Karen Ray (left) speaks with former Collierville Literacy Council student Julia Ferguson last week during a retirement reception at CLC in Collierville. Ray is retiring as executive director of the non-profit after 10 years.
Karen Ray, executive director of the Collierville Literacy Council for more than 10 years, retired from her position last week.
Ray started with the CLC in 1993 as a volunteer tutor in the adult basic literacy program. A few years later she served on the Board of Directors. In 1997, she was hired as a member of the staff. She worked closely with Betty Noe, the previous director, and in 2002 took over as the executive director.
During her 20 years with the Literacy Council, Ray noted there have been many changes. Originally the Literacy Council focused on adult basic literacy. Over the years, there have been changes and increased diversity in Collierville.
To fulfill a community need, the CLC expanded adult tutoring services to include help with English as a Learned Language (ELL) and GED preparation. Those are now the most widely used programs. When Ray began with the Literacy Council, there were less than 100 students a year.
“Last year we served over 500 students,” noted Ray. “We are very proud of our capacity to grow and continue to provide good programs for our community.”
Volunteers are the cornerstone of the services provided at the Literacy Council. Ray’s work helped grow the volunteer base to help support the goals of the non-profit. Vital support also comes through the Town of Collierville, the United Way and private donations.
The Collierville Literacy Council, a community non-profit agency based in Collierville, develops programs, trains volunteer tutors and utilizes technological resources to teach adults comprehensive literacy skills rooted in reading, writing and critical thinking.
CLC has become a recognized community resource for adult literacy services in Collierville, Germantown and surrounding areas. Our quality services are provided in Basic Adult Literacy, High School Equivalency diploma and English as a Learned Language.
For more information, visit ColliervilleLiteracy.org or call 854-0288.
