Published by CounciLINK on September 26, 2019
The Council’s exceptional team continues to cross the country to provide valuable information and resources to early childhood education professionals.
Recently our CEO, Dr. Valora Washington, and our Director of Council Programs, Abena Ocran-Jackson, participated in the National Workforce Registry Alliance Conference in Minneapolis, MN. The goal of the National Workforce Registry Alliance is to be the central hub of data collection and dissemination used to inform and strengthen the early childhood and after-school workforce through collaboration with state workforce registry systems and national partners.
Our team conducted a listening session, “Connecting Your Training Registry to the CDA,” to provide guidance regarding requirements for training registries to be approved and accepted by the Council.
In August, Dr. Washington was the keynote speaker for the 3rd Annual Summer Symposium hosted by Montgomery College in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood; the Maryland State Family Child Care Association; and many other state organizations.
Dr. Washington’s inspirational words were delivered to more than 400 attendees, and she focused on the theme “Educational Pathways: Supporting Child Care Providers with Changes Happening in the Field.”
And the Council has a busy fall season ahead! Join us near and far at these upcoming events:
• Oct. 2: Action for Children, Columbus, OH. Join us for an evening of CDA celebrations.
• Oct. 3–5: Tennessee Association for Children’s Early Education (TACEE) Annual Conference, Nashville, TN. Dr. Washington will deliver the keynote speech at the Public Policy Luncheon on Oct. 4 at 12 p.m.
• Oct. 8–11: 2019 Early Educators Leadership Conference (EELC), Atlanta, GA.
• Oct. 23–24: Enhancing Early Childhood Policy in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE-ECP) Meeting, New York, NY.
• Nov. 19: NAEYC Annual Conference, Nashville, TN. The Council and Childcare Tennessee will hold a reception at Fisk University’s Cravath Hall (Rotunda) from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Nov. 21: The El Kalla Foundation’s inaugural National Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony, Cairo, Egypt. This event will also mark the Foundation’s official launch of the CDA program.
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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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