Dr. Dianne Frasier

Dianne F. Frasier received her Ph.D. in Reading from The Ohio State University and is currently an early literacy consultant. She is a former classroom teacher and Reading Recovery teacher leader, committing herself to struggling readers and the teachers working with them. As a teacher educator, she trained teacher leaders in Reading Recovery at Texas Woman's University and taught graduate courses in literacy at the University of Houston. She also worked as an early literacy consultant for Harris County Department of Education supporting teachers of young children in best practices in literary instruction. Her many publications focus on early literacy and the prevention of reading difficulties. She has presented at state, national, and international conferences. She served on the Board of Directors of Reading Recovery Council of North America and continues to serve on the Editorial Review Board for Literacy, Teaching and Learning.

Dr. Lillian McEnery

Dr. Lillian Benavente-McEnery received her Ed.D. from the University of Houston. She is the Director of the Reading Clinic in the Center for Educational Programs at the University of Houston- Clear Lake. Having taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of reading and language arts for the last ten years, she works with both in-service and pre-service teachers, while continuing to spend time in classrooms. Her public school experience includes teaching at various levels including 2nd grade, 4th and 5th grade, and developmental reading courses at the junior college level. Lillian's research interests include scaffolding in the area of reading and writing, shifts in teacher candidates' leadership capabilities, and the impact of technology on instructional applications. She has presented at state, national, and international conferences and continues to conduct ongoing professional development with several local school districts.

Enrique Puig

Enrique Puig is currently the Director of the Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence Center at the University of Central Florida. He is responsible for the professional development of area coordinators on teaching and learning. Prior to this he was a district trainer for the Literacy Collaborative, a comprehensive school reform project founded by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas, providing professional development for literacy coaches with a focus on school change and culture. In addition he was a Title I Instructional Support Teacher with responsibility for training and coaching relative to the various aspects of Reading First implementation. Following his initial 10 years as a classroom teacher, he served as a Reading Recovery teacher. In the midst of his other responsibilities, he is also well known as a speaker at national and regional conferences. He has served teachers through professional development for the last 7 years of career.

Debbie Milner

Debbie Milner received her M.A. in Special Education at the University of Denver and her Special Reading Teacher degree at the University of Colorado at Denver. She is an Elementary Literacy Coordinator for Denver Public Schools and is responsible for writing curriculum, designing assessments, selecting materials, coordinating staff development for literacy coaches and teachers, and consulting with schools on school reform efforts. As a literacy consultant, she has provided professional development throughout the country on guided reading, reading/writing process, literacy assessment, and vocabulary instruction. She feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend a significant portion of her life on one of her main passions in life -- promoting meaningful, authentic literacy instruction for all children, particularly urban children who struggle with their reading and writing development. Concerned that current pressures in education may actually be narrowing the curriculum for these students, she is pleased to be associated with Connect and Reflect, which offers a rich and powerful approach for teaching all children.