Our Leadership
- Kyle Zimmer, President and Co-Founder
- Chandler Arnold, Executive Director, First Book Marketplace
- James Francavilla, Senior Vice President, Program Strategy and Community Organizing
- Theresa Harnisch Grimison, Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Development
- Lynda Lancaster, Senior Vice President, National Outreach
- Teresa Pipia, Vice President, Strategic Alliances
- Jane Robinson, Chief Financial Officer
- Joan Sahlgren, Vice President, Communications
Kyle Zimmer
President and Co-Founder
Throughout her life, Kyle has focused on the intersection of policy, business and social sectors. Early in her career, Kyle worked in the political arena and then went on to practice law, representing a wide spectrum of corporate and social sector clients. During this time, Kyle began volunteering to mentor a child at a local shelter. It was here that she became painfully aware of the limited resources and almost nonexistent access to books children in local mentoring programs battle.
Her firsthand experience working with local heroes committed to improving opportunities for low-income youth inspired Kyle and two colleagues to found First Book in 1992. Three years later, Kyle began serving full time as President of the organization. Under her leadership, First Book has distributed over 60 million books to children in thousands of communities in the United States. In addition, First Book has successfully launched several new subsidiaries—including the First Book National Book Bank and The First Book Marketplace—and has opened offices in Canada.
First Book is one of the most celebrated organizations in the social sector. In 2003, Forbes Magazine named First Book one of ten “Gold Star” Charities and, for the past five consecutive years, Fast Company and Monitor Group have named First Book a winner of the Social Capitalist Award for using entrepreneurial genius to solve global issues. In 2007, First Book received the Golden Halo Award -- the highest award for cause marketing in the United States from the Cause Marketing Forum for its innovative cause-based marketing campaigns. In 2005, First Book received the largest grant ever given by the Oprah’s Angel Network Book Club Award to support First Book’s efforts in the Delta region. That same year, the First Book Marketplace was awarded the Grand Prize in the Yale School of Management/ Goldman Sachs Nonprofit Business Plan Competition. Most recently, First Book was named the Signature Charity of the Quill Awards.
Kyle’s commitment to innovation and integration across sectors has earned her a reputation as a social sector leader. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Ashoka which works to ensure that social entrepreneurs and their innovations continue to inspire a new generation of local changemakers to create positive social change. Ashoka strives to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers. She was also named 2007 Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year in the United States by the Geneva-based Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. In July of 2008, Kyle was named the first ever American Marketing Association Nonprofit Marketer of the Year.
Chandler Arnold
Senior Vice President, First Book
Executive Director, First Book Marketplace and First Book National Book Bank
Chandler Arnold is the Executive Vice President at First Book and the Executive Director of the First Book Marketplace and the First Book National Book Bank. The First Book Marketplace is First Book's award-winning online bookstore that provides new books to organizations serving children from low-income families at deeply discounted prices. In his capacity as Executive Director, Chandler is responsible for Marketplace strategy, expansion, marketing, and customer outreach. In addition to being highlighted in case studies at Columbia Business School and the Yale School of Management, The First Book Marketplace also won a national business plan competition hosted by the Goldman Sachs Foundation/Yale School of Management and was named the "most innovative" social enterprise in the field by the Social Enterprise Alliance.
Prior to joining First Book, Chandler worked in marketing for The Coca-Cola Company, where he focused on customer segmentation and strategy, and as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, where he advised corporations on profit maximization, public-private partnerships, and organizational design.
Chandler holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University where his work centered on harnessing the power of the private sector to advance social change. Chandler is also the founder of the Harvard Emergent Literacy Project and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University.
James G. Francavilla
Senior Vice President, Program Strategy and Community Organizing
James Francavilla is currently Senior Vice President of Program Strategy and Community Organizing for First Book, an international nonprofit based in Washington DC. First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.
James has extensive management, strategic projects, community outreach, and career development expertise. His nonprofit and education related experience includes working as the Managing Director of the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund, and associations with The Baltimore Education Scholarship Trust, The Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, the New Song School, Habitat for Humanity, and as a member of the T. Rowe Price Community Relations Board of Advisors.
In addition to his nonprofit experience, James has more than 20 years of professional work experience in the financial services industry. His experience includes work for Dean Witter, Bankers Trust Company, and T.Rowe Price, where he served as Vice President of Client Administration and Vice President of Strategic Projects.
Mr. Francavilla has a degree in Marketing from St. John's University in New York City and an MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.
Theresa Harnisch Grimison
Vice President, Development
Theresa Harnisch Grimison is Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Development for First Book, an international nonprofit based in Washington DC. First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. As a member of First Book’s senior team, Theresa provides strategic insight and nonprofit management expertise and is responsible for major gifts, grants and donor services functions for the organization.
Prior to joining First Book, Theresa’s career spanned more than 13 years of executive responsibility in nonprofit management, with a focus in museum administration and resource development. Most recently, Theresa was appointed by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to direct the state’s museum resources division. During her tenure she created strategies that transformed the organization into an entrepreneurial and customer-oriented business that drove increased visitation, successful marketing initiatives and expanded programs for cultural centers statewide. Previously, as the Deputy Director of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, she was instrumental in all aspects of opening the museum to the public and growing the organization to achieve both national accreditation and international acclaim.
Theresa graduated from the Anderson School of Management, University of New Mexico with a Master of Business Administration. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Fordham University.
Lynda Lancaster
Senior Vice President, National Outreach
Lynda Lancaster, First Book's Senior Vice President for National Outreach, has spent the past twenty years working in management positions at renowned volunteer and community-based organizations. With significant experience supporting community-based programs from a national perspective, Ms. Lancaster is uniquely qualified to manage First Book's nonprofit and governmental partnerships.
To date, Ms. Lancaster has connected First Book with key organizations such as Kiwanis International, The National Head Start Association, the National School Supply and Equipment Association, The U.S. Coast Guard, The U.S. Postal Service, The Points of Light Foundation; Connect America, The Salvation Army, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Armed Services YMCA, and Communities in Schools.
Prior to joining First Book, Ms. Lancaster held positions at The President's Task Force on Private Sector Initiatives, The Points of Light Foundation, The National Assembly, and the Association of Junior Leagues International, all of which depended upon her talent in mobilizing volunteers and partnerships with national organizations. Leveraging those relationships, Ms. Lancaster has developed an expertise in creating national partnerships and collaborations.
Teresa A. Pipia
Vice President, Strategic Alliances
Teresa Pipia is currently Vice President of Strategic Alliances for First Book, an international nonprofit based in Washington DC. First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. Teresa provides strategic insight and logistical management for cause-marketing and national partners.
In her role she acts as corporate liaison for donor partners and publishers in marketing execution, manages daily operations for her team, and garners new business partnerships including responding to RFP’s and creating cause-marketing promotional campaigns. Client relationship management includes accounts such as Disney, General Mills, KPMG, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity and the Tata Group.
Teresa brings an extensive background in marketing to her work at First Book. Most recently, Teresa served as Account Director for Redpeg Marketing where she directed brand marketing programs and led strategic thinking for clients, account teams, and advisory committees. Previously, she was with the Department of Defense, US Army, where she was Operations Manager for logistical planning and execution of the Army Ten-Miler, the Army’s premier sporting event and the largest 10-mile race in the United States. Early in her career, Teresa worked with Clear Channel Entertainment in sports marketing. She has a long history of successful branding and revenue generating events, coordinating talent and logistics.
Teresa graduated from the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Master of Science in Sport Management, and from the American University, Cum Laude, with a BA in Psychology and a Minor in Business Administration.
Jane Robinson
Chief Financial Officer
Jane Robinson, who serves as the Chief Financial Officer for First Book, also serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the First Book Marketplace. Jane had a distinguished career with a major DC-based national law firm, Zuckerman Spaeder, where she served as CFO for two decades as it evolved from a small firm to its current status as a major litigation firm with multiple offices in the United States. Jane has superior skills in financial management and has provided strategic guidance for First Book and its subsidiaries during a period of unparalleled growth. In addition to her financial role for First Book, Jane and Kyle Zimmer serve as the executive management team overseeing all operations and strategic development for the organization.
In 2005, the business plan for the First Book Marketplace was selected by the Yale School of Management - The Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures as a grand-prize winner in the Third National Business Plan Competition for Nonprofit Organizations. The First Book Marketplace was also given the Innovation of the Year Award from the Social Enterprise Alliance. First Book was named one of Forbes’ Magazine’s Top 10 Gold Star Charities for its efficiency and Charity Navigator awarded the organization its top 4-Star Rating in 2008 for the second consecutive year.
Joan Sahlgren
Vice President, Communications
Joan Sahlgren joined First Book in spring of 2008 as the Vice President of Communications. The nonprofit First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. Joan is responsible for First Book’s communications, public relations and media relations strategies and outreach both nationally and internationally. She works closely with First Book’s Senior Team and its various operational divisions to create and implement innovative and integrated marketing and communication strategies that build the First Book brand and enhance interaction with its diverse audiences: volunteers, staff, media, and other public and private stakeholders, including corporate sector representatives.
Prior to joining First Book, she worked with the Fairfax Education Foundation, and as an independent community relations consultant. She has worked in the private, political and corporate arenas in public relations, reputation management, special events and speechwriting. She was an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College, teaching the core course requirement, Public Relations, for the Marketing Department’s most recently added associate degree, Public Relations.
She holds three Bachelor of Arts degrees, Cum Laude, from Mercer University, Macon, GA: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of English, and a Bachelor of Speech and Communications. She serves as the Executive Director of the National Home Library Foundation.
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