Anel Mercado, former director of programs at Arizona Center for Youth Services, has been named Read Fort Worth’s next executive director, replacing founding executive director Kristin Sullivan.
Mercado’s hire becomes official Sept. 5.
“I am truly excited to join the Fort Worth community and lock arms with the Read Forth Worth leadership, partners and team to continue and grow the work that has been established,” Mercado said in a news release announcing her selection.
The partnership was founded in 2016 by Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent P. Scribner and business, civic and philanthropic leaders to align partners in support of the district’s 100 x 25 Initiative – an effort to assure that 100 percent of third-graders will be reading on grade level by 2025.
Matt Rose, executive chairman of BNSF Railway, serves as chairman of Read Fort Worth’s 11-member executive committee.
“We are looking forward to the energy and experience that Anel Mercado will bring to Read Fort Worth,” Rose said, “and are truly grateful to Kristin Sullivan for her hard work and dedication that was essential to get us where we are now, poised for continued growth and success.”
Mercado was selected following a national search this summer.
“Thanks to our founding executive director, we’ve laid a strong foundation for success,” Scribner said. “We will now build upon that and look forward to working with Anel Mercado and Read Fort Worth to reach our 100×25 goal.”
Mercado served as the director of Phoenix-based Thriving Together, a multifaceted partnership to bring together different sectors of the community and along the educational continuum to strive for better results in education, for every child, youth and young adult from cradle to career, the news release said.
She received her bachelor of science in social sciences and cultural anthropology from the University of Washington.
ReadFortWorth.org
– FWBP Staff