The Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties has named Texarkana native Brooke Ferguson as its new Executive Director. Ferguson, a librarian and veteran English teacher, brings a strong history of academic leadership and grant management to the position and has a clear plan to push forward new initiatives to the adult learners served by the non-profit organization.
“As someone who has benefitted from Texarkana’s education system, I’m excited about being able to pour back into my community,” Ferguson said. “I want to help other people reap the benefits of our local educational opportunities.”
Ferguson served for 11 years at Texarkana ISD as an English teacher and as the high school librarian. In addition to teaching, Ferguson offered professional development opportunities that aimed to help other educators effectively incorporate technology into their instruction, something she hopes to bring to the Literacy Council. In addition to her work at TISD, Ferguson represented Texarkana as a TeachPLUS Policy Fellow for Texas educators who advocated for the profession on the state level, and she worked with a team of teachers to secure a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) conference, which was held annually in Texarkana from 2016 to 2018. Her work experience gives her a unique combination of educational leadership, literacy instruction, and grant management, a perfect combination for the executive director position.
Ferguson attended Texarkana College and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Texas A&M University—Texarkana. She has a master’s degree in Educational Technology and Library Science from Texas A&M—Commerce. She is a certified teacher and librarian with English as a second language endorsements from the Texas Education Agency.
The executive director position was left vacant after the organization’s former leader, Jenny Walker, took the top position at a state-wide non-profit, Literacy Texas. Walker said she feels confident that Ferguson will move the organization in the right direction.
“Leading this organization over last four years has been so wonderful for me,” Walker said. “I have loved every second, and I have so much blood, sweat, and tears wrapped up in this place. However, I know that Brooke is going to take the Literacy Council to new heights. I absolutely cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
For more information about the Literacy Council, contact Ferguson at 903-823-3470 or email bferguson@literacytxk.org.The Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties has named Texarkana native Brooke Ferguson as its new Executive Director. Ferguson, a librarian and veteran English teacher, brings a strong history of academic leadership and grant management to the position and has a clear plan to push forward new initiatives to the adult learners served by the non-profit organization.
