Updating your Goals as a Child Care Provider
As early childhood professionals, we must constantly set new goals for our child care programs and try to stay ahead of new trends within our field. We need to strive to mentally absorb the all...
“There’s an old coming-of-age ceremony that some Native American tribes still perform,” Hunter says. “It’s an occasion to honor a young boy or girl as they enter a new stage in their lives. It’s also about helping these young adults understand their role in the community where they live. The rituals that take place involve the young person running or dancing to show their physical prowess. They might also cook a meal for family members and mentors who’ve guided them in life. And the point is to help the young person realize they have a duty to help form the next generation.” And Candida does this as senior director of tribal affairs for First Things First, an Arizona government agency that supports programs statewide through grants to community groups that serve children from birth to age 5 and their family members.
Hunter wasn’t much older than some of the children who First Things First assists when she learned the value of service. “I grew up on the Hualapai Reservation in northwestern Arizona across the street from Head Start,” Hunter recalls. “My mom worked at Head Start, first as a teacher before becoming health coordinator, then education coordinator. And she’s been my major source of inspiration. For as long as I can remember, I was always at Head Start. I would go over there and help clean up or chat with the cook while she was getting meals ready for the next day. Then when I was older, I would help the teachers prepare their materials for class or work on fundraisers with parents. And I especially loved being there at Christmas time because I got to dress up as an elf to help Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus deliver gifts to the kids.”
And these fond memories of Head Start stayed with Hunter after she turned 16. At that time, she stopped volunteering at Head Start since her family moved off the reservation. “But now I’ve come full circle as I work on policies and systems that impact children and families,” Hunter says. The route back to her roots took her to Kingman High School near Peach Springs, AZ, then to Chapman College in California, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology before returning to work in the community from which she came.
Over the course of six years, she served as Hualapai education coordinator, as well as a member of the Hualapai Higher Education Committee. She spent a two-year stint on the Grand Canyon Resort Corp. board of directors—an economic development arm of the Hualapai government that works to bring the area more jobs. She was also elected to the Hualapai Tribal Council, where she served for five years and began to expand her network statewide.
Now Hunter uses the knowledge she gained in this role to build bridges between First Things First and Arizona tribes. As senior director of tribal affairs, she helps ensure effective government-to-government relations between her agency and the state’s tribes, builds and strengthens bonds with tribal partners, fosters tribal relations though collaborative partnerships, and fosters the provision of early childhood services in culturally responsive ways.
“One of the things the tribes have described as a priority is to train teachers who look like the children they serve and relate to their tribal culture,” Hunter explains. “Many of the tribes are rural, and the people who are working in these programs sometimes come from outside the community. So, we provide funding to hire people from within the community who can assess what’s happening in the classroom, serve as interpreters and coach the teachers. The tribes also do a good job of sharing what their community is like and providing guidance on the best ways to work with its families and children.”
The tribes’ priorities also get official recognition because First Things First holds tribal consultations to inform its practices and policies. This is an effort Hunter is especially proud of since she was the one behind it. And the tribes like it, too, because it allows them to partner with First Things First and have a say in the investments made in their communities.
“One of the things that the tribes have identified as important is to train their own people to teach the young children,” Hunter explains. “So, we fund programs that provide scholarships for early childhood teachers and bring folks together in a cohort when they’re trying to earn their Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™. Some of our regional councils are also supporting CDA® training in local high schools, programs I like to call incubator classrooms since you have students taking classes at a high school and working at a center as part of getting their credential. Then they go on to get their BA and often return to teach in their tribal communities.”
Supporting these high schoolers on their career path is part of what Hunter calls her “grow your own model”—another priority for the communities she serves. “The tribes are working to make sure they have their own people in leadership positions,” she says. “And that starts early on by giving young children a solid foundation and supporting the ECE professionals who prepare them for the future.”
While Hunter doesn’t work directly with children or teachers, she does get a chance to see what’s going on in classrooms as part of her community engagement work. “I make site visits if we’re taking a tribal leader or state lawmaker to see the results of our funding and grants,” she says. “I also work a lot with our regional directors from First Things First. They’re the ones who really partner directly with our tribal programs and early childhood centers,” she explains, “and it’s been gratifying for me to see them grow in their role as community leaders.”
During these visits to child care centers, she has also found it “moving” to see teachers and children conversing in native languages in the classroom—a practice to which First Things First has given its support. “Our regional councils have funded efforts like developing books written in both English and in some of the native languages,” she says “They’ve also produced audio books for young parents who don’t speak the traditional language of their tribe. So, the parent is learning with the child. And the regions wanted to focus on this because they recognized that many of the tribes’ traditions and stories aren’t written down, but simply passed down by word of mouth. And one of the ways the regions are preserving the past is by developing a parenting curriculum that incorporates traditional teachings.”
This approach guides culturally responsive programs to promote physical activity and good nutrition, Hunter explains. “It helps parents advance their children’s healthy development through traditional games and foods. The tribes think this is important to building a foundation for young children, so we also help fund and support it.”
Hunter is passionately committed to efforts like this because she believes “you should be the change you want to see in the world,” as Gandhi said. And she acts on this in both her professional and personal life. “Our agency is focused on continuous quality improvement, so I’m always thinking about how I can do more to serve the tribes,” she says. “In the meantime, I do the best I can until I can do better. So, I always want to continue to grow because it’s by learning and challenging yourself that you do better,” Hunter explains.
“As a leader, you play a two-way role within both your family and your community,” she says. “You’re always learning from somebody, and somebody is always learning from you. We have to pass on the lessons we’ve learned to others to keep promoting change. I realize the systems I’ve been building for years might not come to fruition until after I’m gone,” Hunter says. So, she’s planting seeds in the next generation that will inspire its members to continue her work.
“My life is about service to others,” she says, “and that relates to my going away to school and coming back to assist my people. But now my mission has expanded beyond simply serving my people to serving all people. What made me change was having a daughter and becoming an aunt to three young boys. Now I’m teaching them all the value of service. I don’t know if they’ll follow my path of moving away and then coming back to work with our tribe. But wherever they go, I want them to remember where they came from and how important it is to give back”—a meaningful message everyone can embrace. If you have a strong sense of community, like Hunter does, the whole world can be your tribe.
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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.
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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.
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.
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