READ POLK

Building Better Lives Through Literacy

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EXECUTIVE BOARD
 
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
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
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.

 


 

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


 

Deming Cowles
Lake Wales Family Literacy
 demingcowles@aol.com

 


 

Regis Foster
Director, Construction
PO Box 110, Mail Code FLT0005
Tampa, Fl 33601
813.483.1220(o)
813.229.3541(f)
 Regis.foster@verizon.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
863.298-6016
 caprice@tecoenergy.com


 

Rob Quam

Lake Wales Literacy Council
140 E. Park Ave.
Lake Wales, FL 33853
863.676-5767

rob.lwcc@gmail.com




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

 



Lisa Weems
Fort Meade Literacy Council
121 W. Broadway
Fort Meade, FL 33841
863.285.6000 ext. 3 (o)
863.285.6090 (fax)
 lweemsatschool@aol.com

Lisa Weems is a volunteer for READ Polk and is currently serving as the director of the Fort Meade Literacy Council.  She has more than 23 years experience in administration and human resources.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Florida Southern College in Lakeland.  Ms. Weems is retired from the Army after 20 years of working as an Administrative/Human Resources Supervisor.  She enjoys working with people and is committed to improving literacy in her community


 

Margaret Anne Wheeler
PO Box 391
Bartow, FL 33831
863.534.0636
margaret.wheeler@polk-fl.net