Gent Tapped for NBA All-Star Reading Team

KISSIMMEE, Fla., November 2, 10:00 am – Chris Gent, corporate communications manager for Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA), has been drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to its first-ever All-Star Reading Team.

The All-Star Reading Team, part of the NBA’s new Read to Achieve campaign, is made up of government and business leaders, NBA and WNBA players, their spouses and significant others, coaches and local heroes in the community. Gent was introduced by Florida Governor Jeb Bush in front of a crowd of 16,000 at the Orlando Magic’s season opener on October 30 in Orlando.

Gent joins others from Florida including Orlando Magic players Darrell Armstrong, Pat Garrity, Grant Hill, Steven Hunter, and Mike Miller; Orlando Miracle Head Coach/General Manager Carolyn Peck; Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood; Orange County Chairman Richard Crotty; WESH-TV News Anchor Wendy Chioji; WFTV-TV News Anchor Vanessa Echols; and WKMG-TV Sports Anchor Ryan Baker.

The NBA’s Read to Achieve campaign is a year-round national program designed to help young people develop a life-long love for reading and on-line literacy as well as encourage adults to read and talk regularly with children. Reaching an estimated 50 million children a year, Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports. The effort includes the annual donation of more than 200,000 books and the creation of Reading and Learning Centers in schools and community based organizations throughout the country, and hundreds of reading time-outs where players and All-Star Reading Team members will read to children.

As part of the All-Star Reading Team, Gent will be involved in local book drives and monthly read aloud events to celebrate community literacy efforts and to distribute incentive items to area schools.

Gent began his career at KUA in 1993. In addition to his appointment to the All-Star Reading Team, he currently serves as a Section Chairman of the American Public Power Association in Washington, DC and president-elect of the Florida Public Relations Association in Orlando.

KUA is Florida‘s 7th largest municipally-owned utility serving 53,000 electric, water and internet customers in four Central Florida counties. KUA is celebrating its 100th year of serving the community in 2001.

Contact: Chris Gent, Manager of Corporate Communications
(407) 933-7777 ext. 1116
cgent@kua.com