“My family calls me a mil usos,” Dr. Patty Berron says. This is a Spanish expression to describe a handy person who can do a thousand things to fix any problems you face in your home, and Patty is “a fixer,” as she explains. Yet she doesn’t fix closets, roofs and yards. She helps fix lives, as a chaplain, family counselor and early childhood education leader who strives to empower communities and help young children develop.
Patty has also been helping others since coming to Texas from Mexico, where she grew up as the eldest of eight children. Her mom struggled to support the family by selling encyclopedias and working for Avon, as Patty recalls. But the challenges her mom faced didn’t stop her from thinking about other people. “She created committees to assist the homeless,” Patty says. “She gave them clothing and meals because she was convinced every human being has value. My mom believed you should do anything you could to make the world a better place. And watching her gave me life lessons that I would bring to every stage of my future career.”
Patty’s commitment to professional growth has helped her surmount the roadblocks she faced as a newcomer to the U.S. “When I arrived here, I was pregnant with my second child and didn’t speak much English,” Patty recalls. “Though I had earned a college degree in Mexico, I cleaned houses, did yard work and other odd jobs I didn’t enjoy because I had to survive and support my children. Still, I didn’t think this was what God intended for me, and I knew I needed to continue my education.”
So, she volunteered at the Head Start center where her older child attended preschool. “Working with the children helped me improve my English as we watched Sesame Street and sang songs together,” Patty says. “I went on to read books in English and Spanish while earning my bilingual Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ in 1989.” By 1990, Patty was working as a bilingual trainer for the American Red Cross and had begun the Child Development Institute, a consulting company that she runs to the present day. “I provide first aid, CPR and CDA® training,” Patty says, “to provide the community with more of the qualified early childhood teachers that it needs.”
Patty’s passion to serve the community through high-quality early education led her to serve the Council as a bilingual PD Specialist and to spend a year as a Head Start fellow in Washington, DC. “During my fellowship,” she says, “I developed a pilot CDA program for migrant, Native American and Alaskan Native programs. I enabled 68 people to earn the credential, and I was able to see how the CDA transformed early learning in diverse communities nationwide.”
Early learning, as a field, was also going through a transformation in 2020 when COVID struck the country. Educators needed guidance, and Patty came to assist them at this difficult time as a member of the CDA Advisory Committee. “We provided practical tools for the early learning community,” Patty says. “For example, we suggested that educators have the children sing songs about handwashing and safety in order to bring up self-protection in a fun, playful way. Another idea we came up with was to paint the masks that everyone had to wear in the classroom,” Patty recalls, and the need for new ideas continued as COVID raged on.
“During that time, I was a health and safety reviewer,” she says, “so I was able to participate in updating the safety protocols for early childhood classrooms. The world was changing, and what was perfectly fine for a week became a problem the following week. So, the protocols had to keep changing, too, to ensure the safety of educators, children and their families.”
Many families faced uncertainty and loss during the pandemic, as Patty saw. Witnessing their struggles convinced her to earn a certification in pastoral and family counseling, so she could work as a chaplain. “I supported staff from different community services, including nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters and educators,” she recalls. “I also tried to make sure that their children had a chance to enjoy themselves and make friends, so my background in child development gave me a stronger foundation for serving people from all age groups and all walks of life,” Patty says.
She also began serving college students after earning her PhD in education and professional counseling in 2023. “I was in charge of the early childhood education program at a college, where I made sure that every student had a fair chance to earn a CDA,” Patty says. For example, she learned that the college had discouraged a young man from studying early childhood education because it didn’t think this was the right field for a man, as Patty recalls. “When he told me what happened, I marched with him into the main office of the education department and insisted that the department enroll him in the CDA program. He completed the credential, went on to become an early educator and now he’s a supervisor in a Head Start program.”
Educators, like this young man and many others, play a vital role, as Patty constantly points out. “One of the things I try to do is educate the community about the value of early childhood education,” she says. “Many people think of early educators as babysitters. But it isn’t true. Having educators with the right knowledge and tools is crucial for meeting children’s social, emotional and cognitive needs as they develop and discover more about the world around them.”
Providing more qualified educators for young learners is the purpose of two more roles that Patty has taken on. “Currently I serve as a CDA coach and as the CDA Pathway to Purpose coordinator at the National Head Start Academy,” she says. “I collaborate with high schools across the country to help students earn a CDA. Earning the credential often gives the students college credits and opens careers for the students as early childhood teachers,” she says. CDA training also benefits students, she adds, even if they don’t decide to go into the early learning field since “it may help them become better parents someday and open their eyes to the ways they can contribute to their communities.”
It’s not enough to simply support children if you want to make a difference, as Patty points out. “In any program that involves children, we’re also dealing with the entire family, so one of the things I do at the Child Development Institute is work with families. I provide them with training as a family counselor. I give them advice on handling their finances, learning English and advancing their education,” she says. “I work with libraries, community fairs and child care programs to provide families with more of the services they need.”
Patty’s efforts reflect her firm belief that every person has value and that we are all interconnected. “We have a duty to make life better for others, as my mother taught me long ago,” Patty says. “If a child is hungry, you give them food, and if a family has needs, you look for resources to help them. Do whatever it takes to serve children, families and the communities where they live,” Patty insists. And that’s what she does as she carries on her mom’s legacy to this day. Patty is convinced you should never give up because there are a thousand ways to make the world better.
Revised editions of four of the CDA® Competency Standards books will be available in January 2027 in both English and Spanish. If you currently have a CDA® Competency Standards book for your setting, you may...
https://youtube.com/shorts/BN0JTkyBuyA?feature=share Expertise, Made Ready to Open Coming January 2027: Revised CDA® Competency Standards Books The revised CDA® Competency Standards books will feature updated guidance, streamlined information, and enhanced support for completing the CDA® process. The...
In August, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposed significant changes to Head Start governance and staffing requirements. For more than 60 years, Head Start has provided children and families with early learning, child...
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The earliest years of a child’s life establish the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being. From pregnancy through age five, rapid brain development makes this a critical period for nurturing relationships, responsive caregiving, and...
The Council for Professional Recognition is proud to partner with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) on the inaugural Credit for Prior Learning–Early Childhood Education (CPL-ECE) Cohort, an initiative designed to strengthen pathways...
Did you know the Council for Professional Recognition is a great source for exploring early childhood education trends and finding critical information to support your work? During times of challenge, a key strategy for increasing...
“We can’t just wait for the future we want. We must seize the opportunity to build it,” Susan Gale Perry, Child Care Aware of America CEO said last month on the opening day of “Igniting...
Why should you renew your CDA? Learn what some of our early childhood professionals had to say. For example, Isabel Blair, a family child care provider in New Mexico, has renewed her CDA for 20...
Vice President of Product
Mackenzie Pelland serves as Vice President of Product at the Council. In this role, she oversees the Council’s product strategy and portfolio, including credentialing programs, educational publications, professional development resources, and branded merchandise, ensuring offerings are sustainable and responsive to the evolving needs of early childhood educators and the broader early care and education field. Her work focuses on building scalable, user-centered products that strengthen quality and integrity across the Council’s credentialing, educational, and professional learning offerings.
Prior to this role, Mackenzie served as Director of ECE Observation Systems at the Council, where she oversaw the observation portion of the CDA® credentialing assessment process and led the ECE Observation Team. She also worked to support, refine, and strengthen the Professional Development Specialist community to better meet the needs of a diverse CDA® candidate population.
Before joining the Council, Mackenzie was Senior Director of Monitoring and Compliance Systems at Acelero Learning, where she led the development and execution of monitoring systems related to federal grant compliance, child care licensing, health and safety, incident management, and facilities compliance across Head Start programs nationwide. She also previously served as Program Accountability and Policy Implementation Manager at New York City’s Department of Education within the Division of Early Childhood Education.
Mackenzie is recognized as a credentialing specialist by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. She holds a master’s degree in education policy from Teachers College, Columbia University, a Certificate in Education and Program Evaluation from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in politics and education from Occidental College.
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 Administrative Officer (CAO)
Janie Payne is the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) 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.
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)
Janice brings more than 20 years of experience in accounting and strategic financial management, with an extensive background spanning global associations, nonprofits, and technology organizations. She most recently served as CFO/COO for a global association advancing women in commercial real estate. Prior to that, she was the CFO at Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting community college success, and Director of Finance at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Controller for two technology companies.
A Maryland-licensed CPA, Janice is deeply engaged in the profession through her service on the AICPA Governing Council and leadership roles with the CFO Leadership Council. In 2025, she was recognized as an AICPA Global Woman to Watch. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs & Public Policy from UC San Diego and a B.A. in International Affairs & Economics from The George Washington University, bringing both financial expertise and a global policy perspective to her work.
Janice’s journey is uniquely shaped by global and mission-driven experiences. Before transitioning into accounting, she spent a decade managing refugee programs in the United States and abroad, including roles with the International Rescue Committee and the Maryland Office for Refugees & Asylees. She has also lived and worked internationally in both Japan and Uganda.
Outside of work, Janice is a dedicated endurance athlete who completed a full Ironman triathlon in 2024, bringing the same discipline and determination to her personal pursuits as she does to her professional impact.
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