Board of Directors

Denise M. Finley, Ed.S. — Curriculum/Learning Support Specialist K-12

Denise Finley currently serves as K-12 Curriculum Coordinator/Learning Support Specialist for Lamar County Schools. Mrs. Finley holds a dual Specialist degree (Educational Leadership/Reading-Family Literacy) from Georgia College and State University. She has 32 years of experience as an educator working in a variety of public settings with diverse student populations from birth through high school. Mrs. Finley has served in a number of roles as classroom teacher, instructional coach, professional learning consultant and educational curriculum consultant.

Mrs. Finley serves as a board member for Gordon State College School of Education. She has been a guest instructor for the Early Childhood program at Gordon College and Georgia College and State University’s Lounsbury College of Education. She is an active member of the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy of Lamar County, Student Support Team Association for Georgia Educators (SSTAGE), and Georgia Association of Curriculum and Instructional Specialists (GACIS), International Reading Association, Georgia Reading Association, University of Georgia Reading Consortium and American Educational Research Association.

Denise serves on the Lamar County Ferst Readers Community Action Team (CAT) as the corresponding secretary. She also serves her community as a service member in a local outreach shelter, Family Connection Collaborative-specifically working with the local health department to improve literacy rates of low birth weight children and a local women’s ministry.

Denise and her husband Jerome have two daughters and three grandchildren.

I love the quote by Kate DiCamillo, “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, or a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” I believe that this is what the Ferst Foundation stands for—providing the gift of reading.

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