Happy July!
We have officially closed out the 2013-2014 school year and are on our way to gearing up for the 2014-2015 school year. We have had great success this past year, especially in our fundraising efforts. We couldn't be more excited about the position we are currently in, and for the first time in a long time we can actually begin to think about growth and longevity.
As we kick off this new year, we welcome a new Board Chair, Kimberly C. Ford, a Managing Partner at Hill & Ford, P. C. Kim has been a member of the SAYL Board of Directors for the past five years. In addition to being a SAYL Reading Buddy, Kim's company has been a long time financial supporter. We are excited about our new leadership and are ready to start the new school year with fifteen new sites and several new Corporate Reading Buddy Partners.
I would be remiss if I didn't spend some time thanking and bragging a little about our outgoing Board Chair, Amelia Badders, Director of Commercial Analytics and Pricing at CPS Energy. Amelia has been on the SAYL Board of Directors for six years and served as Board Chair for the last two. Under her leadership SAYL has been given new life as we weathered a financial storm the last two years. Amelia's determination and passion for our program set us on a course for sustainability and growth. In addition, our partnership with CPS Energy has garnered not only financial support but also an army of Corporate Reading Buddies that completely cover the volunteer needs of five SAISD elementary schools in hard to reach areas. SAYL is grateful to Amelia and her unwavering commitment to SAYL over the past two years.
So here we go, onto a new school year with new leadership and a program full of hope and humility.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela
Love, Peace and Good Books!
Christina M. Martinez-Rodriguez
Executive Director
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