Arkansas Imagination library
BOARD & STAFF
Charlotte Rainey Parham is the thirteenth of 16 children from Cleveland, Arkansas. She received her BSE in Elementary and Special Education. She continued her learning with an MSE in Gifted Curriculum and completed her education with an Ed.D. in Education Leadership.
An educator for more than 20 years, Dr. Parham served as an elementary teacher, gifted specialist, principal, and district administrator in the K-12 school system. She is a national consultant and author who currently serves as an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). Her research focuses on preschool programs and their impact on K-12 student achievement.
Dr. Parham is Executive Director of Arkansas Imagination Library, a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and the founder of Arkansas Preschool Plus. Both are nonprofit organizations that support school readiness.
Sara Drew joined the Arkansas Imagination Library (ARIL) team in May 2019 as the Fund Development Director. She works with ARIL to raise revenue in order to provide 50% matching funding for all local program partners.
Sara has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, including programming, education, fundraising, facilitation, marketing, and management. Sara started out in web design with Aristotle, Inc., moved on to historic preservation with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, spent 6 years as the Director of the Study Tours Program for Heifer International, and then served as the Director of the ESSE Purse Museum in the SOMA area of Little Rock, before joining Literacy Action as the Executive Director in 2013. She has since served at the Development Director for EAST Initiative and the Business Development Director for The Venture Center.
Sara received a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in and a master’s degree in Public History from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Sara lives in North Little Rock with her fantastic husband, their amazing son, a sly rescue cat, and a happy rescue dog.
Anita Watson moved to Arkansas in 2005 from Silicon Valley, California, where she retired from a long career in the computer industry. There she discovered the Imagination Library, and joined the all-volunteer team in 2016 when Garland County Imagination Library expanded to include Montgomery County. She was responsible for raising funds and registering children in Montgomery County. After being on the Board for a year she expanded her duties and served as the Board Vice Chair and is now the Board Chair.
As ARIL’s Newborn Initiative Coordinator, Anita is responsible for expanding the program outreach to include new partnerships with hospitals to support the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Arkansas. Anita provides support by writing proposals, communication best practices, and training to the hospitals. She also provides support to local program partners to help expand their outreach to regional medical centers.
Anita lives in the Harbor South Community on Lake Ouachita with her husband.
Dr. Tammy R. Benson is a long-term educator who has always placed service to supporting early childhood literacy and the teaching profession first in her career. After serving UCA for 34 years, she recently retired as a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Central Arkansas. Before her 34 years at UCA, she was a classroom teacher for five years where she implemented best practices in early childhood education.
Dr. Benson received a doctoral degree from the University of Memphis in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She has two degrees from the University of Central Arkansas, including a Master’s degree in reading with a reading specialist endorsement and a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Dr. Benson maintains a strong research agenda that includes mentoring, reading intervention strategies, specifically dyslexia training; leadership and its impact on quality teacher education programs and K-12 schools. She loves to volunteer and serves on several boards that advocate for literacy for young children and their families. She currently serves on the Arkansas Childcare Aware Board. She previously has served on the Board for the Faulkner County Day School, Bookcase for Literacy Project and HAVEN House in Conway.
Tammy has been married for 40 years to her best friend and supporter, Lawrence. She has two grown children and three of the most beautiful grandsons in the world. Waylon, Weston and Wyatt bring her joy every day as only a ‘grammy’ could understand. She enjoys spending time with family, serving her church and community, and traveling with as many beach trips as possible.
Arkansas Imagination Library
Board of Directors
Fred Leonard, Chair
Dr. Linda Eilers, Vice Chair
Lavon Morton, Treasurer/Secretary
Dr. Houston Davis
Leigh Scanlon Keener
Jackie Govan
Courtney Pledger
Lisenne Rockefeller
Mireya Reith Dr. Sylvia Simon
Dr. Bobby Hart
Sen. Clarke Tucker Leigh Keener Courtney Pledger Mireya Reith Dr. Sylvia Simon
Dr. Richard Valentine Jerry Adams Eddie Lee Herndon Board Emeritus Members
