READ POLK

Building Better Lives Through Literacy
Home
About Us
Board of Directors
Corporate Friends
Training Schedule
Trainers
Links
Tutor Tips
Site Map
Contact Us
Literacy Council Services
FAQ
Spelling Bee
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
863.688.9477 (o)
863.688.0248 (fax)
 
pamelac@LRCPOLK.com

 

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.

 


  Edna Rohland
Bright House Networks
1004 US Highway 92, West
Auburndale, FL 33823
863.288.2235 (o)
 edna.rohland@mybrighthouse.com

 

 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)

 


Julie Smith

Public Affairs Specialist

State Farm
7401 Cypress Gardens Blvd.
Winter Haven, FL 33888
863.318.4471 (o)
863.318.3799 (fax)
julie.smith.ic11@statefarm.com


John Small

Workforce Education

P.O. Box 391

Bartow, FL  33831

863-519-8437

john.small@polk-fl.net

 


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