Our Team

Beth is a Knoxville native whose dedication to serving her community runs deep. She has long been immersed in the world of children’s development, with an Honors Degree in Family Studies from the University of Tennessee and a work history in children’s ministry as well as international adoption. Since beginning this book access work as a ‘small project’ in 2016, she is overjoyed to have helped shape the scope of FTLOR – watching the organization grow in both breadth and depth over the years.  Beth hopes that through her passion for listening to and understanding children, her commitment to pursuing organizational excellence, and her true excitement for inspiring kids to love books, For the Love of Reading will make a real and lasting impact on the children of our city.

In her free time, you’ll likely find Beth spending time with her husband, college-aged daughter, and extended family and friends, taking in a play or enjoying a festival downtown, planning travel adventures, singing for no reason at all, and of course, spending quiet moments with a good book.

Esther was born overseas and lived most of her childhood in Northern Virginia. She moved to Knoxville for college and has been here ever since. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and has volunteered and worked with several nonprofits, including Emerald Youth, Team Expansion, and Hope Central. She loves stories, both in books and from people, and she feels so lucky to get to do what she does with FTLOR. She joined the organization originally as a volunteer classroom reader and transitioned into staff. She enjoys bringing to life FTLOR’s vision of seeing Knoxville’s youth develop a love of reading.

In her time off, you can find Esther hanging out with friends, cooking something rather experimental, writing a new story (ignoring the one she needs to finish), or reading a book.

Kristin Dunn, MS, CTRS, IECMH-E®, holds degrees from the University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. With more than two decades of experience in child and family services, she has worked across advocacy, therapeutic, and early-intervention settings, including Healthy Families and the Regional Intervention Program. She previously worked at AIMHiTN, where she helped bring the Infant Mental Health Endorsement® to Tennessee, developed IECMH trainings, promoted reflective practice, and trained professionals in Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN). She is excited to be part of For the Love of Reading and is guided by the belief that “every child should know a little joy every day.” 

On the weekend, Kristin enjoys playing and creating with her daughter, cheering on the TN Volunteers, exploring the world with her husband, being outdoors, and digging in the dirt.

Cassandra Altuzar Jamison, M.S.Ed. was born and raised in Memphis, but is a first-generation American with family from Mexico and Canada. She moved to Knoxville to go to the University of Tennessee and quickly fell in love with East Tennessee. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in Urban Education. She has always been passionate about ALL children receiving a high quality education, no matter where they live, where they were born, or what language they speak. Up until fall of 2025, she was a 2nd grade teacher at Lonsdale Elementary. It was there that she saw how, with the right tools and books, every child can learn to love reading through their own unique curiosities and interests. Cassandra is a big believer in the “power of yet,” meaning that “I can’t read,” was a forbidden sentence in her classroom. Instead, children could say “I can’t read that YET,” because with time and adults who are committed to understanding them, every child can not only learn to read, but also become a reader. 

In her free time, Cassandra can probably be found tending to her garden with her dog (who conveniently places tennis balls in the garden beds), traveling to new places with her husband, learning a new sourdough recipe, or making jewelry for her small business. 

“I am SO excited to be joining the FTLOR team! When I decided to leave the classroom this summer, my husband asked me to describe what my dream job would be. My answer was something along the lines of continuing to work for our community’s children through working with early literacy and closing gaps in marginalized communities. So the fact that I ended up here is truly a dream come true!”