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Before the Doors Open: The Architects of Conference Excellence

by

Walker, Jenny

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

Before I ever joined the Literacy Texas team, the Literacy Texas Annual Conference was my favorite conference. Over the course of my career, I’ve attended education conferences all over the country, but this one always stood apart. 

It was well-organized, hosted in welcoming venues, and filled with exceptional presenters leading thought-provoking breakout sessions. While I was filling my mind with ideas to take back to my organization, I was also filling my soul through conversations with others serving in the adult literacy trenches. The Literacy Texas conference was the only time I really felt seen, and attending the VIP reception was one of the only times each year that my team and I truly felt celebrated. There has always been something magical about it. 

What I didn’t know until I came to work at Literacy Texas was how that magic happened. Even now, I’m not sure I know all the magic behind it, but I do know two of the magicians – Kathryn Bauchelle and Lindsay Robbins. 

Kathryn is our Communications and Training Specialist, and her fingerprints are on every aspect of the conference experience. She designs the signage that guides the way, crafts social media posts that build excitement, and organizes our conference program. She fiercely protects the Literacy Texas brand, approaching every decision and every detail with care. Her quiet wisdom influences countless behind-the-scenes decisions that ultimately create the very best experience for every conference attendee. 

Lindsay, our Administrative Manager, keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. She is the queen of registration, accounting, coupon codes, and billing questions. She coordinates with the venue, manages contracts, and somehow always has the perfect spreadsheet ready for the task at hand. Lindsay never shies away from a challenge. Instead, she is constantly refining systems and processes so that attendees can enjoy a seamless experience from registration through the closing session. 

Although Kathryn and Lindsay bring very different talents to the team, watching them work together is remarkable. They lean into one another’s strengths, genuinely enjoy solving problems together, and share an unwavering commitment to excellence. I wish every team were fortunate enough to have women like Kathryn and Lindsay. 

People are often surprised to learn that a conference of this quality is produced by such a small staff, but they would not be surprised if they knew Kathryn and Lindsay like I do. Excellence isn’t measured by the size of a team but by the dedication, care, and talent of the people on it. I would trust these women with any project, anywhere, anytime, because I know the level of excellence they bring to every single thing they do. 

The next time you attend the Literacy Texas Annual Conference and notice how smoothly everything runs, take a moment to appreciate the countless details that made that experience possible. Much of that magic began long before the doors opened before the opening session thanks to two extraordinary women whose impact is felt by every person who walks through our doors. 

A new program year starts September 1 for Literacy Texas – and that means a new calendar of regional symposia.

Learning and networking for small nonprofits and other community-based literacy organizations – at no cost to you, thanks to a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.

find out more about the regional symposia

3 lessons that changed how I see literacy work

by

Walker, Jenny

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

As an undergraduate student at the University of North Texas, I majored in journalism with an emphasis in public relations.

One of my favorite professors from UNT, Dr. Wells, often encouraged us to live by three simple but powerful mantras:

  1. Information is powerful, but only if it’s shared.
  2. Perception is reality.
  3. Image is everything.


At the time, those lessons were framed around media campaigns, branding, and public communication. Although I’ve never used that degree in any full-time capacity as a PR professional, it has come in handy in my role as a non-profit leader and advocate for this work. 

Years later, I find myself tapping into the PR lessons from my college days. The principles I learned there tie perfectly to our work in adult literacy and our need to communicate with others about our work.

Information is powerful, but only if it’s shared

We’re surrounded by extraordinary adult learners every day. We see these men and women earning diplomas, reading to their children for the first time, obtaining employment, gaining citizenship, and rebuilding confidence after years of believing education was out of reach.

Those stories help people outside of our field better understand the need to support our work. Yet too often, those stories stay inside our classrooms and organizations.

Meanwhile, policymakers, community members, and even potential supporters may have little understanding of happens in adult literacy classrooms. Many people still imagine adult education as a small remedial program rather than a driver for critical workforce development and economic, health, and social mobility in our communities.

If we’re not actively sharing our impact, someone else will define our work for us, and we must control that narrative. Nobody knows our work better than us. It’s our story to tell, but collectively, we’re not telling it to enough people.

Perception is reality

One of the hardest truths in communication is that intent does not always equal impact. We may know the value of adult literacy programs, but public perception is often shaped by visibility, messaging, and repetition. If communities only hear about adult literacy during funding crises, they begin to associate the field with scarcity and struggle rather than innovation and transformation.

This means we must become intentional about how we frame our work. Adult literacy is not charity work. It is community sustainability and vitality. The way we communicate our mission shapes how others value it.

Image is everything

In the public relations world, they use the idea of image to convey a level of trust, consistency, and credibility.

For adult literacy programs, our image is built through every single interaction we have. Every presentation, every community partnership meeting, every social media post, every student success story, and every conversation with stakeholders. It all matters, and maybe even more than we realize.

Do we communicate urgency without hopelessness?

Do we highlight challenges while also showcasing solutions?

Do we present adult learners through a lens of dignity, strength, and potential?

These questions matter because narratives influence funding, partnerships, policy decisions, and public support.

For too long, adult literacy has operated quietly in the background, doing transformational work with limited visibility. But this chapter in the history of our field requires us to advocate boldly, communicate clearly, and tell our story before someone else tells it for us.

Adult literacy professionals have so many stories to tell of perseverance, resilience, second chances, and transformation. In today’s climate, storytelling is essential for our field. In moments like these, effective communication matters more than ever.

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