About Turn the Page

is a reading specialist and associate professor of Education. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education at Guilford College and earned both her Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees at the University of Virginia. Anna’s research interests include fostering language acquisition and increasing language capacity in children from birth to age three, orthographic development, reading ability and disabilities, effective pedagogy, as well as job-embedded professional development for teachers. She is devoted to preparing culturally responsive teacher candidates who can create equitable learning environments that are safe, affirming, child-centered, intellectually challenging, and engaging. Anna is dedicated to working in community partnership with nonprofits in the Roanoke Valley to eradicate generational cycles of poverty. Her work fosters supportive systems of care to promote early school success and literacy building opportunities for children growing up in economically challenged, vulnerable, and marginalized families.

is a local attorney, mother, and business owner. Lauren grew up watching her Mom Patty use what few spare moments she had (while raising twins) to read. In high school, Lauren became a reader and when her daughter Maggie was born prematurely, she began to envision a Roanoke base nonprofit that gave books to new Moms at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, and to the NICU. Thus, with the help of good friends and founding board members Erin, Kristin and Elizabeth – Turn the Page was born. Lauren believes that reading is transformative and can change our world, our City for the better. She has served on the Turn the Page Board since its start in 2014, is a Trustee of Second Presbyterian Church, volunteer with Family Promise and board member of the Community Foundation Serving Greater Roanoke.

is a former third grade and Title One teacher. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and earned a Masters in Teaching from the University of Virginia. During her time at UVA, Caroline taught abroad in Cambridge, England, and studied at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. After graduation, Caroline spent two years teaching in Louisa County, Virginia. She then moved to Roanoke, Virginia where she taught for Roanoke City Public Schools. Caroline was a third grade reading teacher for a number of years, and then served as a Title One resource teacher for her elementary school. In 2018 she received the Milken Educator Award for the state of Virginia. Caroline discovered Turn the Page through her volunteer work with the Junior League of the Roanoke Valley. She fell in love with their mission of sharing books and the importance of literacy with all of Roanoke, and joined the board in 2023.

is a passionate advocate for literacy and education, with nearly two decades of experience in early childhood education. She began her teaching career in Roanoke City Public Schools and, after a decade of working as a preschool teacher, mentor, and school leader in Atlanta, Georgia, she happily returned to her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. She now serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Community School. Never happier in the classroom than when reading aloud to children, Kitty believes in the power of books to inspire, educate and connect. In 2023, she joined the board of Turn the Page, where she’s dedicated to making books accessible to all children and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up experiencing the joy of reading.

is a former elementary school teacher with a Master’s degree in Teaching from the University of Virginia, and a deep passion for literacy and education.  She taught in both Fairfax County and Henrico County public schools for several years before moving to Roanoke.  In 2020, she joined the board of Turn the Page, inspired by the mission and programming of the organization. Alongside her husband, she co-manages a successful orthodontic practice, where they are committed to providing exceptional care and giving back to their local community. Justine is also a former member of the Junior League or Roanoke Valley and a committee chairman for the local Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Power of Pink luncheon, working to improve the lives of others in the community. 

is a local pediatrician. She grew up in Salem. She completed her undergraduate education in psychology, medical school education, pediatric residency and a chief residency year all at the University of Virginia. During this time she became interested in the workings of the childhood brain. She spent several years working with children on the autism spectrum in behavioral therapy and in research projects studying different learning styles of autistic children. Since graduating from residency she has practiced in a variety of settings. These have included a childhood obesity clinic at UVA, an ADHD clinic at UVA, a pediatric private practice in Raleigh, NC, and now Physicians to Children in Roanoke. She has also enjoyed volunteering in a variety of medical outreach settings, including several trips to Haiti. She loves her job working with children as they grow and develop over time. In a world of screens and short attention spans she believes that reading is vital to childrens' health and development. She joined the board of Turn the Page in 2019.

is an obstetrician and gynecologist who grew up in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia. She graduated from UVA with a degree in Biology and then earned a medical degree from MCV (now VCU Health) in Richmond, VA. She was in a private OB/GYN practice for 15 years before pivoting to volunteer work as a Women’s Health physician at Roanoke’s Bradley Free Clinic. Currently, Dr. Martin is an assistant professor at VTCSOM (Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine) where she instructs and coaches medical students. She also provides care for OB/GYN patients at Carilion Clinic where she is involved in resident teaching. Dr. Martin is an advocate for excellent health care and literacy, which are both vital to the health of a community. She is a founding board member of Turn the Page, promoting literacy in Roanoke, Virginia and helped launch Books and Breakfast. She is also a board member of Life Ring Foundation, which is devoted to fighting pediatric cancer in Southwest Virginia and dedicated to the health and wellbeing of Roanoke and Southwest Virginia.  The primary focus of both nonprofits is improving the trajectory of the next generation. 

is a lifelong educator and holds a Masters in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, with 25 years of experience in instructional coaching, literacy support, and teacher development. She has dedicated her career to supporting and inspiring educators through the implementation of best practices and reflective collaboration that advances quality educational opportunities for all learning communities. Currently serving as a Supervising Mentor for the Virginia Career Switcher Program and previously working as a University Supervisor for Johns Hopkins University, Tonya has supported teachers in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia by facilitating the application of educational theory into real life learning situations. In her prior role as a Literacy Coach, she set literacy standards, supported differentiation and planned professional development. Tonya founded an education consultation organization, where she collaborated with a team of educators to provided community resources and programs. Passionate about providing strong and meaningful educational opportunities for all learning communities, Tonya is committed to fostering a culture of continuous reflection and professional growth in education through inspiration and collaboration. As a new resident of the Roanoke Valley she enjoys being a part of The Junior League, The Garden Club, Cotillion, Community Bible Study and the Vice President of her children’s Parent Association. Turn the Page is dear to her heart because it supports her passionate literacy pedagogy.

is a member of Turn the Page's Grants Committee. She has a background in development and proposal writing spanning 20 years. An avid reader herself and mother of three, she feels strongly about the role that reading and books can play in early childhood education. Laura has worked with several non-profit organizations fostering the arts in Roanoke, including Mill Mountain Theatre and Mish Moves Dance Company.