Our Mission

To promote language skills and literacy for children, beginning at birth, and to support parents as their babies’ first teachers.


Our Vision

Every family will understand the critical importance of early childhood literacy and will take an active role in their child’s reading development. All children in Connecticut will have books of their own.


Core Values

  • We are committed to making books a part of every child’s life from birth.
  • We are committed to supporting families playing a central role in their child’s early language and literacy.
  • We are committed to collaborative work with parents, partner organizations, and other community groups.
  • We are committed to financial sustainability.


Board of Directors

Jeff Hartmann, Chair
Founder, CEO The Hartmann Group, Old Saybrook

Lisa Maass, Vice Chair
President,  Citizens Bank CT, New Haven

Carla M. Horwitz, Secretary
Ed.D.,Secretary Lecturer, Yale Child Study Center & Department of Psychology; Director Emerita, Calvin Hill Day Care Center & Kitty Lustman-Findling Kindergarten

Sandra Trevino-Ranalli, MSSW, LCSW Treasurer
Associate Director, Community Research, Yale Center for Clinical Research

Lori Church, M.S., Infant/Toddler Development, Bank Street College; Parent Mentor, Bridgeport Hospital NICU

Joshua A. Copel, M.D., Professor, Division of Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven

Mary Kay Curtiss, CPA, MSPA, Partner, Blum, Shapiro & Co., P.C., West Hartford

Jennifer Groves Fusco, J.D., Principal, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C., New Haven

Bonnie L. Patten, J.D., Executive Director, Truth in Advertising, Inc., Branford


Roxanne J. Coady, Founder and Board Emeritus
President and Owner, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison

Karen Pritzker, Board Emeritus

Staff

ADMINISTRATION

Kyn Tolson, Executive Director
ktolson@readtogrow.org

Robin Baker, Office Manager
rbaker@readtogrow.org

Paula Grimm, Development Associate
pgrimm@readtogrow.org

Vicki Roberts, Office Clerk
vroberts@readtogrow.org

Israel Oliveras, Driver

PROGRAMS

Books for Babies

Marguerite Alpert, Books for Babies Coordinator
malpert@readtogrow.org

Books for Kids

Linda Sylvester, Books for Kids Co-Coordinator
lsylvester@readtogrow.org

Evelyn Tomasello, Books for Kids Co-Coordinator
etomasello@readtogrow.org

Early Steps to School Success-New Haven

Cherese Chambers, Early Childhood Coordinator
at Lincoln Bassett School
cchambers@readtogrow.org

Lourdes Marcano, Early Childhood Coordinator
at Truman School
lmarcano@readtogrow.org

Viviana Nuñez, Early Childhood Coordinator
at Quinnipiac School
vnunez@readtogrow.org

Melissa Ruggiero, Early Childhood Coordinator
at Celantano School
mruggiero@readtogrow.org