About Us

"Literacy could be the ladder out of poverty" -Morgan Freeman

MISSION

The Literacy Council of White County works to strengthen family literacy through educating adults and families by providing programs and the skills they need to reach their goals, both in their jobs and at home.

HISTORY

The Literacy Council of White County was founded in 1978, when it was staffed entirely by volunteers, and incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit in 1996. It was a small establishment, but the Adult Education Department at Foothills Vo-Tech, seeing the value of the organization, took it in, and activity increased. When Foothills was assimilated into the Arkansas State University system, the increased duties of the two part-time coordinators made it difficult to grow the program. LCWC was then placed under the care of the White County Library System until 2005, when a paid director was hired and the organization came into its own.

Board of Directors

President: Bobby Hart

Vice President: Linda Jenkins

Treasurer: Donna Williams

Vice President: Linda Jenkins

Secretary: Martha Vendetti

Board Member: Beth Buterbaugh

Secretary: Martha Vendetti

Board Member: Beth Buterbaugh

Board Member: Joseph Myles

Board Member: Beth Buterbaugh

Board Member: Logan Russell

Staff

Executive Director: Sarah Stiefel, Ed.S.

Sarah has been involved in literacy education since 1998, first as an academic librarian at UCA, then as a public school teacher and dyslexia interventionist. She has taught Reading and English Language Arts at many grade levels, most recently in junior high. Her love of education has led her to complete an M.S in Information Science, an M.Ed. in Reading, an Ed.S. in Leadership. She is presently working toward an E.D.D. in Educational Leadership. Sarah jokes that education is both her job and her hobby. When not at the Literacy Council, Sarah enjoys reading, knitting, riding motorcycles & horses, and time with her husband and children on their homestead/hobby farm.