BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(Left to right: Chris Kanazawa, Charman Akina, Jed Gaines, Jim Harstad, Natalie Mun-Takata, and Lyla Berg)

Jed Gaines, Founder and President: Jed Gaines founded Read Aloud America in 1995, in effort to bring the pleasure of reading to all families. Under his leadership, RAA and the Read Aloud Program have reached over 150,000 people in homes across the state. Jed also serves as a Presenter and the Marketing & Training Director for RAA.

Jim Harstad, Vice President: Jim Harstad is the former English Chair at the University Laboratory School. He created the "Golden Triangle," a reading/writing strategy that incorporates reading aloud with journal free writing and vocabulary development.

Natalie Mun-Takata, Secretary: Natalie Mun-Takata has been the Principal at Kalihi Elementary School for the last five years. She leads Kalihi Elementary with a goal "to provide world-class education for all students."

Charman Akina, Treasurer: Charman Akina, M.D., is a retired internist. He formerly worked with the Honolulu Medical Group and the Waimanalo Health Center.

Lyla Berg, Director: Lyla Berg, PhD., has served Hawaii's Department of Education for over 15 years. She was a teacher, vice princpial, and principal, and held numerous other positions. She is now a Representative in Hawaii's State Congress. Lyla also serves as a Presenter for RAA.

Chris Kanazawa, Director: Chris Kanazawa was the former President and the CEO of Parker Ranch on the Big Island. He received his MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business. He has served in numerous community organizations and works to bridge gaps between community and business interests.

Jim Trelease, Director: (not pictured) Jim Trelease's The Read Aloud Handbook inspired Jed Gaines to build families of lifetime readers. Having sold over two million copies of his book, Jim was one of the most soughtafter speakers for educational issues. He retired in 2008 and resides in Massachusetts.

E-mail us: read@readaloudamerica.org