American Reading Company Founder & CEO Jane Hileman Receives 2010 Women of Distinction Award
Philadelphia, Pa.— The Philadelphia Business Journal, NAWBO and presenting sponsor Wachovia, a Wells Fargo Co., awarded the prestigious 2010 Women of Distinction Award to Jane Hileman, Founder & CEO of American Reading Company. A panel of 12 external judges selected 25 winners, with scores based on professional accomplishments, community involvement and awards/milestones.
According to Ann Thornton Field, Chair of the General Litigation Department for Cozen O’Connor law firm, “Ms. Hileman exemplifies the quintessential entrepreneur driven by a relentless, internal continuous improvement mandate.” Field, also an award recipient in 2006, nominated Hileman for the award based, in part, on Hileman’s innovative efforts to optimize reading success for children across the country.
When Hileman was a teacher in Philadelphia, she saw firsthand how children struggled to learn to read the “old-fashioned way.” She developed a new approach to reading, refining it for over 12 years to create a groundbreaking model that helps all children, regardless of economic status, to adopt the habits of highly successful readers. The system also supports teachers in using independent reading to drive both instruction and assessment. Today, the program is used by more than a million students in 1,800 schools across 420 districts in 40 states. Hileman has grown this business from a few passionate teachers working from her dining room to a group of more than 100 determined people working out of a warehouse in King of Prussia. The company maintains a single mission: for every child in America to read on or above grade level.
“Ms. Hileman is an extraordinary example of what an individual can accomplish with the right idea, the insight to assemble the right team, a little bit of luck, and a great deal of courage and fortitude,” said Quality Quinn, EVP of Marketing, American Reading Company and a renowned literacy expert, national speaker, and author. “She does not shy away from following her own core values and gut instincts to make decisions that may demand prodigious effort to execute.”
The Women of Distinction winners are profiled in a special section of this week’s Philadelphia Business Journal and were publicly recognized at an awards banquet on November 30. “It’s a great honor,” said Ms. Hileman of the event. “I was especially happy to share the evening with my fellow colleagues, dear friends and my family. I’m indebted to the wonderful team at American Reading Company, who inspire me daily in the important work we are doing together.”
About American Reading Company
American Reading Company transforms school cultures to create sustainable academic achievement through training, management, and monitoring. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in King of Prussia, PA. Today, more than a million students in 2,100 schools across 420 districts in 41 states participate in the company’s programs, which include ACTION 100, 100 BOOK CHALLENGE and RESEARCH LABS.