The Literacy Campaign has new chief -- my old boss

Joe Livernois, former editor for The Monterey County Herald and funny man, was just named interim executive director for the the Literacy Campaign for Monterey County. Which means I'll get to be his boss now!

I'm excited. As a reporter, columnist, editor and writer, Joe knows the importance of literacy to change people's lives, so he'll be great for the organization. In a press release, he said "As a journalist and writer, my advocacy for literacy might be considered a rather selfish venture. But, at its core, the mission of journalism is to educate readers to both the realities and the magic of our world. Literacy and an enthusiasm for reading are significant tools that empower citizens to function in society."

We've been doing great work at the Literacy Campaign. Just last week, we hosted about 40 families for an all-day conference to empower parents to be more engaged in their children's education. Although the organization's mission is to serve as a catalyst among literacy providers throughout Monterey County, it's events such as the parent's conference that remind us why we need to continue doing our work.

With so many stories lately about the challenges  Monterey County children face to improve their educational attainment, everything we all do to encourage more reading helps. What we're doing at the Literacy Campaign is giving families and literacy providers the tools they need to be inspired to read more, learn more, become better prepared academically, for the sake of their families.

Welcome a board, Joe!