Experienced leaders across people, product, finance, and partnerships expand RGR’s capacity to deliver measurable, sustained literacy outcomes for states and districts nationwide
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Really Great Reading (RGR), the leading education outcomes company, today announced four appointments to its executive leadership team: Ebony Haywood as Chief People & Culture Officer, Shawn Young as Chief Product Officer, Natasha Williams as Chief Financial Officer, and Diana Frezza as Chief Partnerships Officer. The four join industry leader Karl Rectanus, who was announced as CEO earlier this year, to focus on changing the trajectory of literacy in the United States.
The appointments accelerate RGR’s transformation into the leading education outcomes company, strengthening its ability to partner with districts and states to deliver measurable, sustained literacy gains through evidence-based instruction, implementation, and outcomes-based partnerships.
The expanded leadership team comes at a time when districts and states are under increasing pressure to accelerate literacy outcomes and ensure every investment translates into measurable student growth. Each of the four leaders brings sector-leading experience defined by translating evidence into scalable outcomes for students, educators, and the systems that serve them.
Ebony Haywood, Chief People & Culture Officer
A former educator with more than 15 years of experience building workplace culture and talent strategy in the technology and education sectors, Haywood previously served as Vice President of People and Culture at LearnPlatform, where she led the company’s growth alongside Rectanus, and as a talent and organizational development leader at Instructure following its acquisition of LearnPlatform. At RGR, she will lead the people strategy, learning, and development that drive the company’s rapid scaling and innovation.
“Culture is the first implementation,” said Haywood. “Companies that hold themselves accountable for student outcomes have to build workplaces worthy of that mission, and that’s the work I’m here to do.”
Shawn Young, Chief Product Officer
Young co-founded and led Classcraft, the pioneering student-engagement platform used by millions of educators and students in more than 160 countries, through its acquisition by HMH, where he went on to hold senior product and platform leadership roles. A physics teacher for nine years before founding Classcraft, Young has spent his career building products that put educators’ real classroom needs first.
“Educators don’t need more features; they need integrated solutions that students love to engage with, making great instruction easier to deliver every day,” said Young. “RGR’s outcomes focus is exactly where product development in this sector needs to go.”
Natasha Williams, Chief Financial OfficerÂ
Williams has spent more than two decades building financially sustainable education organizations capable of delivering long-term impact for students, most recently as Chief Financial Officer of City Fund. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Achievement Network, where she built a sustainable operating model supporting educational outcomes in more than 25 states, with earlier experience at Merrill Lynch and Procter & Gamble.
“Outcomes-based contracts are a game changer, requiring a financial model truly built around student results,” said Williams. “That alignment between mission and model is why I’m joining RGR.”
Diana Frezza, Chief Partnerships Officer
Frezza brings close to three decades of executive experience across the U.S. and global education sector, including leadership roles at Pearson, McGraw Hill, Scholastic, and Amplify. Most recently, as the EVP/GM at RethinkEd, she transformed their GTM strategy, positioning them as leaders in Behavioral Health, SEL, and MH across 8 of the largest districts in the country. At RGR, she will lead strategy and execution, driving sustainable growth of current and new solutions, expanding market impact, and delivering meaningful literacy outcomes for educators and students, including the company’s outcomes-based contracting work.
“Districts don’t want vendors; they want partners who share accountability for results,” said Frezza. “RGR is exactly the kind of partner every district and state leader I’ve worked with is looking for in our current environment.”
These appointments mark another milestone in RGR’s evolution from a trusted Science of Reading provider into the leading education outcomes company. Together, the new executive team enhances districts’ ability to build lasting literacy capacity, building on more than 20 years of proven results, and deepens how it partners with schools and states to deliver measurable, sustained literacy outcomes.
“The literacy challenge facing our country is enormous,” added Karl Rectanus, CEO of RGR. “But I’m incredibly optimistic about what this team can accomplish together. When exceptional people rally around a shared mission—and are committed to delivering real outcomes with educators and students—extraordinary things become possible.”
About Really Great Reading (RGR)
Really Great Reading (RGR) is a leading provider of evidence-based literacy solutions grounded in the Science of Reading. For more than 20 years, RGR has partnered with educators, schools, and districts to deliver structured instruction, professional development, and coaching that translate research into measurable, sustained reading outcomes for students across grade levels. Supported by ESSA-aligned evidence, EdReports “green” ratings, and independent research demonstrating statistically significant and lasting impact—including for historically marginalized learners—RGR is committed to helping all students become confident, proficient readers. Learn more at www.reallygreatreading.com.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/really-great-reading-rgr-strengthens-executive-leadership-team-to-accelerate-literacy-outcomes-nationwide-302832636.html
SOURCE Really Great Reading
