A Place Where We All Belong: Honoring National Library Week“Celebrating libraries, thanking library workers and visiting libraries is how I find my joy,” Mychal Threets says. He urges other folks to feel the same way as an award-winning librarian, new host of the children’s program Reading Rainbow and honorary chair of National Library Week for April 2026. “There are so many library kids and library grown-ups who have yet to fully embrace their library joy,” Threets says, “and I am so excited for them. When they enter the world of libraries and stories, I’m confident they will find not only their library joy but the courage to believe in their own story and maybe even share it with others.”
Many people already have a library story and mine goes back to the days when I worked as a Head Start teacher in Birmingham, Alabama. There was a library close to our center, so the children and I would go there often, and the parents would sometimes come, too. While their children were looking at books or listening to a storyteller read aloud, the parents would get library cards and learn about the many library resources besides books. That library served as a real community hub for the entire family.
I benefitted, too, from these library visits because they gave me a chance to access materials that would advance my professional growth. So, I have firsthand knowledge of how having access to a library helps build career success. Decades later, as CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition, I would see that my experience wasn’t unique. In 2023, I led the Council in collecting data on completion rates for the CDA® credential, and we found that CDA candidates in communities with libraries tended to perform best on the classroom assessment part of the credentialing process. And access to resources and books isn’t the only thing educators can gain from library visits. Many public libraries also provide training for early childhood staff on literacy-boosting techniques like storytelling and reading aloud.
Public libraries and preschools are natural partners since they both aim to support early learning, engage families and make communities stronger. Libraries offer multigenerational programming and support literacy in the home. They invite parents to join their children in activities and offer information on child development and health. Libraries also provide materials for people who are preparing to take the GED, help with employment searches, and tools like computers and copiers that assist adult learners.
Many librarians also take special steps to reach out to Head Start children and families, like those I once served. Katie Morrison, youth services librarian at the Belgrade, Montana, Community Library, often hosts classes at the library for Head Start children. “I find out what the children are learning about at school and then do a story time that supports the lessons their teachers are giving,” Morrison said. Shelley Hudspath, coordinator of children’s services at the Marion, Illinois, Carnegie Library, speaks at her local Head Start’s evening family events about library offerings and services like English language learner classes and homework assistance for older children. Kate Miller, children’s librarian at the David A. Howe Public Library in Wellsville, New York, has regularly offered story times to Head Start classrooms, leading to a wonderful change over the course of the year. “I saw a dramatic increase in the children’s ability to sit and listen to a story,” she recalled, “and it filled my heart with joy.”
The activities and services that libraries provide also fill gaps in resource-poor parts of the country. In rural New Mexico, for example, the Aztec Public Library serves as a central point of access for free classes and reliable broadband, along with assets like math games and museum passes. Last month, the library also launched an innovative way to meet community needs. Funding from the New Mexico Public Library and New Mexico Health Sciences Center has allowed the Aztec Public Library and six other rural libraries across the state to open internet-connected, sound-dampening booths that patrons can use for recording sessions, court appearances and, especially, telehealth appointments.
“The hope is they will remove some of the barriers to health care in rural communities, where doctors’ offices may be miles away and the internet is often spotty,” said Bo Ford, digital equity program manager at the state library. “It’s all interconnected—health, broadband, digital skills and literacy. We just want to make a positive impact in communities and expand the reach of what we offer in libraries,” Ford explained. “Libraries have always been in the business of providing access to resources, and this is just another example of how we are keeping up with the times.”
Still, these are tough times for libraries as they struggle with funding cuts, especially in rural parts of the country. As libraries come under siege, private donors have stepped in to provide support. Penguin Random House and United for Libraries Today have a 2026 grant program to support 20 rural and small libraries across the country. Similarly, the Ohio-based John Henry Eldred, Jr. Foundation has provided funds to 39 small libraries in the rural South. “Rural libraries are more than buildings with books. They are lifelines for their communities,” said Mike Deetsch, the foundation’s executive director. “So, we’re proud to invest in innovative ways these libraries can foster literacy, opportunity and belonging.”
That’s also the mission of the early learning profession, so it should come as no surprise that Mychal Threets, this year’s honorary chair of National Library Week, is a big fan of Head Start and has appeared at Head Start events where he talked about how much educators and librarians have in common. Like educators, librarians tell children that “this is your space” where “we try to make you the best possible version of who you can be,” Threets said. “We provide resources so you can all flourish together.” And this makes libraries both houses of books and community hubs that build connections, as my own experience showed. I share Threet’s belief that “the library is a place where you’ll always belong.”
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Vice President of Product
Mackenzie Pelland serves as Vice President of Product at the Council. In this role, she oversees the Council’s product strategy and portfolio, including credentialing programs, educational publications, professional development resources, and branded merchandise, ensuring offerings are sustainable and responsive to the evolving needs of early childhood educators and the broader early care and education field. Her work focuses on building scalable, user-centered products that strengthen quality and integrity across the Council’s credentialing, educational, and professional learning offerings.
Prior to this role, Mackenzie served as Director of ECE Observation Systems at the Council, where she oversaw the observation portion of the CDA® credentialing assessment process and led the ECE Observation Team. She also worked to support, refine, and strengthen the Professional Development Specialist community to better meet the needs of a diverse CDA® candidate population.
Before joining the Council, Mackenzie was Senior Director of Monitoring and Compliance Systems at Acelero Learning, where she led the development and execution of monitoring systems related to federal grant compliance, child care licensing, health and safety, incident management, and facilities compliance across Head Start programs nationwide. She also previously served as Program Accountability and Policy Implementation Manager at New York City’s Department of Education within the Division of Early Childhood Education.
Mackenzie is recognized as a credentialing specialist by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. She holds a master’s degree in education policy from Teachers College, Columbia University, a Certificate in Education and Program Evaluation from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in politics and education from Occidental College.
Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
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.
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 Wilmington, NC with her husband and two dogs.
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