Sandra Jones, PhD
HILL Director

Sandra Jones has been a school educator for 30 years, serving as a teacher, professional development coordinator, principal, and academic dean. In addition to her operational responsibilities as Director of the HILL since 2001, Dr. Jones is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. Dr. Jones and her colleagues assist reading specialists, literacy coaches, principals, district administrators including assistant superintendents and superintendents to lead school-wide literacy initiatives throughout the nation.  Recognized for her work in the area of leading literacy change, she most recently co-authored (with colleagues Darci Burns and Catherine Pirri) "Leading Literacy Change: Strategies and Tools for Administrators, Teachers and Coaches" which was published in 2010 by Cambium Learning Sopris West. Dr. Jones and her colleagues have been invited to present at the National Reading First Conference for three successive years. Dr. Jones served as the Professional Development Coordinator for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Massachusetts Reading First Plan for six years.  She was responsible for training the statewide regional Implementation Facilitators, consulted to the Office of Reading and provided statewide professional development to the 120 Reading First and John Silber schools’ leaders. Dr. Jones was also a member of the Massachusetts Reading Leadership Team and the Statewide Adolescent Task Force. Dr. Jones has also provided professional development to New York, Arkansas and New Hampshire Reading First literacy leaders.  Before co-founding the HILL, Dr. Jones was the Academic Dean at The Carroll School, a nationally recognized school for children with language-based learning disabilities and the founding Director of The Carroll Center for Teaching and Learning in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Dr. Jones received the Partners in Excellence Award for her work at the HILL and the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Jeff R. Dieffenbach
Vice President, Product Management, for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's reading supplements and interventions portfolio group

Previously, Jeff was Vice President of Marketing and Product Management for Cambium Learning Technologies. Before that, Jeff was Director of Sales and Marketing for the literacy, math, and behavior supplements group within CLT sister company Sopris West. Prior to joining Cambium Learning, Jeff was Director of Business Development for Lexia Learning Systems and was Executive Director for the Massachusetts Partnership for Achievement in Reading, the organization that provided professional development to Reading First schools in the Commonwealth. Jeff earned a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware and dual Master’s degrees in Technology and Policy and Materials Engineering from MIT. Jeff is an elected school board member in Wayland, Massachusetts.

Krista Hanson, MSID
Founder, Hanson Initiative for Language & Literacy,
Vice President Design and Online Services, Pet Angel World Services

Krista Hanson is Pet Angel World Services’ Vice President of Design and Online Services, and is responsible for the interior design of their memorial centers, creating warm and supportive environments for pet families dealing with the loss of their pet companions. Ms. Hanson is also responsible for Pet Angel Memorials, an e-commerce site offering pet urns and other memorial items including artisan pieces that can be customized for each pet family.

Specializing in Corporate Interior Design, Ms. Hanson was the Facilities Design Director at MassMutual, as well as a partner in Spec’s Design Group in Springfield, MA. Additionally, Ms. Hanson is a co-founder and Advisory Board member for the Hanson Initiative for Language and Literacy (HILL), a Trustee of Wilbraham & Monson Academy, and is active in several other philanthropic and service organizations.

Ms. Hanson is a graduate of Western New England College, and of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she received a Masters Degree in Interior Design.

Chuck Holland, MSEE
Recent Board Chair, Hanson Initiative for Language & Literacy
Board Chair, Social Venture Partners Rhode Island

Chuck Holland is the advisory board chair of the Hanson Initiative for Language & Literacy; the board chair of Social Venture Partners Rhode Island; a Trustee of the International Yacht Restoration School, and a volunteer boat keeper at the Museum of Yachting in Newport. He is also the project champion for the Rhode Island Literacy Partnership which is demonstrating the ability to teach all of our children to read by 3rd grade. Chuck combines his 25 years of high tech business experience with 10 years of intensive non-profit work to deliver imaginative strategic thinking for the emerging field of social enterprise.

Kevin P. Kearns, PhD
Associate Vice President, Graduate Studies and Research;
Professor, Communication Disorders and Sciences, SUNY Fredonia

Kevin P. Kearns is the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research and Professor of Communication Disorders and Sciences at SUNY Fredonia. He currently oversees the offices of graduate studies, institutional research, sponsored research and, the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator. He is an ASHA Fellow and a former member of the ASHA Publications Board. He has published numerous articles and chapters in the area of neurogenic communication disorders, research design and clinical outcomes.  Kearns is Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate for the Children’s Hospital of Boston Autism Language Program. He serves as an editorial reviewer for numerous professional journals including Aphasiology and, Evidence-based Communication Assessment and Intervention (EBCAI).

Louisa Moats, EdD
Moats Associates Consulting, Inc.

Dr. Moats has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. She began her professional career as a neuropsychology technician and teacher of students with learning disabilities. She earned her Master’s degree at Peabody College of Vanderbilt and her doctorate in Reading and Human Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Moats spent four years as site director of the NICHD Early Interventions Project in Washington, DC.  This longitudinal, large-scale project was conducted through the University of Texas, Houston under the direction of Barbara Foorman. It investigated the causes and remedies for reading failure in high-poverty urban schools.  Dr. Moats spent the previous fifteen years in private practice as a licensed psychologist in Vermont, specializing in evaluation and consultation with individuals of all ages who experienced learning problems in reading and language.

In addition to LETRS, Dr. Moats’ books include Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers (Brookes Publishing); Spelling: Development, Disability, and Instruction (York Press); Straight Talk About Reading (with Susan Hall, Contemporary Books), and Basic Facts About Dyslexia (with Karen Dakin, International Dyslexia Association).  She is well known for authoring the American Federation of Teachers’ “Teaching Reading is Rocket Science.”

Dr. Moats is currently Consultant Advisor to Sopris West Educational Services for Literacy Research and Professional Development.  She is focusing on the improvement of teacher preparation and professional development. She is Vice President of the International Dyslexia Association.

Ann Noble Kiley, EdM
Philanthropy Consultant

Ann holds a B.A. from Harvard College, an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education as well as an M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.  After a number of years working in the private sector, Ann taught history to at-risk high school students at Newton North High School.  From there, Ann became the director of Tech Prep, running a school-to-work program designed to link high school studies with a two year associates degree.  Ann also wrote an evaluation on school to work programs across the state.

After receiving her MPA, Ann became Associate Director and then Executive Director of Boston Partners in Education, a private, nonprofit dedicated to serving Boston Public Schools’ students through mentoring and tutoring programs, mostly centered around reading.  Under Ann’s leadership, the organization grew, the budget tripled, and the breadth of programming expanded to include more reading and math.  When Ann left Boston Partners in Education, they had added more services to meet the needs of K-12 students, focusing on MCAS and other academic expectations. Ann’s experience includes 15+ years of service and dedication to non-profit organizations and Boards working on behalf of populations with barriers to self-sufficiency and/or learning disabilities.

John S. Ross, MBA
President, Dual, Inc.

Doug Sears, PhD
Associate Provost, Boston University

Douglas Sears is Associate Provost and Assistant to the President for Outreach and Special Initiatives at Boston University, overseeing the variety of University initiatives and projects. In July of 2008 he was named Director of the Division of Military Education, the unit at Boston University that provides academic oversight and administrative support for the Reserve Officer Training Corps program.  Boston University hosts all three branches of the United States armed forces.

Dr. Sears recently chaired the university-wide re-accreditation steering committee and, in the 2006-2007 academic year, chaired the University’s first strategic planning initiative, which resulted in a ten-year strategic plan for the University.

Dr. Sears came to Boston University in 1988 and served as chair of the Management Team of the BU/Chelsea Public Schools Partnership, among other responsibilities.  He was appointed superintendent of the Chelsea Public Schools in 1995. During his tenure as superintendent, the Chelsea school district made substantial improvements in academic achievement and student attendance, and also reestablished art and music programs. Upon his return to the University in 2001, he served for five years as dean of the School of Education and exercised oversight for the BU/Chelsea Partnership through June 2008, when the Partnership concluded

Before coming to Boston University, Dr. Sears served as an American diplomat in the U.S. embassies in Switzerland and the Philippines, earning tenure and the Department of State’s Meritorious Honor Award.  He is currently a board member of the American-Swiss Foundation and the Hanson Initiative for Language and Literacy.  In May 2009 Dr. Sears was awarded the Stratton Prize for Intercultural Achievement, in recognition of his work in American-Swiss relations as well as his contributions to education reform.  Dr. Sears holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University, M.A. in Government from Lehigh University, and a B.A. in History from Bates College.

Ronald P. Weiss, Esq.
Partner, Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP

Ron Weiss is a lawyer whose practice is focused in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, general corporate and business matters, taxation, and estate planning for professionals and owners of closely-held businesses.  He has represented private and publicly-held corporations and private equity funds as lead counsel in more than 400 stock and asset transactions, many involving consolidations in various industries. His closely-held business clients include professional and business corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies. He provides to these clients strategic advice and counsel with respect to a variety of matters, including structure, governance, financing and taxation.

Mr. Weiss graduated from Dartmouth College in 1968 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1972. He has served as Chairman of the Taxation Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association, on the Councils of the Business and Probate Law Sections of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and as a member of the MBA Board of Delegates and Executive Committee. He has also served as a Trustee of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. and as a member of its Curriculum Committee. In the community, Mr. Weiss has served as a member and Chairman of the Appropriations Committee for the Town of Longmeadow. He serves as general counsel for the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and as general counsel for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, where he has also served as President and Chairman and continues to serve on its Executive Board. He is a founder and member of the Board of Advisors of the University of Massachusetts Family Business Center.  He is also actively involved as volunteer for Dartmouth College and as a board member and volunteer for several other non-profit organizations. Mr. Weiss regularly writes articles on business and tax planning issues. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in American Law.  Mr. Weiss was named one of the “Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers” in the November 2004 issue of Boston Magazine.

Maryanne Wolf, EdD
John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service
Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development
Director, Center for Reading and Language Research, Tufts University

Maryanne Wolf is the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service, Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research, and Professor in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University.  She received her doctorate from Harvard University, where she began her work on the neurological underpinnings of reading, language, and dyslexia.  Among her awards for teaching and research are the Distinguished Professor of the Year award from the Massachusetts Psychological Association, the Teaching Excellence Award from the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Researcher Award from Tufts University, a Fulbright Research Fellowship award for research on dyslexia in Germany,  the  Norman Geschwind Lecture Award from the International Dyslexia Association for neuroscience research in dyslexia, and the Alice Ansara Award for work in dyslexia.  Along with colleagues Dr. Robin Morris, and Dr. Maureen Lovett, Prof. Wolf was awarded the  NICHD Shannon Award for Innovative Research and several multi-year NICHD grants to investigate new approaches to reading intervention, including the RAVE-O reading intervention program, created by Prof. Wolf and members of the Center.

The author of numerous scientific publications, Wolf recently completed a book for the general public, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, published by Harper-Collins in the United States, by Icon Books in England, and now translated into ten languages and audio version. Described as one of the Best Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and an Acclaimed Book of the Year by US News and World Report, Proust and the Squid   received the Marek Award from the New York International Dyslexia Association for the best book of the year on reading.

Wolf’s recent research interests include reading intervention, early prediction, fluency and naming speed,  cross-linguistic studies of reading, the relationship between entrepreneurial talents and dyslexia, and the uses of brain imaging in understanding dyslexia and treatment changes.