Dear Colleagues,
What’s the power of reading books? It was a question worth exploring this month as we celebrated National Book Lovers Day. English author Francis Spufford provided an answer in The Child that Books Built, his love letter to children’s books and the wonders they perform. Reading certain stories in the early years of life shapes who we are and who we become, as Spufford points out. ‘‘We can remember readings that acted like transformations. There were times when a particular book, like a seed crystal, dropped into our minds, when they were exactly ready for it, like a supersaturated solution, and suddenly we changed.”
For example, reading books can improve young learners’ academic skills and inspire them to succeed, as Ihkeem Ma’at tells us in this edition of CounciLINK. Ihkeem was 11 years old when he read Gifted Hands, about Dr. Ben Carson’s journey from a troubled childhood to acclaim as a leading pediatric neurosurgeon. And that book convinced Ihkeem that he could achieve more than he had ever dreamed before, the belief behind his nonprofit, The Bookshelf Project. Ihkeem provides books and bookshelves to low-income families in Maryland and Washington, DC, because he thinks “every child should have the chance to gain literacy skills by having access to books and parents who read to them every day.”
Fourteen-year-old Orion Jean agrees, so he launched a Race to 500,000 Books after making a prize-winning speech about kindness when he was nine. “I love to read, and I’ve always wanted to give books to people,” Orion says when we feature him this month. “Books are important,” he tells us, “because you get to go to new cities and countries while you learn how to communicate better, too.” And Orion’s seen the impact that books have had on him. “Reading enlarged my vocabulary, inspired my love for telling stories and even led me to write two books myself: A Kid’s Book About Leadership and Race to Kindness, about the small ways that all children can be kind each day.”
Orion’s own commitment to kindness also led him to launch a Race to 500 Toys and a Race to 100,000 Meals, programs that won him fame as a recent TIME Kid of the Year. And you’ll have the opportunity to hear from him at our Early Educators Leadership Conference this fall. The EELC is also a chance to learn more about the Council’s new initiatives, like our Birth to Five CDA® credential, streamlined renewal requirements, digital CDA credentials and improved exam sequence. We’ve launched these updates to mark 50 years of the CDA, a milestone we wouldn’t have reached without leaders like those who appear this month in our CDA Golden Moments—and members of our community like you.
Many of you are CDAs who serve young learners and this year we honored your work by publishing Mr. Nakada’s Busy Day, our first book for children. It’s inspired by our CDA textbook, Essentials for Working with Young Children, says the book’s author, Shunsuke Baba, who we’re featuring, too, this month. “I illustrated some of the major topics in the book, like how to resolve conflicts, break language barriers, keep children safe and interact with parents,” Shunsuke explains. He also shows a typical day in a CDA’s life, from greeting children in the morning to playing games outside and reading stories at circle time.
Reading books to children can be especially rewarding when you use that time to impart life lessons through interactive reading, as Dr. Calvin Moore tells us in Big Feelings and Books. In his latest blog, Dr. Moore describes some recent studies on the power of books to improve social skills and provides tips to make read-alouds even more engaging. He also uses his latest blog to share some of his favorite books, including Abiyoyo, about a magician and his son who save their village from a giant, and Where the Wild Things Are, about Max, a small, unruly boy who misses his mom after sailing off to a fantasy island filled with monsters. The book shows the power of unconditional love to help Max mend his wild behavior and reading books with messages like this can help all our youngest learners change for the better, too.
Happy National Book Lovers Day,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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...
The Council is updating the renewal process to make it more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly. These changes streamline requirements, automate renewals, and introduce a fair audit system to ensure compliance while minimizing administrative burdens. Updates...
Family child care homes are more than convenient places for working families to find child care; they are essential nurturing learning environments where children grow, develop, and build the foundation for lifelong success. With nearly...
Beginning August 1, 2025, the Council is implementing a new exam-first approach for the CDA credentialing process. This change enhances standardization and streamlines the process, allowing candidates to demonstrate their expertise in a structured manner....
The month of June is rich with purpose and powerful reminders for those of us who support young children and their families. We celebrate National Safety Month, Family Health and Fitness Day, World Environment Day,...
Do you want to widen your career options in the early learning field and work with more than one age group of children? Many educators do, and the Council is giving you a new way...
The Council for Professional Recognition is proud to present the Child Development Professional™ (CDP) concept paper—presenting a bold vision for a nationally recognized credential to elevate early childhood education (ECE) by expanding professional pathways beyond...
The month of May is a time of heartfelt gratitude and thoughtful reflection. Not only is it the month we honor mothers, but we also celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5–9), Teacher Appreciation Day (May...
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 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.
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.
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.
