in Pre-Law and Russian and her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. Ms. Forstman lectures and publishes nationally and regionally on a variety of topics related to her roles as an attorney and a champion of nonprofits.

Lennox McLendon

Lennox McLendon has over thirty years experience in adult education and literacy. He began as a part-time teacher and over the years has taught ABE, GED, Adult High School, and ESL. For six years he was a local adult education program manager.

After his years at the local level, he spent a little over ten years with the Virginia Department of Education as a regional consultant for 30 local adult education and programs. The next twelve years he was state director of adult education in Virginia.

His professional contributions during that time included chair of the National Coalition for Literacy, leadership roles with the National Council of State Directors, and advisory roles with partners such as the American Bar Association’s Law and Literacy Initiative.

Currently, he is the Executive Director of the National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium. In that role he has two functions: first, to respond to the adult education information needs of Congress and White House staff members; secondly, to facilitate professional development activities for the state directors of adult education and their staff members.

Lisa Ranghelli

Lisa Ranghelli brings nearly twenty years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors to her work at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. Lisa serves as the Director of the Grantmaking for Community Impact Project. Most recently, Lisa was a consultant to foundations and social justice organizations and a grant writer. She developed new programs to foster community organizing and documented and evaluated social and economic change strategies.

Lisa’s recent work involved quantifying community organizing successes, evaluating a national community-based voter engagement initiative, and analyzing community-labor collaborations.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Lisa was Deputy Director of Public Policy at the Center for Community Change. She helped grassroots organizations successfully mobilize to affect federal and state policy on issues ranging from public housing reform to transportation to workforce development.

Lisa has a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Cornell University. Her thesis research explored casinos as an economic development strategy on Indian reservations.

Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey

Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey is President of Say Yes to Education, Inc. (Say Yes), a national non-profit foundation committed to changing the lives of inner-city youth through the promise of post-secondary education and the delivery of comprehensive support services. Ms. Schmitt-Carey joined Say Yes from New American Schools (NAS) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in Washington, DC. For six years she served as President and CEO of NAS (which was recently merged with AIR). Ms. Schmitt-Carey provided leadership to NAS, enabling the nonprofit organization to grow from a pilot initiative to the model for a national school improvement program called Comprehensive School Reform. Prior to joining NAS, she worked for the U.S. Department of Education as Director of the Goals 2000 Community Project, where she created and managed a support network for local communities seeking to improve education.

Ms. Schmitt-Carey earned her MBA degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Albany, earning a BA degree in Political Science and English.

Mary Henderson, Ph.D.

Dr. Mary Henderson, Program Officer for Special Initiatives, joined the J. Marion Sims Foundation staff in October 2001. Prior to joining the Foundation, she spent 27 years in the North Carolina public school system, serving as Director of Federal Programs for the Lincoln County (NC) School District, as an educational consultant for the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction, and as a counselor with the Monroe (NC) public schools.

As Program Officer for Special Initiatives, Dr. Henderson coordinates all aspects of the Foundation’s special grant making initiatives, including evaluation and recommendation of proposals, management of active grants, technical assistance and other activities.

A Lancaster native, Dr. Henderson is a graduate of Winthrop College, from which she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Counseling. She also holds an EdS in Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Michael Kheyfets

With over 15 years of experience in the technology industry, Michael Kheyfets brings a wealth of leadership and entrepreneurial expertise to the Aztec Software management team. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations, as well as developing and implementing an enterprise-wide strategic information technology plan. A high energy, fiscally-conscious, and goal-driven executive, Michael approaches each new business challenge with his tenacity for innovation, creative problem-solving, and measured risk-taking to drive consistent bottom-line improvements and shareholder returns.

Before joining Aztec Software, Michael was president of Digeratis.Net LLC, a New Jersey based consulting firm, which provided technology solutions to small and medium sized businesses. He has held other technological leadership positions with hi-tech companies, such as with Computer Sciences Corp, one of the world’s largest IT consulting firms, Carrier Corporation a United Technologies Company, as well as a period with the U.S. government with Defense Contract Management.

Omobola Lana

Omobola Lana is program director with The Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland where she oversees the agency’s capacity building programs. Prior to joining The Literacy Cooperative, Omobola worked with Battelle’s NASA Glenn Garrett Morgan Commercialization Initiative, where she helped small businesses evaluate technologies and develop business solutions using NASA resources. She also spent four years as a program officer with Development Alternatives and Resource Center, an organizational capacity building nonprofit in Nigeria, where she managed grant programs for The Ford Foundation and provided consulting services on nonprofit board and program development. Omobola has extensive experience providing capacity building assistance to social and business enterprises.

Omobola has participated and volunteered with national and international learning organizations such as the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, School-to-School International, BoardSource, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She holds an MBA and a certificate in nonprofit management from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Obafemi Awolowo University in Osun State, Nigeria.

Peter Hahn

As Vice President of National Engagement at United Way Worldwide, Peter Hahn is responsible for United Way’s national issue campaigns. He is currently working with a group of 75 local United Ways and national partners on a campaign to cut the high school drop-out rate. As a part of this effort, United Way recently launched a call for one new million volunteer readers, tutors and mentors. Previously, Peter was United Way’s global creative director. During that time, he led efforts to update and improve United Way’s brand identity and brand architecture systems and launched the highly- successful LIVE UNITED campaign in the United States and Latin America.

Peter came to United Way from Capitol Resources, a Washington political and media consulting firm. He holds B.S. and M.B.A. degrees from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. He is a board member and volunteer reading tutor with For Love of Children (FLOC) in Washington, DC and an adjunct professor at the George Mason University School of Management.

Richard J. Noriega

Rick Noriega is President and Chief Executive Officer of the national non-profit organization, AVANCE, Inc. This community-based organization focuses on offering early childhood education, parenting and comprehensive family services to predominantly Hispanic families. Under his leadership, AVANCE has grown significantly which landed the organization on Hispanic Business Magazine’s Top Ten non-profits for 2011.

Noriega’s career includes distinguished service in the Army, as a public servant and in business. He was Manager of Economic Development at CenterPoint Energy, Inc. in Houston for fifteen years, during which time he also was elected to five terms in the Texas House of Representatives. His most notable accomplishment was the authorship of the Texas Dream Act, which benefits thousands of Texas college students. In 2007, Noriega was elected the Texas Democratic Nominee for the U. S. Senate. He worked as the Vice President of Neighborhood Centers Inc. where he managed the newly formed disaster case management program as well as six community centers and their programs. Most recently Noriega completed his term as a White House appointee to the Military Leadership Diversity Commission.

Noriega has proudly served in the National Guard and Army Reserves since 1980. He served in Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, as commander of the Kabul Military Training Center for Afghan forces. Noriega also served as Laredo Sector Commander during Operation Jumpstart working with U.S. Border Patrol. He later commanded the 1-141 Infantry Battalion (First Texas, the Alamo Regiment), 36th Infantry Division. Currently Colonel Noriega is the Brigade Commander for the 71st Theatre Information Operations Group.

Noriega is a Houston native with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He earned a certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the Bush School of Government at Texas A & M University. Noriega recently completed his U.S. Army War College Fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin.

Robert Wimpelberg, Ph. D.

Robert Wimpelberg is a Professor at University of Houston’s College of Education and Executive Director of All Kids Alliance. After graduating from Yale University in 1968, Dr. Wimpelberg taught the Russian language to middle school students for seven years in suburban St. Louis. During those years, Dr. Wimpelberg became involved in middle school reform, affective education, and teachers’ union work.

His classroom and school district experiences seeded his eventual interest in two primary areas of research- the role of school principals and central office administrators in improving schools as student oriented learning communities, and the political nature of American public education. Dr. Wimpelberg’s research on these subjects is published in several book chapters and in journals.

Upon coming to Houston, Dr. Wimpelberg was appointed to the Education and Work Force Advisory Committee of the Greater Houston Partnership. In 2002, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Texas Business and Education Coalition. Always a proponent of the “partnership” approach to effecting change, Dr. Wimpelberg is leading All Kids Alliance which is “the hub” for a network of Regional Councils building civic infrastructure to support children and youth in an eight-county area of greater Houston. The Alliance is led by an influential Executive Committee representing multiple sectors of shareholders.

Sheri Suarez Foreman

Ms. Sheri Suarez Foreman began her career with the Houston READ Commission in 2007 as Chief Operating Officer and was named Executive Director in September 2009. Ms. Foreman is an advocate for education and literacy, nationally and in Houston, serving on the Houston Community College Steering Committee for Adult Education, the planning committees for the National Literacy Coalition Conference, the Annual Literacy Funders Symposium, and the United States Conference on Adult Literacy in Houston, 2011. Ms. Foreman also is active on the West Houston P-16 Council, The Greater Houston Partnership Education Committee, and The Center for Houston’s Future Education Data Group, TCALL Volunteer Training Initiative Advisory Board, Houston Community College Adult Education Steering Committee, and Texas Connects Advisory Board.

Foreman owned and operated her own business and directed non-profit and community agencies in both California and Colorado, giving her extensive operational and leadership experience. Foreman also has experience in adult education at the college level in both teaching and training. A native Houstonian, she attended Texas A&M for both her undergraduate and graduate work and completed her MBA in 2009.

Stephanie Powers

Stephanie Powers is Managing Director for the Council on Foundations’ Public-Philanthropic Partnership Initiative. Ms. Powers came to the Council on Foundations with an extensive background in employment and training programs and policy at the national, state, and local levels. Prior to joining the Council in September of 2007, she provided executive leadership for two national associations, the National Apartment Association’s Education Institute (NAAEI) and the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) during the period 2002– 2007. She was the Clinton Administration’s Director of the National School to Work Office in the US Departments of Labor and Education from 1998 – 2001, and prior to that held positions in the Employment and Training Administration (US Department of Labor) from 1993-1998 as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary and Director of Communications and Public Information.

Ms. Powers came to Washington in 1993 from New Hampshire where she spent her career there in human services, educational, and workforce development programs. In the late 80’s, she managed statewide federal demonstration projects at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, specifically school to work transition for students with disabilities and special education reform projects in partnership with the NH State Department of Education and many New Hampshire public schools.

She is a 1971 graduate of Seton Hill College (now University) in Greensburg, PA, and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna in 2001.

Stephen C. Bridgers, J.D.

Mr. Stephen C. Bridgers is the Executive Director of the Literacy Council of West Alabama and their first official staff member. Prior to joining the Council, Bridgers served as an associate at Phelps, Jenkins, Gibson & Fowler Law Firm in Tuscaloosa, Ala. where he focused on tax exempt bonds, state and federal tax issues, estate planning and general corporate cases. In this position, Bridgers assisted as bond counsel and also represented clients in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and the Alabama Department of Revenue.

In addition to Bridgers’ financial background, he has related community service experience with obtaining grants, exploring funding opportunities and assisting low-income families with filing their taxes—an ideal background for building a strong foundation for the Council.

Bridgers received his LLM in Taxation from Northwestern University School of Law and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law. He obtained his B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on economics from Auburn University in 2004.

Steve Kramer

Steve Kramer serves as Vice President of the Home Builders Institute (HBI) Residential Construction Academy (RCA). Kramer joined HBI in 2002 and helped establish the HBI Residential Construction Academy with a goal of bridging the skills gap in the industry. In his role, Kramer develops educational programs and materials designed to ensure that the residential construction workforce is skilled, knowledgeable and able to meet the current and future needs of National Association of Homebuilders members.

Kramer helped to develop Sed de Saber – Construction Edition, an innovative English as a second language (ESL) program that provides multi-sensory English language learning for Spanish-speaking adults. Previous to working for HBI, Kramer spent 15-years as a public relations senior consultant for corporate and trade association clients where he provided counsel and helped to develop an array of issues management and public education campaigns.

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Kramer graduated from American University in Washington, DC with a degree in Public Communications and Sociology. Kramer currently serves as a board member for the HBI Green University, a developing online portal for construction and green/weatherization training.

Terri Clark

With fifteen years of nonprofit and for profit leadership, Terri Clark joined Bring Me A Book in April 2010 as Executive Director. Since 2005, Terri served as the Executive Director of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation, where she led the Foundation to new levels of success through expanding and improving existing programs and forging significant new partnerships with Google, YouTube, PBS and mtvU. Terri also served as the Executive Director of the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles and Regional Program Director of Pen Center USA West.

Before beginning her career in the nonprofit sector, Terri was Senior Vice President of Development for Trilogy Entertainment where she managed more than fifty feature film and television projects at Columbia, Disney, FOX, MGM/USA, Sony, Paramount and Warner Brothers.

Terrie Lipke

Terrie Lipke is the Editorial Director for ProLiteracy/New Readers Press. She has been with ProLiteracy since 1997. During her fourteen years in the Editorial Department, Terrie has helped to develop products for adult basic literacy, English as a second language, math, and workplace education.

Terrie has a bachelor’s degree in English from Syracuse University and has completed coursework in SU’s graduate Instructional Design, Development & Evaluation department. She began her editorial career as a technical editor for General Electric coordinating the production of training materials for the US Navy.

 

Dr. Thomas G. Sticht

Dr. Thomas G. Sticht is an International Consultant in Adult Education. From 1983 to 1999 he was President and Senior Scientist at the Applied Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences, Inc. He has served as Associate Director of the National Institute of Education; Visiting Associate Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Research Professor of Industrial Psychology at the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School; and Noted Scholar at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C.

His research and development efforts have focused on the application of cognitive science, communications technology, and computer technology to the literacy, education, and training needs of under-served youth and adults. The results of this work are reported in over 170 reports, articles, and books including Cast-off Youth: Policy and Training methods from the Military Experience (Praeger) which formulated the Functional Context Education approach to adult technical and literacy education used by the armed services and the U. S. Department of Education’s National Workplace Literacy Program.

The International Reading Association awarded Dr. Sticht the Albert J. Harris Award for outstanding research on the assessment of learning disabilities of adults. He was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame and awarded UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Medal for 25 years of voluntary service in adult literacy education.

He has served on the National Governor’s Association’s Advisory Group for Achieving National Education Goal 6 (adult literacy); the National Commission on Working Women; the Secretary of Labor’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills; the National Commission on Testing and Public Policy; the San Diego Consortium for Workforce Education and Lifelong Learning; and the California Workforce Literacy Task Force established by the California State Legislature.

Dr. Sticht received his Ph. D. degree from the University of Arizona.

	Registrant	Guest
Early Bird Special: July 1 – Sept 9	$125	-
Regular: Sept 10 – Nov 1	$150	-
On Site: Nov 2	$175	-
One Day	$75	-
Luncheon, Wednesday, Nov. 2nd	FREE	$15
Special Event Dinner & Evening, Nov. 2nd	FREE	$35

 

The registration process uses PayPal to keep your financial data secure. You can pay by credit card or use your PayPal account or pay by check. If you use a credit card, use the PayPal guest option to enter your payment information. You will receive confirmation of your registration upon completion.

To pay by check:

Make check payable to Literacy Powerline and provide name, organization/coalition, and email address of attendee(s). Mail check to Literacy Powerline c/o Kim Scott 2398 Markland Rd., LaFayette, NY 13084.

Guest Tickets

Hotel Information and Registration

InterContinental Houston Near the Galleria offers upscale accommodations in a prime location. We are in the heart of Uptown Houston, just one block from world-class shopping, dining and entertainment at The Galleria. Our four-diamond hotel is just minutes from Downtown, the Texas Medical Centre and Reliant Stadium. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, InterContinental Houston near the Galleria is the best choice for your stay.

Please ask for the special conference rate of $140/night (which includes internet) by requesting rooms for the ‘National Literacy Coalition and Literacy Funders Network Conference’.

Please note that the block code for the National Literacy Coalition and Literacy Funders Conference is “QJH”.

The rate is available for 3 days before and after the conference if you’d like to do a bit of sightseeing. The special conference rate expires October 15. Please make your reservations well in advance to ensure a room from our reserved block.

Register at Hotel

Check In/Out

• Check-In Time 3:00 PM
• Check-Out Time 12:00 PM
• Late Check-Out Available

Travel & Parking

William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)

Distance 16 miles southeast to Hotel

Shuttle Charge (one way): $24.00

Take Interstate 45 North to 610 Loop West, continuing to 610 Loop North. Exit at San Felipe. U-turn at the light and the hotel is located between San Felipe and Westheimer Road.

Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

Distance 26 miles southwest to Hotel

Shuttle Charge (one way):$27.00

Taxi Charge (one way): $55.00

Time by taxi: 30 – 45 minutes

From Interstates 45 or 59, exit 610 West and continue to 610 South. Exit San Felipe. Hotel is on right after crossing San Felipe and before Westheimer Road.

Train

AmTrak Houston – Downtown

Distance 9.0 miles to Hotel. Head south on West Loop S and take the ramp onto I-610 N. Take exit 11 and merge onto I-10 E toward Downtown. Take exit 769A for Smith St. Turn right at Franklins St. Turn right at Elder St and right onto Washington Ave.

Parking

• Parking Available/539 Spaces
• Daily Self Parking Fee: $16.00
• Valet Parking is available at $27
• Controlled Access Gates to Parking
• Parking Area Equipped with Lights

What to Wear

During the day, business casual is appropriate. Don’t forget to bring a sweater, shawl or jacket as workshop/plenary sessions room temperatures fluctuate and are difficult to set to please all.

Weather

Normal daily temperature are:

October: Max. 82°F; Min. 57°F

November: Max. 72°F; Min. 50°F

Dining

Excellent restaurants abound in Houston! See these great links for local suggestions.

Dining Guide

Houston.com

Downtown Houston Restaurants

Luncheon

Literacy Funders Network will showcase their member, the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Highlighted will be Annie E. Casey’s The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

Special Event Dinner & Evening

We will join the Houston READ Commission, one of the oldest literacy coalitions in the country. Remember to wear your Conference name badge, which will gain you entrance to the event.

An exciting event is in store for you. Surely an evening you don’t want to miss.

Video Contest

Have a Community Changing Idea to spread the word about literacy? Literacy Powerline and the Literacy Funders Network are in search of literacy visionaries looking to build a better future. For a chance to be viewed by your colleagues and published on our website, record a 2-6 minute video of your community changing idea.

Literacy Powerline is pleased to announce the Community Changing Ideas Video contest, in partnership with Literacy Funders Network. The contest is open to video entries about innovative ways to build a more literate community. The ideas represent a simple yet powerful vision of a better future. Some ideas may be in use now; others maybe emerging from the “lab”.

There are two categories to enter and win!

1. Literacy Programs
2. Literacy Awareness

Literacy Programs allows you to feature one of your community’s best offerings. We are looking to show new and original concepts that make an impact on school readiness, reading on grade level, graduation, or work readiness.

Literacy Awareness is how your community gets the message out. How do you inspire, motivate, recruit, or educate your community?

Video Submissions

Show and explain your community changing idea in 2 to 6 minutes in an original video, and submit it as a response to the video “Literacy Powerline Video Contest Intro” on the Literacy Powerline channel. Learn how to make a response video on YouTube. After uploading your video, send a message to Kim Scott with your contact information to confirm the submission. Include your name, e-mail address, category, and coalition, if applicable. Contest begins on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at 12:01am ET and ends on Friday, September 30, 2011, at 11:59pm ET.

Judging

The National Literacy Coalition Conference Committee will judge the entries and announce the winners November 2, 2011 in Houston. Videos will be judged on overall impact, collaboration/partnerships, concept/originality, and entertainment value.

Winners

Winning entries will be recognized and featured at the National Literacy Coalition Conference and on Literacy Powerline’s and the Literacy Funders Network’s websites.

Contest rules available upon request.

Conference Bag Contest

To celebrate our gathering with style, we’re honoring the pinnacle of conference fashion: The Conference Bag.

That’s right, this year we’re having a contest to see who can bring the most vintage, the most used, the most memorable, or any other one-of-a-kind conference bag. The two people with the most unique or special bags will each win a prize. Bags will be judged by conference committee members at Wednesday’s sessions, so look for the Conference Bag judging table during the day to enter the contest.

To help with conservation, we will not be distributing bags at the registration give-away. You can re-use the bag you bring or swap with a colleague for one more appealing. For those with more than one conference bag hiding in your closet, bring as many as you want. We’ll have a bin in the registration area for you to donate your collection to folks who haven’t been around long enough to start their own collection.

Only canvas or fabric bags are eligible for donating or entering into the contest.

We look forward to seeing your conference fashion statement!

Area Attractions

As you plan your trip to Houston, here are ideas of places to go and things to do:

Top 10 Attractions in the Houston Area

Houston.com

 

When is the conference?

The conference begins Wednesday, November 2, at 8am and runs through Thursday, November 3, at noon.

Where is the conference being held?

InterContinental Houston Near the Galleria

2222 West Loop South

Houston, TX 77027

1-713-627-7600

What are the closest airports?

William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

How will I get to the conference from George Bush Intercontinental Airport?

Distance 26 miles southwest to Hotel

Shuttle Charge (one way): $27.00

Taxi Charge (one way): $55.00

Time by taxi: 30 – 45 minutes

From Interstates 45 or 59, exit 610 West and continue to 610 South. Exit San Felipe. Hotel is on right after crossing San Felipe and before Westheimer Road.

How will I get to the conference from the William P. Hobby Airport?

Distance 16 miles southeast to Hotel.

Shuttle Charge (one way): $24.00

Take Interstate 45 North to 610 Loop West, continuing to 610 Loop North. Exit at San Felipe. U-turn at the light and the hotel is located between San Felipe and Westheimer Road.

What is the schedule for the Literacy Funders Annual Symposium?

Please click here to view schedule.

What is the schedule for the National Literacy Coalition Conference?

Please click here to view schedule.

What are the normal temperatures in Houston in early November?

Normal daily temperatures are:

October: Max. 82°F; Min. 57°F

November: Max. 72°F; Min. 50°F