Meet Our Staff

Kelly Butler is BRI’s Chief Executive Officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. Prior to joining BRI, Kelly served as a teacher in the Greenwich, Conn. public schools, and has worked extensively with a variety of non-profit organizations in social service, health care and education in the areas of program development, support and evaluation.

Ricky Douglas is the Business Manager for the BRI, with responsibility for budgeting, expenses and fiscal reporting. Before joining BRI, Ricky worked as the University of Mississippi’s Director of Accounting. Ricky is a CPA and has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in accounting from the University of Mississippi.

Antonio A. Fierro, Ed.D. is a former Texas State Teacher of the Year and, currently, a member of the national LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats. Dr. Fierro has contributed to several literacy curricula for English learners and has co-authored Kid Lips®, a curriculum that teaches the phonetics of our language to young children. His areas of interest include early childhood education, phonology, and research that impacts English learners. Dr. Fierro is also dedicated to advancing the knowledge base and understanding of dyslexia and other reading disabilities as his teenage son, Antonio Jr., has dyslexia. Presently, he sits on the Board of The Reading League and The Southwest International Dyslexia Association.

Ann Morgan Graham is a Coordinator of Professional Development and part of the Educator Effectiveness Team. Prior to working in this role, Ann Morgan has 10 years of elementary teaching experience working for both the Oxford and North Panola School Districts. She has also served as an Adjunct Instructor and University Supervisor to Student Teachers in the University of Mississippi’s School of Education. Ann Morgan holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Liberal Arts and Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Literacy Instruction from the University of Mississippi. She also holds a doctorate degree in Professional Studies/Elementary Curriculum and Instruction from Delta State University. Ann Morgan is a National Board Certified teacher and LETRS certified.

Rossie King is a Coordinator of Professional Development. She holds a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from the University of Mississippi and a Masters degree from Belhaven University. She has 35 years of teaching experience in which she served as a K-8 teacher, an interventionist, and an instructional coach.

Marion McBride is the Manager, Program Design for the BRI. In this role, she writes curricula for our core programs and also oversees staff professional development. Prior to working in this role, Marion served as a program manager with Teach for America - Mississippi and was the principal of Crenshaw Elementary School. Marion is a graduate of Mississippi State University and received her masters in Education Leadership at the University of Mississippi.

Greer Proctor-Dickson is the Managing Director of School Readiness. She has been with BRI since 2007, serving as a master literacy teacher, literacy coach, dean of instruction, and regional literacy coordinator. Greer holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Millsaps College. She is a Read Well, LETRS and DIBELS certified trainer and Early Literacy Learning Initiative and Neuhaus certified teacher. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher. She serves on the board of the Mississippi Early Childhood Association and The Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Greer is finishing her Master’s degree in Dyslexia Therapy from Mississippi College.

Kegi Wells is BRI's Coordinator of Professional Development for the Jackson area and the southern part of Mississippi. Kegi has most recently served as Director of Curriculum and Instructional Management in the Quitman County School District. She began her career as a teacher at Crystal Springs Elementary School and later became the assistant principal at Crystal Springs Middle School. She then served as an instructional coach and later the principal at Madison S. Palmer High School in Marks, MS. Kegi received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA. She received her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Mississippi College in Clinton, MS.

Sandra Wilborn is the Coordinator for Professional Development at BRI. She recently retired as an Assistant Principal and has 25 years of classroom teaching experience in grades K-6. Before joining the QCES administration, she taught third and fourth grade literacy at the school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Delta State University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Columbia University. Sandra is also a National Board Certified Teacher.

Claiborne Barksdale is the former CEO of the Barksdale Reading Institute. Under his leadership, BRI began the principal pilot program in 2010 and supported the creation of Mississippi Building Blocks. Prior to his work at BRI, Barksdale practiced law in Jackson, Miss., worked for US Senator Thad Cochran in Washington, D.C., served as associate general counsel for BellSouth Cellular Corporation in Atlanta, and clerked on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, La. Claiborne also taught English for one year in a public high school in Jackson. He is the past president of the Board of the Mississippi Children’s Museum, chairman of The Parents’ Campaign, a public advocacy project in Mississippi, and serves on the advisory board of Mississippi Building Blocks, a pre-K initiative in Mississippi.