The R in G&R Inclusive Group belongs to Alison Elizabeth Rutherford (1971-2014).

Alison passed away on January of 2014, after living with Breast Cancer for four years. For a decade Alison gave her brilliance, her heart, her smile and her tenacity to the company she loved and nurtured.

She is our North Star and will always be in our work and our hearts, as we continue on in her light. Alison’s fingerprints are in all the work we do and bring to our clients. She worked as she lived: with passion, vision, intelligence, strength and grace.

We cherish all that she taught us and all that she valued and believed about children and education:

• Be a reader. Enjoy books and share books with anyone and everyone who will take them.
• Think deeply.
• Always be able to laugh, even when it is all going crazy.
• Don’t be afraid of hard work.
• Dress for the job.
• Stay organized.
• Never be afraid to fight back.
• Enjoy the day.

As a gifted Middle School ELA teacher, Alison spent many years teaching in inclusive, co-taught classrooms in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There are countless young adults who were handed a great book by Alison. We would like to continue this tradition by reminding people to always share and give each other great books.

Here are a few of Alison’s favorite books for kids: