Meet the Board.

Officers of the Board

Photo taken by  J. Grant Brittain.

Kenney-Whitley, Ph.D. is an educator who teaches adult high school and vocational certification in correctional facilities. Prior to 2014, she was a professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, and at UC Berkeley. She also earned her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at UC Berkeley, where she focused on literacy, urban education, qualitative research, and technology. A longtime Oakland resident, Dr. Kenney also specializes in collaborating with underserved community partners to enhance social equity through educational access. Before graduate school, Dr. Kenney worked in marketing and public relations for high tech companies in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and San Diego. She lives in North County with her husband, Peter, programs director for the Tony Hawk Foundation, and internationally recognized public skatepark advocate. In her free time, Dr. Kenney enjoys playing roller derby.

Secretary

Carrie Scott

Re-entry education

Community Outreach Supervisor

Carlsbad City Library Learning Center

Board Members

Chief of Staff

Gianzero, Gina. Ed.D.

Executive Director, Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP)

Executive Coach

National Center for Urban School Transformation

Since 2012, she has led DEEP by bringing partner organizations together in a variety of research-guided collaborative efforts focused on ensuring that children in southeast San Diego public schools are successful as they move along the education pipeline from cradle to through the end of third grade. Her deep commitment to early literacy led to her appointment to the board of directors for the San Diego Council on Literacy.

Gina also served for ten years an Executive Coach and Research Associate with the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) based at San Diego State University.  She led many of NCUST’s evaluation teams in identifying high-performing urban schools across the nation. She also guided networks of principals and provided individual coaching for principals interested in replicating best practices in their own schools.  She is the proud mother of three grown children. She loves tennis, running, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Inwek, Indira Ogunsaju

Department Administrator

Endocrinology & Gastroenterology

Kaiser Permanente

Knothe Stein, Joan

Retired Deputy District Attorney

 O’Neal, Denise

Former Adult Learner

Literacy Advocate

My name is Denise O’Neal and I am an adult learner. I had struggled with reading for a very long time, since I can remember. I barely made it through school. I was passed through grade to grade. It was embarrassing to read something in front of a group. One day I was reading a Dr. Seuss book to my son, when I discovered that I was having trouble reading such an easy book. I stumbled over words. I didn’t go to college because I thought it would be too hard to make it through. Then one day I went to my local library. I started working with the Escondido Library Adult Learning Program where I got one on one help with tutors and reading groups to help improve my reading.  Then one day I was given an opportunity to do a program at the Carlsbad Library called ALLI (I forget what it stands for). As a group, we sat at a table with other individuals with the same challenges; reading.  One day in the program we had a guest speaker talk to us about literacy and the San Diego Council on Literacy and the programs they offer within the County.  I was so moved by what Jose Cruz had to say that day, I have been helping any way I can since I met him. I have had opportunities that I never thought I would ever have the chance to do. One opportunity that stands out for me is I returned to school – college specifically.  In 2009 I attended Cal State University – San Marcos for their extended studies program for Human Resources Management. I worked full time as an HR Assistant for 8 years and wanted to be able to say that I went back to school, I concord my reading challenges and received my Certificate of completion.  Being involved with the San Diego Council on Literacy has given me the confidence I needed to feel successful in reading, going back to school, filling out a job application, helping my son with his homework, and even picking up a book to read just for fun.

Advisory Committee

Community/Public Relations Consultant

U-T San Diego

Stephanie Gioia-Beckman

Senior Policy Advisor

Supervisor Ron Roberts, Fourth District

San Diego County Board of Supervisors

Author/ Literacy Advocate

Honorary Board

William D. Lynch