Penny, Office Cat, ext. meow
Penny is our fierce shelfkeeper here at BookSpring. She was found in the storm drain behind headquarters and quickly stole the hearts of BookSpring staff. She was given the name 'Penny' after the infamous book villain 'Pennywise,' who also lived in the storm drains. After transitioning from storm drain kitty ...
Veronica Gonzalez, Family Literacy Program Aide
Veronica is a Family Literacy Program Aide for BookSpring. Veronica was born and raised in Austin, Texas and attends Texas State University in San Marcos. She is majoring in animal science with a concentration in pre-vet. When not at BookSpring or facilitating BookSpring programs she enjoys playing beach volleyball, reading, ...
Josiah Guajardo, Family Literacy Program Aide
Josiah is a Family Literacy Program Aide for Bookspring. He was raised in League City, Texas just outside of Houston and moved to Austin to attend St. Edwards University. He is a student-athlete on the Men’s Cross Country and Track team and is majoring in Math, minoring in Physics. Coming ...
Karen Arneson, Partner Manager, ext. 108
In addition to being the partner lead for the Books Beginning at Birth program, Karen coordinates and delivers programs that build early literacy and cultivate family engagement in reading through community partnership collaborations through Early Books for Me and Parent Book Clubs. Originally from El Paso, she moved to Austin to attend the University of ...
Jessy Morris, Logistics Manager, ext. 105
No matter if you're an individual looking for a way to give back or leading a group of volunteers for a team building event, Jessy is the person to reach for helpful activities across all programs and book donation deliveries. Jessy recruits, trains, and oversees all BookSpring volunteers, and also ...
Jimmy Minter, Operations Manager, ext. 107
Filling the need to keep day-to-day operations smooth, Jimmy manages the facilities, things, and all Work Study and Internship programs of BookSpring. Raised in Bastrop, Jimmy attended Bastrop High School and later the University of Texas at Austin. During high school, he wrote music with several bands. This was when ...
Ana Krueger, Communications Coordinator, ext. 111
As Communications Coordinator, Ana oversees BookSprings' communication channels and social media. Ana grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has a fondness for mountains and evergreens. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Marketing and a minor in Creative Writing. Ana is very passionate about ...
Sarah Hill, Finance Manager, ext. 100
As the lead budgeter, planner, controller, bookkeeper, proofreader, and moral support for fundraising activities and events, Sarah brings her knack for organization to BookSpring by handling the little things that keep the wheels turning. A native Austinite, she grew up surrounded by overstuffed bookshelves and believes every child should have ...
Bianca Paz-Cisneros, Director of Development, ext. 104
If you're wanting to join the Flying Book Society with a recurring gift or become a sponsor of BookSpring Fest, Bianca is your contact! Bianca grew up in Brownsville, Texas, and has a BA in Communication and a minor in writing. After college, she decided to pursue a life of ...
Emily Ball Cicchini, PhD, Executive Director, ext. 106
Serving as Executive Director since 2015, Emily is inspired by the vision of sustaining a steady stream of the right books to the right kids at the right time. She has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit and education sectors, including leadership roles with Austin Creative Alliance, Texans for ...