David Miller
CEO & Founder
Prior to establishing LiteracyPro Systems in 1995, David served as Founder and Executive Director of Project READ in Redwood, California. While at the helm, this program won four national awards for excellence and innovation, including a US Department of Education-sponsored research study that selected his program as “one of five exemplary literacy programs in the United States.”
David also established one of California’s first library/school district partnerships that matched at-risk high school youth with at-risk elementary school students. Still in operation, this program has graduated more than 1,000 students, with many of them going on to college. A fascination with software emerged as a direct result of David’s quest for program management software for Project READ. After several years of trying and working with numerous programmers, the software that would launch LiteracyPro Systems was created. David obtained his BS from UC Davis and his Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Andy Thamert
Director, Customer Support
Prior to joining LiteracyPro Systems in February 2009, Andy held similar positions with a number of startups over the previous 10-year period, building experience in the support of clients in the United States as well as international clients in Canada and Sweden. Consistently recognized by clients for offering excellent service, timely response, attention to detail, and sincere interest in solutions that work at the time they are needed, the service offerings created by Andy have continued to meet world-class standards.
His fascination with the interactions of users and technology allow him to use his even-keeled, reasonable temperament and style to delve into the building blocks of exemplary service to others. Andy obtained his BS from Colorado State University and is a member of the ISOC and PMI. He greatly appreciates working with an outstanding team and extraordinary clients!
Karla Tatum
Finance
Karla brings over 20 years of corporate finance, accounting, and bookkeeping experience to LiteracyPro Systems. As the company controller, Karla provides a wide variety of accounting services that enable the company to focus on operating and growing the business. Prior to joining LiteracyPro Systems in 2003, Karla served as controller for several other high-tech companies in the Boulder/Denver metro area. A longtime resident of Colorado, Karla obtained her BS in accounting from Colorado State University and is a CPA in the state of Colorado.
Linda Watts
Quality Assurance Director
As the QA Director, Linda is an integral member of the LiteracyPro Systems development team, and is involved in each software build, from requirements gathering to implementation. She also writes and maintains all user documentation and release notes.
With a BA in English and a Career and Technical Teaching Credential, Linda has over 15 years of experience in adult education. Prior to joining LiteracyPro Systems in 2006, Linda was a faculty member in the Computer Information Systems Department at Front Range Community College, and a Technical Training Specialist at Workforce Boulder County. “My past experience in these three areas—adult education, community college, and workforce development—all came together when I joined LiteracyPro,” she says. With her teaching background and strong computer skills, Linda is able to work easily with both end-users and developers.
Michael Mowery
Senior Developer
Michael has been programming since 1991 and has created world class applications using a vast array of technologies. As facile with management as with design, he has led teams that created award winning solutions for clients from solo entrepreneurs to Fortune 1000 corporations. Michael brings a well-honed eye for the ultimate user experience, as well as the practical sense of what’s able to be built efficiently and cost effectively, while able to be maintained for exceedingly low overall costs of ownership. Michael earned his BS degree from University of Colorado, Boulder.
Garth Neil
VP, Strategic Initiatives
Garth has been a LiteracyPro Director and Board Secretary since 2000. He took an operational role in 2013 to help the company expand both its product line and market penetration. His career has spanned sales, marketing, international field operations, and finance for many of the information technology industry’s most notable leaders such as Digital Equipment, Sun Microsystems, MIPS Computers, Silicon Graphics, and Web MD. As VP of Business Development, he wrote the business plan for Netscape Corporation that secured their second and third rounds of financing, established their initial product marketing and channel strategy, and led the business development efforts that took them public in record time and kicked off the Dot Com boom.
Garth also has extensive experience in the non-profit and educational worlds, having sat on the Boards of Directors for the Presidio School of Management, WomenCare Global, Pacific Institute for Women’s Health, and many others. His passion is helping their boards and senior management to discover their paths to achieve greatness so they can deliver their mission as effectively as possible. Garth holds a Business Administration degree from University of Washington.
Shannon Stangis
National Training Manager
Shannon Stangis has a BA in psychology and is ABT on a master’s in organizational psychology, with an emphasis on adult learning theory from the University of West Florida. Shannon worked as a career development advisor at the Westwood College of Aviation Technology, where she developed and provided training presentations. Later, as the technical training coordinator for Workforce Boulder County, Shannon designed training materials, implemented a new computer lab with self-directed tutorials for Microsoft Office, and developed curriculum for and conducted numerous workshop series for diverse populations.
She is a charismatic and engaging trainer with the ability to facilitate classes across learning styles, diverse personalities, and backgrounds, and she is skilled in the development, implementation, and follow-up of curriculum and presentations. Shannon has been with LiteracyPro Systems since May 2006 and has trained thousands of end users on LiteracyPro Systems’ software through webinars and on-site training. She is frequently asked to present at state conferences, being considered an expert in many areas of adult basic education.
Frank Buran
Director of LACES Software Development
With over two decades of experience, Frank has gained expertise in all phases of software and database development, across a variety of application areas and system architectures. From embedded systems development in the aerospace industry to financial portfolio management systems on Wall Street, as well as digital TV and radio systems for satellite broadcasters across the world, Frank has played many roles, from business analyst to system architect.
As a Senior Software Developer at LiteracyPro Systems, Frank is currently responsible for the architecture, design, and development of all new software, utilizing a variety of agile project management techniques, such as Scrum. His meticulous nature and “down-to-earth” qualities make him an indispensable member of the LiteracyPro Systems team. Frank has dual master’s degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Kent Hurd
Senior Developer
Kent has over 17 years of experience developing database intensive solutions for both administrative and end-user applications. A wizard with leading edge and traditional technologies, his forte is building database applications that just work right the first time. A master bassoonist, Kent has a gift to know when his products are well tuned and pleasing to all who use them. A stickler for quality, his code is like his playing – flawless. Kent has a Masters from University of Colorado, Boulder.
Amanda Yendall
Technical Support
Amanda’s career has been dedicated to improving the lives of those who are motivated to climb out of poverty through education. She spent nine years as Director of the Blue Ridge Literacy Council before joining LiteracyPro, so she knows first-hand about the challenges faced by those in the front lines of the war on illiteracy. Amanda has a B.A. degree from Winthrop University.
