Staff

After a long career, including 15 years as a math tutor at the W. E. B. DuBois Learning Center and 23 years as a senior programming analyst at American Century Investments, Robin Anderson could have taken it easy. Instead, she volunteered for a homeless shelter for women, The Nia Project Kansas City, and – luckily for us – Lead to Read KC!

Robin stood out as a volunteer and soon joined our staff. While we do our best to keep her busy in retirement, Robin also finds plenty of time to travel to each of the Super Bowl host cities for events and all over for baseball and basketball games.

Janet Cody has never met a stranger. Her Texas drawl and friendly manner have served her well as a Site Coordinator at multiple schools where she has both supported and befriended teachers, Reading Mentors, and students.

Janet’s work at Lead to Read KC continues her support for young children in the Kansas City area. She is retired from Shawnee Mission Parents as Teachers after a 29-year career as a parent educator. She worked alongside families as they parented their children and offered evidence-based developmental information. Her warm nature and trained eye helped provide additional support where needed and reflected their successes too.

While Janet says she is simply “puttering” around in her retirement, her service on the Kansas Parents as Teachers Association board and her two doted-upon granddaughters would suggest otherwise.

During her time with Lead to Read KC, Reese Everts has proven that nothing fazes her. You throw a challenge at her, and she smiles and gets it done. This attitude fuels her work as a Site Coordinator and all aspects of her life.

Reese is known as a world traveler who is always up for an adventure. She hiked the Himalayas with friends and regularly takes adventure walks with her dog Koda, goes camping, and even practices aerial silks (aerial acrobatics while hanging from specialized fabric).

Not only does Carolyn Faenger have 35 years of experience in elementary and special education at Kansas City Public Schools and Charter schools, she is also a talented fiber artist! Carolyn loves to cheer on the KC Chiefs and travel. Recent trips have included riverboat cruising in Europe and fishing in Colorado.

Back home in Kansas City, Carolyn is known for always being prepared and nurturing her students, teachers and Reading Mentors.

Meet Mary Gigliotti, a retired educator who has shaped the role of Book Wrangler since its inception in 2022.

After 39 years of teaching in the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph, Mary was excited to use her love of children’s literature – or as Mary calls it, “MY JAM” – in a new way. With the help of volunteer groups, Mary processes our book donations to ensure they’re clean, in good condition and sorted properly, so they’re ready for the next child to enjoy.

When Mary’s not in the office, she’s sharing her joy with her husband, three children and four grandchildren.

Karen Goehausen’s years with Lead to Read KC are marked by her boundless energy. No matter the project, she is always ready to jump in. Need a Tutoring Facilitator? She’s your gal! Short on bartenders for Boulevardia? She’ll be there!

This energetic spirit has powered Karen through a decade of coaching tennis at St. Teresa’s Academy – not to mention countless runs, bike rides, and pickleball matches – but it has also benefitted large swaths of the community. She tutored for eight years at Boys Hope Girls Hope and ten years at Amethyst Place and even started the Christmas adoption program during her 20 years at Operation Breakthrough.

These days, Karen and her husband, four children and six grandchildren go the extra mile (literally!) when they travel and explore together.

Gail Hennessy has more fond memories from her time as a Site Coordinator than some people have from an entire career. When asked to share, she talks about a student hiding their smile behind a book, connections made over shared languages, and Reading Mentors persisting with unengaged students and making encouraging progress over time.

These hopeful scenes have defined Gail’s tenure with Lead to Read KC as well as the preceding 44 years in education – a career built upon passion and a master’s degree in learning disabilities.

Gail describes education as her career, hobby, and life, but she still has plenty of time for her husband and family (especially her grandchildren); her dog, Gertie; digging into her family’s heritage; practicing wall yoga with her granddaughter; and visiting all the Parade of Hearts locations in Kansas City.

As a military spouse for 17 years, Rachel Hilkert traveled the world, supporting her husband and raising their three children. While that alone would be enough to fill anyone’s days, Rachel made sure to leave her mark everywhere she went.

Early on, she worked as a coordinator for The Zambian Children’s Fund and the American Red Cross. Later, she spent years volunteering in her children’s classrooms and as a Girl Scout Troop leader. Most recently, she worked as a preschool teacher at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center.

Given Rachel’s love of reading and extensive time working and volunteering with children, coming to work for Lead to Read KC was a natural transition.

Rose Jones initially joined Lead to Read KC as many others do – volunteering as a Reading Mentor and bonding with her reading buddy. Instead of simply committing to return in the fall, however, she took the leap to join our paid staff as a Site Coordinator.

After earning a master’s degree in Education, teaching second and fifth grade, working as a District Science Coordinator, and helping close the achievement gap as an Instructional Coach, it’s no wonder Rose wasn’t satisfied with a 30-minute commitment. She has the knowledge, experience, passion, and time to support other Reading Mentors and their students.

Angie Koetting’s favorite book as a child was “Thumbelina.” Its message that she controls her own life and happiness was one she took to heart as she grew up in the Kansas City area and attended Johnson County Community College and The University of Kansas.

As an adult, Angie continues to pursue what makes her happy: working out, relaxing poolside, hosting gatherings at her house and connecting with people. She also loves traveling with her husband and three daughters to new cities and countries, which she says provides endless learning opportunities.

Along the way, Angie encountered Lead to Read KC and was inspired to join the staff as a Tutoring Facilitator in 2022. Her students’ initial successes furthered her desire to help, so she soon took on the additional role of Site Coordinator.

In an organization staffed by educators with master’s degrees and decades of experience, it can be tough to stand out. This is especially true when someone is too humble to share their accomplishments, like Katie Lee.

Katie’s history includes a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College, a master’s degree from The University of Tulsa, AND a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Her history also includes eight years of teaching as an adjunct professor at Rutgers and Southeast Missouri State University. Her area of study? History.

When Katie isn’t adding to her impressive resume, you can find her baking, hiking, playing in the Parkville Community Band, and exploring Missouri’s off-the-beaten-path history.

Bridget Logan often calls Lead to Read KC her “happy place,” and boy, are we happy she feels that way! Bridget is an enthusiastic, tireless Site and Tutoring Coordinator at multiple schools.

Bridget brought six years of teaching experience to Lead to Read KC, where she is now one of our most tenured coordinators.

When she’s not supporting teachers, Reading Mentors, and students, you can find Bridget playing with her dogs, Mabel and Charlie, or in her other happy place: around the dinner table with Jeff, her husband of 20+ years, and her two daughters, Sophie and Lily.

There may be no one who knows the Kansas City area better than Site Coordinator Maegan Nelson. After all, she has lived in most parts of the metro: South KCMO, Brookside, the Plaza area, Olathe, Overland Park, Leawood and Parkville!

Even with all that moving around, Maegan found time to leave the city and earn an Educational Studies Degree from the University of Missouri. Then, it was back to KC where she worked in Early Childhood Education for two decades. Plus, she spent another five years as the Educational Coordinator and Health Coach at Children’s Mercy.

Combine Maegan’s deep knowledge of the city with her extensive experience in early education, and it becomes clear why she was hired to support the Reading Mentors and students at Frontier School of Innovation.

Radell Oakman has a varied history, rich with experiences defined by her leadership skills and focus on community. The short version could be summed up like this: After graduating from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Radell spent seven years rising through the ranks at Sprint, 14 years homeschooling her two sons (as well as other people’s children) and most recently served as an Election Board supervisor after years working in different election-related positions.

The long version weaves in years of youth-focused volunteering with various school, police and faith-based groups in the Kansas City area, including a fateful conversation with Mayor Sly James who introduced Radell to Lead to Read KC in 2017.

Lead to Read is excited to have a former Reading Mentor devote more time to our mission by serving as a Site Coordinator. We enjoy hearing about Radell’s interests, which include horticulture, decorating and travel with her husband, KCK Police Chief Karl Oakman.

Mary Beth first became involved with Lead to Read KC as a “Flextra” at Crossroads Charter Schools, and she immediately appreciated what a rewarding experience it was for both her and the students she read with.

“Even though I mentored a different student each week, I felt we really bonded by the end of each session.”

In addition to 27 years working as an ESL teacher in Kansas City Public Schools, Mary Beth has been a parent educator at Parents as Teachers in KCMO, an online ESL teacher with VIPKid Global, and tutored students in elementary reading and English.

Meet Angie Smith, a former Special Education teacher with a master’s degree from UMKC. As a child, Angie loved the book “The Little Engine That Could” because of its important message that believing in yourself will help you accomplish great things (“I think I can, I think I can”). She helped instill this lesson in students during her time teaching in the Turner and Shawnee Mission school districts, as well as during her 14 years volunteering at Nativity Parish School.

The team at Lead to Read KC is always excited to hear about Angie’s latest travel adventure with her husband Brian and their four children. The family is known for their trips to the mountains, the beach, and the lake.

Katie Squires’ experience as a parent gave her a deep understanding of the needs of young children and the importance of creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for them to learn and grow.

“I have always been actively involved in my children’s education, and I understand the value of working closely with teachers and administrators to support their learning,” said Katie. “Lead to Read KC presented an opportunity where I felt I could make an impact.”

Katie’s time as a substitute teacher and fundraising for the Rocky Mountain chapter of the National Charity League, Inc. gave her a taste of working with kids and nonprofits. However, she was still surprised by how gratifying the position has proven to be: “The joy of helping students unlock their full potential and witnessing their growth has been very rewarding.”

Laura Wank knows a thing or two about being generous with her time. In addition to 36 years as an educator going above and beyond for students, she has volunteered at numerous nonprofits for more than 40 years!

When Laura is not supporting her Mentors and their students you can find her tending her special garden that she refers to as “The Orphanage.” Most of the plants are from friends who needed to thin out plantings and no longer had room for them in their garden. “The garden brings me great joy especially when one of our nine grandchildren and I sit on the bench and read a book together”

With all that wonderful experience, we were grateful that Laura decided to join the Lead to Read KC staff a few years ago. These days you’ll find her working as a Site Coordinator at multiple schools.

Linda holds a unique position with Lead to Read KC as a freelance contractor, which means she’s not officially on the staff but is welcomed by everyone as just another team member.

Billing herself as a one-woman marketing department, Linda has nearly 20 years of experience in copywriting and design. While her main focus at Lead to Read KC has been managing the various social media channels since 2022, she spent the last year helping prepare content for this website and building it.

Between projects, Linda is busy chasing after her toddler son, her rambunctious dog and her marathoner husband, Robert. Whew!

On the surface, it’s clear that working as a Site Coordinator requires organization, good communication skills, and a responsible nature. To do it with grace, however, they need a little something extra. It can be hard to define that quality – patience? a kind heart? – but it’s easy to see that Lisa Waters has it.

After getting her master’s degree from UMKC, Lisa used that “something extra” to support children in the Resource Room of North Kansas City Schools, Cure’ of Ars Catholic School, and St. Ann Catholic Church PV. Then she turned to Lead to Read KC in 2016, where she has become our longest-serving Site Coordinator.

As a Tutoring Facilitator, Anne Whittaker sees her students three times a week, which gives her a front-row seat to the transformations that can take place in as little as five or ten weeks.

“One girl in particular wanted no part of the tutoring program. She had quite an attitude about coming with me on the first day. When the semester ended, however, she was in tears over having to say goodbye to her tutor and me. She apologized for not understanding how much the program would help her and told me she was so glad she had been chosen to participate.”

Cathy Zahner is full of stories. Ask her about an ornery pony named Dude and her wrecked cart (no, really!) or the tale of blossoming friendship between two second graders at Garfield Elementary, and her face will light up with the smile that has been a fixture at Lead to Read KC since she first became a Site Coordinator in 2018.

Before sharing her stories with us, Cathy shared them with the whole community – first working as a reporter and children’s book reviewer for The Kansas City Star for 18 years and then as a sales associate at Hallmark for 13 years.

Cathy also makes colorful collage art, enjoys baking, and regularly visits her grandchildren with her husband, Robert, a Reading Mentor at Garfield.