Learn More

About Us

Our innovative, evidence-based literacy programs provide robust and equitable early childhood experiences and resources for children in their home language from Aspen to Parachute. They enable parents to create a family-reading routine and a healthy home life, ensuring their child enters kindergarten ready to learn.

Our Red Book Bags promote parent-child bonding and increase read-aloud time at home by providing 650 families with high-quality books in Spanish and English. Through partnerships with kindergartens, preschools, and daycares each week, children take home a bag filled with books to read with their parents and then return it for a new bag the following week.

Bolsitas Rojas are Spanish-language outreach programs that engage parents whose children have limited access to early learning programs. In local libraries, these family networks provide over 150 children and their parents with weekly educational experiences and guidance to support their health and well-being.

Our Summer Camp programs also engage parents whose children have limited access to early childhood educational opportunities. These Spanish-language camps are hosted in four local parks in Glenwood Springs, El Jebel, Rifle, and Parachute. The focus on early literacy learning and activities in an active, outdoor environment.

The 123 Let’s Read program gifts one book per month to each participating teacher and student and also provides engaging, book-specific activity recommendations for the all-important student-teacher-parent home reading connection. This program is in English and Spanish and supports 650 children in all local public preschools.

Over 800 children participate in our Blue Bag Days in the spring after participating in one of our school or 2Gen programs. These events introduce children and their parents to the library and sending them home with library cards for future book check-out.

Our Mission

Raising A Reader Aspen to Parachute engages parents and children—newborn to five years old—in a routine of daily book sharing to foster brain development, parent-child bonding, and critical early literacy skills.

Our goal is to provide families with storybooks and parental guidance to build family bonds and encourage abundant positive conversations to set children on the path to school and life success.

Our Vision

Roaring Fork Valley Early Learning Fund engages children from birth to age five in a routine of daily book sharing with their parents to foster healthy brain development, parent-child bonding, and early literacy skills critical for school and life success. Our vision is that every child from Aspen to Parachute will enter kindergarten prepared for reading success, in love with books and excited about learning.

Our Team

Suzanne Wheeler-Del Piccolo

Suzanne Wheeler-Del Piccolo

Suzanne Wheeler-Del Piccolo taught at the preschool through 4th grade level for 10 years, served as the Basalt Elementary School principal for 22 years, and worked as an Educational Specialist in English Language Development and Special Education in the Roaring Fork School District for a year. In 2021, she retired from public education after 32 years of service and joined the Raising A Reader team as the Executive Director to pursue her passion for early literacy learning. Throughout her career, her mission has been to ensure that all children have the skills needed to thrive now and in the future. In her spare time, Suzanne loves playing tennis, skiing, hiking, reading, and hanging out with family and friends.

Andrea Suarez

Andrea Suarez

Andrea Suarez is committed to helping families in the valley stay connected through love, compassion, and a love for reading. She joined the Raising a Reader team in 2022 as a program coordinator focusing on the Bolsitas Rojas programs in Carbondale and Aspen. She has served in many capacities in the Roaring Fork Valley, including as an advocate for Child Find, an early childhood family liaison in the Roaring Fork School District, and an interpreter for many organizations. Andrea grew up in Mexico City and lives in Carbondale with her husband and two teenage children. She loves books, music, art, traveling, and working with people, especially young children.

Mary Margaret Hesse

Mary Margaret Hesse

Mary Margaret Hesse has worked as the Raising a Reader Aspen to Parachute’s Director for Strategies, and 123 Let’s Read Program for over 10 years. Mary Margaret’s professional background is in foreign affairs: she served as a U.S. diplomat overseas and in Washington, D.C.; and as a civilian with the U.S. Department of Defense before returning to her native Colorado. She enjoys working with wonderful children’s books and supporting families as they promote their children’s healthy development through reading and language development. Mary Margaret loves traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Sabrina Ferguson

Sabrina Ferguson

Sabrina Ferguson joined Raising a Reader last year; she first worked in our summer camp and then started as a program coordinator this school year. She has owned and operated home childcare, taught Spanish at the Waldorf school, and was a ski instructor for children ages 3-6. Sabrina was also the Preschool Director at Basalt Elementary, a dual-language school, for eight years. Sabrina grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to the United States as a young adult. Her life’s passion has been to work with young children, especially children whose first language is Spanish. In her free time, Sabrina coaches volleyball, renovates homes, and loves spending time with her family and friends.

Kelly Baker

Kelly Baker

Kelly Baker enjoys sitting in the summer sun with a great book in her hand. She has worked with Raising a Reader for over three years and has been an elementary school teacher passionate about inspiring young children and families in our region to read at home. Kelly enjoys traveling the country with her husband and two kids. In her free time, Kelly enjoys working in her garden as she watches her many chickens roam around her home in rural Colorado.

Valeria Carbajal

Valeria Carbajal

Valeria Carbajal recently joined the Raising A Reader team as a program coordinator. She brings her love of reading, her ability to connect with students and teachers, and her expertise in technology to the team. Her passion lies in making the community a better place through her actions and contributions to our program. Valeria is a dedicated mother of two young boys and a loving wife. In her free time, she enjoys immersing herself in the world of books and expanding her knowledge through reading.

Liz Russo

​​Liz Russo

​​Liz Russo has been a lead program coordinator at Raising a Reader for the past five years. She has 15 years of experience as a preschool teacher in local schools and on the infamous “Gus the Bus”. Liz is an exceptional early childhood educator and leader who loves working with children and families to inspire the love of reading and learning together at home. She was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico and has lived in the United States for over 20 years. Liz enjoys cooking, reading, walking, and spending time with her family in her free time.

Rosa Vargas

Rosa Vargas

Rosa Vargas has been a program coordinator at Raising a Reader for six years. She has a beautiful passion for involvement in her community, helping families learn how to love literacy and make connections by reading books at home together. Rosa was born in Michoacán, Mexico and has lived in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River region for over 20 years with her husband and three daughters. In her free time, she likes to enjoy the outdoors.

Maria Lara & Veronica Reyes de Velasc

Maria Lara and Veronica Reyes de Velasco have worked intermittently and part-time with Raising a Reader for over ten years. Both are teacher assistants in the Garfield County Re-2 school district Monday through Thursday and support our extensive Bolsitas Rojas programs on Fridays in Rifle and New Castle. They work exceptionally well with children and families, and our local programs are better because of the support, passion, and love they bring to the children and families who participate in our programs every week.

Funding Donors & Partners

$30,000+

  • Pitkin County Collaborative Grant (Shared)
  • Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos

$20,000-$30,000+

  • Buell Foundation
  • Friedman Family Foundation

$10,000-$19,999

  • Pitkin County
  • Aspen Community Foundation
  • Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation
  • Milestones CIRCLE Grant

$5,000-$9,999

  • City of Aspen
  • “Alpine Bank “
  • Melony and Adam Lewis
  • City of Glenwood Springs

$1,000-$4,999

  • Laura and Michael Kaplan
  • Fred & Elli Iselin Foundation
  • The Thrift Shop of Aspen
  • Holy Cross Energy
  • Tamara and Frank Woods
  • The Thrift Shop of Aspen
  • BJW Legacy LLC
  • Western Colorado
  • Community Foundation
  • Rifle Community Foundation
  • J. Robert Young Foundation at ACF
  • Town of Basalt
  • Glenwood Springs Kiwanis
  • Obermeyer Wood
  • Investment Counsel
  • Schmeuser Gordon Meyer Inc. (SGM)
  • Universal Mechanical Services, LLC
  • Gould Construction Inc.
  • Lambert Family Foundation
  • Sarah L. Challinor
  • Thomas Danis
  • Town of Carbondale
  • Margaret Sillstrop
  • George Shaver
  • Alpine Bank
  • Richard and Janet O’Connell
  • The Gallegos Corporation
  • Amy and Chris Treese
  • Spidell Foundation
  • Castaways Foundation
  • Alpenglow Foundation
  • Christine and John Blair
  • Mandy and John Murray
  • Western Colorado
  • Community Foundation

$500-$999

  • Bookbinders
  • Marjory Musgrave
  • Terri and Tony Caine
  • Richard and Janet O’Connell
  • Jayne and Bill Poss
  • Carol and Brooke Peterson
  • Grand River Health
  • Bank of Colorado
  • JJNJ INC-McDonalds
  • Mr Vac Air Duct & Carpet Cleaning Inc
  • Sheila and Bill Lambert
  • Donna Fisher
  • Ian Crawford
  • Mt. Callahan Community Fund
  • Grand Valley Kiwanis Foundation
  • Bank of Colorado
  • Grand River Health

Up to $100

  • Nell and Bill Birk
  • Mary Lorenson
  • Erica Delak
  • Kristin and Mike Jewkes
  • Susan Keenan
  • Barbara Reid
  • Stacie Nelson
  • Nancy Frizell
  • Craig Parks
  • Lauren Sontag
  • Suzanne Wolff
  • Gregory Fitzpatrick
  • Alyson and Justin Gish
  • Amanda Glen
  • Lyndie Pearson
  • Suzanne Wheeler-Del Piccolo
  • Richard Pierce
  • Lisa Dancing Light
  • Amy Dorsey
  • Jill and Matt Wheeler
  • Cecile Runge
  • Margaret Steldt
  • Tish and Dean Filiss
  • Carla and Bud Bredehoft
  • Mario and Juliana Del Piccolo
  • Jennifer Phelps Tempest
  • Pinnocol Assurance
  • Amanda D’Ambrosia
  • Jonathan Greener
  • Matthew Logue
  • Inge McShane
  • Jocelyn Koenigsknecht
  • Carol Anne Carl
  • Susan and Alexander Slater
  • Mike and Chip Wells
  • Trudie Biggers
  • Susanna Hoeppli
  • United Way of Eagle River Valley
  • Doug Estes
  • Erin Mattice
  • Kroger

In-Kind Partners

  • All-Kids Dental
  • Alpine Bank
  • Aspen Music Festival
  • Basalt Regional Library
  • Cajun Cleaners
  • Carbondale Arts
  • Carla Jimenez-Artist
  • El Jebel Firehouse
  • FocusedKids
  • Garfield Public Libraries
  • Jill Sheeley-Author
  • Kiwanis Club of Glenwood Springs
  • Lisa Dancing-Light-Author
  • Literacy Outreach
  • Nancy Bo Flood-Author
  • Scholastic
  • Sopris Sun
  • Frank Taverna
  • Vroom
  • Wendi Silvano-Author

Board of Directors

ANNA LORENSON, M.D.

President / Board member since 2018

Town of Residence: Glenwood Springs, CO

Occupation: Pediatrician, Grand River Health

Affiliations: Grand River Health – Vaccine Initiative, Child Fatality Committee, and Sexual Abuse Response Team

AMY TREESE

Vice President / Board Member since 2020

Town of Residence: Glenwood Springs, CO

Occupation: Retired Glenwood Springs and Rifle high school teacher

Affiliations: Volunteer with Feed My Sheep and A Little Help

RICK BLAUVELT

Board Member since 2023

Town of Residence: Carbondale, CO

Occupation: Retired Executive Director of Raising A Reader Aspen to Parachute

Affiliations: Board Memberships at the Early Childhood Network and Carbondale’s Bike, Pedestrian and Trail Commission, Executive Director of Roaring Fork Valley Early Learning Fund DBA Raising A Reader Aspen to Parachute, 2009-2019

ZACH HOLT

Board member since 2021

Town of Residence: Woody Creek, CO

Occupation: Principal–Investments, Bridgeton. Aspen, CO; Senior Investment Analyst—Investments, New York, NY

Affiliations: Silverton Mountain (Advisor to the founders and owners), Waitzer Family Office & Foundation (Advisor to the Managing Partner) and Charlottesville Angel Network (Investments)

KSANA OGLESBY, CPA

Treasurer / Board Member since 2020

Town of Residence: Glenwood Springs, CO

Occupation: Chief Financial Officer with Mountain Valley Developmental Services

Affiliations: Chair of the Financial Advisory Committee for the City of Glenwood Springs, President of the Roaring Fork Chapter of the Colorado Society of CPAs, member of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the Garfield County Library District

BRIAR SCHREIBER, JD, MBA

Board Member since 2020

Town of Residence: Glenwood Springs, CO

Occupation: Freelance Event Planner and mom of two young children

Affiliations: Director of Denver Lemonade Day, Fresh Start, Inc. Board Member, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team’s Colorado Development Board Member, Director of Operations World Pro Ski Tour, Principal of Hype House marketing and branding firm

ALEX GARCIA BERNAL

Board Member since 2024

Town of Residence: Parachute, CO

Occupation: Education & Events Manager, Garfield County Public Library District

Affiliations: American Library Association, Reforma Organization, Western Colorado Alliance, Western Colorado River Chamber of Commerce

CAROL WELLS FEDERMAN

Board Member since 2024

Town of Residence: Carbondale, CO

Occupation: Retired Nurse Practitioner

Affiliations: Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, Academic Visiting Scholar at Boston College, and Harvard Medical School, Expert in Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Approach to Pain Management, Author of The Wellness Book, Retired from Northwest Regional Coordinator for Reach Out and Read

View our Financial Statements
Career Opportunities
At this time, Raising A Reader Aspen to Parachute is not hiring.
en_USEnglish