After 15 years at the helm of United Through Reading, CEO Sally Ann Zoll, an Army spouse and mother, is retiring. During her time connecting deployed service members with their families through reading, she was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s inaugural Community Service Hero Award and the American Prize of the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program. We were honored to talk with her about her transition.
How did you know it was time to move on from your role?
I’d actually been thinking about it for a couple of years, and then COVID, and the timing just wasn’t right. I will tell you, I have mixed feelings about it. This is really bittersweet, because I just love, love, love this organization. I am so blessed to have been a part of it for over 15 years. I wake up every morning so excited to do the work that we do. It’s just really been an honor and a blessing to serve our military families.
Can you talk about one of the most memorable moments you had in your career with UTR?
The amazing stories that we get back from our military families every single day, and I mean, there are hundreds of thousands of them. Those stories will always and forever remain in my heart.
Have there been any challenges along the way?
Half of our staff was in all places around the country. We started having virtual employees in 2009. And so, we really started talking about how to include all the people who weren’t around the table, and I finally said, ‘Why shouldn’t we all be virtual?’ So, we were way ahead of the game from that perspective when COVID hit.
What’s next?
I don’t know. We love to travel, but we also love our home in Coronado. We’d love to spend time with our family. We are very blessed that our children and grandchildren all live within 20 minutes of us. I love to garden, I love to read, I love our community. I’m not worried about it. I feel very confident that organically it will fall into place.
Do you have a particular favorite children’s book?
“Goodnight Moon.”
For more on how United Through Reading has helped military families, visit https://militaryfamilies.com/military-kid/this-mobile-story-station-connects-military-families-through-virtual-storytime/.
