Early Childhood Educator Finds Her True Calling in ECE at 79
July 26, 2018
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Published by CounciLINK on July 26, 2018
Miss Gloria White entered the early childhood education field when she was still in her teens, working as a nanny for a daughter of a “gentleman farmer” in her home country of England. She also worked as a babysitter for the children of nurses who worked at the same hospital after she moved to the U.S.
“I love babies and toddlers,” she says. “They love to learn.”
Miss Gloria spent most of her working years—34—however, in the fast food industry, managing two different Wienerschnitzel locations, where she said all she did was teach. When she was ready to step away from that role, the 79-year-old great grandmother decided it was time to return to the field she always loved—working with young children.
Her son and daughter-in-law, who run a family child care center called First Steps, asked her to come work with them. Then her daughter-in-law began suggesting that she learn more about the Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential.
But Miss Gloria felt that at her age, working toward a credential didn’t make a lot of sense. “I kept thinking to myself, ‘I’ll never do that. That’s too much work,'” she says.
She would attend professional development meetings along with other early childhood educators and finally decided to pursue the credential.
And she’s glad she did. “You see, the children blossom because of it,” she says, adding that the process has provided a theoretical basis for focusing on areas such as developing young children’s motor skills and working with families.
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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.
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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.
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