Dear Colleagues,
In 1995, Cher released “It’s a Man’s World.” In this classic album, Cher gave her rendition of James Brown’s 1966 hit song, “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World.” And Cher had her own ideas about who runs the world. “Women are the real architects of society,” she said. And we must believe in ourselves, urged another music icon. “We need to reshape our perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead,” Beyoncé urged us. And prominent women in other fields have agreed. “Our country was built by strong women,” said feminist icon Gloria Steinem. “We will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes”—especially with high-quality early education. “When girls are given the right tools to succeed, they can create incredible futures, not only for themselves but also for those around them,” said Meghan Markle, actress and British royal.
And it’s a thought for the early learning field to keep in mind this month as we mark Women’s Equality Day. Many prejudices are picked up at an early age, so educators can play a key role in teaching kids that we are all equal. You can monitor how boys and girls interact. You can encourage them to talk about equality and help every child feel proud of themselves. You can make children believe they can contribute to the world, whatever their gender, background or cultural beliefs.
This is the bedrock of the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™, and this month we feature two women who are doing their part to build a sense of equality and equity in our early childhood settings. They’re both winners of the Council’s scholarship for the Early Educators Leadership Conference, and they’re leading the way to help other women earn their CDA®.
Tabitha Williams is the founder of Parents for Healthy Homes in Grand Rapids, MI. Her grassroots group brings parents together to fight for lead-free housing, raise awareness of mental health issues and improve early learning for Grand Rapids children. Many members of her group are also struggling because of the child care crisis, so she’s helping parents earn their CDA as part of her goal to build a better future for Grand Rapids families. “Mental health, lead-free housing and quality early learning are all essential for healthy homes,” as she explains. “So, I’m working to get that message across, and the bonds I’ve built with parents will help me succeed in pushing for needed reforms. Change moves at the speed of trust.”
Diana Molina also makes it a point to build bonds with the educators she serves as the bilingual early childhood pathway coordinator at Metro Community College in Omaha, NE. “I share my story,” she says, “when I go to Head Start centers to get early childhood teachers enrolled in our CDA program—a process Diana went through when she was a young woman with limited prospects. “I want Spanish-speaking teachers to realize how far they can rise in their careers. So, I keep telling them that I came from nothing and had parents who didn’t put much stock in education. Yet here I am standing before you as a leader. I struggled to get here without any support, and that’s why I’m here to give it to you.”
The Council is also working to give educators more support by reimagining the CDA. Read Dr. Moore’s new white paper on how we’ve listened to our CDAs and learned ways to build more equity in our credentialing process. Then turn to his blog, Feeling Good About the Learning Field. Dr. Moore discusses how far we’re come since 1966, the year James Brown hit the top of the Billboard charts when he sang “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World.” In subsequent decades, women have made advances in many fields, but there’s still work ahead, especially since COVID led to a setback in women’s employment. In recent years, the major roadblock for women in has been the lack of child care, so the steps we take to advance our field will also advance equality for women. But as educators, we don’t just empower women. We also give children the tools they need to build a better world for both women and men.
Happy Women’s Equality Day,
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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