Reach Out and Read Iowa Advisory Commmittee

Debra Storey Salowitz, Chair
Strategic Relocation Solutions, LLC/Educator

Debra Salowitz is founder and President of Strategic Relocation Solutions, LLC, which helps corporations enhance their recruitment and retention objectives by customizing the community connections and transition of newly hired executives and their families. She has a Master's Degree in Education and taught 4th and 5th grade in Connecticut. Her career includes management positions with Andrea Obston Marketing Communications (in Connecticut), Winefest Des Moines, and the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. She was a founding member of the boards of Ballet Des Moines and the Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus. She currently serves as Vice President of the StageWest Board of Directors and board member and Co-Chair of the Philanthropy Committee for the Chrysalis Foundation. She is a member of the Nexus Executive Women's Alliance, NAWBO, CISHRM, and the Women's Chamber Alliance.


Nader Ajluni, DO
Mercy Clinics, Inc.

Dr. Ajluni is a pediatrician who has been involved with Reach Out and Read since 1998. He has been the Site Coordinator for the ROR clinical site at Blank Children's Hospital from 1998-2007. Dr. Ajluni currently practices at Mercy Central Pediatrics. Dr. Ajluni thinks that pediatric literacy is an essential component of pediatric conflict resolution and has done research in and been an advocate of peaceful conflict resolution. He is also on the executive committee of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.



Rachel Burds, CPA
McGowen, Hurst, Clark & Smith, P.C

Rachel Burds is an accountant with McGowen, Hurst, Clark & Smith, P.C. which is a public accounting firm. For the past two years, she has worked in the tax and small business department. Rachel received bachelor degrees from the University of Iowa and AIB College of Business. In the past, Rachel has volunteered with the Animal Lifeline of Iowa and other community events. She and her husband, Kevin, currently reside in West Des Moines.

Frank Burns
Pfizer, Inc.

Frank Burns is a manager with Pfizer, Inc.'s Corporate and Government Customers Division. Frank and Pfizer are long time advocates of health literacy and have supported numerous literacy efforts across Iowa. Frank graduated from Ripon College in Wisconsin and spent 8 years serving in the U.S. Army prior to joining Pfizer. Frank and his wife Michele are the proud parents of five children. He and his family are also active in Special Olympics, Miracle League, Animal Rescue League and other community based organizations. In his free time Frank enjoys volunteering his time as a youth sports coach and playing an occasional round of golf.

Originally from Lima (Peru), Juan C. Cadenillas moved to Iowa 10 years ago. He obtained Master level degrees at Iowa State University and Des Moines University. His professional experience includes working in several communication projects, including private, non-profit, and government programs. He is currently working at the Polk County Health Department as a Public Health Planner coordinating the community engagement activities for a landmark study in children’s health and development called “National Children’s Study.” He is married to Mindy Euken Cadenillas and they live in Des Moines. Together are very active members in the community by serving and volunteering with various local community organizations.

Jamie Christophersen, MD
Pediatrician

Jamie Christophersen, M.D. fondly remembers reading and rereading Little House in the Big Woods during her childhood in Peoria, Illinois. She studied philosophy at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and attended Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Jamie was first introduced to the Reach Out and Read Program by one of her mentors at DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she completed her pediatric residency and served as chief resident. Jamie and her family settled in the Iowa Quad Cities in 2001 where she and her husband are raising two young readers of their own. Her daughter loves Laura Ingalls Wilder books and her son especially enjoys the Harry Potter series. Jamie teaches pediatric and family medicine residents the Reach Out and Read model of early literacy as a Site Trainer for Reach Out and Read. At her neighborhood school, she reads one on one with students in the Literacy Links program and organizes the annual Visiting Author day. She is a member of two monthly book clubs and now one of her favorites to read and reread is My Antonia by Willa Cather.


Stephanie Drey, Esq.
Brick Gentry Law Firm

Stephanie Drey received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and her law degree from the University of Iowa. She has been an attorney in private practice since 1992 with Brick Gentry P.C, practicing primarily in the area of probate and estate planning. Outside of the law, Stephanie is also currently involved in the community as a member of the Dowling Catholic High School Foundation Board and an honorary board member of Mentor Iowa. In the past she has served as President of the St. Francis of Assisi Home and School Association, Community Vice-President of the Junior League of Des Moines, Co-President of Mentor Iowa, a member of the Foundation Board of Children and Families of Iowa, and as a district representative for the Young Lawyer's Division of the Iowa State Bar Association. Stephanie developed a love of books and reading at an early age and is grateful for the opportunity to help spread that passion not only to her own children, but to the children of the state of Iowa.


Carolyn Jons
Raising Readers, Rotary District 6000

Carolyn Jons is a Sac City native and received degrees from Grinnell College and the University of Iowa. She and her husband Chuck live in Ames. They have three married children and five grandchildren. Carolyn's education and community service reflect her interests in children and education. She is certified as a trainer by Baby TALK in Decatur, IL, and as a coach by the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. She served 15 years on the Ames School Board and 22 years with Iowa Association of School Boards. Carolyn helped establish Raising Readers in Story County, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase early language and literacy development in children between birth and 8 years of age and to nurture healthy parent-child relationships. In 2006 Raising Readers and McFarland Clinic Pediatrics established the first Reach Out and Read site in Story County. In October 2009 Story County received the Bookend Community Award from the Reach Out and Read National Center for having 100% of primary providers participating in ROR. Carolyn is a member of Ames Morning Rotary Club. She has chaired the Rotary District 6000 Literacy Committee and the Rotarians for Reach Out and Read campaign.


Deb Kazmerzak
Iowa Primary Care Association

Deb Kazmerzak currently works as a Senior Program Director for the Iowa Primary Care Association (IAPCA) where she is responsible for oversight of clinical initiatives and special projects for this member association serving Federally Qualified Health Centers and other safety net providers in Iowa and Nebraska. In her role as part of the senior management team, Deb contributes to the vision and direction of the organization. Above and beyond that she is a strong advocate for underserved populations and a firm believer that access to health care is a basic human right that should be available to all regardless of income, nationality, and personal circumstance. As a social worker Kazmerzak has over 20 years experience working in health and human services delivery systems in Iowa in a variety of capacities.


Angie Martin - Schwarze
Director, Kendall Young Library, Webster City, Iowa

Angie Martin-Schwarze has been a lifelong lover of books and is lucky to share this passion through her library career and as a proud mom whose daughter shares her parents' love of reading. Angie has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Creighton University and a Master's in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University. She became acquainted with Reach Out and Read when she was working as the Youth Services Coordinator at the Des Moines Public Library. Currently, Angie is the director of the Kendall Young Library in Webster City.




Jody Murph, MD, MS
Immediate Past-President, American Academy of Pediatrics, Iowa Chapter; and The Children's Hospital of Iowa

Dr. Murph trained at the Medical University of South Carolina. She completed pediatric residency, fellowship in Ambulatory and Community Pediatrics, and Masters in Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health at the University of Iowa, where she is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the UI Children's Hospital and the UI College of Public Health. She provides care to children in inpatient and outpatient settings & teaches students & resident physicians in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing & Public Health. Dr. Murph has been actively involved in the area of immunization research, teaching, and advocacy for many years. She is also immediate past-president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and active in issues of child advocacy and the translation of health research into public health policy for children.


Ron Rice 


Liz Rodgers
Community Volunteer

Liz Rodgers is originally from Fairfax, Virginia and moved to Des Moines in May from Richmond, Virginia. She has a strong background in communications and grassroots advocacy. Liz began her communications career over six years ago with Bon Secours Health System in Richmond, Virginia, as the communications coordinator for the mission department. Liz worked collectively with senior management on the health system communications initiatives. She also did some work to promote Reach out and Read on the Bon Secours Mobil Health Clinics. In 2007 Liz moved to Chicago to take an internship with Barack Obama's presidential primary campaign. Before leaving the campaign to accept a job with the American Heart Association in Richmond, Liz helped coordinate an event in Denver, Colorado where President Obama spoke to nearly 15,000 supporters.
From April 2008 to May 2009 Liz held the position as Director of Grassroots Advocacy for the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate of the American Heart Association. While in this role she oversaw You're the Cure, a grassroots network of over 10,000 individuals that influence AHA public policy decisions at the local, state, and federal level. Liz has a bachelor's in Social Work from Longwood University in Social Work and a Masters Degree in Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University


Kay K. Runge
KKRunge Associates

Kay K. Runge is a library building and funding consultant and an experienced professional public library administrator. She served as director of the Des Moines Public Library, Davenport Public Library and the Scott County Library System. Her extensive experience in planning library facilities include the $33 million new Central library building in Des Moines, $6 million renovation and additions for 4 branch libraries in Des Moines, and $1 million renovation of a Special Collections/Genealogy Department at the main Library and the design of a Branch Library in Davenport. Kay served as President of the Public Library Association in 2000. Kay has been a guest lecturer at the University of Iowa Library School and serves on the University's Library School Advisory Board. Her community work has included: Wells Fargo Bank Board, Rotary Clubs of Des Moines and Davenport, Des Moines and Davenport Public Library Foundation Boards, Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and Leadership Iowa, Downtown Development Corporation Boards of Des Moines and Davenport. Other involvement includes: Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors and Alumni Board and Iowa State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, Chair of the Iowa Public Radio Board of Directors, Chair of the Kaplan University Board of Trustees, and elected councilor to the American Library Association. Her expertise is in library buildings, management and fundraising. Her email is: kkrunge@libraryconsulting.org.


Rizwan Shah, MD
Blank Children's Hospital

In retrospect, it was fortunate that when Rizwan Shah came to the United States from Pakistan in 1968, she found no openings in her medical specialty at the time--surgery. So she took a hiatus from medicine to stay home and raise a family with her husband. After a few years, she returned to medicine and switched fields to specialize in pediatrics. Nominated by Rep. Leonard L. Boswell (D-IA-3), Shah came to Des Moines in 1974 for a residency in pediatrics at the Blank Children's Hospital. Fortunately for the children of Des Moines, she stayed on, caring for them and becoming Medical Director of Blank's Regional Child Protection Center. While practicing in Iowa in 1981, she became aware of an epidemic sweeping the country at the time that was especially devastating to children but that few would acknowledge-crack cocaine. By 1989, she was devoting herself full-time to caring for abused children victimized by their parents' or caregiver's crack abuse. She has taught widely on the linkage between child abuse and drug abuse and was one of a group of physicians to receive the Award of Merit from the Iowa Medical Society in 1999 for helping to facilitate the establishment of children's health programs in Iowa. Shah teaches child abuse training programs both in Iowa and nationally, as well as clinical teaching in medical schools and hospitals. She has served as President of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Co-Chair of the Iowa Medical Society's Public Health Committee.


Archie Willard
Adult Learner, New Readers of Iowa

Archie Willard of Eagle Grove, Iowa is a dyslexic and has progressed from an adult non-reader to a Literacy Coordinator at Iowa Central Community College. He was part of the literacy exchanges to Eastern Europe in 1993 and 1995. Also, he was a Literacy Leader Fellow with the National Institute for Literacy in 1996. Archie serves on many literacy boards across the country. He currently serves on the Iowa Health System system-wide collaborative on Health Literacy. In 2004, Archie chaired the New Readers Conference in conjunction with the Iowa Health system and numerous organizational partners in the goal of educating other adult learners and health professionals about improving communications in healthcare. He believes this collaboration between learners and health professionals is the first of its kind a pilot project in health literacy interaction. Health professionals agree and are recognizing the need to address health literacy at all levels of the healthcare system. Iowa Health System worked with Archie and the New Readers of Iowa for a year prior to the conference. The goal was to learn from each other in order to improve health communications.

Reach Out and Read® Iowa
P.O. Box 1382
Johnston, IA 50131
Phone: 515-991-0872 • Fax: 515-471-9797 • mollyroriowa@gmail.com