Team

Sophie Etchart

Founder & CEO
Governing Board Member, Read Better Be Better

Sophie Etchart was born in Connecticut, but raised and educated in England. She studied Spanish, French and German at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. As part of her degree, Sophie spent her third year of University living and working in Belgium and Spain.

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. This program received a commendation during a site visit by professional contacts at the Bill Gates foundation.

Sophie met her husband, an Arizona native, in Peru and moved to Phoenix in 2012. She spent 2 years managing the JA BizTown® team at Junior Achievement. Upon her departure, each member of her team had delivered “outstanding” performance according to standardized quantitative KPI assessments.

Sophie had identified the need for basic reading comprehension support during her 2 years at Junior Achievement. The JA BizTown® program serves over 20,000 students per year; an alarming number of whom had neither the focus nor the foundational skills to obtain the most value from the experience. When the “Move On When Reading” law was announced, she decided that the timing was critical to support those 3rd graders at risk of being kept behind. Read Better Be Better is based on the proven SKIP model and adapted to the current environment.

In 2017, Sophie was recognized as one of Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 younger business leaders making an impact in the Phoenix area.

She lives in the Coronado District of Downtown Phoenix with her husband Andy, her son Cody and two dogs.

Artem Tretiakov

Finance Coordinator, Read Better Be Better
Audit Associate, BDO USA LLP

Artem Tretiakov is an auditor at BDO USA LLP. After graduating from university in Ukraine, he moved to Phoenix to discover the United States and once again pursue an accounting major at Grand Canyon University.

As he is advancing in his career, he now helps RBBB to address accounting and financial questions.

Suzanne Brimley

Operations Manager

Suzanne is an Arizona native who grew up in Mesa and her passion for nonprofits grew out of volunteering as a youth. 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) and during the 15 years at ALLC, she 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 lives in Mesa, Arizona with her husband Charles and son Ryan and a tortoise named Master Luke. Her hobbies include; photography, glass etching, and remodeling projects in her home.

Kelsey Pinckney

Program Coordinator

Kelsey Pinckney was born and raised in southern California. She moved to Phoenix in 2013, where she has had the opportunity to be a part of the community in many different ways. She is the Assistant Director of Four Chambers Press – a phoenix-based community literary magazine and small press whose mission is to give greater visibility to the literary arts and encourage their larger participation in the culture scene. Her role in the literary community in Phoenix has fed and intensified her love for writing, reading, and the huge role that literacy plays in human relationships and society in general.

Kelsey has worked with youth in schools, after-school programs, and church groups since 2011, and believes it is the most important work she will ever do. She is currently attending Arizona State University for her BSW (Bachelors in Social Work), and lives in downtown Phoenix with her cat, Truman (Capote).

Amy Lohman

Program Coordinator

Amy Lohman was born and raised in Iowa. She attended St. Ambrose University to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She also attended Saint Xavier University to obtain her Master’s Degree in Teaching and Leadership. Education and student learning has always been Amy’s passion. Amy has taught for 7 years as a Reading Specialist and also taught English to students in China. Amy has been a Literacy consultant for two publishing companies where she trained and coached teachers on reading curriculum. Amy is thrilled to join the Read Better, Be Better team to continue to help students improve their reading skills. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé (Corey,) dog (Trigger,) and cat (Kink.) She also enjoys learning, a good hiking adventure, time with friends, and staying active.

Chelsea La Qua

Executive Assistant

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 just how vital these services were to these families that she knew she wanted to be part of an organization that would make a change for the better in her community. 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 Arizonan children become confident readers and more accomplished students. 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 son Michael. She also has 2 dogs, Moses and Max, and a cat, Mushi. She spends her free time working on artwork, learning new crafts, home improvement projects, or spending time outdoors hiking, fishing and camping.

Brooke Bundrick

Brooke Bundrick was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She is attending Arizona State University to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. Brooke currently works at Read Better Be Better as an Executive Assistant. Brooke is passionate about both mathematics and English loves working with children and hopes to use her knowledge to teach in public schools in the years to come. In her free time, you can find Brooke spending time with her son, working on art, or reading!

Samantha DeRose

Social Media Coordinator, Read Better Be Better
PR Associate, McRae Agency

Samantha DeRose was born in Illinois and raised in Arizona. She graduated from Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business with a degree in Business Communication and a minor in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. Samantha currently works for The McRae Agency as a PR Associate and helps manage Read Better Be Better’s social media. She was recently awarded by The Arizona Republic as one of 23 young communications professionals helping Arizona find its voice. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and of course reading!

Tamara Tirado

Social Media Coordinator, Read Better Be Better
School Media Specialist, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School

Shannon Willoby

Blog Writer

Shannon was born and raised in Arizona (it’s not as rare as you think) and has a BA in English Literature from Arizona State University. She loves reading, writing short stories, animals of all kinds, brunching with friends, and traveling.

Payton Montgomery

District Leader

Payton has a passion for teaching and learning! Originally from Oregon, Payton has traveled a lot, meeting new people along the way. Encouraging and being around kids has always been one of the joys in her life and why she has recently completed her degree in education at Grand Canyon University. Payton graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English for Secondary Education.

Kassandra Viers

District Leader

Kassie is from Denison, Texas and moved out to Tempe to live with sister and explore new opportunities. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of Rochester and a MA in applied anthropology from the University of Montana, focusing on inequalities in the healthcare system and social suffering. Hopefully she will end up as a professor working on ways to solve those problems. In her spare time, Kassie loves to travel, read, and snuggle cats.

Mandy Christiansen

Site Leader

Mandy is originally from Oregon. Currently, she is studying Elementary Education with an emphasis in English as a Second Language at Grand Canyon University. She has always had a passion for teaching children. She plans on becoming a first grade teacher. In her spare time, she loves reading and hanging out with friends.

Espen Christofferson

Site Leader

Espen Christoffersen grew up in San Diego, California. After graduating high school he spent two years in a mountain town of Norway studying art and working as a teachers assistant. Espen assisted his professor with updating the curriculum, teaching art classes, and teaching electives. He is a sophomore at ASU studying environmental design. Espen enjoys rowing at Tempe Town Lake, and exploring the state of Arizona.

Venecia Dunlap

Site Leader

Venecia is originally from Southern California. She has been in Arizona for almost three years and loves it here and now resides in Arcadia. Venecia received a Bachelor’s from University of Phoenix online in Human Services with a concentration in Management this past March and looks forward to gaining experience with Read Better Be Better and being a part of such an important mission. She currently also works full time as a Family Support Specialist in Behavioral Health. Venecia enjoys both jobs and feels she is taking some steps in the right direction, as it is a joy and an honor to work with children! Venecia is also in the process of completing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. In her spare time Venecia enjoys reading novels and travelling to California as much as possible throughout the year. She also plays the flute for fun and hopes to play somewhat professionally someday.

Darby Dunlop

Site Leader

Darby Dunlop was born in Seattle and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a sophomore at Arizona State University currently studying English Literature, and hopes to one day go to law school and continue work with underprivileged populations.

Along with Read Better Be Better, she currently volunteers as a reporter for the the State Press newspaper, as well as an organization committed to prison education. In her free time, she rides horses as a member of the Arizona State Equestrian team and loves spending time with friends and family.

Cindy Hernandez

Site Leader

Cindy Hernandez was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She currently attends Arizona State University, majoring in Community Sports Management. From a young age, she found an interest in staying active by joining sports and her high school cheer team. She now looks forward to finding different ways to keep the community youth healthy and active.

Before joining RBBB, Cindy used to tutor students at her former high school. During her free time, she likes to go swimming and hang out with her friends.

Keri Kramer

Site Leader

Keri was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the oldest of two other siblings and four step siblings. They all resign still in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Keri moved to the valley September of 2015. In her spare time you can catch Keri either working full time at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Phoenix, or exploring the city of Phoenix! Keri is very excited to have joined the team of Read Better Be Better in hopes to pursue a career in elementary teaching in the future.

Patricia Kaminsky

Site Leader

Pat is a native New Yorker. She and her husband recently moved to Scottsdale, AZ to enjoy the sunshine and live close to their two daughters and two grandchildren in California. Pat’s last position was with “Everybody Wins”, NYC, a non-profit where employees from a variety of universities and corporations volunteer to work with elementary school students on their reading and life skills. Besides working with children, Pat enjoys reading crime novels, going to the movies with her husband, and most of all spending time with her children and grand children.

Amanda Melcher

Site Leader

Amanda Melcher is a native Arizonan and general gal about Downtown. As an enthusiastic student of the world – and, specifically, ASU – Amanda has a passion for learning through shared experiences and, of course, reading.

Amanda connected with RBBB Program Coordinator Kelsey Pinckney at the First Draft Book Bar at Changing Hands Bookstore, where they served as part of the inaugural bar staff. There, Amanda discovered her love of being part of organizations that care as much about uplifting their community as they do about their bottom line. This value her driven her to seek meaningful, engaging work in both the service industry and the non-profit sector.

This is Amanda’s first semester with RBBB, and she is excited to be a substitute in classrooms around the Valley as needed.

Ruquiayah Muhammad

Site Leader

Ruquiayah was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She moved to Arizona and settled in the City of Surprise. she is currently pursuing her Bachelors in Social Work at Grand Canyon University, which She plans to utilize her degree with community outreach programs for at-risk youth, and have a career working with foster/adoption care agencies. She always had a passion for children in helping with their education. In her spare time, she enjoys reading a good novel. She also enjoys tutoring third graders to help with reading comprehension and fluency.

Alex Ozers

Site Leader

Alex is an ASU alumni with a degree in Fine Arts. He enjoys school and books and information because the written word is the most precise version of our best collective thoughts, and so, naturally, he would like to help the next generation also enjoy school and books and information.

In his spare time, he likes eating unhealthy fast food, riding the bus, and making his dog wear hats.

Nick Pederson

Site Leader

Nick Pederson is from Peoria, Arizona where he grew up until moving to Tempe for college. He has always enjoyed being active in sports teams and clubs. He currently attends Arizona State University studying Biomedical Engineering. Nick is leads the ASU Rowing team as President of the Club. As he practices every morning at 5am, he can’t wait for the next competition.

Nick grew up with both of his parents as teachers in the public education system, which is how he developed such a deep respect for our public schools. He is excited to be a part of the Read Better Be Better team and help make a difference in children’s lives.

Brandi Stewart

Site Leader

Brandi Stewart is the Children’s Book Buyer and Event Coordinator for Changing Hands Bookstore. She enjoys reading and buying books for the Children’s and Young Adult sections. She especially loves matching young readers with books they will love.

Melinda Turner

Site Leader

Sue Etchart

Substitute Site Leader

Sue Etchart was born in Chicago, Illinois, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and attended Ferris State College in Big Rapids, Michigan. She has lived in AZ for the past 31 years. She and her husband have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Sue has been involved in many charity organizations over the past 25 years. She was a volunteer in her children’s schools for more than 15 years as well as a member of the PTA and PAC boards.

Sue has always enjoyed working with children and finds it particularly rewarding helping them reach their goals and discover the joys of reading. When not working for RBBB, Sue enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and of course reading!

Kendra Smiley

Substitute Site Leader, Read Better Be Better
Literacy Program Manager, Southwest Human Development

Kendra Smiley is the Senior Literacy Program Manager for Raising a Reader and Reach Out and Read at Southwest Human Development. She earned her Masters of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix, and brings 13 years of first-hand experience working with children and families to her current position. Her experience includes teaching three and four year olds at Christ Church School for two years as well as teaching children ages four to five at All Saints’ Episcopal Day School. She also has experience as a Quality First Assessor. In this role, Kendra conducted ECERS (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale), ITERS (Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale), and CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scale) assessments in early child care settings throughout Arizona, providing unbiased feedback to improve the quality of services for children in child care. In addition, Kendra has been providing language and literacy professional development workshops for child care teachers and directors for the last four years. Currently, she is also an online instructor at ASU in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.

Rebecca Gray

Intern, Read Better Be Better

Born in scenic Sedona Arizona, Rebecca Gray was fortunate enough to have a few really wonderful educators in her Grade School education that instilled the joys of reading and a love for learning early on. She is now earning her Undergraduate Degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences at ASU in order to fulfill her goal to become a Speech Language Pathologist. She is passionate about the field because it will allow her to be able to help children gain the skills and confidence to communicate and learn to their fullest potential. Rebecca has been a volunteer with RBBB since October 2017 and could not love it more!

Paul Morrison

Grant Writing Intern, Read Better Be Better
Education Mentor, ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teacher's College

Paul was born and raised in Phoenix. He currently attends Arizona State University, where he is majoring in secondary education with a focus in chemistry, and hopes to one day teach high school chemistry in Phoenix. He is also an Education Mentor for the Teachers College, where he helps new freshmen transition into a university setting, and is involved with the Teachers College Council. Paul started with Read Better Be Better in January of 2017, and has helped in many areas, from data entry to packing program carts, and focuses mainly on writing grant applications.

Growing up, he was involved in Boy Scouts, where he discovered his love for hiking and backpacking. He also volunteered a lot of time at his church, both in the choir and working with children. In his free time, Paul likes to read, hike, play guitar, and try new things, like writing and art.