Congratulations to Tammy Squires from Jacksonville, Florida, our first Preschool CDA to earn her credential using the new online system. Tammy, a paraprofessional at Timucuan Elementary School, applied online and from application to award she was able to complete the credentialing process in just 3 days! When asked what she loved most about her job, Tammy stated, “The children. I love to watch them grow and develop. It is very rewarding.” Tammy was encouraged by a fellow teacher at Timucuan Elementary to apply for her CDA credential, but it wasn’t until the teacher was promoted to District Coach for Early Childhood that Tammy was finally motivated to apply.
Tammy stated she worked very hard to earn her CDA and that the entire process took a lot of “dedication, determination and work” to accomplish what she did in such a short amount of time. When asked about the online application she stated, “It wasn’t hard at all,” and that she felt, “comfortable and confident during the verification visit. The PD Specialist was very inspiring and a great help.” She was able to schedule her test time and location online with no problem. 
Although she was a little nervous about taking the exam, her overall experience was very good.
“Applying for the CDA credential through the new process was great” says Tammy. “I feel you can never learn too much and I learned a lot through my experience.” Tammy is excited about what the future holds now that she has earned her CDA Credential.
Tammy is excited for what the future holds now that she has earned her CDA Credential and is encouraging her 23 year old daughter to invest in her professional development as well in Early Childhood Education.
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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.
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