Ralph Thompson has been named to the Board of Directors for Book’em, a Nashville nonprofit that collects and distributes books to children and teens in lower-income families and provides reading role models for elementary and preschools that serve low-income children.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Ralph Thompson has been named to the Board of Directors for Book’em, a Nashville nonprofit that collects and distributes books to children and teens in lower-income families and provides reading role models for elementary and preschools that serve low-income children.
Thompson has more than three decades of experience in education, and is the vice president of customer and community relations at Educational Services of America (ESA), the nation’s leading provider of behavior therapy and alternative and special education programs for children and young adults. ESA provides children and young adults the opportunity to create successful, independent futures by offering behavioral and educational supports to more than 15,000 students and clients nationwide through three its three divisions: Early Autism Project, Ombudsman Educational Services and Spectrum Center Schools and Programs.
“Ralph has an impressive background as a long-time leader in education for Metro Nashville Public Schools,” said Melissa Spradlin, executive director of Book’em. “His experience in various educational roles and his work in community engagement are both valuable to Book’em, and we look forward to his future contributions as a board member.”
“I’ve dedicated more than 30 years of my career as an educator in the Nashville area and know firsthand the value that reading can bring to a child’s education,” said Thompson. “No child should be without the materials or the ability to read and I am honored to work with an organization that can provide such a valuable gift to children in the area.”
In addition to his work with Book’em, Thompson has been named teacher, principal and educator of the year by Metro Nashville Public Schools and was awarded the state’s highest honor when he was named Tennessee Colonel Aide de Camp in recognition of his contributions to education. He is also a member of the Tennessee State University Education Wall of Fame and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.
ABOUT BOOK’EM
Book’em is a Nashville nonprofit that collects and distributes new and like-new books to children and teens who might not otherwise have books of their own and recruits, trains and assigns reading role model volunteers to local preschools and elementary schools that serve low-income families.
Media Contact:
Robin Embry
robin@lovell.com
615-297-7766
