Reach Out and Read Affiliate Leadership Council

Affiliate Leadership Council

Reach Out and Read’s Affiliate Leadership Council provides input on organizational strategy and serves as a representative body of trusted advisors who engage in bidirectional communication with senior leadership and represent the voice of the Affiliate network.


We are thrilled to have a strong group of leaders — representing Affiliates who are independent 501(c)(3)s, housed under the National Center, associated with other early literacy nonprofits, or hosted within AAP chapters — provide strategic guidance.

The Inaugural Class
Angie DeLost

Affiliate Leader, Michigan
President/CEO, Ready for School

Click here to visit Michigan’s site.

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Amy Erickson

Executive Director, Georgia

Amy Erickson serves as the Regional Executive Director for Reach Out and Read Georgia and is responsible for leadership and oversight of the organization as well as its administration, operations, programming, sustainability, and strategic plan. Other key duties include development and fundraising activities, relationship management, marketing, community outreach, and employment-related leadership. Her innovative approach to engaging with more than 1,200 pediatricians, medical providers and employees has led to optimal scaling of growth with fidelity and a deep commitment to improving outcomes for the most vulnerable populations.

Amy has 24 years of experience working in the private sector for leading national education, digital, and entrepreneurial companies. She has been a member of the Junior League for 31 years and is a current sustaining member of the Junior League of Atlanta. She is a founding Board member of the National Charity League, Northeast Atlanta Chapter, and founding member of the Young Men’s Service League, Northeast Atlanta Chapter.

Click here to visit Georgia’s site.

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Kristen Hoplin, MA

Executive Director, Minnesota

Kris became the Executive Director in April 2018, after serving as Reach Out and Read Minnesota’s Program Director and with fifteen years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and a master’s degree from The University of Chicago, as well as a certificate in nonprofit management. Having two young daughters has reignited Kris’ passion for books and she is thrilled to work with our board, partners, and donors to promote early childhood literacy.

Click here to visit Minnesota’s site.

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Emily Marchese
Emily Marchese

Executive Director, Greater New York

Emily Marchese is the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York. Prior to joining Reach Out and Read, Emily was the Executive Director of Roots and Wings, a privately funded social service agency that provides housing, education, and case management to aged-out foster young adults. Over the course of five years, she doubled the revenue and size of the program and built an outcomes-focused culture across all areas of the organization, yielding national awards and recognition for excellence in program innovation. Before joining Roots & Wings, Emily was the Director of Foundations and Corporations for Student Sponsor Partners, where she was responsible for a multi-million dollar grant portfolio, as well as college readiness and retention program pilots. Prior to that, she worked at the Partnership for Inner-City Education as Manager of High School Programs, managing thirteen distinct scholarship programs across all five boroughs. Emily is the graduate of Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, the Robin Hood Foundation’s GRIT program for nonprofit leaders, the Stand Together Catalyst program for nonprofit “disrupters”, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Philanthropy & Resource Development program, and Columbia Business School’s Developing Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals.

Emily is a Cornell University and London School of Economics graduate, and lives in Rutherford, NJ with her six-year-old son, Oliver.

Click here to visit Greater New York’s site.

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Tara Milibrand
Tara Milibrand

Project Director, San Diego

Tara Milbrand is the Associate Executive Director of the American Academy of Pediatrics, CA Chapter 3 and the Project Director for Reach Out and Read San Diego, Tara joined the organization in 2005 to head up the new Reach Out and Read San Diego program. Under her leadership, the program has grown from 30 to 99 locations throughout San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties becoming the standard of care in the region. Tara specializes in program planning and development, community building, and quality improvement.

Tara’s has a passion for working on projects that support children and families, ensuring that every child reaches their full potential. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego and a master’s in administrative social work from San Diego State University.

Click here to visit San Diego’s site.

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Azure’De (DeDe) Williams

Executive Director, Wisconsin

Azure’De (DeDe) Williams received a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Science & Law and a Criminal Justice Certificate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. DeDe has more than 25 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector identifying two areas she felt most impacted quality of life – Health and Education. She uses her skills in program development, civic engagement, and program evaluation to support efforts in addressing health disparities and achievement gaps.

More recently, Mrs. Williams received the 2021 MCW (Medical College of Wisconsin) President’s Award for her exemplary community-engaged work with MCW and partners during her tenure as Executive Director for the Milwaukee Area Health Education Center. DeDe’s deep experience in devising comprehensive program strategies for national and local organizations involving public and private grants, corporate contributions, and individual donors, while executing all aspects of operational and financial management led to securing $636k in grants over three years. By energetically translating mission and goals into operating plans with clear benchmarks and annual objectives, she successfully restructured the 30-year-old organization to align with contemporary market and educational needs of future health workforce projections.

Azure’De Williams is ardent about Community Service. DeDe loves to spend time teaching young athletes the fundamentals of basketball and teamwork. Mrs. Williams has four children – ages 20, 16, 14, and 10 who are often seen accompanying her on volunteer-related and community service projects. In her spare time, DeDe enjoys filling up the pages of her passport.

Click here to visit Wisconsin’s site.

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Angie DeLost

Affiliate Leader, Michigan
President/CEO, Ready for School

Amy Erickson

Executive Director, Georgia

Kristen Hoplin, MA

Executive Director, Minnesota

Emily Marchese
Emily Marchese

Executive Director, Greater New York

Tara Milibrand
Tara Milibrand

Project Director, San Diego

Azure’De (DeDe) Williams

Executive Director, Wisconsin