As we mark our landmark 40th Anniversary, we find ourselves looking back at the long, beautiful road that brought us here, and the trailblazers who poured their souls into our foundation.
At the very heart of our story are two extraordinary people, core supporters, and lifelong friends to literacy: Janna and Rick Lutovsky.
A Legacy of Leadership and Action
When Rick and Janna moved to Asheville in 2000, they brought with them a profound calling to lift up others. Janna was already a lifelong pioneer in adult education, having founded Project Read (the first adult literacy initiative in Decatur, Illinois) and collaborated closely with the national Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
By 2002, Janna had joined forces with what was then the Literacy Council of Buncombe County, and over the next two decades, she became one of our fiercest champions. When our organization faced a critical transition, Janna stepped forward to steer the ship as our Interim Executive Director, keeping the mission steady and strong until new leadership was in place. From there, she continued her tireless advocacy as a Board Member and also as Board Chair.
Janna’s commitment also shone in the quiet, front-line moments as a volunteer tutor. Right here in our community, she tutored five women in their 50s at Aston Park, walking alongside them as they unlocked life-changing reading skills and sharing in the deeply moving victories that forever transformed their lives.
Champions of Collective Kindness
While Janna led the charge on the front lines of adult education, Rick championed the cause through his immense civic influence. Guided by his belief that the business community needs to be directly involved in education, he founded Partners in Education while he was President and CEO of the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Later, when his journey brought him to Western North Carolina as the President and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Rick carried that same deeply rooted belief with him. He fostered a powerful community culture where nonprofit success was paramount, ensuring that local nonprofits had an active voice and a true presence within the business community. He went on to found the popular Chamber Challenge 5k, creating a bridge that connected local commerce with community causes, and ensuring that economic prosperity and human dignity always went hand-in-hand with literacy.
In Their Own Words
Rick and Janna have always shared the profound belief that literacy is the ultimate foundation for a dignified, purposeful life. As Rick beautifully notes:
“Education and literacy are the key to living a fruitful life… to being able to provide for yourself and your family. That’s how we advance as a society – everyone must have an education and be literate.”
Janna echoes this sentiment, viewing literacy as a shared community responsibility and a beautiful, life-changing gift:
“Only by giving, by making a difference in someone’s life, do you make a difference in your own life.”
Thank You, Rick and Janna
To this day, Literacy Together’s leadership continues to value Janna’s and Rick’s experience and wisdom, calling on them periodically for advice. As we celebrate 40 years of service, we know we stand proudly on the shoulders of giants.
Thank you, Rick and Janna, for your decades of invaluable leadership, your advocacy, your endless generosity, and for helping pave the way for 40 years of changing lives through the power of education. You are, and always will be, a true inspiration!
