The Exemplary Reading Committee promotes and administers the Exemplary Reading Award which recognizes outstanding reading and language arts programs at all grade levels (elementary, middle, and high school).

Chair

Holly Banusiewicz
Coordinator of Elementary Literacy
Wilmington Public Schools
hbanusiewiczmra@gmail.com

The Conference Committee plans the Annual Conference, a professional development opportunity for educators throughout the state to engage in professional learning and networking.

Chair

Patricia Kelley
President - Elect

The Donald L. Landry Scholarship Committee works to increase student membership and participation in the organization and promotes literacy by presenting one undergraduate and one graduate student enrolled in an education program a Donald L. Landry Scholarship.

Chair

Marlene Correia
Asst. Professor of Literacy Education
Bridgewater State University
mcorreiamra@gmail.com

The Budget & Finances Committee ensures the financial stability of the organization and provides financial information and advice so the Executive Board makes decisions that reflect and support the financial stability of the organization.

Co-chairs

Valerie Harlow Shinas (Immediate Past President)
Chair and Associate Professor of Language and Literacy
Graduate School of Education, Lesley University
vshinas@lesley.edu

JoAnn Thompson

(Treasurer)

Jothompson25@comcast.net

The Professional Development Committee plans develops and implements a variety of professional development opportunities for members of the organization and other literacy educators and leaders around the state.

Chair

The Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity Committee works to increase the social, ethnic, racial, and linguistic diversity of MRA membership and leadership, seek out and share information about culturally responsive pedagogy, and promote literature featuring diverse authors and characters. The Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee is dedicated to creating a space for justice-oriented educators seeking to build knowledge and be in a community with like-minded educators.

Chair - Ashley Houston King

aahk@bu.edu

The Families & Literacy Committee supports family literacy in Massachusetts through service projects, research, and/or publications.

Chairs

Nancy Verdolino
nverdolino@hopedaleschools.org
Literacy Specialist
K-6 ELA Curriculum

Chair

Valerie Hytholt
Hopedale Public Schools
vhytholt@comcast.net

The Minigrants Committee encourages local councils to expand and build upon their accomplishments through financial assistance. Minigrant projects help to improve the literacy of Massachusetts’s readers through local council activities.

Chair

Mary Wall

mewall430@gmail.com

The Celebrate Literacy Committee fosters literacy throughout Massachusetts by presenting an annual state award to a candidate who has shown exemplary accomplishments in promoting literacy through instruction, programs, research, and/or other activities.

Chair

Kim Kelley

First Grade Teacher, Wilmington Public Schools

kimdkelley@gmail.com

The Publications Committee produces two high-quality publications useful to members of the organization. MRA Today is a short, practitioner-focused publication and the MRA Primer is a full-length, peer-reviewed journal.

Editors

Elaine Bukowiecki

ebukowiecki@bridgew.edu

Valerie Harlow Shinas

vshinasmra@gmail.com

The Nomination Committee oversees the nomination process and is responsible for evaluating the candidates for the Vice President-elect role on the Executive Committee.

Chair

Mary Fischer

Consultant

Boston

mfischer28@gmail.com

The Sister Madelon Honor Council Committee commemorates councils’ achievements in supporting literacy by recognizing their efforts to support the mission of MRA.

Chair

Mary Ellen Shields

Adjunct Professor and Program Supervisor

Bay Path University

mshields@baypath.edu

maryellenshields0@gmail.com

The Multilingual Learners Committee shares information about English Language Learners by connecting literacy and ESL professionals and informing about research-based instructional practices and serves as liaison to Massachusetts Educators of English Language Learners (MATSOL) and the Massachusetts Association for Bilingual Education (MABE).

Chairs

Linda Lindsey

ELL Educator

Medway Public Schools

spedowl@gmail.com

Pam Shufro

Education Consultant

pshufro1@gmail.com

Melissa Latham Keh

Associate Professor-Bridgewater State

mkeh@bridgew.edu

The Sylvia D. Brown Scholarship Committee oversees the annual scholarship that supports MRA members in carrying out action research in the field of literacy.

Chair

Terrie Marr

themr@themarrs.net

The purpose of this committee is to support teachers’ engagement with research (as producers and critical consumers) and stimulate research activities in cooperation with other committees. Anyone with IRB approval interested in conducting research with MRA members should reach out to this committee as it determines issues that merit intensive study and makes recommendations of such projects to the MRA executive board.

Kierstin Giunco

kgiunco@missiongrammar.org

The purpose of this committee is to advance the quality of adolescent literacy instruction throughout the state. In addition, this committee disseminates pertinent and current information on adolescent literacy. We encourage all conference attendees to attend the adolescent literacy meet and greet at the annual conference.

Kyle Smith

smithavg@bc.edu