Meet Our 2026 Read Across America Speakers

The Literacy Cooperative will host its 10th Annual Read Across America Celebration on April 23, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at Cuyahoga Community College’s Jerry Sue Thornton Center.

This milestone event will feature a timely and important conversation with two respected community leaders, Randell McShepard and Dan Moulthrop. Together, they will lead a conversation focused on one of the most pressing challenges facing our region and nation. Literacy remains a barrier to success for too many children and adults. This discussion will explore how leadership, advocacy, and community collaboration can help drive meaningful change.

Meet Randell McShepard

Randell McShepard serves as Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Talent Officer at RPM International Inc., where he leads corporate philanthropy, government relations, and executive leadership development for the Medina-based global company.

Before joining RPM, Randell spent 15 years in nonprofit leadership, focusing on workforce development, economic development, government affairs, and community service. His work continues to shape systems that connect education, opportunity, and economic mobility.

Randell is deeply engaged in the Northeast Ohio community. He currently serves as Chair of The Cleveland Foundation and Vice Chair of Destination Cleveland, and is a board member of Citymark Capital. He is also Co-Founder and Chairman of PolicyBridge, an African American public policy think tank, and Co-Founder of Rid-All Green Partnership, an urban farm and environmental stewardship organization in Cleveland.

A Cleveland native, Randell is a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, Baldwin Wallace College, and Cleveland State University.

Meet Dan Moulthrop

Dan Moulthrop is Chief Executive Officer of The City Club of Cleveland, one of the nation’s oldest free speech forums and a cornerstone of civic dialogue in the region.

Dan brings a strong background in journalism and public engagement. He previously hosted The Sound of Ideas on WCPN and co-founded The Civic Commons, a Knight Foundation initiative designed to foster meaningful civic conversation in digital spaces.

He is also an accomplished author and editor, including co-authoring Teachers Have it Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers, which informed the documentary American Teacher, and co-editing A Race Anthology: Dispatches and Artifacts from a Segregated City.

Dan has served in leadership roles across several organizations, including the Ohio Debate Commission and Borderlight, Cleveland’s international theatre festival, and has contributed to boards supporting education, health, and the humanities. He lives in Shaker Heights with his family.

Celebrating Milestones and Impact

This year’s event also marks important milestones for The Literacy Cooperative and the broader community:

Proceeds from the celebration support children receiving free, monthly books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Cuyahoga County and help adults access education, credentials, and workforce opportunities.

For ticket and sponsorship information, click here.