National Staff Leadership
Marty Martinez
Chief Executive Officer
As Chief Executive Officer, Marty Martinez leads the Reach Out and Read network, including more than 6,000 program sites in all 50 states and nearly 30 regional, state, and local affiliates. Marty brings nearly 25 years of experience working on behalf of young people, families and underserved communities across the Greater Boston area. He has developed a strong skill set and expertise in public health, nonprofit management and positive youth development. He recently led the City of Boston through some of the most pressing social and community challenges, including COVID-19 as the Chief of Health and Human Services.
Using his personal story and professional experiences, Marty has become a community leader who has dedicated his career to centering equity at the heart of his work to break down barriers and create systemic opportunities to advance the lives of his neighbors in Boston and beyond. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree in Urban and Social Policy from Tufts University.
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Johnnetta Anderson
Chief of Staff
As Chief of Staff for Reach Out and Read, Johnnetta Anderson will lead cross departmental initiatives and coordinate work as a member of the senior leadership team. A primary focus is leadership of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work aimed at growing the knowledge and competency of staff and advancing equitable and inclusive policies and practices across our network helping to shepherd Reach Out and Read on that journey and leading the implementation work associated. Johnnetta brings nearly 15 years of experience working with nonprofits that provide services to underserved communities. She has developed expertise in leadership, Quality Management, process improvement, program management and lived experiences with DEI. Most recently she worked with the CDC Foundation on the Vaccine/Workforce initiative project team which provided support to state, territory, and tribal health departments across the country to address the Covid-19 pandemic. Johnnetta is excited to join the Reach Out and Read team and support its impactful mission.
Johnnetta is a community leader who has dedicated her career to supporting people in marginalized communities through her work as a board member for her local Red Cross chapter and as a Rotary Club past president and member. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgia College and State University, a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University.
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Callee Boulware, MBA
Regional Executive Director, Carolinas, Virginia, and Washington, DC
Callee Boulware has served as Executive Director of Reach Out and Read in the Carolinas beginning in 2001 and led the team through regionalization with Virginia and Washington, D.C. She currently leads a staff of committed team members, and works with state and regional partners to build Reach Out and Read throughout the region that includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Callee received her Master’s in Business Administration from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and is deeply committed to making Reach Out and Read a strong, sustainable reality for all children across the Carolinas. Callee is also a member of Leadership NC Class XXIV, an Advisory Board member of Capita, and a Riley Institute DLI graduate.
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Lori Brooks
National Senior Director of External Affairs
As National Senior Director of External Affairs, Lori Brooks helps to shape the direction of Reach Out and Read by driving public awareness, brand visibility, public policy, and strategic partnerships. She leads strategy and implementation in federal policy and advocacy; national partnership management and development; and communications, marketing, and branding at the National and Affiliate levels.
Lori is an experienced leader in strategic communications, marketing, and nonprofit management with deep expertise in crisis communications, brand management, and media relations. In her recent role as Senior Director of Communications and Marketing for Oklahoma Contemporary, she led the team behind the brand of the nonprofit arts center as it built a $30 million new campus and leapt onto the national stage.
Her resume includes The Albuquerque Tribune and The Seattle Times, the University of Oklahoma, the nonprofit College Media Association, and work with journalists and media professionals nationwide.
With a degree in news communications from the University of Oklahoma, Lori is a born storyteller, writer and editor with work that ranges from international magazine covers and millions of monthly impressions to supporting underserved communities and elevating marginalized voices.
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Ruth Coleman, PhD
National Senior Director of Growth
Ruth Coleman, Reach Out and Read’s new National Senior Director of Growth, immigrated from Nigeria, West Africa, to the United States at age 9, igniting an unwavering commitment to marginalized communities. With more than two decades in nonprofit work and 13 years as an organizational consultant, she optimizes organizational performance through tailored growth strategies, emphasizing collaboration, communication, and leadership, always underscored by a commitment to equity and inclusion. Ruth holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership, a Bachelor of Social Work, and a B.S. in Bible.
She co-founded a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the surgical crisis in Africa, demonstrating her dedication to making a meaningful impact on a global scale. Her diverse experiences and expertise have positioned her to work at the intersection of education and health care, creating opportunities to accelerate the progress of marginalized communities. In her free time, Ruth cherishes time with her husband and two daughters, whom she is raising to change the world; reading a good book; and songwriting.
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Erin Henry
Chief Development Officer
Erin Henry leads the overall fundraising efforts as Chief Development Officer for Reach Out and Read’s National Center. In addition to supporting Reach Out and Read’s day to day development needs, Erin and her team, identify strategic funding and partnership opportunities for the National Center and collaborate with affiliates throughout the country in the quest to create a world where every child is read to every day.
For the past two decades, Erin spent much of her career as a fundraiser for academic medicine, working primarily in corporate and foundation relations, strategic partnerships, and events for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Lahey Clinic, and Tufts Medical Center. She is a former member of the Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign and has served on numerous fundraising panels through the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Massachusetts and Essex County Community Foundation. She graduated with a BA in English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and spent a year learning nonprofit management at AmeriCorps*VISTA at Jumpstart for Young Children in New York.
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Lambrina Kless, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer of Reach Out and Read, Lambrina Kless leads the national network in developing and refining the systems and processes needed to drive programmatic excellence. Lambrina brings extensive leadership, program strategy and design experience with national organizations, most recently as Chief Program Officer for the National Center for Teacher Residencies, and National Director of Learning and Innovation at Teach Plus. Lambrina completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, and her PhD in Administration and Policy Analysis, with a minor in Quantitative Methods, from Stanford University.
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Nikki Shearman, PhD
Chief of Research and Innovation
Nikki Shearman is responsible for developing and implementing a research strategy and improvements to our program to position Reach Out and Read to achieve our Next Chapter vision of incorporating our model as a standard of pediatric primary care. As Chief of Research and Innovation, she leads her team in the improvement of our impact through innovation, in offering training and skill-building opportunities for clinicians implementing the Reach Out and Read program and in maintaining strong relationships with our medical leadership to bring the clinical voice into our strategy and advocacy. She also coordinates the strategy for research and evaluation that demonstrates Reach Out and Read’s impact. Nikki brings a combined experience of research, operational strategy, and communications to this position, starting with 10 years’ experience in medical research in laboratories in the UK, Japan and Germany, and publication of her work in international journals. Subsequently, Nikki worked within the management of a variety of non-profit organizations in the UK and the US. Nikki earned her PhD in cancer research from the University of Southampton, UK.
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Marty Martinez
Chief Executive Officer
Johnnetta Anderson
Chief of Staff
Callee Boulware, MBA
Regional Executive Director, Carolinas, Virginia, and Washington, DC
Lori Brooks
National Senior Director of External Affairs
Ruth Coleman, PhD
National Senior Director of Growth
Erin Henry
Chief Development Officer
Lambrina Kless, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Nikki Shearman, PhD
Chief of Research and Innovation