Debbie Karlstrand is a Professional Development Specialist with Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri. Debbie conducts training for early childhood professionals, assists Candidates interested in earning their CDA and works on child advocacy issues. She has been in the field of early childhood education for 20 years and holds a Masters in Public Administration for Early Childhood Leadership from the University of Missouri.
In her 20 years of early childhood experience, Debbie has known many individuals, children and families who have benefited from the CDA Credential. She began working with CDA Candidates within the last five years through the online learning options at Child Care Training Academy. This training is used to assist CDA Candidates in meeting the 120 training hours required to earn a CDA Credential. Debbie has taken advantage of the many opportunities to learn more about the new and improved CDA 2.0 credentialing system through the Council’s website, emails and the online PD Specialist training. Debbie stated, “Professionally and personally, it has been my honor to assist individuals who are working to obtain their CDA. It is such a pleasure to help people achieve their professional development goals and to observe the impact the CDA Credential has on their classroom practices, professionalism and relationships with families. I truly wanted to become a PD Specialist because I wanted to be a 
highly qualified resource for individuals seeking their CDA.”
After becoming a PD Specialist, Debbie attended NAEYC’s PDI Conference where she attended a number of training sessions about CDA 2.0, her role as a PD Specialist and creating partnerships. Debbie said, “It was so helpful and a pleasure to get to interact with many of the Council’s staff and to have the opportunity to ask them questions in an individualized setting.”
Debbie also said, “When I informed my daughter, age 7, that I was going to NAEYC PDI, she asked me ‘Are you going to learn about that new program, the CDA 2.0?’ When I said that I was, she replied, ‘Good because we need to learn all about it!’ I was so pleased that she too shared my enthusiasm and recognized the importance for learning about the new process and my new role as a PD Specialist.”
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For the first time in three years, the Education Writers Association (EWA) gathered in person for their National Seminar in Orlando last month. The event drew journalists from across the country to hear from leaders...
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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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