Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas is proud to be the recipient of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2013 Project! Leadership Dallas is a leadership development program aimed at providing the region with an ongoing source of diverse leaders who are prepared and committed to serve as catalysts and sustainers of positive change for the quality of life in the local community.
The class of 2013 includes more than 50 leaders committed to addressing and improving social and community issues. As part of the ten-month educational program, each class member was required to submit a project idea (in conjunction with a local nonprofit) that the class would work on during our year long program. The class of 2013 chose to create a reading advancement center for the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club and raised more than $120,000 in cash and in kind donations in support of the center.
The Leadership Dallas Reading Advancement Center presented by Mary Kay is a state-of-the-art facility and includes:
- A computer evaluated reading assessment to determine current reading level and compare it to the actual reading level the student should be at
- A teacher to help students with the use of computers, touch screen devices and to facilitate volunteers in the reading center
- Monitoring and tracking software to track improvement of each students performance vs. the goal of getting to their appropriate reading level or beyond
- The Center is a place for kids to learn to read and to get up to their appropriate level of reading; it really serves as a friendly, comfortable environment where parents and volunteers read to kids
- The Center aligns with DISD and the reading objectives of its 20/20 program, where every student in DISD is reading at their grade level
"As part of the Dallas Regional Chamber's Leadership Dallas program, the class of 2013 selected to establish a Reading Advancement Center at the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club. We chose this project and this specific location in Oak Cliff because the research shows that if a student can't read by the 3rd grade, then they are more likely to drop out, cause trouble in school and lack the skills necessary to be a productive citizen in our community. In my view, to find a way to engage the students and provide them with a foundation for reading skills, can ultimately change the direction of their life. Leadership Dallas is committed to making an impact in our community and we are so pleased to have opened this Center to help local students set the foundation for future success. As a board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, I am so proud that my classmates and I were able to accomplish this project. It truly was a tremendous team effort."
- Vickie Yakunin, BGCD Board Member | Leadership Dallas Class of 2013 Participant | Community Investment Director, Time Warner Cable
Leadership Dallas Class of 2013
Jamil Alibhai | John Ansbach | Sandy Beach Lin | Thad Behrens | Vanessa Benavides
Mike Birrer | Nicole Blythe | Kyle Cardwell | Mary Cochran | Todd Cornelius | Carol Donovan
Stephanie Fox | Ashley Givens | Forrest Gregg | Ashley Givens | Mike Goldman | Jamie Griffin
Jason Hammons | Teri Harper | Ken Hirsch | Sara Hollan | Marissa Horne | Kirk Johnson
Laura Johnson | Scotty Landry | Andy Leatherman | Sara Madsen Miller | Alissa Martine
Jay McAuley | Casey Miller | Jerry Miller | Eleanor Millwood | Matthew Neyland | Rick Ortiz
Jeffrey Parkhill | Hattie Peterson | Ana Rodriguez | Benaye Rogers | Jennifer Ryan
Byron Sanders | Travis Sartain | Troy Schiermeyer | Peter Sefzik | Scott Siemer
Craig Simon | Sanderia Smith | Andrew (Drew) Spaniol | Edward Spooner | Anita Tarar
Brian Vanderwoude | Nancy Wolff | James Wright | Vickie Yakunin
Reading Advancement Center Donors
$15,000 - $30,000
General Datatech, L.P. * | Mary Kay Inc.
$5,000 - $7,500
Anonymous | Atmos Energy | Plano Office Supply * | Tripp & Sadie Schiermeyer
$3,000 - $4,999
Fabulous Floors * | Half Price Books * | Morley-Moss Incorporated *
Time Warner Cable * | Voyager Learning *
$2,500 - $2,999
Allie Beth Allman & Associates | Bank of Texas | Citibank
Comerica Bank | GMi * | Haynes and Boone, LLP | IBM Corporation | PwC
$1,000 - $1,999
Jackson Walker L.L.P. | James & Margaret Wright | Jennifer & Jay McAuley
Julia & Ken Hirsch | Methodist Health System | Munck Wilson Mandala, LLP
Prudential Financial, Inc. | Sam's Club #8299
Corgan Associates | Tenet Healthcare Corporation
$500 - $999
American Heart Association, Greater Dallas Division | Bridget & Michael Goldman
Bryan Cave LLP and Drew Spaniol | Carol Crabtree Donovan, PC | Carrington Coleman LLP
Chris & Mary Cochran | Jason & Angela Hammons | Jerry & Tina Miller
Leadership Dallas Class of 2013 Raffle | MHBT/ Travis L. Sartain | Mike Birrer
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers | Shelli and Scott Siemer | Simon, Ray & Winikka LLP
Texas Health Resources | The Jeff and Karen Parkhill Charitable Fund
The Lin Family | Todd & Elizabeth Cornelius | Winstead PC
* In kind donors