The Council was very busy at this past NAEYC Professional Development Institute - from the Opening Plenary, during which CEO Valora Washington presented a CDA to the first high school Candidate in the country to receive the credential (see related article) to the Council staff's many sessions, receptions and booths at both the Spotlight Forum and the Exhibits Hall. Institute participants – ECE leaders from around the world - were buzzing about CDA 2.0, Council partnership opportunities and the upcoming role of the Professional Development Specialist.

Washington, along with Susan Brenner, Bright Horizons Children's Centers; Mary Ellen Pratt, US Military; and Gayle Cunningham, Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity, presented a session highlighting some of the successful partnerships the Council has undertaken that support Candidates in receiving and maintaining their CDAs.

Connecticut – The Council Interviews "The Father of the CDA"

Richard Cohen, Director of Communications, Partnerships and New Initiatives, traveled to the Yale University television studios in Connecticut to interview Dr. Edward Zigler, the creator of Head Start and "the Father of the CDA" for an upcoming Council documentary. Dr. Zigler was gracious enough to be videotaped discussing how and why he invented the CDA as well as the early days of the credential and the role of the Council. He also spoke about the unique place a competency-based credential holds in the early childhood field and about his support of teacher reflection, which will be a key component of CDA 2.0.