Lisa Cole to step down as Literacy SC CEO after four-year organizational turnaround

Former board member turned CEO leaves a legacy of lean business management, 38 library partnerships, and multi-county impact.

Literacy SC has announced that Chief Executive Officer Lisa Cole will step down effective September 30, 2026, to focus on personal health matters regarding a heart condition. Cole’s departure marks the conclusion of a transformative four-year tenure. Stepping in when the small nonprofit was facing imminent closure, she pulled the organization back from the brink, rebuilding it into a high-capacity, debt-free regional asset serving adults and families across the state.

In Summer 2022, the agency, then known as Turning Pages SC, was on the verge of dissolution. First established in 1968 by Vera Mae Hall, the historic Columbia-based literacy council had succumbed to intense pandemic challenges. At the time, the agency had no paid staff, no active funding, no tech systems, no learners and just five volunteer board members remaining.

Having served on the agency’s board since 2021, Cole refused to let the beloved, historic organization fold. Drawing on over 25 years of nonprofit experience at every level, she stepped up with strong vision and a deeply hands-on approach. From recruiting volunteers to managing grant writing, finance, HR and IT to personally cleaning up the office and enrolling new adult learners, she poured herself into stabilizing every corner of the council. Bringing her background as an MBA, published author, and seasoned strategist with extensive board and policy experience, Cole infused rigorous, modern structure into the nonprofit while keeping its heart firmly rooted in neighbor-to-neighbor service.

Over the next four years, Cole executed a full strategic rebrand to Literacy SC, establishing staffed regional branches in Columbia and Aiken, hiring a lean team of part-time, hybrid W2 professionals, and building a network of hundreds of certified volunteer tutors. Under her direction, Literacy SC expanded far beyond traditional one-on-one tutoring. Dedicated Reading Labs at Richland Library Main and Transitions Homeless Center were launched alongside workforce readiness tracks, cursive handwriting cohorts and statewide virtual family literacy. Crucially, every adult learner has received all books, materials and instruction free of charge.

Cole also drove fund development, personally securing dozens of grant awards and loyal donors, including the nonprofit’s largest commitment in over 15 years: back-to-back annual awards totaling $64,000 from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. By pairing widespread community partnerships with lean financial discipline, the small nonprofit grew its revenue year-over-year while remaining debt-free.

“We deeply appreciate all Lisa has done to elevate Literacy SC into what it is today,” said Nitiki Satterwhite, 2026 Board Chair of Literacy SC. “I thank her for her leadership and commitment to advancing Literacy SC’s mission. Her work has made a meaningful impact on the organization and the communities we serve.”

Key Milestones Under Cole’s Leadership:

Regional Expansion: Scaled tutoring services to 38 public partner libraries across seven South Carolina counties to ensure local community access for all residents in need.

Lean Business Model: Built a zero-debt operational structure powered by efficient cloud operations, strong partnerships, part-time hybrid staff and hundreds of certified volunteer tutors.

Record Grant Development: Wrote and secured dozens of grants, including $64,000 in multi-year funding from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Targeted Programs: Established Reading Labs at Richland Library Main and Transitions Homeless Center, workforce readiness tracks, cursive handwriting classes and statewide virtual family literacy options. Gave away over 2,000 brand new books to families through the Family Pages initiative.

Statewide Honors: Earned the Junior League of Columbia’s 2023 Katherine Heath Manning Perry Leadership Award and recognized as a 2024 SC Woman of Influence by Columbia Business Monthly. Cole is also a graduate of Together SC’s 2024 Carolina Leadership Seminars and the Columbia Chamber’s Leadership Columbia Class of 2025.

Dr. Deborah Yoho, the nonprofit’s longest serving executive director (1994 – 2009), echoed the chair’s sentiments, highlighting Cole’s role in respecting their past while expanding its scope. “Lisa’s dedicated leadership took a small, vital, local service and expanded its reach across South Carolina. She will be deeply missed,” said Yoho. “Fortunately, this organization has long persevered through numerous eras since 1968 with no break in service. Lisa and her team have honored our roots by crafting an orderly transition plan that positions Literacy SC for future success. The Midlands has no other agency quite like this. We can all be proud of a long record of continued community support.”

Cole’s final public appearance as CEO will be at Literacy SC’s annual Read Aloud Brunch on Saturday, September 12, 2026. At the Brunch, her team will present the Loretta Beckner Legacy Award to an outstanding Turning Pages tutor-learner pair, an annual honor Cole established in memory of their late Aiken Branch founder, Loretta Beckner. Their flagship Turning Pages Adult Reading Program trains the volunteer tutors who teach adults across central South Carolina to read well, free of cost.

“Leading Literacy SC has been the deepest honor of my career. Together, my team grew this nonprofit into a high-capacity regional asset with immense community love,” said Cole. “Although my health now requires me to step back, I leave with full faith in our dedicated staff and tutors. My heart remains with every tutor who sat at a library table for hours and every learner who found the courage to walk through our doors. I can’t wait to celebrate one last time with everyone at our Read Aloud Brunch.”

To ensure operational continuity, Cole has spent months cross-training internal staff and empowering them in executive decision-making. Columbia Branch Coordinator Meredith Gvozdas has Cole’s full confidence to oversee daily programs and support Literacy SC’s two staffed branches through the fall transition.

“We offer innovative, high-quality programs that directly impact our neighbors and communities,” said Gvozdas. “The systems, relationships, and culture Lisa built are poised to serve South Carolina families long after she steps down. I am grateful for her leadership, and I look forward to carrying the momentum forward with our incredible staff and tutors as we transition into a new future.”

The Literacy SC Board of Directors will oversee long-term executive succession in the coming months. For more information visit LiteracySC.org. Tickets for the 2026 Read Aloud Brunch can be found at LiteracySC.org/2026readaloudbrunch.

ABOUT LITERACY SC

Since 1968, Literacy SC has helped thousands of adults in central South Carolina who want to read well. Private tutoring with trained volunteers and staff-led live classes help learners reach reading goals like landing a job, reading to a child, or getting a degree.