Looking Back on 2015
The end of the year is always a good time for reflection – and we at the Council look back on 2015 as another banner year in our service to you – the early care...
Step beyond the ordinary and dive into the extraordinary at the 2024 EELC. Join us at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC, to see why the EELC is not your average conference. Instead, it’s a chance to transform the way you approach your work and get in touch with experts who will inspire you to be extraordinary, too.
Hear from education gurus and thought leaders who are eager to share their insights and ignite your passion. Prepare for interactive discussions, innovative workshops and hands-on sessions that will challenge and expand your thinking. Our exciting lineup of presentations includes:
Connect with peers, mentors, and leaders in your field at our curated networking events. From casual mixers to themed celebrations, every social function will give you a chance to collaborate and build genuine bonds. This year, we will warm up the conference with a welcome reception and top it off with a cherry blossom extravaganza dinner & dance.
Immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of Washington, DC, with our exclusive “journeys.” These curated excursions will take you beyond the conference halls and into the city’s heart, where you can explore iconic landmarks, discover hidden gems or enjoy a staycation featuring local health and wellness experts.
End your week with a special treat—a Friday night movie screening featuring a renowned guest speaker from the documentary Starting at Zero. Dive into a compelling film and stay for an insightful discussion that ties the themes of the movie to the key messages of our conference.
None of this would be possible without the support of our incredible sponsors. Their contributions have enabled us to create a conference experience that is truly unique. Be sure to visit our vendor booths and learn more about the amazing work they do.
Join us for an experience that promises to be both memorable and moving. This is more than a conference; it’s a journey into the future of our field. Forget the ordinary and find the extraordinary at the 2024 EELC. See you in DC!
Calling all active PD Specialists. Join us on October 16, 2024, at the PDS Symposium, a chance to enhance our expertise and expand your network. Get the most recent updates from the Council. And gain the latest knowledge of how to boost your impact on rising teachers at this cornerstone event.
You’ll also learn about the future of YourCouncil, the focus of our symposium this year. We will explore the features of the new system and the key improvements it provides. Learn about the growth of Virtual Verification Visits®. Explore the role of remote assessment and more at our daylong event. It’s geared to PD Specialists, like you, and included with your EELC registration.
The Council also provides opportunities for organizations and businesses to play an integral role in the conference by becoming sponsors. The EELC’s diverse sponsorship levels offer various ways to align your brand with a premier conference devoted to lifting up early childhood education leaders, professionals and the communities they serve.
If you are interested in becoming a 2024 EELC sponsor, please review the sponsorship prospectus.
The end of the year is always a good time for reflection – and we at the Council look back on 2015 as another banner year in our service to you – the early care...
As the population of young children keeps getting more diverse in this country, many schools and programs are seeking teachers and assistants that speak the languages needed in their classrooms. However, it is not enough...
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We know how important it is for you to renew your CDA Credential. That’s why the Council for Professional Recognition has been working hard to make the online application process easier for you. It has...
By Dr. Robert Gundling, Deputy Operating Officer, Sunshine Early Learning Center Imagine a world where the voice of early care and education leaders, advocates, administrators and teachers, mainly in community-based programs is represented in articles...
Early childhood education is finally getting its time in the spotlight. It’s great to see more and more funding going into programs that will make a difference for thousands of young children and their families....
Early childhood education (ECE) is in the spotlight as never before. Being in the limelight, however, has highlighted the field’s fragmentation and the variability in the quality of children’s formal early learning experiences. This reality...
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Welcome to the Council and thank you for checking out our new blog. It is with great excitement that the Council takes the first step in the world of blogging to communicate with all of...
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.
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