Staff
Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker
Executive Director
Kathryn Bauchelle
Communications & Training Specialist
Kathryn Bauchelle has spent her whole working life connected to education and training. Beginning her career as an educator in languages and literacy in Sydney, Australia, she took her first non-profit job after moving to London, UK. Her work at the Jubilee Debt Campaign (now Debt Justice), an international social justice NGO, sparked her interest in non-profit work and first exposed her to the power of good story-telling and communications.
After moving to Houston, TX in 2008, Kathryn volunteered as an ESL tutor at Literacy Advance of Houston, then joined the staff, holding roles over the next decade in volunteer management, program direction, fund development, grant writing, program evaluation, communications, training, and marketing. She helped guide Literacy Advance toward a successful merger with Memorial Assistance Ministries in 2018, and since 2019 has worked as a consultant.
Kathryn is an independent consultant working with Literacy Texas on a part-time basis, focusing on the annual conference, regional symposia and other training events; CQI and data management; and strategic planning; along with newsletter, social media, website, and all things communications. In her other work, she focuses on training design and development, technical writing, plain language, and copy-editing (among other topics!).
Lindsay Robbins
Administrative Manager
Lindsay Robbins has an accounting and finance background and joined Literacy Texas as Administrative Manager in September 2023. She has spent the last 4 years as President of the Friends of the Sachse Public Library, helping to fundraise and support the library and all their programs. She also homeschools her children and teaches in their local co-op.
Lindsay is excited to be part of Literacy Texas and give support in providing resources and education to Adult and Family Literacy programs around the state.
Board of Directors
Fran-Victoria Stephens served the United States House of Representatives Committee of Education and Labor as the Staff Attorney and later worked at one of the nation’s highest poverty school districts before becoming the founder and president of Story Square, Inc. Story Square is an evidence-based education social enterprise. The social enterprise places families centerstage in how we think about solving education’s most difficult issues. It keenly designs spaces that galvanize families’ catalytic power to convert literacy to freedom.
As president of Story Square, she leads the organizational effort to stimulate parent-child educational interactions rooted in literacy.After the pandemic, when she witnessed firsthand how parents faced the daunting task of serving as their children’s primary resource for education, she decided parents needed to experience the mission and spirit of Story Square on a larger stage. So, in 2022 she expanded the organization’s work and began Story Square’s Lit with Families Texas Family Literacy Festival, which takes place annually at downtown Houston’s Discovery Green.
Fran-Victoria is an impact addict and intrigued with the impact today’s small actions have on enduring change for our future. She is an avid researcher, writer, civil rights and education advocate, lecturer, and a self-proclaimed neoteric. She believes the purpose of her work and leadership is to widen our imaginative capacity to excavate uncharted pathways that lead to a collective, interdependent freedom.
VICE PRESIDENT
Leticia Spillane
Leti Rios Spillane is an accomplished educator and advocate for children with dyslexia. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Texas and a Master of Science in Special Education and Reading from Texas A&M International University.
Leti’s journey into dyslexia education began when her son started elementary school and exhibited signs of reading difficulties. Determined to support him, she became a certified Dyslexia Specialist and has since dedicated her career to empowering children with dyslexia.
On December 31, 2024, Leti retired from Laredo College, where she served as an Associate Professor of Government, to focus her efforts on two meaningful endeavors: directing Literacy Volunteers of Laredo, a nonprofit organization, and running My Dyslexia Coach, a tutoring center for children with dyslexia.
A former Ironman triathlete, Leti brings the same determination to her work that she once brought to her athletic pursuits. She is also the proud mother of two rescued dogs and four rescued cats, reflecting her deep compassion for others—whether human or animal.
Through her work with Literacy Volunteers of Laredo and My Dyslexia Coach, Leti continues to inspire hope and create meaningful change for families and individuals navigating literacy challenges.
TREASURER
Kay Carroll
Kay has 30 years of experience in the banking industry. She is known for developing and cultivating relationships with city, county and community leaders/staff and nonprofits through partnering, originating, and supporting Community Development Lending, Investment and Service – via lending, grants, investments, financial education, technical trainings and board/committee memberships.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Business with a minor in Real Estate from Texas A&M Commerce. Currently serving: Texas Association of Community Development Corporation Advisory Roundtable Board, Literacy Texas Board of Directors (Treasurer), United Way of Metropolitan Dallas – Financial Inclusion Roundtable (Affordable Housing Chair), and North Texas Regional Housing Consortium Board of Directors. Kay and her husband Mark reside in Combine, Texas close to Dallas.
SECRETARY
Gina Franke
Gina Franke was born in Orange, Texas but spent most of her “raising years” in Lake Charles, LA. Her parents both had strong Texas roots and wanted to make sure that, while their work had taken them to Louisiana, that they were true to their deep Texas roots by making sure Gina and her sister were born Texans.
Gina attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles and got a degree, with honors, from Howard College in San Angelo, Texas. She has been blessed with a varied career which took her from working at the Texas Medical Assn to counseling at the Austin Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program in Austin as well as counseling inmates at the IPTC Prison in Kyle, Texas.
She loves being civically involved, as illustrated by her having served on the Johnson City, Texas Independent School Board as well as chairperson for the Hays CISD District Leadership Team in Buda, Texas.
Gina understands and has a passion for the importance of literacy through her experiences in educational involvement as well as the knowledge gained through her work in both counseling and the criminal justice system.
MEMBERS
Steve served as President – Verizon Communications Southwest Region. In this capacity, he was responsible for the Verizon Foundation donations in his states. At the time, adult literacy was the number one priority for the Foundation. This helped Steve come to deeply appreciate the very difficult challenge of addressing low literacy rates across the USA.
After retirement, he was given the opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of Literacy Texas, starting in December of 2019. When the COVID pandemic hit, Literacy Texas was one of the first organizations to turn entirely to virtual symposia and annual conferences. This created new ways to reach nonprofit programs in need of adult literacy training.
Steve retired from the Literacy Texas Executive Director position in March of 2024. He is pleased to be supporting the mission of Literacy Texas in the new capacity of member of the Board.
Dr. Kelly Coke has extensive experience in higher education and government, currently serving as Provost at a technical college. She has previously held roles as a faculty member, faculty chair, Vice President of Student Success, Senior Director of Workforce Policy, Off-Campus Program Director, East Texas Deputy Regional Director for the United States Senate, and Intern for Former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush at The White House. Dr. Coke’s career spans a university, community college, state agency, and technical college, reinforcing her commitment to removing barriers for students seeking degree or certificate completion in urban and rural communities. She is also a published scholarly author.
A sixth-generation Texan from Titus County, Dr. Coke values her family’s deep roots in ranching, farming, and education. She strives to create educational pathways that align with workforce needs, ensuring a supportive environment for diverse learners and empowering others with the belief that knowledge is power. Dr. Coke is a proud graduate of Leadership Austin Essential, Texas Women Leadership, and Leadership Mount Pleasant, and she is the recipient of the 12 Under 12 Young Alumni Award from her undergraduate alma mater, Texas A&M University.
Magda Salazar
Magda Salazar is a product management, journalism and communications, and event management professional with career experiences working for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Israel Ministry of Tourism, NBA All-Star Jam Session, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Currently, she is serving as president of Hispanic Communicators DFW, a chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Magda’s passion for literacy efforts is a result of her own experience growing up along the Texas border in El Paso and access to programs that supported reading development. Magda is a product of the Head Start program, and in school, she competed in poetry, prose, and debate.
For Magda, collaborating on literacy efforts is fundamental to improving access and creating opportunities for communities of color and underrepresented communities.
Dr. Kevin Thompson
Dr. Kevin Thompson is a knowledge broker and staunch advocate for strategic social improvement who’s passionate about helping individuals and organizations (within the public and private sectors) find their true North. He has served as a cultural intermediary for communities and organizations (faith-based, non-profit, and for-profit) for over a decade.
His social education platform and patented Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Incorporation) footprint can be found within school districts, church conferences, corporations, and non-profit organizations throughout the country.
In addition, he is an experienced curriculum developer who tailors and implements training/teaching curricula on specialized topics. He has appeared on several local and national media outlets as a guest commentator on matters of race, education, diversity & inclusion, African American Studies, and religion. He is currently the Program Manager and an Adjunct Professor for the University of Houston’s Department of African American Studies.
Wes Young
B.B. King once said, “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” A lifelong learner, Wes Young has made it his mission to help adults and families rise up through educational opportunities. He holds a Master’s Degree in Library Science and brought his experience working in public libraries to his current role as Executive Director of Tarrant Literacy Coalition in Fort Worth.
When not teaching classes or tutoring, he can be found perusing local vinyl record shops, fishing throughout his rural Wise County, or with his nose in a graphic novel or manga.
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Page reviewed/updated: 3/31/2025
