Published by CounciLINK on August 22, 2019
We are pleased to announce that the keynote speakers for this year’s Early Educators Leadership Conference are Judy Jablon and Milton Little.Judy Jablon has spent more than 35 years in early childhood education, beginning with her work as a classroom teacher at the School for Children at the Bank Street College of Education. As she moved from direct education of children to work with preservice and in-service teachers as an adjunct instructor teaching curriculum at Bank Street’s graduate school, Jablon emphasized the importance of helping teachers use their collective wisdom to support and extend learning in young children. As an early learning consultant, she has worked on a wide range of exciting projects, including co-writing Bank Street’s curriculum guide, Explorations with Young Children, and The Work Sampling System, a national early childhood performance assessment. She is the author of many other publications and videos as well.
Milton J. Little, Jr., became the first African American president of United Way of Greater Atlanta, the second largest United Way in the national system, in July 2007. Little has helped raise more than half a billion dollars for local community needs and priorities. Before joining United Way, he served as chief operating officer and interim president and CEO of the National Urban League. He graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College with a B.A. in sociology, then earned an M.A. in urban sociology and social policy from Columbia University. Little is a member of many boards and advisory committees, including as chair of the board for the Center for Assessment and Policy Development, chair of the Southern Education Foundation, and vice chair of the board of directors for Ways to Work.
Sessions Themes
Location and Dates
October 8–11, 2019
Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort is located in historic Stone Mountain Park and offers numerous opportunities for EELC attendees to enjoy the beautiful nature and surrounding activities. Inspired by the peaceful location, we have added a Health & Wellness Series that will help you focus on self-care. Between morning walks, dancing, meditation and wellness sessions, there is something for everyone! The retreat-style conference is all-inclusive, with delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners all included in your registration.
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Chief Operations Officer
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
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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