Don’t Become a Gossip Girl at Work
We have all been victims or participants of gossip at work, and sadly, this is no different in an early childhood education setting. Maybe it’s something you overheard in the hallway about a co-worker’s romantic...
Phylis Benner
CDA Professional Development Specialist
Richmond, VA
For the past 47 years and counting, Phylis has made it her passion and goal to actively assist in the professional development and education of early educators, young children and their families around the globe.
She began her early care and education career in Vienna, VA, at the time she had four children and as she put it, “I was looking for something to do.” She began working half-day at a cooperative preschool at her church and really enjoyed it. During a brief stint of transition with her family, she left the preschool and went back to school and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Developmental Psychology.
Realizing how much she really enjoyed working with children, Phylis decided to return to the early care and education field. However, she was concerned that she had no formal background in early childhood education. “I wanted to show employers that I knew how to workwith children,” said Phylis. It was then that Phylis decided to apply for the national Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™. Earning her CDA Credential gave her a tangible piece of evidence and demonstrated not only was she capable of working with young children, but that she also had experience working in the field.
It was not long before Phylis realized that she wanted to do more and so she became a CDA Advisor and Council Representative for CDA Candidates. Phylis said, “I wanted to give back to my profession and support others going through the CDA process – I get a really big kick out of mentoring and helping others.”
On her career path, Phylis was afforded a number of opportunities to train, mentor and help early educators here and abroad. She has worked for such places as Wolf Trap, Children’s Foundation in DC and the ECE National Trainers Bureau. Phylis didn’t allow her comfort zone to dictate where her passion for early care and education could take her.
Now as a CDA Professional Development Specialist, Phylis says, “I love the new program, I like the visits, the way it’s setup and I’m really enjoying the ROR Model. The reflection piece is my favorite because the CDA Candidate has to come to the table with something – Being a PD Specialist falls into my philosophy of giving back.”
Between CDA Verification Visits, Phylis is also the Education Coordinator at her churchChild Development Center and dedicates her time to the Liberian Orphan Education Project as a Senior Trainer. In my phone conversation with Phylis, it doesn’t sound like she has any plans for slowing and down. She undoubtedly loves every minute she spends depositing what she’s learned back into the lives of early educators and her Community.
In her closing remarks, Phylis said, “I honestly don’t think I would have done anywhere near this much without first having my CDA – I have been all over the world, CDA is the Best 1st Step! One of the best things you can do is stay connected in the field. I also encourage all early educators to be open to opportunities outside the box – I still use what I learned while teaching artists, so many years ago, in the classroom today!”
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Chief Operations Officer (COO)
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 (CFO)
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.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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