she/her
Start Date: March 2015

Rachel leads the strategic growth, development, and implementation of the Books on Break program across North Carolina and beyond. She is the key liaison between Book Harvest, school districts, and organizations who share a dedication to sustaining students' reading skills over the summer.

Rachel brings deep understanding and experience to the complexities and opportunities of program replication in a variety of settings. At Book Harvest, she has been the chief architect of the Books on Break program, building a partnership with Durham Public Schools that has benefitted every elementary school in the system. At the same time, she launched additional Books on Break programs in the state, provided training and technical support to schools and associations interested in boosting summer learning initiatives for students, and has been a champion of innovative programming that brings access to free book hubs across community settings including laundromats, barbershops, public parks, and recreation centers.

Today, Rachel sits on national leadership groups including the Diverse Books for All Coalition - Collective Book Purchasing Workgroup and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Everyday Places & Spaces Initiative. She is among the founding members of the North Carolina Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
Before joining Book Harvest in 2015, Rachel spent nearly 20 years as an elementary school teacher, education program manager, and therapist. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology from Westmont College and Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California.