Eileen Hanning created The Reading Connection Book Club in 1995 and the accompanying Parent and Staff Workshops in 1999. She has managed the growth of these programs from their inception, and still administers them today. She also has four years of experience with TRC’s Shelter Read-Aloud Program as both a read-aloud volunteer and as a staff member. Eileen holds an undergraduate degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on literacy education from Trinity College in Washington D.C.

In addition to her work with TRC, Eileen has ten years of experience working with programs in the nonprofit sector. She has worked for Reading Is Fundamental, the Close Up Foundation, and also has classroom experience. She recently started studying Spanish to better serve some of the parents attending workshops. She is a member of the Greater Washington Reading Council, the International Reading Association, and the Women’s National Book Association. Eileen brings an unequaled passion for early childhood literacy to this position. As a parent of two young boys, her work goes far beyond the theoretical and is buttressed by her real-life experiences.