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June 2011 - July 2012 Board Members 
Officers of the Board/Founding Members
 Helen Van Auken, President (Helen.VanAuken@myveryownbook.org)
Helen Van Auken has been in the field of education for almost 30 years, including 14 years of elementary classroom teaching, 1 year as a curriculum specialist, 10 years as an elementary school principal and 4 years as a campus reading specialist. In 2006 she began the Audelia Creek Reading Club, a program that rewards students for minutes read at home with certificates and new, free books. She successfully ran the program, which has been the inspiration for My Very Own Book, for three years. Helen retired in June of 2009 and is enjoying her continued involvement in the education field through her role as President of MVOB.
 Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director (Kelley.VanAuken@myveryownbook.org)
Kelley Van Auken has managed both staff and volunteers, including approximately 1,000 volunteers at the White House. She has been the Finance Director on multiple campaigns, as well as a fundraising consultant for both political candidates and a Political Action Committee. In this capacity, in addition to raising funds, she has created and maintained databases, kept records for financial filings required by law, and designed and maintained websites. As a Community Representative for a Congresswoman, Kelley gained experience serving low income populations and processing casework to better the lives of those in the community.
The granddaughter, daughter, niece and cousin of multiple teachers, education has always been a central part of Kelley's life. Addicted to reading, she is proud to be a part of an organization which helps students become lifelong readers and makes book ownership a possibility.
 Dot Pitts, Director of Community Education (Dot.Pitts@myveryownbook.org)
Dot Pitts entered the field of education over 30 years ago. She has experience in both public and private schools, and has taught in most of the elementary grades with a focus in literacy learning. After 12 years in classrooms, with certification as a reading specialist, Dot began teaching the struggling reader and developing curriculum in the area of language arts for a large school district. Since 2005 she has been a literacy consultant for the regional educational service center and an adjunct professor for a local university.
Board Members  Horacio Aldrete (Horacio.Aldrete@myveryownbook.org)
Horacio G. Aldrete is a Director and Team Leader for the State and Local Government Ratings Group at the Dallas office of Standard & Poor’s Corp. In this position he is responsible for managing the team of analysts covering the Southwest region. Horacio is also one of Standard & Poor’s state sector leaders and the lead analyst for the state of Texas, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, he is responsible for analyzing and rating issuers and transactions primarily in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Prior to joining the Dallas office, Horacio was Team Leader for the Mexican Public Finance group in the Standard & Poor’s Mexico City office. In that position, Horacio was responsible for rating issuers in Mexico, Central America, and the north portion of South America.
Horacio has participated in the ratings of several issuers in the United States including school districts, local governments, and water utilities. In Latin America Horacio has participated in the ratings of close to 90 Mexican state and local governments, including the first issuance of a municipal bond in the Mexican market, as well as the City of Bogotá in Colombia.
Horacio joined Standard and Poor’s in 1999 after working two years for the Ministry of Finance of the Government of the State of San Luis Potosí, first as Deputy Director of Public Debt, and later as Director of Finance, Debt and Public Credit.
Horacio holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.S. in Public Accounting from the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
This is Horacio's second year on the Board.
 Meredith Fisherman (Meredith.Fisherman@myveryownbook.org)Meredith Fisherman has been involved with non-profit organizations for most of her life. Most recently, she worked for The Wilkinson Center in Dallas, TX as a grant writer. Meredith graduated from Hendrix College with a B.S. in sociology, having worked as a House Parent and Caseworker for HAVEN (Help for Abused Victims in Emergency Need) House. HAVEN provided shelter and emergency assistance for girls 6-18 years of age. Meredith has also completed graduate level work in counseling. She has been a volunteer Legislative Liaison with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) since 2005 and is also on their state public policy board. Additionally, she is a member of the MADD North Texas Advisory Council.
Meredith’s love of reading is an important part of her life. She has worked hard to instill a love of reading in her two young daughters and knows how important reading skills are to a successful future. She hopes to share her love of reading through her service to My Very Own Book, so that more young children can have the opportunity to develop life-long reading habits.
This is Meredith's second year on the Board.
 Susie Hergenrader, Ph.D. (Susie.Hergenrader@myveryownbook.org)
Susie Hergenrader, Ph.D. has lived in Plano for the past 30 years and has been a long-time community volunteer. When her three children were young, she spent her spare time volunteering in the schools, leading the STOP program (Students Thinking Of Peers) for two years, serving as “Homeroom Mom,” and participating in several PTA initiatives. She also taught Sunday school at Custer Road United Methodist Church for ten years. As her children became older, Susie became involved with Leadership Plano. She was a member of Class 25, served on the Leadership Plano Executive Board for three years, and served as Chair of the Board for the year 2010-11. Susie is also currently the VP of Membership for Plano Presenters Toastmasters Club, Texas Co-Commissioner for TAAF Gymnastics, and served on the Plano Chamber of Commerce Board from May 2010 to May 2011.
Susie has worked for the City of Plano’s Parks and Recreation Department for the past 30 years. During this time, she also served as a facilitator for the City of Plano’s Professional Development Center, facilitating such classes as Ethics, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Performance Essentials, Employee Motivation, and Leadership for the 21st Century for City employees.
Susie received her Master’s Degree in Public Affairs in 2006 from the University of Texas at Dallas and her PhD in Public Affairs in May 2010 from the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a former Member of Pi Alpha Alpha – National Honor Society for Public Affairs, a current member of the American Society of Public Administrators, and a former Member of the International City/County Managers Association.
This is Susie's first year on the Board.
Jason Hunt is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a BA in Political Science. He has worked for Enterprise Holdings/Enterprise Rent-A-Car for fifteen years and is currently the Risk/Repair Manager for DFW. He has been the member of a management team which has received two Enterprise Exceptional Achievement Awards and one Enterprise President’s Award. He has mentored multiple candidates in management through career development and served on the Enterprise Regional Business Ethics Committee.
Not only does Jason bring his business experience to the My Very Own Book Board, but he also comes with a background in giving his time to youth related causes. He is currently serving as a board member and coach of The Texas Cowboys youth sports league. He is also involved with The YMCA of Rockwall Adventure Guides and Adventure Princesses, as well as the United Way Young Leaders Society. The father of two children in elementary school and an avid reader himself, Jason is excited to work with MVOB during the 2010-2011 school year.
This is Jason's second year on the Board.
Sakkarra Winston is a proud alumnus of Whitney M. Young H.S. (the First Lady’s alma mater) and graduated from Chicago State University in 2005 with a BA in Psychology. However, Sakkarra’s career took her in a different direction – Real Estate Management. She moved to Texas in 2005 to continue in this field and currently works in Lease Administration with Cinemark USA of Plano, TX.
With a passion for reading and books that began in childhood, she knew she wanted to help foster that love in other children. After learning about My Very Own Book, Sakkarra felt a strong pull in their direction.
This is Sakkarra's second year on the Board.
Donna Wood-Martin was born in Japan, adopted at three days old by an American military family, and grew up in Saudi Arabia. She has a BA in Foreign Service from Baylor and is currently the Director of Administrative Services for Miller Consulting Services, a technical writing firm.
Donna is a four year breast cancer survivor. Her interest in giving back to the community started with being a candy striper in high school and continues with her activities in church choir, Carter BloodCare, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Texas Democratic Women of Collin County. She counts Doris Kearns Goodwin, Elizabeth George, and Stephen Ambrose among her favorite authors, but she credits Carolyn Keene for developing her love of reading. This is Donna's second year on the Board.
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