The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has appointed Nicole Light as Education Officer of Community Impact, a new role designed to further develop and enhance the foundation’s support for educational opportunities across the community. Light, a former Sarasota County Schools teacher, will oversee the education-based projects and initiatives that the Community Foundation supports, particularly the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, an initiative to improve school readiness and literacy and to prevent summer learning loss. She will work closely with Kirsten Russell, vice-president of community impact.

Light has worked as a high school English teacher in both Manatee and Sarasota County Schools, most recently at Pine View School, where she spent 15 years teaching 10th grade Honors English and Advanced Placement Literature. She holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from the University of Connecticut and received her master’s degree in English Education at the University of South Florida. She also serves as a mentor for the Future Leaders Academy with UnidosNow, where she helps guide seniors in area high schools as they progress through the college application process.