Who We Are
Our Board of Directors
Anne McLain, M.B.A., President, Current Voting Member
Senior Director, Ambulatory Access, Banner University Medical Group – Tucson
Douglas Riegger, Vice-President, Current Voting Member
Financial Advisor, Southwest Investments Advisors
Lauren Babson, Vice-President, Current Voting Member
Information Technology Executive, Retired
Steven Witthoeft, Vice-President, Current Voting Member
Social Venture Partners, Lead Partner, Business/Marketing Consultant
Paul Chandler, Treasurer, Current Voting Member
Lisa Robinson, Secretary, Current Voting Member
Fund Development Consultant, Alexander | Carrillo Consulting
David Hanselman, Current Voting Member
Deputy County Attorney, Maricopa County Attorney's Office
Jessica Howe, Current Voting Member
Director of Education, Pipeline Connects
Kelly Koenig, Current Voting Member
Director, Early Grade Success Initiatives, Helios Education Foundation
Marisol Ramos, Current Voting Member
VP/Financial Advisor
Robert Rice, Current Voting Member
Jennifer J. Stewart, M.B.A., Emeritus Member
Award-winning children's author
Paul D. Bancroft, Esq., Emeritus Member
Retired Lawyer
Our Staff
Marc Acuña
Chief Executive Officer
Marc Acuña is a mission-driven leader and lifelong educator whose career has been defined by a deep belief in the transformative power of learning. Marc brings to the role a heart for children, families, and communities and a steadfast commitment to ensuring that every child has access to the opportunities that education makes possible. His leadership is grounded in the conviction that literacy is not just about books, but about dignity, equity, and unlocking human potential. Before stepping into executive leadership roles, Marc began his career in the classroom, where he discovered his calling as an educator. As a teacher, he saw firsthand how powerful it is when a child feels seen, supported, and inspired. Those early experiences shaped his leadership philosophy: meet people where they are, believe in their potential, and create systems that help them thrive. Education, for Marc, has never been just a profession, it is a lifelong commitment to service. Marc’s leadership is marked by vision, compassion, and an unwavering belief that education is the foundation for stronger communities. Whether in a classroom, a boardroom, or a community center, he leads with the same purpose, to create pathways of opportunity and to inspire the next generation of leaders. Above all, Marc Acuña is an educator at heart.
Fernando González
Chief Operations Officer
Born in Los Angeles, graduated from UC Davis with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Native American Studies, and completing Master’s degrees from University of Arizona in Cybersecurity and Management Information Systems, Fernando has lived in Tucson and worked in education and nonprofits since 2007, gaining experience in Montessori education, early literacy, and educational technology.
Education has been a throughline of Fernando’s career, and Make Way for Books has allowed him multiple opportunities to support parents, caregivers, and educators on their journey to becoming their children’s first, best teachers. Working at Make Way for Books since 2015, Fernando has had the opportunity to work directly with families and educators, develop and distribute the Make Way for Books App, and oversee the organization’s operations and technology as Chief Operations Officer.
Julie Fischer
Regional Director
Julie is thrilled to be part of the Make Way for Books team. She has been an educator for the past 35 years with the majority of her teaching experience in preschool and kindergarten. She is passionate about sharing the power, joy, and adventures that books and reading bring to children. Julie also loves spending time with her family, traveling to new places and exploring her neighborhood, downtown Phoenix.
Mike Celaya
Director of Development
Mike is very excited to be leading development and fundraising for Make Way for Books. A native Tucsonan and a former Senior Director of Development at the University of Arizona (and a proud Wildcat – Bear Down!), he also brings valuable experience from a prior successful career as an IBM sales executive. Mike was drawn back from retirement by Make Way for Books’ vital mission: empowering children from birth to age five with foundational literacy skills that set them up for a lifetime of success. As the first person in his family to graduate from college—and the proud husband and father of educators, Mike knows firsthand how education transforms lives and unlocks endless possibilities. He looks forward to connecting with fellow champions of early literacy education to build a brighter, more vibrant community together. In his spare time, Mike loves playing golf and enjoying life with his family, which includes two very entertaining young grandsons.
Monica Farmer
Senior Director, Data and Compliance
Monica Farmer has worked at Make Way for Books in a variety of different roles. As the Senior Director, Data and Compliance, Monica is passionate about sharing the effectiveness of the program with others. Monica has a master’s degree in Information Resources and Library Science with an emphasis in cultural competency and coursework in digital collection management. Monica is a third-generation library professional and is passionate about making a difference in our community’s preschools and childcare centers. She enjoys exploring our city by bike, spending time with her nephews, and sipping tea.
Cynnamon Woodberry
Associate Director of Stewardship
Cynnamon loves working with our youngest children. Cynnamon has extensive experience working in early education settings with expertise in infant and toddler development. Cynnamon is a passionate advocate for early literacy and education. When she is outside of the classroom, Cynnamon enjoys reading, crafting, doodling, swimming and bullet journaling.
Pat Barnes
Accountant
Originally from the east coast, Pat earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University, and began her accounting career in the Philadelphia area in the real estate industry. After relocating to Arizona 20 years ago, she has been working in the nonprofit sector as an accountant with a strong background in accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and financial reporting. She brings a detail-oriented and organized approach to every project.
Rosa Lira
Program Director - The Story Project
Rosa has been working in the education field for more than 10 years. She has a passion for empowering teachers and giving them the tools they need to make a difference in the life of the children in their classrooms and instilling in them a love for literacy. She has a bachelor’s in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership. As a former Quality First Coach, Rosa has experience facilitating workshops and coaching. Rosa loves to spend time with her family, travel and learn about different cultures and everything desert.
Charlene Bruce
Assistant Regional Director, Birth to Five
Charlene is a dedicated bilingual educator whose 15-year career has been rooted in the belief that strong early learning experiences lay the foundation for lifelong success. She has served as a kindergarten teacher, Quality First coach, and MTSS facilitator, supporting educators and school systems through coaching and collaborative problem-solving. Charlene holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, and a second master’s in Educational Psychology. She is a passionate advocate for early learning. Charlene believes in empowering families to become their children’s first and most important teachers. Outside of her professional work, Charlene enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and reading.
Jamie Antrim
Program Manager - The Story Project - Tucson
Jamie is a certified teacher with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and over 18 years of experience working with children. Jamie is passionate about education and believes early literacy is essential. Having been born and raised in Tucson, Jamie is a proud graduate of the University of Arizona and is very excited to serve her community as a member of the Make Way for Books team. In her free time, Jamie enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, playing with her dog, reading, and practicing the piano.
Shannon Hanchett
Program Manager - Family Education and Literacy - Phoenix
Shannon has been involved in the early education field for over twenty years. She is a determined professional who enjoys inspiring and motivating others, and is passionate about the success of helping children and families surpass their goals. She has her degree in Early Childhood Education and desires to further her education even more in the near future. Shannon loves how books can warm the heart and spark ones imagination. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, as well as home decorating and organization.
Catherine Charette
Grants Manager
Catherine hails from Maine, now calling Arizona home. One of the saddest parts of the move was having to part with hundreds of books in their home library – she is happy to be surrounded by books again at MWFB! Catherine has worn many hats over the course of 40+ years of employment, from education to social services to legal practice to executive leadership in a mental health organization to, now, grants management. Since reading has always been a passion for her, it is fitting that she has found her way to MWFB at this stage of her professional life. She and her husband spend their time cooking, exploring their new home state of Arizona, and enjoying time with their children and nine grandchildren who live close by.
Anita Cano
Family Literacy Specialist
Anita has dedicated over twenty years working in the field of Early Childhood Education. Anita has extensive experience working directly with young children and families in formal and informal learning environments. She is passionate about early childhood education/literacy and believes in empowering and supporting families to learn, grow, and thrive. Anita’s philosophy is that children have a pure light within their hearts and it is up to their adults to nurture that light through kindness, compassion, and love. In her free time Anita enjoys practicing Yoga and Pilates. She also loves spending time with her husband and two fur babies Lucky and Kali.
Marisol Orozco
Family Literacy Specialist
Marisol was born and raised in Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) and ventured to Arizona 17 years ago. Marisol graduated with honors from Arizona State University and for over 24 years has followed her passion of working in the education field directly with children and their families. She is passionate about literature and how children along with their families can connect and learn about all aspects of life experiences, emotions, culture, traditions, and much more. In addition to sharing her enthusiasm for literature and education, she loves playing her violin, spending time with her parents, siblings, and her cockatiel Cookie
Maria Jones
Early Literacy Specialist
Maria received a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Northern Arizona University. She has a wide-range of experience in the early childhood field. Before becoming a bilingual Early Literacy Specialist, Maria worked as a bilingual Quality First Coach, supporting educators of early childhood in promoting high-quality care. Maria has also been an early childhood educator with both the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation, as well as with the Head starts within the Tucson area. Maria is a certificated observer in the three early childhood stages of Infant, Toddler and Pre-K Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and has vast experience with the Environmental Rating Scales for Toddler, Pre-K and Family Child Care Centers.
Esmeralda Villegas-Salas
Family Literacy Specialist
Born and raised in Yuma, Esmeralda has worked in education for the past ten years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. Esmeralda believes books are magic and is incredibly honored to be a part of an organization whose sole purpose is to show that magic to everyone. She loves spending time with her family in Yuma and Tucson, anything dog related, reading, and going on adventures with her husband.
Merari Jaime
Family Literacy Specialist
Merari, a prior parent participant of Make Way for Books, holds a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Northern Arizona University. With a curious and enthusiastic mind, she is excited to serve and expand the organization’s mission in the communities she was raised in and currently resides in. Passionate about early literacy, Merari is determined to help empower young minds and ensure every child has access to the transformative power of reading.
Gloria González
HR Manager
Gloria is excited to have the privilege to help families and their children grow to love books and reading as she does. In her role, Gloria uses her organizational, processing, and problem-solving skills to support Make Way for Books’ operations and HR processes, and continues to help create a streamlined process for families in our programming. In her free time, Gloria loves to read, watch movies, hike, dance, and spend time with her family, dog, and cats!
Renee Geyer
Family Literacy Specialist
Renee was in public education for 30 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Arizona State University and a Master’s Degree from Northern Arizona University, both in Elementary Education. She is a certified teacher and has experience teaching children in K-6. In her most recent role, Renee coached, mentored, and supported teachers in the classroom with curriculum and instruction. Renee is a proud mom of two daughters that are college graduates from Arizona State University. She enjoys sports, music, spending time with family and friends, and her 2 dogs.
Gabi Pierson
Early Literacy Specialist
Gabi has been in early childhood education since graduating from Northern Arizona University in 2007. She began her journey as an early childhood special education teacher. She loved to witness student growth, especially how children progressed through the interwoven connection of social interactions and early literacy experiences. In addition to spending time in the classroom as an educator, Gabi has shifted her practice in supporting teachers who work with young children. As her work is deeply rooted in early childhood, her passion is to serve educators as a means to foster success for children.
Emily Gallardo
Early Literacy Specialist
Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Arizona. Her background is in preschool teaching and directing. Before coming to Make Way for Books Emily worked as a Quality First Coach, which is where she developed her love for coaching and supporting teachers. She is excited to carry that love with her into her role as an Early Literacy Specialist. As a certified children’s yoga teacher, Emily is passionate about movement, mindfulness and social emotional learning along with the joy of sharing books with children.
Bryanda Bachelier Acuña
Early Literacy Specialist
Bryanda has spent the last decade working in the nonprofit sector to make essential services accessible to everyone in the community. Holding a Bachelors of Science in Family studies and Human Development and a minor in Spanish, Bryanda has experience working as a bilingual Family Support Specialist and a K-1 classroom teacher. Additionally, she has extensive experience working in mental and behavioral health services. Bryanda believes literacy is a fundamental skill and enjoys supporting teachers in finding creative and engaging ways to support children progress through all developmental stages of early childhood.
Erikah Padilla
Family Literacy Specialist
Erikah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Culturally Responsive Instruction. As both a parent and former teacher with experience supporting learners from early childhood through middle school, she has seen how stories spark curiosity, connection, and language growth. These experiences affirm her belief that reading is the foundation for lifelong learning. Erikah is honored to be part of an organization that empowers families to nurture the joy of early literacy at home. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Blanca Chavarria
Family Literacy Specialist
Blanca holds a Bachelor’s Degree in both Global Studies and Spanish with a concentration in Linguistics from the University of Arizona. She is fascinated by how young minds acquire languages and is excited to empower families to nurture their child’s literacy growth. Additionally, Blanca holds a Master’s degree in Bilingual and Multicultural Education from the University of Alcalá in Spain. In her free time, Blanca loves to go to concerts, watch movies, read, and journal about all her favorite things.