Team

Sophie Allen-Etchart was born in Connecticut but raised and educated in England, receiving her B.A. in Modern Languages from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Upon graduation, Sophie joined a financial services agency specializing in board-level strategic HR consulting. In 2009, Sophie designed and executed the Private Equity Foundation / Deutsche Bank Leadership Program: a series of instructional workshops and networking events in partnership with INSEAD business school, France. After spending a year on loan to the Private Equity Foundation as a strategic HR consultant, Sophie committed to a full transition into the non-profit sector.

Sophie moved to Peru in 2010 to run the education program at SKIP, an international development organization in northern Peru. For 2 years she managed a team of 25 staff and volunteers working with 330 young people aged 3-17. The key component of the program was a comprehension curriculum designed to complement the national public schooling system. Sophie met her husband, an Arizona native, in Peru and moved to Phoenix in 2012.

Once in Phoenix, Sophie spent 2 years managing the JA BizTown® team at Junior Achievement. There, Sophie identified the need for basic reading comprehension support. The JA BizTown® program serves over 20,000 students per year, an alarming number of whom did not have the foundational reading skills needed to obtain the most value from the experience. When Arizona’s “Move On When Reading” law was announced, Sophie decided that the timing was critical to support those 3rd graders at risk of not being promoted to 4th grade because of a lack of reading proficiency.

Read Better Be Better is based on the proven SKIP model, adapted to the current environment. In 2017, Sophie was recognized as one of Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and was nominated for the Greater Phoenix Chamber’s ATHENA Award in both 2019 and 2020.

Sophie currently lives in Downtown Phoenix with her husband Andy, her son Cody, her daughter Joey, and two dogs. In her free time, Sophie enjoys volunteering with Local First AZ and SOS Arizona, as well as relaxing in the pool with a glass of wine.

Contact Me!
Email: Sophie@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6022

Suzanne is an Arizona native who grew up in Mesa. Suzanne’s passion for nonprofits began in her youth, volunteering with local organizations in Mesa. Suzanne graduated from ASU in 2002 in Recreation Management with the particular emphasis and certification in nonprofit management from the American Humanics/Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

In 2002, Suzanne began an internship at Arizona Literacy & Learning Center (ALLC). During the next 15 years at ALLC, Suzanne held a variety of leadership roles in which she gained valued nonprofit management skills in operations, grant writing, fundraising, program evaluation, data collection and much more. Suzanne is excited about the results Read Better Be Better is achieving with students throughout the community and is pleased to be involved with an organization that feeds her passion to help kids master critical reading skills.

Suzanne’s passion to ensure Arizona children acquire the reading skills they need to become successful learners and find joy in reading is derived from her own personal struggles with reading as a young child and close family members who have struggled with dyslexia.

Suzanne currently lives in Mesa, Arizona with her husband Charles, son Ryan, and a tortoise named Master Luke. Her hobbies include; photography, glass etching, and remodeling projects in her home.

Contact Me!
Email: Suzanne@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6028

Tammy Paz-Combs’ personal and professional interests of providing support to communities in order to ultimately have a positive impact on the lives of children, youth, and families aligns well with her role as Program Director with Read Better Be Better.  With over 23 years of community development and community relations experience, she brings to the organization her ability to strategically align, engage, train, and facilitate diverse groups of community members, stakeholders, and staff members.

Prior to joining RBBB, Tammy served as a substitute teacher for four years with the Washington Elementary School District primarily fulfilling several long-term assignments during each school-year including 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade, as well as middle school Language Arts and ELL.  It was during these long-term assignments that provided Tammy with insight into the teaching profession and provided her with valuable experience in the classroom and the challenges facing students to achieve academic success.

Much of Tammy’s work history was with the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families (GOCYF), having served three Governor’s between 1999-2015 while progressively taking on more responsibility. Upon her departure from the GOCYF, Tammy had been serving as the Director where she oversaw the administration of the office which provided resources, promoted citizen engagement, and led innovative projects to strengthen and empower families and communities.

Tammy is a native of Arizona growing up in Nogales and graduating from Northern Arizona University. Tammy currently lives in Phoenix with her husband Tim and their dog Yeti.  Her son Josh attends Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and is a pitcher on the baseball team.  Her hobbies include photography, crafting, and watching Hallmark movies.

Contact Me!
Tammy@readbetterbebetter.org
623-404-6026

Chelsea La Qua was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. She moved to Phoenix to attend college at The Art Institute of Phoenix, where she obtained her Bachelors in Media Arts and Animation. While her personal education did not lead to teaching, Chelsea’s administrative experience allowed her to be part of the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind, where she served as an Administrative Secretary for the Early Childhood Intervention team. Here she assisted in providing new parents with the tools needed to overcome the challenges of their child’s hearing and/or vision impairments.

It was after seeing how vital these services were to these families that she knew she wanted to be part of an organization that was creating positive change in the world. She now works as the Executive Assistant at Read Better Be Better, where she is thrilled to be a part of the amazing work that Read Better Be Better does to help Arizona children become confident readers, accomplished students, and inspired leaders. As an avid reader herself, she values the positive impact a love of reading has on the enjoyment of learning and development of skills to be successful in life.

Chelsea lives in Phoenix with her husband John and their 2 children, Michael and Olivia. She also has 2 dogs, Moses and Max, and a cat, Mushi. She spends her free time crafting and getting outdoors to hike, fish, and camp with her family.

Contact Me!
Email: Chelsea@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6020

Katie Herrick was born and raised in northern Wisconsin. Katie fell in love with reading at a young age, immersing herself in anything and everything she could read as soon as she was able. Having spent several years in university, high school, and middle school participating in programs similar to Read Better Be Better’s, Katie felt passionate about the mission and that RBBB was the perfect fit.

Katie moved to Phoenix in 2020 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communications with a BA in Strategic Communications and 4D Studio Art. During her time in Wisconsin, Katie worked for several nonprofits, largely all environmentally focused. From the very start of her career, Katie knew that the nonprofit sector was where she belonged. Katie is the current Communications Coordinator at RBBB, where she handles all internal and external communications.

Katie currently lives in downtown Phoenix with her cat Zaboomafoo. She spends her free time reading, writing, making artwork of all mediums, and thrifting.

Molly graduated from Independence High School in 2005 and worked her first job as a Page at the Glendale Public Library putting books away. She then as a Circulation Clerk, assisting patrons in all library matters. During these five years, her love of libraries and books embedded itself into all aspects of her life.

In 2012, Molly graduated from ASU with a BA in Art History and at the same time had her daughter, Ruby. She dedicated her life to raising her daughter to love books and vegetables, two habits that are still daily staples in their lives.

Molly began teaching as a long-term substitute in various public schools, an eye-opening and humbling experience that allowed her to realize the meaningful impact she can have on children, as well as the critical need public schools have. In 2017, she combined her two loves and became a school librarian at Whittier Elementary School. Molly was overjoyed at seeing hundreds of students read each day and was soon introduced to Read Better Be Better. Molly realized she could make an even bigger impact to help kids read by working as Fundraising Coordinator with the organization, and has been fulfilled by helping deliver the mission to help students improve literacy skills and become better learners ever since.

Some of Molly’s hobbies include: talking, laughing, listening, reading (inevitably), being active, and cooking.

Contact Me!
Email: Molly@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6035

Shelby is originally from Minnesota and moved to Arizona in 2016 with her now husband and two fur babies. In Minnesota she completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from the University of St. Thomas, and after discovering an interest in working with numbers and building spreadsheets, went on to earn an MBA degree in Finance from the University of Concordia.

While in college, Shelby worked with an organization that helped at-risk young adults get the training and education they may not have had access to early on in life, as well as provide the bare necessities to be successful; food, shelter, and support. Hearing the stories of the students in this organization helped her to develop a passion for working with youth, and to also understand the importance of a strong educational foundation and support system for the younger members of our society.

Once she moved to Arizona, Shelby began working with the Boys and Girls Club, which strengthened her passion to help those who need us most and continued to prove to her just how important working with children is. After another move, Shelby continued to look for a more local program that would allow her to continue to make an impact and shape the minds of our future leaders, which lead her to Read Better Be Better. At RBBB, Shelby handles all program data, the salesforce platform, and tackles any other challenges the team throws at her.

In her free time, Shelby likes to go hiking, workout, and learn different Salesforce functionalities. She travels as much as she can and her favorite trip to date has been to Ireland! Her favorite children’s book is “The Seven Silly Eaters” by Mary Ann Hoberman, which she still reads on occasion when visiting her grandma.

Contact Me!
Email: Shelby@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6033

Alex graduated from ASU in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Justice Studies and a certificate in Human Rights. She has a background in social work and has worked with youth since she was 16-years-old.

Alex loves Read Better Be Better because of the passionate team she works with and the incredible improvement she sees the students make. She loves empowering others and coming up with creative solutions to problems.

​Andrea joined Read Better Be Better in January of 2018 after learning of the amazing work Read Better Be Better was doing in the Avondale Elementary school district. She joined as a Site Leader and become a District Leader in Fall of 2019. Andrea loves RBBB because of the opportunity it gives children to reach their dreams and become whoever they want to be.

Andrea gets to see students enter the program shy and timid and grow to become confident readers and learners. Seeing the bond between third graders and middle schoolers always motivates Andrea to do her very best to help the organization in any way possible.

In her free time Andrea loves to spend time with her husband, two children, and three dogs. Cooking, painting, reading, and gardening are her favorite hobbies.

Contact Me!
Email: Andrea@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6037

Camille is native Phoenician. Her love of reading began at a young age, as she went on adventures and peered into different realities through books. While growing up, Camille volunteered at many charitable organizations in the Phoenix area. This passion, along with her love of reading, was a natural transition into the nonprofit sector and Read Better Be Better.

In 2018, Camille graduated from the University of Arizona’s College of Education with a B.S. in Literacy, Learning, and Leadership with an emphasis in community education. During her time in Tucson, she volunteered at an after-school program and other local organizations in the area.

Camille joined Read Better Be Better in January of 2019 as a Site Leader that soon blossomed into a District Leader later that year. Her favorite part of the RBBB program is Round Up. She loves to hear all the improvement and positive feedback the Leaders have for their Readers!

During her free time, Camille enjoys hiking, trying out new restaurants, and of course, reading!

Contact Me!
Email: Camille@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6047

Lisa was born in San Jose, California and moved to Phoenix in 1991. Her earliest memories of reading were the “Charlie Brown ‘Cyclopedia Set” and “The Berenstain Bears”.  At her grandparent’s house, she would read the older books that were laying around, such as “Amelia Bedelia” and “Danny the Dinosaur”.  Lisa remembers fondly when her 3^rd grade teacher read Judy Blume’s “Superfudge” aloud, as well as getting her “Sideways Stories from Wayside School” book signed by author Louis Sachar.

Lisa joined Read Better Be Better in October 2018 as a Site Leader, soon becoming an intern to expand her knowledge of the organization.  Her intern duties included: grant coordinator and grant team lead, prepping graduation and program materials for kit builds, and organizing RBBB’s materials and inventory. In the Summer of 2019, she transitioned into the District Leader role.

Lisa’s motivation comes from the work Read Better Be Better does and the people she works with. Lisa’s teammates inspire her to push her boundaries in ways she never has.  When asked why RBBB, Lisa said “I do what I do because I believe in Read Better Be Better.  I have seen firsthand how a Reader improves their comprehension skills, their confidence, and finds joy in reading.”

In Lisa’s spare time, she loves to papercraft, travel with her husband, and read while snuggling with their cats.

Contact Me!
Email: Lisa@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-404-6054

Wendy White grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and eventually wandered to the southwest to attain degrees at both the University of Arizona (BFA) and Arizona State University (MFA). After working as a reporter and editor for a number of Phoenix-area newspapers and magazines, Wendy taught writing workshops and classes through the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ Artist-in-Residence Program and Phoenix College’s Creative Writing Program. For the past 6 years she’s worked as a grant writer, and is thrilled to be part of Read Better Be Better’s grant writing team.

When she’s not writing one thing or another, Wendy can usually be found running on roads or desert trails. Her long-term goal is to complete the six world marathons—Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo—one down, five to go!

Wendy enjoys reading, drawing, and watching too much Netflix. She’s mom to two kind-hearted sons, Tucker and Harrison, and roommates with one sassy rescue Chihuahua, Spud.

Contact Me!
Email: Wendy@readbetterbebetter.org

Raymond was born and raised in Southern California, moving to Mesa, Arizona after completing four years of active duty military service. During his time within the military, Raymond was deployed twice and had the privilege of seeing multiple countries including South Korea, Poland, Germany, and many more.

Initially enlisting as a cable systems installer and maintainer, Raymond branched out within the IT field during his service. He holds three different technical certifications and specializes in network security. Raymond is Read Better Be Better’s Technical Support and Operations Specialist, overseeing the organization’s technical functions and assisting with business operations.

Raymond currently attends Arizona State University in pursuit of a BS in Information Technology. He loves all sports and spends his free time rooting for his favorite sports teams.  

Hannah is an Arizona native who grew up in Scottsdale. Hannah graduated from Whitworth University with a B.A. in Theology with an emphasis in Global Christianity and Missions. Hannah studied and worked abroad in East Africa for several months where she studied the culture, taught English as a Second Language, and became proficient in Swahili. 

Hannah has always been passionate about nonprofits and has been volunteering and interning at many across the Valley for years. Hannah joined Read Better Be Better as a Site Leader in January of 2020 and became a District Leader for community-based organizations later that year. She is passionate about Read Better Be Better because she has experienced and witnessed the impact this program has on students’ confidence and literacy and loves being a part of that journey!

Hannah’s hobbies include traveling, learning new languages, reading, and going to new local restaurants! 

Contact Me!
Email: hannah.beard@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: 623-401-2397

Troy recently relocated from Chicago, Illinois to Scottsdale, Arizona in order to be closer to family and enjoy the warmer weather. Prior to joining Read Better Be Better, Troy worked for organizations in Higher Education and an Executive Recruitment firm, as well as a short stint in Commercial Real Estate.

Troy earned a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science from Northern Illinois University as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois-Springfield where he studied in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy. Following graduation, Troy worked in Northern Illinois University’s CHANCE Program, a program that identified, recruited, admitted, and assisted students who showed promise for succeeding in college despite limited preparation and resources.
Troy became further interested in Recruiting and HR when he joined a recruiting firm in downtown Chicago and was soon promoted to Recruiter/Branch Manager where he oversaw a small team of Recruiters and ran the HR functions of his branch.

Troy lives in Scottsdale with his 3 dogs: a Westie named Parker, a soft-coated Wheaten named Penelope, and a Teacup Yorkie named Luca. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym and running outside, and within the last two years, has taken up running 5K’s and 10K’s with the hopes to one day run the Chicago Marathon.

Contact Me!
Email: Troy@readbetterbebetter.org
Direct: (602) 704-1719