Read Up

Leadership

A headshot of Read Up Executive Director Dana Stoltz Gray, Ph.D.

  • Dana Stoltz Gray, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to advancing educational equity and strengthening early literacy outcomes. She previously served as director of community collaboration and evaluation at The Budd Center at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where she built equitable partnerships among nonprofits, PK–12 schools and SMU. In 2020, she co-led the design team for a PK–8 STEM school in West Dallas, a public-private partnership between Dallas ISD, Toyota, SMU and the local community.

    Dana brings more than 30 years of experience designing and implementing research-based educational initiatives at the local, regional and state levels. She is a leader, trainer and coach in collective impact, community collaboration, strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, literacy and systems change. She holds a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Idaho State University.

A headshot of Leadership Council member Charnella Derry

Leadership Council

  • Charnella serves as president and founder of Beacon Hill, where she has led the organization since its founding in 2011. She brings more than 20 years of corporate experience in accounting and business development, and over 15 years working with education programs across schools, nonprofits and community organizations in the DFW area. Charnella holds a BBA in accounting from Texas A&M University and an MBA in finance from the University of Dallas. She has been recognized with awards from Literacy Texas, Phi Beta Sigma and the MLK Volunteer Awards, and is a graduate of Leadership ISD.

A headshot of Leadership Council member Norma Nelson

  • Norma Nelson serves as president and CEO of Readers 2 Leaders, where she has been a driving force since the organization’s founding in 2010. She previously spent eight years as an educator, teaching first through eighth grades and serving as assistant principal and curriculum director at St. Mary of Carmel Catholic School in West Dallas. Norma holds a B.A. in political science and theatre and a master’s degree in education from the University of Notre Dame. She is active in the Dallas community through Leadership ISD (2019), Leadership Dallas (2023) and the Dallas Summit.

A headshot of Leadership Council member Jennifer Quick

  • Jennifer Quick serves as executive director of Reading Partners North Texas, where she previously spent more than six years leading community engagement efforts. She has held roles in education policy as an Urban Leaders Fellow in Dallas and a policy analyst with the New Mexico Public Education Department. Earlier in her career, she worked as a teacher, instructional coach and program manager in Denver while earning her M.A. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Colorado Denver. Jennifer holds a B.A. from Knox College and is passionate about helping students build a lifelong love of reading.

2024-25 Advisory Committee

  • A headshot of Advisory Committee chair Darren Collins,

    Darren Collins, Chair

    Retired Vice President, Capital Projects and Regulatory & Compliance, Celanese Corporation

  • A headshot of Advisory Committee member Dr. Olga Martinez Hickman

    Dr. Olga Martinez Hickman, Vice Chair

    Executive Director, Bachman Lake Together

  • A headshot of Advisory Committee member Devron Armstrong

    Devron Armstrong

    Senior Manager, Early Learning, The Commit Partnership

  • A headshot of Advisory Committee member Millicent Boykin

    Millicent Boykin

    Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, OneStar Foundation

  • A headshot of Advisory Commitee Dylan Farmer

    Dylan Farmer

    Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships, The Addy Foundation Center on Research & Evaluation (CORE)

  • A headshot of Advisory Committee member Prisma Garcia

    Prisma Garcia

    Associate Manager, BOOK IT! Program, Pizza Hut

  • A headshot of Advisory Commitee member Sharron Steele-Blythe

    Sharron Steele-Blythe

    Deputy Director, Public Services Division, Service Employees International Union