Reading in Central Texas and BookSpring

Emily Ball Cicchini and Joel Gross of BookSpring will be giving a presentation on a recent study on Reading in Central Texas Travis County and how BookSpring can help the needs identified in the study:  https://www.bookspring.org/2018/09/highlights-from-the-central-texas-reading-survey/

Emily Ball Cicchini is Executive Director of BookSpring.  Emily balances BookSpring’s vision for the future with its strong
tradition of promoting reading, spiced up with her knowledge of the workings of non-profits. At the age of four, she made an exhibit on
bookmaking with her father that was displayed at the local public library and featured in the weekly newspaper. She holds a BFA and
MFA and professional certificates in fundraising, web technology, and inclusive practices, and is pursuing a doctorate in organizational
communication from the University of Texas Moody College of Communication. She’s a published children’s playwright and likes to
garden, sew, cook, and read aloud with her family.

Joel Gross is Program Director of Education and Evaluation and directs all educational programs for BookSpring.  He grew up in
Dripping Springs, Texas (10 minutes from the famous Salt Lick BBQ) and attended the University of Texas.  His discovered the real joy of
reading post-college and enjoys a wide range of genres, particularly short stories and new fiction.  Joel has had a diverse career with roles
at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., and teaching English in Costa Rica.  In his free time
he can be found playing racquetball at UT, writing short stories, and cooking new dishes that he saw on MasterChef.