​Dr. John Maloy is the superintendent of the Aspen Schools.  The idea behind Read with Me came from him.  Dr. Maloy had a program at his former district that was a volunteer reading program to support 2nd and 3rd graders who were falling behind in reading. He has passion for helping kids become better readers and hopefully they will begin to experience the joy of reading.  He has been one of our volunteers from the start because he believes it is a wonderful opportunity to help kids get excited about reading! Dr. Maloy and his wife moved to Aspen 10 years ago from Bloomington, Indiana where he was the superintendent. When asked about what he is most passionate about, he said that after his family, he wants to be a part of helping kids be successful in and out of school.  He shared that he believes one of his best character traits is caring about others and making sure that people feel like they are a valued member of a team.  He  also feels he is a good listener and is able to support people with concerns or issues and help them solve the problem.  When I asked him about something fun we should know about him, he laughed and then I found out he is terrified of snakes!  He also shared that he loves to play tennis and pickle ball and just might have a championship win in his back pocket! Thank you Dr. Maloy for believing in this program and continuing to make it a priority at Aspen Elementary School!

Chonnie knows the importance of reading with children as she has 2 of her own whom she has taught the love of reading.  She has 2 daughters who attend school at AES and AMS. Both of her girls are strong readers and love it.  She started volunteering for Read with Me because she wanted to share the same love with kids she works with. She believes that reading is so valuable for every aspect of your life. Chonnie humbly shared that one of her best character traits is that she enjoys helping others! When Chonnie isn't loving on her own family or Read with Me kids, she is running her own gardening and home management business that she has run since the early 90s.  Chonnie moved here 26 years ago when she came for a visit and never left! One fun fact about Chonnie... she and her family travel to Italy every year and have lots of friends there!  Chonnie, thanks for giving back to kids kids at AES! 

Many know Bill, as he has lived in Aspen for over 40 years!  You can't miss his smile and great sense of humor!  In fact he believes humor is very important to have!  He also believes that one of his best character traits is his ability to care for others.  Bill has been practicing law for over 40 years.  Most of his years have been in criminal law.  He certainly wears a different hat when he reads with his reading partners at school!   Bill joined our team 3 years ago when a friend who is also one of our volunteers invited him to come. He agreed and has stayed because he really likes working with the kids!  He believes it is so important for the kids to get good experiences with reading.  We are thankful for Bill showing up and giving us all a good laugh and the kindness he gives to the kids he works with!

If you have spent any time driving around Aspen, you have met or seen Brian O'Neil.  He walks everywhere and you can almost always see a book in his hand! Brian has lived in Aspen for over 40 years!

Brian has been a volunteer for Read with Me for 3 years!  He was one of the first volunteers to sign up and has helped recruit others from his frequent lunches at the Senior Center!  Brian loves to read and his passion for volunteering stems from his years of teaching in Massachusetts.  He would see elementary school teachers "trying to do it all" and he was excited to come support kids at AES!  Brian is a soft spoken, gentleman who believes it is important to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.  He is very involved in the local Elks chapter.  We are so thankful for Brian and the fun he brings to our group!