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

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

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

Dr. Iulia Vann
Guilford County, Interim Public Health Director

Staff

Charrise Hart (Bio), Chief Executive Officer

Mary Herbenick, Director of Special Projects

Heather Adams, Director of Engagement & Literacy Initiatives

Kelly McKee, Operations Manager

Michelle Chapin, Project Manager

Christina Dobson, Director of Navigation Services

Leonard Lawson, Director of Integrated Data Systems

Stormi Covington, Community Alignment Specialist, Team Lead

Mollie Blafer, Community Alignment Specialist

Felicia Evans, Community Alignment Specialist

Funders