Published by CounciLINK on August 22, 2019
Shontae Ferguson-Pryce was determined to attend her graduation. She dreamed of standing onstage with the 46 other students who’d earned their Child Development Associate (CDA®) Credentials from the City University of New York School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS). And she, too, had earned the right. She had passed all the courses and done all the fieldwork with young children she needed to get her CDA. There was just one hitch. Shontae was pregnant and the ceremony was scheduled for May 20, 2019 — just about the time the baby was due.
Would she make it to the graduation? The question became a running joke between Shontae and Claudine Campanelli, higher education coordinator at the New York State Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, who oversees the CUNY CDA program and teaches some of the classes. “Shontae found out she was pregnant when she started the program,” Campanelli recalled, “but she promised me she would be at graduation. When I told her that I didn’t think she would make it, she said, ‘I don’t care if I go into labor onstage.'”
Shontae is committed to early childhood care and education because she’s seen how much it helps children develop and grow. Like many of the other CDA graduates this year, she already had a child in Head Start and wanted to give back by helping other children in return. These Head Start moms had their chance because the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) sponsored them in earning their CDA.
The CDA is a steppingstone to many of the Head Start mothers’ dreams, according to Gary Dunbar, assistant director of the Committee for Early Childhood Development at Head Start. Every year when he meets with parents, he asks them if they have any goals they’d like to pursue. And they often do, as he’s found out over time. “Some of them have dreams they’ve put on hold because they had children,” Dunbar said. “When they come to us and we care for their children, they’re free to follow their dreams again.”
They’d often like to enter the field of education, as Dunbar explained. “For many years, parents would ask me how they can become teachers, so I was happy to learn that ACS had the resources to provide parents with free scholarships that would allow them to earn a CDA. That was extremely encouraging to me because the CDA curriculum gives them all the nurturing skills to work with the age group from birth to five.”
The program also gives them the resources they need to succeed. Besides paying for all their books, tuition and even subway fare, the program hires instructors who are sensitive to the students’ needs. Many of them need extra support because they’re recent immigrants who are still working on their English. Others lack computer skills or simply aren’t used to being in school.
They don’t have traditional undergrad backgrounds, so the program accommodates them in every way it can. “We get them tutors to help with their writing and computer skills,” Campanelli said. “We show them how to communicate with their professors, give them a lot of leeway in getting their assignments done and teach them to be advocates for themselves. We also provide them with a credential specialist who helps them fill out the online application for their CDA credential and makes sure their portfolio is in good shape for the verification visit that follows.”
The Head Start moms also support each other because they go through all their classes as a cohort, unlike enrollees at traditional CDA programs. “Along the way, they form bonds as students and parents,” Campanelli explained. “They also share a deep commitment to young children because they all served as parent volunteers in Head Start.”
Despite everything they have in common, differences emerged among the members of the cohort. There were cultural distinctions, leading to some lively discussions about attitudes toward child care and education. Some students also had backgrounds that made them stand out and helped make the whole group stronger. One mom, Campanelli recalled, was an honorably discharged military vet with “a sense of confidence and inquisitive mind who expanded the conversation in class and encouraged her classmates to look at the details.” Another already had a college degree in business and “helped keep her classmates motivated through two semesters.”
Three of the students showed just how much they’d learned when Campanelli took them to a conference in Verona, New York, held by the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children. While there, they gave two-hour poster presentations on their experiences as volunteers in Head Start. “They were perfect presentations,” Campanelli said, including the one Shontae gave — presciently titled “Birth of a Teacher.”
The students’ dedication to their work came from their passion for helping children. “Even as a child, my dream was to work with kids,” said Marea Wilkes, one student in the program. “Many caregivers don’t understand what kids really need, and I wanted to do things differently. The CDA program gave me a chance to learn what I need to know about children, and I intend to keep on learning because every child is different.”
But they all deserve a good start in life, said Jasmin Jones, another CDA student and now a Head Start teacher for infants and toddlers. “My son was in a Head Start program,” she said, “and I saw the quality education they gave him. I wanted to give something back by working to help other children as well. The CDA program was really important for me because it was going to give me the knowledge and hands-on learning I needed.”
Earning a CDA makes you an effective advocate for children, according to Carmen McKay, yet another student who loved the program. “It can change people’s lives,” she said, “and I know it changed my life a lot. My most rewarding experience was the process of learning more about myself and realizing how far I could go. I’m more confident now and believe that nothing is impossible for me.”
There are pathways for students like Carmen to keep on learning and growing in their field. They earn 12 college credits for their CDA coursework and can transfer them to other programs. CUNY SPS has articulation agreements with several other CUNY programs — Borough of Manhattan Community College, Hostos Community College, LaGuardia Community College and Kingsborough Community College — that have encouraged many Head Start moms to earn their associate degree.
Campanelli keeps up with their achievements because her program keeps supporting them after they receive their CDA. “We reach out to them for events and help them apply to college,” she said. “We assist them in preparing for the New York State teacher certification exam and give them vouchers to pay for the exam application fee.”
Besides supporting their professional goals, Campanelli connects with them on a personal level. “I always want to see where they’re at,” she said, “because I’m not just an instructor, I’m a part of their lives. I want them to stay in touch and share their milestones with me. I’m the biggest cheerleader they have.”
And she was there to cheer them all on when they passed an important milestone: their graduation from the CDA program at Lincoln Center on New York’s Upper West Side. It was a ceremony that the attendees wouldn’t soon forget since Shontae went into labor right after the speakers finished their talks. Despite the pangs she felt, Shontae was still determined to keep the promise she’d made to Campanelli upon starting the program. So, after some quick changes to the schedule of events, her classmates helped her cross the stage and get her certificate, as she had planned. Meanwhile, a police escort showed up to assist Shontae and soon rushed her to the ER. Mission accomplished, the brand-new teacher gave birth to a baby boy she named King.
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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.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
Janie Payne is the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) 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)
Janice brings more than 20 years of experience in accounting and strategic financial management, with an extensive background spanning global associations, nonprofits, and technology organizations. She most recently served as CFO/COO for a global association advancing women in commercial real estate. Prior to that, she was the CFO at Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting community college success, and Director of Finance at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Controller for two technology companies.
A Maryland-licensed CPA, Janice is deeply engaged in the profession through her service on the AICPA Governing Council and leadership roles with the CFO Leadership Council. In 2025, she was recognized as an AICPA Global Woman to Watch. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs & Public Policy from UC San Diego and a B.A. in International Affairs & Economics from The George Washington University, bringing both financial expertise and a global policy perspective to her work.
Janice’s journey is uniquely shaped by global and mission-driven experiences. Before transitioning into accounting, she spent a decade managing refugee programs in the United States and abroad, including roles with the International Rescue Committee and the Maryland Office for Refugees & Asylees. She has also lived and worked internationally in both Japan and Uganda.
Outside of work, Janice is a dedicated endurance athlete who completed a full Ironman triathlon in 2024, bringing the same discipline and determination to her personal pursuits as she does to her professional impact.
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