Board of Directors
Maria Hayley
Founder & Board of Directors – President
Ms. Hayley, who holds a Master of Arts in Library Science from Dominican University (formerly Rosary College), has more than 30 years of experience in the library field. She specialized in correctional librarianship, young adult services, children’s services, programming, product development, outreach, and administration. She has a record of innovations in these areas of endeavor. Her work has had neighborhood, citywide and national exposure. Additionally, through her studies at the Erikson Institute, the National Teachers Academy and independent studies with Clinical Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Harvard Medical School, T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., she has added expertise in early childhood development. Ms. Hayley’s background is the context for her continued search for cutting-edge information impacting the mission of The Freadom® Road Foundation which is to break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration.
During her ten years of experience as an administrative librarian at the Cook County Department of Corrections (Cook County Jail) in Chicago, Illinois, Maria Hayley realized that many of the children born to incarcerated parents would likely follow in their parent’s footsteps. She dedicated her life to discovering ways to prevent and alter these probable futures. The continued search for root causes and solutions to intergenerational incarceration is the work of The Freadom® Road Foundation which she founded.
Ms. Hayley has been an accreditation consultant to The Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center Education Department for 20 years and served on various boards including: The Cook County Department of Corrections Literacy Board (which she founded), the Local School Council of The Cook County Jail High School, The (Chicago) North Avenue Business Association, The Kiwanis Club of Lake View Foundation for Physically and Mentally Challenged Children, The Family Focus-Englewood-Lawndale Advisory Board and The Board of the Jessie “Ma” Houston Prison Outpost of Rainbow Push Coalition.
Ms. Hayley’s awards include: Librarian of the Year (Chicago Public Library), Malcolm X Chicago City College Award, Spirit of Sulzer Regional Library Award, Chicago Torch of Service Award (The Chicago Library Heritage Society), A Gateway Foundation Award, and awards from organizations, agencies and businesses in various Chicago Neighborhoods she has served. Before retiring from the library profession she was awarded a Proclamation from the City Council.
Martín J. Gómez
Board of Directors – Vice President
Martín J. Gómez is President/CEO of MJ Gómez Associates LLC, an independent consulting firm that was created to support the work of libraries and nonprofit organizations. The focus of his firm is to help organizations review and refine their priorities through strategic planning, organization assessment, resource alignment, and executive recruitment. Recent clients include Macalester College, Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, City of Carpinteria, Free Library of Philadelphia, Chattanooga Public Library, the Digital Public Library of America, and the Monterey County Free Library in California.
Throughout his career Martín has provided leadership in academic and public libraries, as well as several nonprofit organizations. Before starting his consulting firm, Martín served as Vice Dean of Libraries at the University of Southern California, General Manager and City Librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Public Library, and Director of the Oakland Public Library. His non-profit experience includes serving as President/CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, and Executive Director of the Friends and Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library.
Martín is well known for his political skills. He points to having helped establish the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, spearheading a digital revolution at the Brooklyn Public Library, and galvanizing voter support in Los Angeles for the passage of Measure L, a city charter amendment that provides a guaranteed, incremental set-aside from the City’s general fund for the Los Angeles Public Library.
In 2012, Martín completed a ten-year term as a board member at Sesame Workshop – the non-profit parent company of Emmy-award winning Sesame Street – and Poets House, both located in New York City. Additional non-profit board experience includes serving on the executive board of the American Library Association, and the board of directors of the Online Computer Library Center, (OCLC) based in Dublin, OH.
Martín recently completed his second term as an elected member of the Council of the American Library Association and recently served as president, Board of Directors for the Santa Cruz Public Libraries.
Martín holds a BA in English from the University of California, Los Angeles and received his Master’s in Library Science from the University of Arizona where he received the 2001 Outstanding Alumnus Award from the College of Behavior Sciences.
Anna Crockett
Board of Directors – Secretary
Anna Crockett is the Founder of Executive Function Matters – a coaching, tutoring and consulting entity based on cutting edge research findings in the neuroscience and cognitive sciences related to learning and the brain. It transforms students who find themselves overwhelmed and doubting their ability to succeed.
Prior to founding Executive Matters, Ms. Crockett was Director of the Miller Academic Center, Director of Learning Programs and Associate Director of Disabilities Services at the Virginia Military Institute.
She has attracted invitations from The University of Richmond as External Program Reviewer, from Washington and Lee University as faculty trainer, The International Mentoring Association as Conference Presenter and the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as Conference Evaluation Chair.
She has served in leadership capacities in many local, regional, national and international organizations including the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) and the International Mentoring Association where she has held numerous positions including Chair, Treasurer and Region Director.
Ms. Crockett’s publications include “Executive Functions and Self-Regulated Learning” in the Handbook for Training Peer Tutors and Mentors edited by K. Agee and R. Hodges (2012). She has recently designed “Executive Functions/Academic Coaching: The G.R.I.T. Model (Goals, Responsibility, Initiative, Tenacity) Flow Chart. Some of her other works are cited as references in the prestigious Cengage Learning Textbook.
Sujin Huggins
Board of Directors – Treasurer
Sujin B.E. Huggins, Ph.D. is a professor in the prestigious School of Information Studies at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.
She teaches in the areas of youth services librarianship, reference, and community informatics. Her research interests include literature of the African diaspora for youth – particularly Caribbean children’s literature – critical pedagogy in Library Information Science (LIS), community informatics, storytelling, and taxonomy of folktales.
She has served on the American Library Association’s (ALA) Coretta Scott King Book Award Committee which annually selects African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that “demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.” Dr. Huggins currently serves on the Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement Committee – a subcommittee of the Coretta Scott King Book Award Committee.
Dr. Huggins’ other professional association memberships include The International Research Society for Children’s Literature (IRSCL), and the United States Board of Books for Young People (USBBY).
Additionally, she served on the board of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS ) – funded Targeting Autism Project of the Illinois State Library and currently serves on the board of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature – one of the leading educational research centers in the field of multicultural literature.
Prior to pursuing the doctoral degree, Dr. Huggins worked as a children’s librarian at the Port of Spain Children’s Library of the National Library of Trinidad and Tobago.
Thomas D. Rosenwein
Board of Directors
Tom was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1978 after receiving his J.D. with honors from the DePaul University College of Law. He attended the University of Chicago with a B.A.in History with Honors in 1965 and an M.A.in Social Services Administration in 1968. He was an Associate and Partner at the firm of Karon, Morrison & Savikas, a Founder and Principal of the firm of Schaefer, Rosenwein & Fleming and Head of the Intellectual Property Practice at Peterson & Ross, LLC. In January 2003, he joined Don Glickman and Jim Flesch at the firm then known as Gordon, Glickman, Flesch & Rosenwein. The firm became Glickman, Flesch & Rosenwein in June 2008, and Rosenwein Law Group in 2015. Tom and his co-counsel are able and experienced trial lawyers and negotiators, active in both state and federal courts.
Tom is the author of several publications and a frequent speaker. Those publications include:
- “Don’t Forget the Copyright: Securing Rights Now Can Save You Trouble Later,” Sound Waves, 2003
- “Flirting with Fame: Another Year in the Life of the Federal Trademark Dilution Act,” International Legal Strategy, Vol. X-8, August 2001
- “Taming the Tiger: How Litigation is Bringing Discipline to Business Methods Patents,” International Legal Strategy, Vol. X-6, June 2001
- “The Federal Trademark Dilution Act: A Statute in Limbo,” International Legal Strategy, Vol. IX-8, August 2000
Tom was also a co-author of “Sanctions: Rule 11 and Other Powers,” 2nd Ed., ABA Publication, 1988. In addition, he was co-editor of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Newsletter (1983-1987) and was an organizer and Board Member of the Federal Circuit Bar Association (1983-1986).
M. Kevin Price, M.S.I.R.
Board of Directors
Kevin Price grew up in Augusta, Georgia. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Augusta University in 1995. After college, he relocated to the Chicago area, where he earned a master’s degree in industrial relations/human resources from Loyola University Chicago in 2001.
While studying at Loyola, Kevin worked for Target Corporation as a human resource manager. He left Target in 2003 for a position as the director/head of human resources for Anson Industries (headquartered in Melrose Park, Illinois) and its subsidiary companies, Anning-Johnson Company and Restec Contractors. He remains at Anson to this day.
In his position at Anson, Kevin proactively supports business growth, builds teams, mentors leaders, and maintains a corporate culture that has helped Anson grow its specialty construction corporation into a national brand.
Since 2003, Kevin’s efforts have contributed to the company’s expansion from 1,200 to 2,200 workers, with an annual revenue of more than $700 million. He is responsible for all aspects of human resources for nine district offices in seven states (California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Georgia, and the District of Columbia) and collaborates regularly with the CEO and executive board. He also advises corporate employment counsel and senior management in all of Anson’s U.S. offices.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a particular interest of Kevin’s. Throughout his tenure at Anson, he has made it his mission to improve the diversity of the company’s workforce, as well as to train effective leadership that can manage conflict, create a culture of inclusiveness characterized by growth mindsets and psychological safety, and make organizational change where needed to support that mission.
Kevin has recently created and written a strategic HR plan that addresses diversity and fairness which will be implemented over the next several years. To that end, he is currently engaged in study for his certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Kevin is excited about the possibility of sharing his time and talents with the Board of the Freadom Road Foundation® and in making a difference in the lives of others.
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