Dollar General, CAAL Launch Independent Adult Literacy Commission

Dollar General, CAAL Launch Independent Adult Literacy Commission

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dollar General Corporation and the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) today announced the formation of an independent commission, the National Commission on Adult Literacy. The commission will study the role of adult education and adult literacy in civic engagement, quality of life and the country’s economic vitality and competitiveness.

The commission, comprised of Fortune 500® CEOs, policy makers, former cabinet and congressional members, educators, literacy experts and community leaders, will be chaired by David Perdue, Dollar General chairman and CEO. Among the 24 commissioners are Paul Harrington, president and CEO, Reebok International, Ltd.; Ray Marshall, former U.S. Secretary of Labor; George M. Staples, director general of the U.S. Foreign Service and assistant secretary for human resources at the U.S. State Department; and, in an honorary role, best-selling author David Baldacci and former South Carolina governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley. A complete list of the commissioners is attached.

“We’re proud to lend our name and support to this commission. Its work will help millions of undereducated adults improve their life prospects and find good jobs, strengthening the American workforce,” said David Perdue. “We’ve assembled a distinguished group of leaders from business, government, education and literacy, research, and public policy. They bring enthusiasm and a high sense of purpose to this undertaking.”

The commission will examine all components of the adult education and literacy enterprise in America and recommend a future course for service. One key goal is to bring about needed legislative change in federal and state policy. Another is to build better awareness and involvement by the business and philanthropic communities. Creating stronger public support is also an expected outcome. The commission’s underlying vision is to improve American economic vitality and competitiveness, civic engagement, and quality of life – reinforcing the U.S. as a world leader. Its ultimate goal is to bring adult education out of the shadows into the educational mainstream....