Engaging children in the pleasure and power of reading and writing
Board & Staff
Board:
Michael Pipkin, President Sheleah Reed, Vice President
Garrick Malone, Secretary Brian S. Cheadle, Treasurer
Xavier Peña, Past President
| Greg P. Audel | |
| Shannon Buggs | |
| Mark Cervenka | |
| Lucy Chambers | |
| Carliss Chatman | |
| Megan Ebadat | |
| Lizzie Fletcher | |
| Andrew Ginakis | |
| Dani Houston | |
| Chanler Langham | |
| TJ McCray | |
| Kimberly Murphy | |
| Amanda Nicolo | |
| Chris Porter | |
| Serena Ross | |
| Julie Tran | |
Staff:
Robin Reagler, PhD, Executive Director
Robin joined WITS as a writer in 1990, and she has worked in every facet of the organization, from teaching to program development to administration. Currently as Executive Director, Robin not only leads WITS in its Houston endeavors; she also heads the WITS Alliance, a national consortium of literary arts education groups. Robin earned an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a Ph.D. from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Her poems and essays have been published widely in books and journals such as Ploughshares and HOW(ever), and her chapbook Dear Red Airplane was published in 2011. Robin is Board Treasurer for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP).
Bao-Long Chu, Associate Director
Long plans and implements WITS' creative writing programs. A writer originally from Vietnam, Long earned an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. His poems are anthologized in several books, including Watermark and Both Sides Now. He has been with WITS as an administrator for the past 12 years. He has served on the artistic Board of DiverseWorks Arts Space and Gulf Coast Literary Journal.
Jack McBride, Program Director
Jack manages in-school programs, after-school programs, The Menil Collection project, and the Summer Creative Writing Workshops. He is responsible for recruiting, training, and managing writers in teaching placements and leads the WITS summer internship program. Jack graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a B.A. in art history and Spanish.
Tina Angelo, Director of Professional Development
After 37 years in public education, Tina joined WITS in 2012 to provide professional development to both writers and teachers. Before joining WITS, Tina taught English in several Houston area school districts and also served as the Manager of Adolescent Literacy and Response to Intervention for the Houston Independent School District. Tina earned her B.A. in English and history from the University of Texas and her M. Ed. from the University of Houston. Active members of the Houston Greek community, Tina and her husband Gus have two children, Alexis and Jimmy (both former WITS students).
Kate Rybka Brennan, Development Director
Kate oversees major giving, the Celebration of Story benefit, and donor relations. Additionally, she manages the WITS Alliance national advocacy and strategic direction. Prior to her work at WITS, Kate was instrumental in a $25 million capital, endowment, and program campaign. A native of Minnesota, Kate has a B.A. from Mills College.
Angie Coats, Accounting Manager
Angie manages all financial aspects of the organization, including receivables, payables, payroll, budgets, and financial reports. She also oversees the annual audit and tax return preparation. A native of Wisconsin, Angie lives in the Houston area with her husband and two cats.
Gayatri Parikh, Development Associate
Gayatri writes grants and assists with donor relations and the Celebration of Story benefit. She has a B.A. in creative writing from the University of Houston, and an M.A. in liberal arts from St. John's College in New Mexico.
Regina Vigil, Program Coordinator
Before coming to WITS, Regina worked at Lawndale Art Center, photographed day-old babies at hospitals, and helped found the undergraduate literary journal Glass Mountain at University of Houston as well as the Boldface conference for emerging writers. Currently, she sits on the Glass Mountain Board of Advisors, volunteers for Qfest, and is a co-producer for High Noon Film Lab. Her poems have appeared in Gigantic Sequins and Indiana Review.
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