Ryan Appoints Advisory Council On Literacy

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today appointed 20 people to the Advisory Council on Literacy.

The Governor's Advisory Council on Literacy was included as part of Executive Order 11, which created the Governor's Office on Literacy. Tamara Baloun of Palatine will be the Council Chair. She is the Vice-President and Regional Staffing Manager for Bank One.

The Council will focus on strengthening state literacy programming through more collaboration and cooperation, maximizing state and federal resources for literacy programming and enhancing literacy efforts at both the state and local level. Their first meeting is scheduled for early December.

"As we promote 'Build Literacy Week' in Illinois, we are expanding our commitment to achieve a literate population by appointing this group of community leaders," Ryan said. "These individuals will focus on future goals for literacy in Illinois while strengthening our current efforts."

The Council will work with the Office on Literacy and newly appointed Senior Advisor on Literacy Sarah Watson.

"I look forward to working with Tamara and the other members," Watson said. " I expect to receive some innovative and comprehensive ideas about our goals for the state. Together I think we will help increase the literacy rate of children and adults."

Members of the council are representatives of education, libraries, community based organizations, literacy providers, researchers, business, state government and the public. Members will be paid for expenses only.

Attached is a list of the advisory council members.

GOVERNOR'S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON LITERACY

Ms Tamara Baloun, Council Chair
Vice President, Bank One Corporation
Elgin, Il

MEMBERS

Dr. Mildred Barnes Griggs
Dean, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL

Dr. John Davis
Superintendent, Anna Public Schools
Anna, IL

Ms Brenda Diehl
President, Illinois PTA
Champaign, IL

Ms Bernadette Fallow
Continuing Education Director, McLean-Fogg Company
Mundelein, IL

Ms Barbara Haas
President, Illinois Reading Council
Waterloo, IL

Ms Susan Kidder
Executive Director, Literacy Chicago
Chicago, IL

Ms Suzanne Knell
Executive Director, Illinois Literacy Resource Development Center
Seymour, IL

Mr. Mark Kaufman
Senior Manager for Training, Marriott Corporation International
Rosemont, IL

Mr. Len Lieberman
Director, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Springfield, IL

Ms Susan Lucco
Director, Lewis and Clark Library System
Edwardsville, IL

Dr. Clem Mejia
Regional Superintendent of School for Kane County
Generva, IL

Dr. Curtis McCray
President, National-Louis University
Chicago, IL

Mr. John Muirhead
President, Illinois Adult and Continuing Education Association
Urbana, IL

Ms Judy Rake
Director, Secretary of State Literacy Office
Springfield, IL

Mr. Daniel Rich
President and CEO, Rich Lumber Company
Beardstown, IL

Ms Gina Ruther
Director, Illinois Head Start Collaboration
Collinsville, IL

Senator Paul Simon
Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University
Makanda, IL

Dr. William Simpson
President, John Wood Community College
Quincy, IL

Dr. Paul Vallas
CEO, Chicago Public Schools
Chicago, IL