Every Child a Reader Board

Ruth Chamblee (Chair) – Director of Marketing, National Geographic Books
Ruth’s early career included brand management marketing at Richardson-Vicks, a division of Procter and Gamble, and membership marketing for the Smithsonian Institution Books and Recordings divisions. For more than three decades, she has designed and carried out multifaceted strategic marketing initiatives for countless National Geographic books, and her guidance has helped bring new voices to and fill key niches in the children’s book market. Her vision for I Am, I Can, I Will arose from her realization that knowing and honoring our ancestors can contribute to self-awareness, self-empowerment, and self-love for her, her daughter, and all little Black girls.

Chandler Arnold (Vice-Chair) – Co-Founder + CEO, Untraditional Philanthropy / Co-Founder, Go There Wines
Chandler founded Untraditional Philanthropy—which helps donors increase the impact and meaning of their philanthropic gifts—after spending 25 years leading successful social change organizations at the local, national, and global levels. He’s also developed award-winning social impact initiatives with some of the country’s most generous families and leading brands, including Disney, Pizza Hut, Ralph Lauren, Target, and others. Additionally, Chandler is the Co-Founder of Go There Wines, a social enterprise supporting women, people of color, and queer winemakers in lesser-known wine regions around the world.

Margy Stratton (Treasurer) – Founder, Milwaukee Reads
Margy is the founder and executive producer of Milwaukee Reads, an ongoing women’s speaker series featuring authors of particular interest to women. Beyond Milwaukee Reads and her involvement with the United Way’s Emerging Readers and Emerging Leaders programs, Stratton serves on the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation board and is an active volunteer at the University School of Milwaukee. Recalling her own youth, Stratton initiated a visiting authors program that has brought dozens of authors to the school over the years. She also devotes time each week to read to young students. 

Rachel Bader – Director of Licensing at Penguin Random House
Rachel is a licensing and marketing professional with over ten years of experience managing profitable businesses at top-tier entertainment and publishing companies—Scholastic, Chorion, and Condé Nast—with a keen focus on developing & implementing effective licensing and promotional programs for character and lifestyle brands that connect audiences, drive brand commitment, and support overall business strategy. 

Tim Ditlow – Children’s Books and Media Consultant
2024 marks Tim’s 45th year working in the children’s book and media profession. While he is best known for the Grammy-winning Harry Potter recordings narrated by Jim Dale, his dedication to the craft helped launch the children’s unabridged retail markets in the US and abroad. In leadership roles at Listening Library, Random House, Amazon, and Epic, his productions featured the work of such literary giants as Judy Blume, Jacqueline Woodson, Kate DiCamillo, Rick Riordan, and Walter Dean Myers. He is currently working with The Audio Agency, a new UK children’s media firm, and he serves as an advisory board member for Realm, a leading audio entertainment company.

Suzanne Harper – Editor/Author/K-12 Program Development/Freelance Writer
Suzanne is a customer-focused publishing executive with demonstrated success in setting creative direction and developing innovative and revenue-generating products. Her focus on the youth market includes roles as Editor-in-Chief of Disney Adventures magazine and Senior Director of National Programs and Partnerships at Girl Scouts of the USA. She has also published fiction and non-fiction books for middle-grade and young-adult audiences.

Dr. Sara Hudson – Founder and CEO of Bird by Bird
Through Bird by Bird, Dr. Hudson supports mission-driven philanthropies, UHNWIs, and organizations that seek to strengthen democracy, advance racial equity, and create equal access to opportunity. As Deputy Planning Chief for the City of New Orleans, Sara built and launched NOLA Ready, New Orleans’ post-Katrina emergency response systems and then ran communications during subsequent storms and natural disasters. She also has led digital communications at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and was named as the DOJ’s inaugural Digital Services Fellow, where she led the DOJ’s priority partnerships and programs with Tribal Nations, formerly incarcerated communities, and immigrants. She is a former children’s bookseller and bookstore manager at Books of Wonder and Barnes & Noble, a former children’s librarian volunteer and library aide. Sara has a Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale, and a B.A. in Latino/a Studies from Duke. She wrote her dissertation on the places and ways Black, Creole, and immigrant women and children have protected, preserved, and shared their stories.

Raakhee Mirchandani –  Editorial Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Barron’s Group/Dow Jones
Raakhee is a driven, talented, and hardworking professional with over twelve years of experience in entertainment, lifestyle, celebrity, and pop culture editing and reporting. She is a former New York Post fashion and beauty columnist who now manages the Daily News’ extensive print and digital entertainment and lifestyle coverage. She speaks internationally on DEI best practices.

Lizette Serrano – Vice President of Educational Marketing, Scholastic
For over 20 years, Lizette has championed beloved authors such as Pam Muñoz Ryan and Dav Pilkey, connecting them with readers of all ages through marketing campaigns, events, materials, resources, and special initiatives, all focused on increasing awareness to support our book creators. She is also the co-founder of the Power of Story initiative, which aims to create a hub of resources to guide educators, booksellers, and caregivers on how to build an equitable bookshelf. Currently, she serves as a board member for the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY).

Caroline Sun – Founder, Sun Literary ArtsCaroline Sun – Founder, Sun Literary Arts
Caroline has over fifteen years of publicity experience in publishing and most recently held the position of Director of Publicity at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she worked with literary luminaries, award-winning creators, legendary estates, debut voices, and beloved brands. She served on the Children’s Book Council’s Diversity Committee for four years, and was named a Publishers Weekly Rising Star in 2017. Since launching Sun Literary Arts in 2020, Caroline has curated a diverse list of clients, including Levine Querido, Macmillan, Norton, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, as well as the inaugural poet, activist, and bestselling author, Amanda Gorman.