READ POLK

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.

 Joe Schneider
Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC
5000 Old Hwy 37S
Mulberry, FL 33860
863-428-6483
 joseph.schneider@mosaicco.com

Joe Schneider works with Mosaic as the Process Engineering Superintendent for its chemical plants.  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 eight 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

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS

Past-President

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.

Executive Director

Mary Hix

READ Polk

P.O. Box 2595

Bartow, FL  33831

863.519-9199

Toll-free: 877-280-7323

mary.hix1@gmail.com

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.

Penny Borgia

United Way

P.O. Box 1357

Highland City, FL  33846

863.648.1500 x275 (o)

penny.borgia@uwcf.org