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  Brooke Rivers

  Executive director, Twin Cities

  Brooke has dedicated her professional career to the belief that education is the lever by which we will change the world and the future for low-income individuals. As a member of the College Possible leadership team, she developed strengths in program management, curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation. Through multiple promotions as the organization grew from one region to a national organization, she effectively led the creation of the college program from inception to implementation across multiple sites. In 2011, Brooke received the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Catalytic Leader Award. Recognizing that reading is the foundation for educational success, Brooke took the opportunity to join Reading Partners as program director for the Twin Cities during its inaugural year in the region. She effectively led all programming and volunteer recruitment efforts, ensuring strong programmatic results for students, and helped Reading Partners Twin Cities more than double in size by year three. Brooke holds bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and Spanish, with a minor in english literature from Bethel University. A lover of laughter, Brooke gets plenty of it as a mom to one year old Josie (named after Jo March in Little Women).

• Asha Farah

  Deputy Program Director

  Asha Farah is a former language arts teacher and Peace Corps volunteer. She received her master’s degree in language, reading and culture from the University of Arizona where her focus was on literacy and second language acquisition. She's very excited about the mission of Reading Partners because she knows that individualized instruction is the key to unlocking children’s potential and that volunteers help students build confidence and develop a love of reading.

• Tommy Lindquist

  Development associate

  Tommy is a dedicated advocate for educational equity. Following his time at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, Tommy went on to serve as a college access and success coach with College Possible. As a former Americorps member, he firmly believes in the service model. Tommy is excited to support the mission of Reading Partners and continue to strengthen the bridge between our communities and volunteers with our students, as they develop the habits to become lifelong learners.

• Erin Schulz

  Program manager

  Erin Schulz has a lifelong love of learning and a passion for literacy equity. After she graduated from Macalester College, where she majored in Creative Writing and Education, she taught English Language Arts and AVID to students in the beautiful Yakima Valley. She's excited to be part of the Reading Partners team in the Twin Cities because she's seen the impact strong reading skills can have on a child's whole educational journey. If you want to spark a conversation with her, asking what she's reading now is guaranteed to work!

• Graham Sutherland

  External Relations Director

  Graham Sutherland is a development professional with a strong commitment to social justice and education equity in the Twin Cities. He believes that a love of reading can unlock the potential to become powerful self-advocates and lifelong learners. Prior to joining Reading Partners, Graham worked in development in the realm of college access and success with College Possible. Originally from Seattle, Graham earned his bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN.

• Caitlin Ignasiak

  External relations manager

  Caitlin is a nonprofit professional with nearly 10 years of experience in education, youth development, and volunteer management. She is thrilled to be returning to Reading Partners after previously serving as an AmeriCorps member in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. She is most excited about working with individuals and partner organizations in the Twin Cities area to advance educational equity for all students.

• Hannah Baker

  Program manager

  Hannah believes all students deserve equitable access to education. She has a bachelor's degree in Global Studies focused on Arabic Language and human rights in the Islamic world. After graduating she moved to China and taught English as a second language. She then served two years as an AmeriCorps member at Reading Partners before beginning her current position. Hannah is excited to continue empowering students and building their confidence through one-on-one literacy tutoring.

AmeriCorps team

Community Engagement Team

Rita Mecicar
Theo Bilski

Program Team

Adeniyi Adegbenro
Kerry Lowell
Lavonya Brown
Louis Gagnon
Natalya Donchenko
Rachel Martin
Sue Weston