Project Director: Ruth Ann Ball

Ruth Ann serves as the Project Director providing oversight to all aspects of the project.  Her educational background includes doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota and the University of Oklahoma, M.S. degree from Texas Woman’s University and B.S. degree from Oklahoma State University.  Ruth Ann has extensive experience teaching young children in literacy rich environments, serving as a director of a child development laboratory center, teaching at the two year college and four year university levels, coordinating the development of a early care and education career development system in Oklahoma, supporting families, leadership within early childhood organizations, several publications, and administering federal and state grants.

 Susan Kimmel

Now serves as Project Director of Sooner Talk, an Early Reading First Grant and can be reach at the same phone number and e-mail address  

Susan serves as the instructor for the Literacy and Leadership in Early Childhood course. As Assistant Project Director for the grant, Susan provides oversight for the day-to-day activities of the project including training and support for the Early Literacy Mentors.  Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University in Illinois and B.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Columbus State University in Georgia.  Susan has experience with teaching in public school kindergarten and serving as a Training and Curriculum Specialist with the U.S. Army’s Child Development Services.

Secretary: Sandra Holland 

STEERING COMMITTEE

The Steering Committee includes Ruth Ann Ball, Project Director  Center for Early Childhood Professional Development, College of Continuing Education, Belinda Biscoe, Research Consultant, Public and Community Service, College of Continuing Education, Loraine Dunn, Evaluation Coordinator and Sara (Sally) Beach Early Literacy Instruction Coordinator, College of Education.

The steering committee provides oversight for all aspects of the project, holding monthly meetings to ensure successful implementation.

LITERACY CONSORTIUM

The Literacy Consortium is made up of stakeholders representative of resource and referral agencies, State Department of Education – early childhood and family literacy, Head Start, Child Care, library and literacy programs, tribal child care and Head Start programs, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, state legislators and Region VII Comprehensive Center staff.  The Consortium meets quarterly to give input to the activities provided within the grant.  Communication via email and a list serve inform the consortium members.  Members of the Consortium also helped identify participants for the classes from each of the service areas and building strategies for an early childhood/ public school infrastructure.