(Pictured above: Executive Director Emily Ball Cicchini, President Ann Gass, Immediate Past President Chris Randazzo)
BookSpring was pleased and proud to honor some of our long standing board members at our May board meeting, on Wednesday, May 24th.
We are blessed with an outstanding board and are always sad to see folks come to the end of their serivce. We wish them continued success in all their endeavors and want them to know that they will remain important and valued members of the BookSpring family.
Completion of Two Full Terms of Service
Chris Randazzo joined the BookSpring board in 2011 and has served two terms. He served on the facilities and executive committees, most recently as president of the board. Chris has been instrumental in making sure the board has an amazing place to meet each month. He has been a joy to work with and a leader whose quiet leadership is inspiring.
Mindy Gomillion also joined the board in 2011 after serving as founding executive director for BookSpring. Her mission driven expertise helped push forward our strategic planning as well as our development committees. Mindy has been instrumental in the implementation of our luncheon event and always lends a hand wherever needed. She is a gem and we wish her the best in her newest adventure as grandma!
Additional Generous Years of Support
Kristen Bridgeman started volunteering with the Shared Beginnings program in 2010 and joined the board in 2012. She served as treasurer of the board and on the finance committee. Kristen’s dedication and expertise have been invaluable, as we have grown in size and scope over the past five years! We are so thankful for her service.
Dr. Michelle Gallas joined our board in 2012 and lent her expertise in childhood brain development and early intervention to the programs committee from the very beginning of her service. Her passion for excellence and service is a joy to behold. She never failed to share the mission of BookSpring and reading early and often, as we are sure she will continue to do. We will miss her dearly but know that she will continue to champion the cause!
Dr. Tara Greendyk served on the Program Committee during her BookSpring board service. She joined us in 2015 and was already familiar with our Clinics and Health programs. She is an avid supporter of early literacy and was active in training interns at Dell Children’s Hospital and providing the Reach Out and Read and ReadWell programs at the CommunityCare East Austin Clinic. We will miss her! Thanks so much Dr. Greendyk.
Dr. Matt McGlone brought his expertise to the planning and evaluation of the ReadWell pilot program at ARC, helping to craft the messaging and efforts to measure the impact of the program on reported motivation to read, number of books in the home, and patient satisfaction with care. We are grateful for his efforts and offers to continue consulting as needed, and wish him the best in his thriving academic career in Health Communication and other pursuits.
Brian Zimmerman came to BookSpring with a volunteer group that was sorting and labeling books. He was so taken by our mission and vision, that he ended up joining the board of directors in 2014 and we are the better for it. Brian’s zeal for the bottom line and expertise in finding a great deal have been helpful to the finance committee. His technological knowledge has been a gift to us as well. We are thankful that Brian will continue on as a committee member even after his board service has concluded. We are thrilled that his wife Teresa has caught the BookSpring “bug” and will join our board this summer!
We are looking forward to welcoming three new board members to our ranks in June and will be introducing you to them shortly – so stay tuned!
