About Us
We’re Building
Since 2014, Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) has served as a backbone organization charged with building a connected, innovative early childhood system within Guilford County, North Carolina.
We worked with hundreds of families and more than 110 agencies and organizations to develop and implement a community-wide vision to improve outcomes while reducing persistent disparities in five areas:
- Planned and well-timed pregnancies
- Healthy births
- On-track development for infants, toddlers & preschoolers
- School readiness at kindergarten entry
- Success at the end of third grade

Learn More
Effective Dec. 21, 2017, Ready for School, Ready for Life became an independent 501(c)(3) organization with a Board of Directors consisting of community leaders who are dedicated to the work of early childhood system-building and improved outcomes for children and their families
Officers
Mr. J. Edward Kitchen, co-chair
Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, Chief Operating Officer
Ms. Susan S. Schwartz, co-chair
The Cemala Foundation, Executive Director
Ms. Michelle Gethers-Clark, co-vice chair
United Way of Greensboro, President and CEO
Mr. Brian Maness, co-vice chair
Children’s Home Society, President and CEO
Mr. David Leeper, treasurer
Leeper, Kean & Rumley, L.L.P., Partner
Ms. Tina Markanda, secretary
The Foundation for a Healthy High Point, Executive Director
Board of Directors
Mr. Terry Akin
Cone Health System, President and CEO
Dr. Allison Blosser
High Point University, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Education Studies Program
Mr. Robin Britt
Community Volunteer
Dr. Sharon Contreras
Guilford County Schools, Superintendent
Mr. Pat Danahy
NC Partnership for Children, Board Chair
The Honorable Alan Duncan
NC Board of Education
Dr. Daniel Erb
High Point University, Dean of the College of Health Sciences
Ms. Barbara Frye
Guilford Child Development High Point Opportunity Center, Director
Mr. Kevin Gray
Weaver Foundation, President
Ms. Merle Green
Guilford County, Public Health Director
The Honorable Hank Henning
Guilford County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner
Mr. Jim Hoffman
American Heroes for NC, Founder and President
Ms. Teresa Huffman
Culp, Inc., Vice President Human Resources
Mr. Marty Lawing
Guilford County, Manager
Ms. Robin Lindsey
Guilford County Partnership for Children, CEO
Dr. Harold Martin
North Carolina A&T State University, Chancellor
Mr. Dell McCormick
Macedonia Family Resource Center, Executive Director
Ms. Mindy Oakley
Edward M. Armfield, Sr. Foundation, Executive Director
Dr. Martin Portillo, M.D.
Cone Health Medical Group, President and Chief Medical Officer
Ms. Amber Robinson
Family Action Learning Team, Family ALT facilitator
Ms. Meka Sales
The Duke Endowment, Director of Special Initiatives
Dr. Terri Shelton
UNCG Research and Engagement, Vice Chancellor of Research and Engagement
Staff
Charrise Hart, CEO
Mary Herbenick, Executive Director
Adriana Adams, Early Literacy Implementation Manager
Rachael Burrello, Operations Manager
Michelle Chapin, Project Manager
Christina Dobson, Project Manager, Get Ready Guilford Initiative
Leonard Lawson, Technology Project Manager, Get Ready Guilford Initiative
Stormi Covington, Community Alignment Specialist