A lithe figure dressed in a flowing, black gown walked through the crowd and onto the stage. All eyes focused on Natalee Lowe as her voice floated through the air of a vast, splendid ballroom at the Lansdowne Resort and Spa. “There in many things in nature,” she sang. “But they pass. Love is the only thing that doesn’t pass.” And love was a theme of the Early Educators Leadership Conference this year.
From the minute attendees arrived they felt cared for and loved. And that made the EELC unique. At most conferences you attend, the speakers just get out their PowerPoint slides, attendees sit back in their chairs and everything they learn is gone by the time they get home. But the EELC was about more than passing on facts and information. Sure, there was much to learn in intriguing sessions with seasoned experts in the field. More important, though, were the chances to make connections, practice self-care and feel a deep sense of community built on joy, hope and love.
How do we give love and get love from the children and families we serve? One of the ways is by showing them the real you. And our speakers led the way by baring their hearts. Council CEO Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. exuded conviction as he shared his secrets for finding happiness and joy. Miriam Calderon, the opening keynote speaker and Deputy Assistant Secretary Early Learning, U.S. Department of Education, recalled her trying childhood and talked about the grandma who helped her stay connected to her roots. Dr. Marquita Davis, Deputy Director of Early Learning with the Gates Foundation, told audience members that she was a “risk taker, optimist, soccer mom and the best girlfriend you could ever have.”
Davis urged attendees to take good care of themselves, so they could be the be the best for the children they serve. And the conference offered many ideas for lifting your body, spirit and soul. In a power and wellness yoga break, attendees stretched, bent over backwards and reached for the sky—all good practice for crawling around with young kids, being flexible at work and ramping up children’s performance. They also learned the value of mindfulness and meditation, went on a nature walk, and explored the world of essential oils with master trainer and life coach JuNene K.
Life tests us all in some ways, JuNene said, so we’re like broken crayons. “But you can still color with broken crayons, so long as you have folks who give you the support you need.” And attendees cheered each other on as they used crayons, pipe cleaners, pom poms and foam hearts to practice team building, unleash their inner child, and express their vision for the ECE profession.
The Council shared its own vision of the future in a session on reimagining the Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential process. This ongoing effort is built on conducting focus groups, collecting survey data and hearing directly from CDA students, explained Council VP of Quality Assurance and Research Beth Heeb. The point is to empathize with users so we can make the CDA process more streamlined and smoother.
Empathy is also at the heart of our profession, so, it’s important to be curious, said Leslie Coleman, Childcare Education Institute Education Director, in her talk on mindfulness in ECE. “As leaders, we need to ask lots of questions, listen without judging, and be fully present for children, along with the members of our staff. And “most effective teams know something personal about each other,” explained Staci Hitzke, Director of eDA and Workforce Partnerships for Bright Horizons, who talked about building a culture of inclusion. “That makes staff members feel connected.” And the Council got it right at the conference because everyone felt they belonged.
There was a strong sense of community when attendees joined for the closing general session with Stephen Zwolak, LUME Institute CEO and Executive Director of University City Children’s Center. In a rousing climax to the conference, he talked about the paramount role of relationships in shaping the future of ECE. “We know that children want to be seen, heard and understood,” he said. “Our teachers also want to be seen, heard, understood.” And that was the key thing he wanted attendees to take away and keep in mind when they went back to work. “As leaders, we need to think about how we can give unconditional love to both children and staff because hope is the result of feeling cared for”—like everyone felt after three stirring days of belonging, learning and love at the EELC.
A new year brings new opportunities to reach your professional goals. Are you looking to boost your competence and confidence as an early educator in 2026? Consider making an addition to your New Year’s resolutions:...
The beginning of each new year brings new opportunities to reset and reimagine the vitality of your program and to reengage your community – children, families, and staff. It’s the perfect time to plan experiences...
Twenty-month-old Everly leans on Ms. Sarah’s lap in the young toddler classroom. Ms. Sarah enjoys supporting Everly’s language skills and playing “Pat-a-Cake” as Everly giggles. She assists Everly in rolling gently from side to side...
Strengthening Integrity, Objectivity, and Efficiency in the CDA® Credentialing Process At the Council for Professional Recognition, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the integrity, objectivity and quality of the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™,...
The partnership between the Council for Professional Recognition (the Council) and the United States Department of Defense (DoD) is a vital and longstanding collaboration dedicated to ensuring high-quality early childhood and youth education for military...
Each October, National Children’s Health Month is observed to shine a spotlight on the importance of safeguarding and promoting children’s well-being. For those working in early care and education, this annual observance is a reminder...
Each September, National Preparedness Month reminds us of a vital truth: the ability to respond effectively in times of crisis is developed long before an emergency strikes. While we often think of preparedness in terms...
August is National Family Fun Month, with American Family Day celebrated on August 3rd. During this time, families can spend quality time together, head to the local park or pool, take a walk, or go...
Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children and their families around the world. As the administrator of the Child Development Associate® (CDA), the Council for Professional Recognition is at...
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 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.
