Richard K. Sutz

CEO and President of The Literacy Company

Mr. Sutz, the author of Speed Reading For Dummies, has more than forty years of experience in the field of developing programs to teach enhanced reading skills. He has written a White Paper demonstrating that America's national reading curriculum has produced a nation of poor readers. Why? Because current reading instruction effectively stops after third grade when students are taught Oral Reading Skills (the Learn to Read Phase). Yet, 99.9% of all reading requires Silent Reading Skills (the critical Read to Learn phase) which are not being taught in American schools.

Mr. Sutz's breakthrough developments teach Silent Reading Fluency, which are the necessary Read To Learn skills, enabling individuals of all ages to read better and faster with improved comprehension, retention and recall. His vision for The Literacy Company is to have the world's reading curriculums expanded to mandate the teaching of Silent Reading Fluency (Read To Learn skills).

In the 1960's, he was a consultant to Evelyn Wood, founder of Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics®*. His background and experience span executive roles in both the private and public sector.

After military service he began his business career as Assistant Director for Europe and the Middle East for Grumman Aircraft where he was responsible for marketing military aircraft. Later, moving to Scottsdale, Arizona he began his entrepreneurial career focused in the field of energy-related technologies.

In the late 1970s he served as Deputy Director of the Arizona Energy Office, with joint responsibility for Arizona Energy Conservation Programs. He then joined the U.S. Department of Energy as Director of the Energy Related Inventions Program. His entrepreneurial spirit moved him again when he developed a high-performance water-pumping windmill which is unique in that it operates at low wind speeds, pumps to 4,000 feet and desalinates and purifies water. It is currently in production in China and is being marketed worldwide by a Canadian company.

As a Project Officer with the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics he invented a new valve for fighter pilot's oxygen breathing systems that prevents fatal accidents caused by hypoxia (lack of oxygen at high attitudes). He was also the Navy's Project Officer of the first American installation of the Martin-Baker rocket powered ejection seat enabling pilots to eject from the runway on landing or takeoff. For his efforts, he was awarded a Letter of Commendation from the Chief of Naval Operations.

Mr. Sutz has a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a graduate degree in International business from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland.

* Trademark owned by FPS Training Corp.

Rich L. Coppola

VP of Technology for The Literacy Company

Mr. Coppola, co-developer of The Reader's Edge® program, has more than 25 years of experience in all phases of computer software and hardware. With the Bull Corporation he consulted widely in the USA and Europe in the area of computer security, distributed computing, and the integration of proprietary and open systems.

As the Principal Staff Engineer at Bull HN in Phoenix, Arizona, he provided architectural definition and product requirements of Bull HN's High-End UNIX offerings. He was also the Senior Staff Engineer responsible for architectural and project development of the GCOS 8 Distributed Network Computing pilot project. Rich was a multi-dimensional design team whose goal was to use leading edge software, hardware, design, and physical sciences technology in the development of a new computer system. His primary responsibilities included system architecture, security definition, and central processor functional specifications. Lastly, he is the Senior Engineer and product leader for Multics Hardcore Development and System Support projects.

In 1970, Mr. Coppola received his Bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and then completed his Master's degree in Quantitative Systems Analysis from Arizona State University in 1974. He has received several engineering-related awards including: Engineering Award for Excellence (1972); Fred G. Miller Award Nominee (1978); Honeywell Technical Excellence Award (1982); and, Honeywell Sweatt Award Nominee (1982). Mr. Coppola is the recipient of numerous awards for technical excellence and is a published author of many Bull proprietary publications.

Jacqueline M. Olson

Ed.D., VP of The Literacy Company

Dr. Olson has spent the past 17 years in the field of education.

For the last five years she has been the Director for Curriculum and Assessment for Scottsdale Unified School District. Her extensive experience includes classroom teaching along with special recognition as a K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Specialist.

In addition to teaching students, her wide experience includes teaching teachers. She has taught ESL Certification for K-12 teachers. As an adjunct professor for Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University, Dr. Olson has taught graduate students how to teach children in a variety of courses.

As a recognized curriculum specialist, Dr. Olson has been retained by the Arizona Department of Education to contribute to the formation of Arizona's Academic Standards and Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) in Mathematics and Reading.

In 2004, Dr. Olson achieved her doctorate from Arizona State University. She completed some of the coursework for her doctorate at the University of London, Institute of Education. She celebrated the 4th of July in England in 2000.

Dr. Olson's dissertation, The Effect of Algebra Support on Student Achievement of Academically At-Risk High School Freshmen helped her gain greater insight into effective intervention programs.

Dr. Olson received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a focus on Reading Instruction, and her Master's degree in Elementary Education with a focus on English Language Learners.

Rick Hinds

President, Motivating Tomorrow's Minds

As President of Motivating Tomorrow's Minds (MTM), Rick has put together a highly qualified team to provide certified Test Prep Instruction in several states, including AZ Prep in Arizona.

MTM is one of the largest providers of Supplemental Education Services (SES) in Texas; SES is a major mentoring component of NCLB.

Since 1997 he has been the Managing Director for Educational Partnerships for Mentoring Tomorrow's Minds, coordinating curriculum development and clinical supervision. Rick has served as the Summer Program Coordinator for the Center for Academic Precocity at Arizona State University. There, he, designed and implemented online computer training opportunities.

Rick also assists with coordinating the Southwest Regional Talent Search and is an Executive Board member and Conference Chair for the Arizona Association of Gifted and Talented. In grades 6-12, he established a gifted program for high capability students.

Earlier in his career, Rick's experience includes serving as a Vice-Principal and Principal at middle and high school athletic director for grades 6-12. In addition to Rick's certification as a Principal, he has received academic endorsements in the fields of history and science.

Rick was active in the innovative effort to establish partnerships with local businesses and industries to support educational initiatives.

Educationally, he transitioned from a Bachelor's degree in Oceanography in 1972 to his post-graduate work earning a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction (1989).

He is currently working on a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University.

Carl G. Schneider

Major General U.S.A.F. (Retired)

In addition to his career as a US Air Force fighter pilot, General Schneider has a long history of teaching. He taught pilots air combat tactics, and effective leadership and motivation skills to military and civilian personnel on Air Forces bases and in several universities in Oklahoma. He received the nickname "Superman." Upon retirement, he founded a time management company, which was sold to the Franklin Covey organization.

Carl was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in 2009 because of his outstanding contributions in the field of aviation, and who, by their achievements, have brought special recognition to the State of Arizona. He served as Executive Office to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force of Financial Management and Commanded the 3550th Pilot Training Wing and the 314th Air Division in Korea. He retired from the Air Force in 1978 as the Chief of Staff for the Air Force Logistics Command.

In September 2007, he returned to South Korea as an Ambassador for Peace. He was one of the eight Air Force pilots who served in the Korean conflict to be honored as Ambassadors of Peace by the South Korean government. General Schneider has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Arizona State University (1964) and a Master's degree in International Relations from George Washington University.

General Schneider comes from a family of teachers, including his mother, aunts, and uncles. His daughter is currently attending Arizona State University and is completing her Master's degree in Education. He also has 2 grandchildren in Phoenix, with his grandson getting his pilot's license and his granddaughter studying English and sociology in college. His wife, Carol, is the Vice-President of a Public Relations firm. Since he was 9 years old, when he was working in the cotton fields and saw an old Air Corps aircraft doing acrobatics overhead he knew he wanted to become a pilot. He has flown over 5,000 hours in jet fighters, and over 30 different types of aircraft during his Air Force career.

Jackson "Skot" Beazley

Ed.D.

For the past fifteen years, Dr. Beazley has been a public school administrator, adjunct professor and school improvement consultant. He received a Bachelor's degree in Management Studies from University of Maryland (1990) Heidelberg, West Germany and his Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Chapman University (1993) San Diego, California. Later he attained his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University (2001).

He is now working with the Arizona Leads Foundation mentoring new principals, helping Grand Canyon University establish their Masters in Education Leadership Programs as the best in the state, working with Dr. Reason to develop the new Ed.D. in Education Leadership program and assisting the College of Education in fine tuning their BS and MS Degrees in Secondary Education.

Building better principals is his mantra. He has been involved in providing quality in-service, pre-service and school improvement training to sitting and aspiring principals for the past 10 years. While he firmly believes that a quality teacher in the classroom is critical to student achievement, having a quality principal at the helm makes the teacher's job doable.

His past leadership experiences include: Navy and National Security Agency positions to include: Special Operations Submarines; Senior Maritime Watch Officer with the National Security Agency (NSA); Naval Unit Commander Bad Aibling Germany; Signals Explotation Officer USS Independence during the 1st Gulf War. He served as the Cryptologic Readiness Officer with Commander Training in U.S. Pacific Fleet, a Naval Science Instructor at Thunderbird High School, and an Adjunct Professor at Capella University and University of Phoenix.

An interesting fact is that he likes to consider himself the poster child for free education, having received all of his post high school education from distance or alternative educational methods.

Jennifer Kearney

Executive Director, Motivating Tomorrow's Minds

Jennifer has spent her entire professional career in the education industry.

Upon graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, she spent seven years teaching high school English. Her teaching experience ranged from teaching students labeled "At Risk" to those classified as "Gifted and Talented."

Her teaching experience made her an advocate for the critical importance of teaching reading fluency. She believes that education, which must include reading instruction, equals power.

Jennifer's entrepreneurial inclinations led her to starting a private tutoring business. This evolved into a much larger business in which she sets up customized programs in schools that qualify for funding under No Child Left Behind.

She is committed to the field of teaching, embracing a wide range of students; school age, adults seeking literacy guidance or highly motivated professionals wanting to learn self-improvement skills.

As a member of the Education Industry Association, the Texas Task Force Committee for Supplemental Education Services (SES) and the president of her children's PTA, Jennifer spends an immense amount of time promoting reading fluency to all ages.

Outside of her professional career, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family: husband Mark, son Nate, and daughter Grace. She enjoys reading, exercise, and boating.

Sheryl Nielsen

Associate Director, Motivating Tomorrow's Minds

Sheryl Nielsen, a graduate of Trinity University, has spent her sixteen year career serving students in public and private education as a teacher, administrator, curriculum writer, and tutoring business owner.

Sheryl currently partners as an Associate Director of Motivating Tomorrows' Minds, customizing and managing tutoring programs in support of the federally funded No Child Left Behind. Partnered with professional colleagues aspiring to promote literacy intervention, she has authored and narrated a reading software program in support of Motivating Tomorrows' Minds Reading Curriculum.

Much of Sheryl's accomplishments are due to collaboratively conceptualizing, creating, and implementing resources to support improvement of student learning. Sheryl's professional goal is to provide the means to a strong reading and comprehensive program. Her passion and vision in education is focused on providing a high quality, challenging, and meaningful instruction that leads to profound learning.

Sheryl enjoys her time with her family; husband Mike, two daughters Niki and Kalee, and son Allyn. As a family, they have many of the same interests and savor moments shared. Sheryl enjoys taking care of her home and family, reading, walking, and time with friends.