Preparing for the New School Year
SPONSORED BLOG Excitement. Jitters. Uncertainty. The new school year comes with a multitude of emotions and challenges — but thankfully there are things you can do ahead of time to prepare and ensure it’s the...
I am excited to invite you to our 3rd Annual Early Educators Leadership Conference at the beautiful Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia from October 12-15, 2016. This meeting has sold out for the past two years, we believe, because it is an intensive and intimate opportunity to learn, to network, and to become a strong leader. We are expecting an energy-charged conference with attendees joining us from throughout the country.
This year’s conference promises to be a conference you won’t want to miss. EELC 2016 offers an exceptional educational and networking opportunity for early educators to collaborate with each other, make valuable connections, generate new ideas, and energy for our future work in the field.
The theme for EELC 2016 is “Leadership that Matters”. We have a dynamic program planned for you with topics to impact your leadership skills, as well as strategies to improve the work of your early care and education program. Topics covered will include collaborative leadership, diversity and equity in the workplace, and using technology tools to enhance your leadership and organization among many more.
We encourage you to use the hashtag #EELC2016 on Facebook and Twitter in order to connect to each other in advance of the conference. We hope to build enthusiasm this spring and summer as we announce guest speakers and ECE leaders who will be joining us.
I am excited for this time of encouragement, expanding our leadership skills and sharing new ideas in the ECE field, networking, and meeting all of our attendees. My hope is that conference attendees will be energized by the passion and excitement of our inspiring community of early educators. We hope to see you in October!
Registration for the EELC 2016 conference is now open; register online via the conference website. Please contact us if you have any questions about our conference at CDAevents@cdacouncil.org .
SPONSORED BLOG Excitement. Jitters. Uncertainty. The new school year comes with a multitude of emotions and challenges — but thankfully there are things you can do ahead of time to prepare and ensure it’s the...
Language and literacy skills are fundamental building blocks for a child’s development, enabling effective communication, social interaction, and academic success throughout grade school and beyond. For young children with disabilities, however, traditional educational models may...
The Council for Professional Recognition’s Council Alumni Network (CAN) recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. This free community boasts 1200+ members. CAN is a diverse group of stakeholders in early childhood education (ECE) across the U.S....
A couple of years before becoming a mother, I saw the classic movie Terms of Endearment. Before the opening credits, the film portrayed Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine, as a worried mom who checked on...
“Every child deserves a champion,” said longtime teacher Rita Pierson in a famous TED talk. She was talking about “an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and...
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I wanted to share how it is important for us all to reflect on women’s progress in the business world and the importance of supporting and empowering...
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Dr. Calvin Moore shared that when he first arrived at the Council and took on the CEO role, he was focused on assessing the early childhood education (ECE) landscape, the reach of the organization and...
Chief Operations Officer
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.