Barbara Gibson Accepts Leadership of VALRC by Randall Stamper The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center is pleased and proud to announce that Barbara Gibson has accepted the position of manager of the Center. Barbara served as the interim manager for approximately six months following Susan Joyner’s retirement. Her impressive resume includes positions as Associate Director of the Virginia Lit-
niques you may use. Marketing mixes for the selected target markets of women and of laborers are illustrated on page 7. Note that the marketing mix for laborers would be irrelevant to the women in the first target market selected and vice versa. It is more likely potential GED students will respond when they experience the marketing mix that meets their particular wants, needs, characteristics, and behaviors. This is the reason targeted marketing to enroll GED students is more effective than mass marketing. Clearly it requires more analysis, takes more time and costs more. However, it is far more likely to get you to your goal of twice as many GED graduates. The marketing strategy guidelines provide the structure to repeat this analysis with other target markets – e.g., immigrants, etc. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just follow the guidelines carefully. Make thoughtful decisions when selecting your target markets and encourage creative ideas when designing unique marketing mixes. A final note: if someone who is not specifically defined to be in the target market is motivated to sign up as a GED student because of this marketing effort, you will most likely want to enroll them .: in a community-wide program. William R. George, Ph.D., taught services marketing and management for thirty-five years, including six years at Virginia Commonwealth University, 1973-1979. He retired from Villanova University in 1999. Bill has worked with literacy groups since the early 1990s. PROGRESS:. Spring 2004
eracy Foundation and Vice President of Virginia Blood Services. She brings nearly fifteen years of experience in the adult education field to the Resource Center, as well her expertise in fund development, marketing, community relations, and strategic planning. In addition to managing the Center, Barbara will retain her position as
Associate Director of the Virginia Literacy Institute. Her dedication to adult literacy and exceptional leadership skills are known to many in our field. Those who have worked with her attest to her acumen. Please join us in welcoming Barbara to the Resource Center. .:
Virginia Reading Project • Jenny Leadbetter-Bolte, New River Community College • Betsy Mathias, Spotsylvania Vocational/Technical Center • Lynda Waldenville, New River Community College Our appreciation also to the staff of the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, who coordinated, supported, and will now be the conduit for this training to reach adult educators in Virginia. .:
References Bell, S., Ziegler, M., & McCallum, S. (2004). What adult educators know compared with what they say they know about providing research-
based reading instruction. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46, 542-563 Farstrup, A. (2004, April/May). Reading is hot, and so is the IRA. Reading Today, 21, 8. Workforce Improvement Network. (2003). GED as project: Volume 3, language arts, reading. Richmond, VA: Virginia Department of Education. Susan Holt coordinates communications with the regional specialists and oversees a variety of other projects for the VALRC.
Crew Chief’s Perspective ences should be routinely scheduled to enhance performance and secure the progress of each and every team. Everyone has a role, and it takes everyone’s hard work to even get to the track in the first place. The entire sport excels when all of the teams succeed. Managers can take Race to GED to extreme sports, to bike road rallies, to Olympic tryouts, to the winner’s circles, to victory lane, or to the local store. Managers may find that they need to fine tune or begin with a shorter race to build the local fan base. The work is fuel injected, and once the systems are in place, the events can re-occur in the locality as well as in new complexes. Program managers (crew chiefs)
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must be inventive, spontaneous, adaptive, and progressive. Built from good research, best practices, and knowledge skill sets, the chassis of the Race to GED machine offers a sleek and speedy ride to get to the GED finish line and continue to the next level of competition. Find your team a champion, a sponsor. If one is not obvious, then grow one or sponsor your own team. Mix the special octane, prepare your car and your team, and take a deep seat. The pace is definitely going to accelerate. .: Stacey Wright is the Program Manager and Planner for the Danville/Martinsville area. Her program is one of the five Fast Track pilot programs. 13
