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

Monette Ferguson, Vice Chair
PhD, Executive Director, Alliance for Community Empowerment

Jane Lee, Treasurer
Economic Development Coach/Consultant, All Our Kin, New Haven

Lori Church, Secretary
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

Joel Cruz, M. Th. Senior Director, The Institute for the Hispanic Family & Family Strengthening Programs, Catholic Charities, Hartford

Mary Kay Curtiss, CPA, MSPA, Principal, Clifton, Larson, Allen, LLP, West Hartford

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

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

Lisa Maass,  President, Citizens Bank CT, New Haven

Sherene Mason, M.D., Pediatric Nephrologist, Connecticut Childrens, Hartford

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

Suzannah Holsenbeck, Executive Director
sholsenbeck@readtogrow.org

Paula Grimm, Data Manager 
pgrimm@readtogrow.org

Kimberly Garner, Office Manager
kgarner@readtogrow.org

Abigail O’Keefe, Communications & Development
aokeefe@readtogrow.org

Shitu Rajbhandari, Grants Writer
srajbhandari@readtogrow.org

Vicki Roberts, Programs Assistant
vroberts@readtogrow.org

Lynn Dorsey, Transportation Associate
ldorsey@readtogrow.org

PROGRAMS

Books for Babies

Pam Katynski, Books for Babies Coordinator
pkatynski@readtogrow.org

Laura Noe, Books for Babies Coordinator
lnoe@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

Yazmin Benitez, Early Childhood Coordinator
at Bridgeport Public Schools
ybenitez@readtogrow.org

Kaydean Brown, Early Childhood Coordinator
at New Haven Public Schools
kbrown@readtogrow.org

Cherese Chambers, Early Childhood Coordinator
at New Haven Public Schools
cchambers@readtogrow.org

Viviana Nuñez, Early Childhood Coordinator
at New Haven Public Schools
vnunez@readtogrow.org

Melissa Ruggiero, Early Childhood Coordinator
at New Haven Public Schools
mruggiero@readtogrow.org

Lakenya Watford, Early Childhood Coordinator
at Bridgeport Public Schools
lwatford@readtogrow.org