Robert Wedgeworth named President of Laubach Literacy

ProLiteracy Worldwide
Friday, 2 March 2001

SYRACUSE, NY, MARCH 2, 2001–Thomas E. Noel, Chairperson of Laubach Literacy International, announced today that Robert Wedgeworth will become the President of Laubach Literacy, effective immediately. Mr. Wedgeworth has served as Interim President of Laubach Literacy International (LLI) since September 2000. He is also the Vice Chairperson of the Laubach Literacy International Board of Directors, but resigns that post with his acceptance of the president's position with LLI. "I've been greatly impressed by the capability of the staff at Laubach Literacy and their devotion to the mission of adult literacy," stated Mr. Wedgeworth. "This is a particularly opportune time to focus attention on the basic skills needs of the least advantaged adults in the U.S. and other parts of the world."

"The Board has been very pleased with Bob's success as interim president and is especially gratified that we will be able to stabilize Laubach's leadership at this critical time in our development," said Mr. Noel. "Clearly, a steady hand at the wheel will be essential as we work our way through merger discussions -- and other strategic issues -- in the weeks and months ahead."

Mr. Wedgeworth's career has spanned almost four decades as an educator and academic librarian. He retired from the position of University Librarian and Professor at the University of Illinois in August 1999. His career includes active involvement in literacy issues, including founding the Coalition for Literacy and stimulating the Ad Council to launch the first literacy awareness campaign in the early 1980s.

Laubach Literacy is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to helping adults acquire the listening, speaking, reading, writing, mathematics, technical and problem-solving skills they need to improve their lives.

Founded in 1955 by literacy pioneer Dr. Frank C. Laubach, the organization has 1,100 member programs throughout the United States and 67 partner programs in 36 developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Its U.S. publishing division, New Readers Press, produces and distributes 500 titles of adult educational materials to 46,000 literacy organizations, schools, libraries and other institutions across the country.

For more information, or to contact ProLiteracy Worldwide, see their website at: www.proliteracy.org