Experienced.
Trusted.
Accountable.

Meet Judy Newman

Judy Newman has spent more than 30 years changing the way children discover books. Now, she’s building what comes next.

As the longtime President of Scholastic Book Clubs, Judy helped connect generations of children, teachers, and families with books.

She founded Impact Reading with a bold belief: every child deserves the power to choose books they love and call them their own.

Through United States of Readers, Judy is bringing decades of literacy leadership into a groundbreaking new model built around access, choice, ownership, and joy.

Impact Reading is the next chapter of Judy’s lifelong mission to create readers.

Board

Judy Newman
Board Chair — President & CEO
Former President, Scholastic Book Clubs

Cheryl Landrieu
Board Member
Co-Founder, New Orleans
Book Festival

Dr. Nicole Brittingham Furlonge
Board Member
Executive director, Klingenstein Center, Columbia

Built to scale this program with durable, proven methods and a network that galvanizes partnerships

Dr. Nancy Sommers
Board Member
Former Director, Harvard College Writing Program

Dr. Rod Bowan
Board Member
Leadership Development Director,
School Empowerment Network

Dr. Caryn Cooper
Board Member
Principal, Cook Elementary,
Plainfield, NJ

Our Team

Judy Newman
Board Chair & CEO

Kristen Callioras
Chief Growth Officer

Kenzie Fields
Director of Storytelling

Kimberly Ding
Chief of Staff

Matthew Reed
Consultant

Anne Marie Resnick
Chief Marketing Officer

Stella Castilla
Director of Communications and School Partnerships

Maggie Kneip
Chief Communications Officer

Carol Levine
Special Events & Author Relationship

Authors in Action

Jerry Pallotta

Who Would Win? Series

Bestselling children’s author Jerry Pallotta travels across the country visiting United States of Readers schools, meeting students, sharing the stories behind his books, answering questions, and signing books for young readers. His visits turn reading into a real-life experience and give students the unforgettable opportunity to meet the author behind the books they love.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos

The Fly Who Flew Series

Bestselling children’s author Lauren Sánchez Bezos brings her story The Fly Who Flew to Space to young readers while encouraging them to dream big, stay curious, and believe in themselves. During her visits to United States of Readers schools, Lauren reads with students, answers questions, and shares the inspiration behind Flynn, creating a memorable connection between the children and the story in their hands.
Jamar Nichols

Leon The Extraordinary Series

Philadelphia native and award-winning author and illustrator Jamar Nicholas brought Leon the Extraordinary home to young readers at S. Weir Mitchell Elementary, where he shared his creativity, talked with students about storytelling, and showed them that the people behind the books they love can come from communities just like theirs.
Lauren Tarshis

I Survived Series

Bestselling I Survived author Lauren Tarshis visited Pittsburgh Roosevelt, giving United States of Readers students the unforgettable chance to meet the writer behind one of the series they know and love. She shared how her stories come together, answered students’ questions, and helped turn reading from something on the page into a personal connection with a real author.