ATLANTA, GA, January 9, 2012  −  Literacy Action, Inc. (LAI), today announced that James O. Rodgers has been named interim CEO, effective January 3.

LAI is the largest community-based nonprofit in Georgia that provides free classroom instruction and job-readiness services for adults with low literacy skills. 

“We are delighted to have Jim lead LAI into its next stage of development,” said David Peterson, chairman of LAI's board of trustees. “Jim has been instrumental in leading our planning process over the past several years and is a strong builder of coalitions and partnerships, which will be critical elements of success in LAI's continued growth and evolution.”

Rodgers is a former BellSouth executive with 24 years of experience as a certified management consultant specializing in human capital management. He also has a long history of actively serving his community. Rodgers is a current member of LAI's Board of Trustees and is the chairman of the steering committee for the Literacy Alliance of Metro Atlanta (LAMA). He has also served on several local nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity and the Atlanta Symphony.

“I strongly believe in the literacy movement taking place in metro Atlanta and I am excited about the opportunity to lead LAI at a time when the value of adult basic education is becoming an even more vital component of the literacy equation," said Rodgers. Rodgers will fill the role most recently held by LAI President and CEO Karen Elaine Webster Parks, who has resigned from her post.  

“Karen brought leadership energy and many new ideas to LAI, and we know she will continue to be a positive force for literacy in our community and in our state,” said Peterson.  Under Webster Parks' leadership, LAI made significant and continued progress against the organization's mission, including growing the number of students served by nearly 20%, raising awareness of adult literacy needs in the Atlanta community, increasing the branding of LAI and refining the long-term strategic planning process that is critical to LAI's ongoing mission and service delivery.

Webster Parks commented, “I am thankful for the opportunity to have served LAI.  Although we accomplished quite a bit during my tenure as CEO, the ultimate goal is to eradicate the need for services LAI provides, so there is still much work to be done."

In 2012, LAI will continue to focus on developing creative ways to more effectively and efficiently extend the organization's reach and provide a richer service delivery. For example, LAI's involvement and collaboration with LAMA has led to approximately 40 organizations working together today to raise awareness and funds for adult and family literacy programs.

Adult literacy is a pervasive problem in Georgia. Nearly 1.7 million Georgian adults, nearly 900,000 in the metro Atlanta area, lack the basic reading, writing, or math skills to apply for college or technical career training, to fill out a job application or read medication labels. Low literacy levels among adults often lead to crime, hardcore poverty, accidents and deaths, and drains on the tax base and local economics.  Without an educated workforce, Georgia cannot attract and keep businesses, and without literate parents, each subsequent generation of children is at risk for high drop-out rates and dead-end jobs.  

About Literacy Action, Inc.

Literacy Action, Inc. (LAI) has been providing adult literacy instruction since 1968. In addition to basic and advanced reading programs, the agency also provides classes in math, computer, financial, health and family literacy and GED test preparation. The organization currently receives no federal or state funding.  More information is available at www.literacyaction.org