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Joan Irwin: Worldwide Champion for LiteracyThis December, Joan Irwin will be recognized for her lifelong dedication to the field of literacy with her induction into AEP's Hall of Fame, the industry's highest honor. Throughout her tenure in the field of educational publishing, Joan has earned a reputation for sustained excellence and a deep respect from employees, colleagues, and peers throughout the industry. The success she has enjoyed throughout her career speaks not only to the numerous talents and unique traits Joan possesses, but also to her ability to use these talents to their fullest extent. At the top of this long list is Joan's willingness to take risks. As a language arts and music teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, a young Joan applied her knowledge of child development theory to a curriculum based around the idea of an active classroom. This teaching style incorporated group activities and encouraged student participation as opposed to traditional lecturing. Joan successfully applied this philosophy at the primary, secondary, and university levels, and in the various professional development programs with which she was involved throughout the years. Joan's active approach in the classroom eventually won her recognition from a Canadian company, Gage Educational Publishing. In 1974, Gage invited her to co-author a language arts program for grades K-6. This opportunity lured Joan away from teaching into the publishing field where, she realized, her ideas could reach a larger audience and have a broader impact. An astute businesswoman, Joan has always found a way to excel in Marketing 101: Recognize a need and fulfill it. When she took over the position of Director of Publications at the International Reading Association in 1991, the organization's main products were scholarly journals, written and read primarily by college professors. Joan looked at the IRA membership, comprised chiefly of primary and secondary school teachers, and recognized immediately that the IRA was overlooking the most basic laws of supply and demand. That year, she announced that the publications division would release 20 new professional development titles, a goal which the division aspired to--and met--every year after. Throughout her career, Joan has demonstrated an exceptional talent for discovering and embracing new opportunities. In 1991, the IRA catalogue included one foreign-language journal on literacy. Based in Argentina, this Spanish-language journal was the only one of its kind at the time, but had received little attention from the association's headquarters staff. Joan immediately recognized its value, not only as a service to its Latin American audience, but also as a cornerstone for building IRA's reach beyond teachers in the United States. Joan nurtured this journal as well as other publications from the organization's national affiliates during her tenure as IRA's publications director, establishing herself as a global leader for literacy. Joan also recognized unique opportunities in Internet and electronic publishing. She oversaw much of the IRA website and ecommerce functions, in addition to the publication of the association’s first electronic journal, Reading Online. Finally, Joan was a pioneer of partnerships at IRA, forging and nurturing alliances with other publishers, vendors, organizations, and universities before such mergers became common practice. Throughout her tenure there, Joan positioned the IRA as a serious competitor in the academic publishing arena, a feat that was almost unheard of for a non-profit organization. Her success in terms of titles published, markets reached, or partners gained is easily measured, but perhaps her greatest accomplishment is less tangible--her success as a leader. As Director of Publications, Joan coordinated the efforts of hundreds of writers, editors, and reviewers for scores of books and journals within an atmosphere of respect and open communication. She kept an open-door policy and encouraged others to do the same. Her success as a manager has prompted colleagues and employees alike to describe her as a leader, role model, and mentor. Currently, Joan Irwin is Vice President of Professional Development for Peoples Publishing Group, where she continues to draw on her knowledge, experience, and leadership skills to devise new ways to better teachers, students, and the industry as a whole. Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
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