BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Susan Copeland
Polk Education Foundation
1530 Shumate Drive
Bartow, FL 33830
863.534.0434 (o)
863.519.3791 (fax)
Susana.copeland@polk-fl.net
Susan is the Executive Director of the Polk Education Foundation (PEF), a non-profit organization that supports the Polk County School System. She spent five years as an elementary school teacher before moving to the PEF to run their teacher grant program. After 8 years at the Polk Education Foundation, she became the Executive Director. To complement her education background and work at the Foundation, Susan received her MBA in 2008 from Southeastern University.
Vice-President
Joe Schneider
Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC
13830 Circa Crossing Drive
Lithia, FL 33547
813-500-6944
joseph.schneider@mosaicco.com
Joe Schneider works with Mosaic as the Manager of Engineering for its chemical and mining facilities. Previously, he has held various operations management positions within the phosphate industry. He has served as the former chairman of Saint Paul Lutheran Board of Parish Education and chairman of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Central Florida Section. He also held several positions within each organization. Mr. Schneider holds a BChE from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of South Florida.
Secretary
Diana Jordan
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
P.O. Box 407
Lakeland, FL 33802-0407
863.688.7407 ext 53820 (o)
Diana.jordan.wharton@publix.com
Treasurer
Mandy Sanders
NCT Group
P.O. Box 1076
Lakeland, FL 33802-1706
863.683.6783 (o)
863.687.2220 (fax)
msanders@nctgroup.com
Mandy Sanders is a Certified Public Accountant who has completed both her graduate and undergraduate studies in Polk County, Florida. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from Florida Southern College in Lakeland and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with an Accounting concentration from Webber International University in Babson Park. Mandy has over ten years experience in public accounting with The NCT Group CPA's. L.L.P. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Polk County chapter of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Estate Planning Council of Polk County. Mandy is a member of Emerge Lakeland and enjoys attending theater and arts events in our community
Past-President
Pam Craven
Learning Resource Center
1628 South Florida Avenue
Lakeland, Florida 33803
Pam Craven, PH.D., currently serves as the Executive Director of the Learning Resource Center. She has a longtime commitment to education, serving as an adjunct professor at Florida Southern College in the field of reading following a 22 year career as a K-12 classroom teacher. Her graduate study involved learning styles and brain research and she is certified as a teacher in English, Speech, and Journalism.
Penny Borgia
Chief Operating Officer
United Way of Central Florida
P.O. Box 1357
Highland City, FL 33846
863.648.1500 x275 (o)
penny.borgia@uwcf.org
As the chief operating office with the United Way of Central Florida, Penny works with partners to understand community need, drive change and improve the lives of communities.
Deming Cowles
Lake Wales Family Literacy
demingcowles@aol.com
Greta Moran
Broken Chain Ministries
P.O. Box 9083
Winter Haven, FL 33883-9083
863.299-1300
brokenchainsministries1@yahoo.com
Gina Nance
Florida’s Natural Growers
P.O. Box 1111
Lake Wales, FL 33859
863.676.1411 ext. 3401 (o)
863.676.0494 (fax)
gnance@citrusworld.com
Gina has been employed at Florida's Natural Growers since 1985 and has experience in many aspects of the business including her current responsibilities in Training/Employee Relations in Human Resources. She has a degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from the University of South Florida with her study areas being in psychology and sociology.
Cindy Price
TECO
1170 6th St NW
Winter Haven, FL 33881
863.298-6016
caprice@tecoenergy.com
Cindy Price works in Community Relations with Tampa Electric to develop community partnerships to make Polk County a better place to live -- through education, economic development and civic service.
Bill Reid
External Affairs Director
120 E. Lime Street Mail Code FLK3049
Lakeland, FL 33801
863.687.8400(o)
863.646.3340(f)
william.reid@verizon.com
Hilda Ringley
East Area Adult School
300 E. Bridgers Ave.
Auburndale, FL 33823
863.965.5475
hilda.ringley@polk-fl.net
Gladys Roberts
Polk County Library Cooperative
2150 S. Broadway Avenue
Bartow, FL 33830
863.519.7958 (o)
robertg@pclc.lib.fl.us
Gladys Roberts is the Coordinator for the Polk County Library Cooperative. She has worked in public library systems for 24 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Florida Southern and a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida.
Served as a board member for the Center for Adult Literacy, 1988 Tutor Training, 1988, first Adult Student, 1988
READ Polk President 1994-05
Basic Literacy Skills Tutor Trainer Certification, 2004
Junior Achievement Board Member since 1998
Early Learning Coalition Board of Directors
Recipient of the Jon Anderson Mentor of the Year Award, 2004 (mentor - 19 yrs.)
Recipient of the Governor’s Excellence in Mentoring Award, 2005
Polk Economic Education Council Member
Youth Council, Polk Works
Conduct Teacher In-Service Training – Incorporating Cable in the Classroom Resources into Curriculum
President, HEART Literacy, Hernando County since 1999
Served on Education Foundation Board of Directors, Citrus County, since 1999 – Currently serving as President
Served as Board Member for Florida Literacy Coalition (1988 – 1996)
Jeanette D. Wallace
Business Development Officer
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union
129 S. Kentucky Ave Ste. 300
Lakeland, FL 33801
863.640.3932
863.616.2143 (f)
Jeanette Wallace is the Business Development Officer for MIDFLORIDA Credit Union and has been with MIDFLORIDA for five years. She is responsible for strengthening relationships and partnerships with schools and businesses in the community. Mrs. Wallace has a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Mrs. Wallace enjoys spending time with her husband Paul and their two boys. In addition to being actively involved with READ Polk, Mrs. Wallace is also involved with the ABWA Lakeland Downtown Chapter (Vice-President), InnerAct Alliance, EMERGE Lakeland, Winter Haven Chamber’s Education Committee, Winter Haven Chamber’s Young Professionals Group, SAC Committees, Lakeland Runners Club, American Cancer Society and numerous competitive athletic and fundraising events.
Margaret Anne Wheeler
PO Box 391
Bartow, FL 33831
863.534.0636
margaret.wheeler@polk-fl.net
ADVISORY BOARD
Robert (Bob) L. Bauer
Orange Street Church of Christ
310 Orange Street
Auburndale, FL 33823
863.967.1757 (o)
robertLbauer@verizon.net
Bob is the minister of the Orange Street Church of Christ in Auburndale. He serves on the board of the Northeast Polk Literacy Council and is its current president. He is also on the board of directors of the East Polk Unit of the American Cancer Society.
CaSandra Bevis
Director
Fort Meade Literacy Council
121 W. Broadway
Fort Meade, FL 33841
863.285.6000 ext. 3 (o)
863.285.6090 (fax)
cbevisliteracy@embarqmail.com
CaSandra worked for 10 years as a teacher in public and private schools and has been the director of the Ft. Meade Literacy Council since July 2009.
Rob Quam
Lake Wales Literacy Council
140 E. Park Ave.
Lake Wales, FL 33853
863.676-6678
rob@lakewalescarecenter.org
Kara Trees
Community Literacy Liaison, West Area Adult School
604 S. Central Ave.
Lakeland, FL 33815
863-499-2835
kara.trees@polk-fl.net