Dear Colleagues,
What’s on your agenda when autumn rolls around? Consider joining the Council at our Early Educators Leadership Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Shaping the Future: A Time for Resilience, Renewal & Reform.” Join national and international leaders, policy makers and nonprofit directors, college professors and colleagues for informative sessions and fun.
Our conference will take place October 5 to 8 in lovely Leesburg, Virginia, and it features a great lineup. Attend a session on “Becoming a Better You.” Find out more about “Building Diverse Cultures of Belonging and Inclusion.” See why “Self-Care is Vital.” Learn about “Reflection for Professional Practice,” and line dance at our “Rodeo Glam” under the stars.
You’ll also want to kick up your heels after starting your days with JuNene K., a master trainer and social emotional specialist who we’re profiling this month. “I’ll be doing three sessions,” she says. “The first will be on affirmation and how to harness ‘The Power of I Am.’ In the second session, ‘Gratitude is Attitude,’ we’ll discuss how to deal with negative feelings. And the last will be ‘The Shift,’ a hands-on session that explores the use of essential oils to shift your mood. We’ll also be doing fun, creative workouts to get our juices flowing and get rid of stress.”
Many rising teachers do feel stressed out at the prospect of earning a degree, according to Dr. Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez, another of our conference presenters. As chair of early childhood at Montgomery College, she supports a diverse student body in taking the steps to success. “Students need to get their CDA®,” she tells us in this issue. That gives them the confidence to go on for their degree. And when they do it’s good for both them and the children. “They’re going to make more money, they’re going to get promoted, and they’re going to be better providers.”
The path to professional growth starts with the CDA as the ChildCare Education Institute agrees in its new blog. And the credential is even more essential in the wake of the pandemic. Many parents feel anxious about their children’s health and fret about sending them back to preschool. So, child care directors should reassure these reluctant moms and dads by hiring staff with CDAs. “Educators who’ve earned it must exhibit an understanding of competency standards—and the first competency standard focuses on establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment,” Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. points out in a perceptive op-ed this month.
Dr. Moore is also the author of Find Your Happy!, an uplifting—and down-to-earth—guide to feeling safe, secure, loved. And the happiness you feel doesn’t have to be fleeting, as too many folks sadly believe. “I have discovered through love and loss that it is possible to live life with joy!” Moore says. And he’ll tell you how in his keynote speech at our conference. Join him for a thoughtful dialogue that explores his seven step-approach to finding joy as a way of life.
Take advantage of this chance to meet Dr. Moore, along with many other movers and shakers in the early childhood profession. They’ll give you tips and tools to advance your skills and gear up for the challenges ahead. Together, let’s find new ways to build a better future for our field.
With happiness for your support,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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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.
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