Staff
Each staff member has been trained to implement the initiative. The executive director and staff oversee contracted personnel with specialized skills as well as the site coordinators at each site location.

Gina Solazzi - Executive Director: Leads all projects and provides overall program planning, direction for fundraising, and program outreach for the organization. Gina owned a successful local business for 23 years before joining CLC. She served on the Quality of Life Indicator's Project as a member of the education panel and was a board member of TESSA. She is an adjunct staff member at the Center for Creative Leadership and holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in comparative religion from Carleton College. gina@peakreader.org 

Adrienne Reid - Development Director: Is responsible for writing grants and day-to-day financials. Adrienne also assists with all fundraisers and special events. Her goal is to create an even broader donor base to help Children’s Literacy Center achieve its goal of being accessible to all children who need our services. Adrienne has a Bachelors degree in Business Management and an extensive background in market research and development. adrienne@peakreader.org

Pamela Polke - Program Director: Ensures the sustainability of tutoring sites through student and tutor recruitment and retention. Pam has 22 years of experience in the financial arena. She volunteered for CLC for seven years as a tutor and site coordinator before joining the staff. Pam has also volunteered for several other local non-profit agencies throughout her 10 years in Colorado Springs. Her educational background includes training in graphic arts, and business administration. She is currently pursuing her degree in marketing at Regis University.  pamela@peakreader.org

Alex Braha - Marketing Guru: Ensures that Children's Literacy Center's mission, purpose and goals are promoted. Works on all major fundraising campaigns and is in charge of CLC's Youth Council. Alex has been involved with CLC for almost 7 years, as a tutor, Youth Council member and now as a staff member. She graduated magna cum laude from George Washington University with a bachelor's in philosophy. alex@peakreader.org

Susan Kana - Site Coordinator: Sue is the site coordinator at our site in Monument. She has worked for the Pikes Peak Library District for six years and has always considered literacy one of the most important building blocks to a child's future achievements. She holds a bachelor's degree in Family and Community Development, and an master's degree in School Guidance Counseling. She is all for the TEAM Literacy approach and feels that she can be an asset to the success of CLC's newest site. sue@peakreader.org

Cara Bledsoe - Site Coordinator: Cara is the site coordinator at Sand Creek Library and Penrose Library. She recently received her bachelors' degree in Psychology; child development from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She is pursuing her master's degree in speech pathology. She has many years of experience and enjoyment working with children of all ages. cara@peakreader.org

Carla Vauthrin - Site Coordinator: Carla is the site coordinator for our newest site in Old Colorado City Library. She holds a BA in Elementary Education and an MA in Communications. She relocated to Colorado Springs from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, where she directed the federal Elementary and Secondary Education School Library Resources Title II program for the territory before becoming part of a cooperative creating a private alternative K-8 school where she taught reading and language arts, acted as a librarian, and finally became principal of the school. Carla was a member of the parents' and ctizens' committee that worked to create the first public Montessori School program in Colorado Springs. carla@peakreader.org

Pam Hoskins - Site Coordinator: Pam has a degree in English from the University of Illinois. As a freelance writer with a background in English, Pam understands and values literacy. She is an avid reader and wants every child to  love books as much as she does. Pam volunteered as a tutor during the summer of 2008 and has since joined the Children's Literacy Center staff as a site coordinator for Hunt and Adams Elementary schools. For the summer 2009 term Pam will be tutoring at Children's Literacy Center and at Ruth Holley (which is typically the Barnes and Nobel site). pamh@peakreader.org