New Leadership
As of July 1, 2018, the start of RAR-MA fiscal year 2019, Raising A Reader MA has new board leadership and members as part of our natural succession planning. We are thrilled to announce that Gregg Dooling (Managing Director and CFO, Amundi Pioneer) is our new Board Chair, stepping into this role following his tenure on the board where he co-chaired key events and committees, and most recently served as Treasurer. Francine Rosenzweig, having served on several committees and as event co-chair, has been named Vice Chair. Heather Dickinson (Managing Director, Deloitte & Touche LLC) will be our new Treasurer, after several years serving on our Finance and Audit committee.
RAR-MA has accomplished a great deal over the last 2 years: we executed on our goals for further partnering with the community (government and businesses) and innovated on our program modeling through the launch of the Raising A Reader in the Workplace and our Parent Ambassador Programs to ensure greater reach to children and families in need of services, assessed and confirmed the RAR-MA value proposition and program model across the Commonwealth, strengthened our staff and team to ensure high-quality delivery of services and support, and through many efforts we have ultimately laid a solid foundation for the future. As we continue on our path, RAR-MA now looks forward to working with our new leadership, who have helped achieve so much and will help take RAR-MA to the next level.
With a variety of expertise and professional experience, as well as demonstrated devotion to the RAR-MA mission, we are headed for a bright future under their leadership.
“I am thrilled that Gregg Dooling has stepped into the chair role for RAR-MA. Gregg brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and history with the organization, and he has played an instrumental role in the critical steps we took during my tenure as board chair. It has been a pleasure to work with Gregg (and the whole RAR-MA board) over the last several years. With Gregg’s leadership I am confident RAR-MA will accomplish a great deal building off the foundation that has been laid and taking RAR-MA to new heights,” said Amanda Hall, Former Board Chair.
Departing Members
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to former Board Chair, Amanda Hall (Director and Senior Counsel, Carbon Black, Inc.), for her remarkable tenure, legal expertise and leadership on the board, who in addition to serving as Board Chair over the last two years has also served as Vice Chair on the Executive Committee, co-chair of our gala, and other functions helping to take RAR-MA to the next level. “Amanda worked tirelessly and served with dedication, love of literacy, and a huge smile on her face to bring RAR-MA where we are today, and we are grateful for her hard work, expertise, and commitment to RAR-MA,” shared Executive Director, Christine Ward.
Jessica Lutzker (MBA Admissions, Harvard University) served 6 years on the board of Raising A Reader MA, serving as co-chair for our gala, leading several board committee’s including Co-Chair of Nominating & Governance, and most recently as Secretary on the Executive Committee. “Her unwavering commitment to the RAR-MA mission and extensive marketing, stewardship and outreach have been instrumental in our success and we are eternally grateful for her support in many ways.” shared Christine.
Stefan Spazek (Executive Vice President, Capital Advisors Group) served 6 years on the board, including serving on several board committees, and always with a passion and energy for our mission. Most recently, Stefan served on the Executive Committee as Vice Chair and as Chair of the Development committee. Christine noted, “I am grateful to Stefan for serving as a leader on our board and for always making himself available to the needs of our organization.”
New Member
We are pleased to announce that Daryl Andrews (Partner, Andrews DeValerio LLP) has joined our board. We are looking forward to this incredible addition to our team and have seen her commitment already, serving most recently on our gala committee.
A Look Ahead
Raising A Reader MA is so thankful for all of the hard work, dedication and support provided by each of our the three departing board members, and thank each of them for their dedication and we look forward to their continued involvement through the Alumni Advisory Board.
This new leadership is a testament to the strength of our organization. As we move forward in fiscal year 2019 with a variety of expertise and experience on our board, and the ongoing support of our donors, partners and communities, we are headed for a bright future. We look forward to working together as we seek to eliminate the early literacy opportunity gap for children in high need communities across Massachusetts.