Leah serves as Senior Consultant for Learning & Impact with Detroit Parent Network and is Part-Time Faculty at Eastern Michigan University. A proud Detroiter and first-generation high school graduate, her professional and community work have focused on literacy access and equity— as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, faculty in urban teacher education, and consultant to the Michigan Department of Education on literacy education, literacy equity, and growing educator diversity. Leah is Past President of the Michigan Reading Association and a member of the 4-person editorial team of the Michigan Reading Journal. She serves on the state’s Early Literacy Task Force and the MiLEAP Advisory Team. Most importantly, she is the mama of a neurodiverse little human who is a student in a Detroit public school. They are teaching her how to build with LEGO and reading together at bedtime is one of their favorite parts of every day. You can reach Leah at vanbelle@me.com.