Jill has her BS in Elementary Education from St. Norbert College and her M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction/Language and Literacy from U.T. Austin. During her 20 years as an educator, she taught children from first through eighth grade. In 1996 she was certified as a master reading teacher and worked with students struggling to learn to read until 2009. Jill currently works as the Director of Programs for BookSpring. She served as a board member for RIF of Austin from 1998-2003, actively leading the Program and Leadership teams. She has served as a board member for Round Rock Community Choir and Springbrook Meadows Neighborhood Association. Her volunteer work includes St. Patrick’s Church music ministry and religious education. Jill joined the BookSpring staff in July 2010. Her role as Director of Programs includes the coordination and management of the Reading is Fundamental program as well as supervising the other BookSpring programs (Reach Out and Read, Parent Book Club, Play to Learn and Rebook.) She works closely with librarians, preschool directors, teen parent educators, and home based literacy providers to ensure the quality implementation of all programs. Jill is a graduate of the CNLM certificate program with CNS and recently completed a 6 month term as Interim Executive Director of BookSpring.

Brief statement why you have accepted appointment and what you would consider to have been a successful tenure when your term:

I am pleased to accept appointment to the inaugural Community Leadership Council. I believe that the work of the Center for Nonprofit Studies will benefit from the input of non-profit professionals actively working in the sector. I would like to bring my experience at a mid-sized non-profit to the table and help to insure that best practices and excellence are encouraged at every level of non-profit functioning. My goal will be to help develop a productive working group that meets the needs of CNS and the non-profits in Central Texas.

Brief statement on your sense of the Center’s impact for its first 15 years and its potential for future:

I believe in the Center for Nonprofit Studies mission and goals. They are paramount to the success of nonprofit organizations. A college professor gave me the sage advice of “When you stop learning, it’s time to stop teaching” and I believe the same holds true for any profession – especially nonprofit management. CNS providse opportunities for growth at all levels – from novice to seasoned professional. We know that the sector, and the world are changing rapidly and there are always new skills and knowledge to gain. The potential for the center in the future is limitless as the needs, and the motivation to help meet needs through nonprofit work, continue to grow.