Meet the Team

“Education cannot improve in isolation—it requires broad coalitions aligned around evidence.”

— Douglas Carnine

NCLC Executive Board

  • A woman with shoulder-length red hair, smiling, wearing hoop earrings and a black textured shirt outdoors with blurred greenery and a building in the background.

    Joan Schumann, PhD

    NCLC Board Chair

    Founder, Leading for Learning

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  • A woman with long, curly hair and glasses outdoors on a sunny day with a partly cloudy sky and green trees in the background.

    Mele Benz

    NCLC Vice Chair

    Butte County Office of Education

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  • A smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a black top outdoors with blurred background.

    Megan Kurtz

    NCLC Board Secratary

    California State University, Chico

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  • A woman with glasses and long brown hair, smiling, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

    Misty Wright

    NCLC Board Treasurer

    Director at Butte County Library

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NCLC Governing Board

Ben Scherz

Strategic Partnerships and Business Development Director, HILL for Literacy

Kathy Garcia

Executive Director of Expect More Tehama in Red Bluff, CA

Brad Mendenhall

Superintendent, Evergreen Union School District (Tehama County)

Chelsea James

Library Literacy Manager. Butte County Library in Oroville, CA

Jon Wood

Assistant Superintendent, Oroville Union High School District

Lisa Shaw

Director of Student Services, Thermalito Elementary School District

Dr. Al Schademan

Professor & Head, School of Education, Chico State University

Todd Dowerll

Founder, Positive Educational Partnerships (PEP) in Chico, CA

Dr. Kelly Patrick

Director, University of Utah Reading Clinic in Salt Lake City, UT

Brian Guthrie

Teacher in Alternative Education, Oroville Union High School District, CA

Interested in joining our Governing Board?

Let’s Connect!

Dr. Micheal Solis

Associate Professor, University of California Riverside

Dr. AmyK Conley

Program Lead, School of Education Cal Poly Humboldt

Dr. Maris Thompson

Liberal Studies, Program Coordinator California State University, Chico

Let’s connect to improve literacy across NorCal.

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