Usma Mohamed
news@cdacouncil.org
WASHINGTON — The Council for Professional Recognition joins the early childhood education community in praising Dr. Bernadine Futrell for her commitment to underserved children as she begins her role leading the Office of Head Start in the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.
Futrell is an accomplished leader with impressive experiences, beginning at the earliest stage possible when she attended Head Start as a child; much later she served as an assistant Head Start teacher. Most recently Futrell was the National Head Start Association’s senior director for effective practice.
“The Council, which administers and issues the Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential, has an important connection to the Office of Head Start. We know many thousands of Head Start teachers continue to benefit from studying for and working toward their CDA. With Dr. Futrell’s leadership, we’re confident that link will remain strong and grow. This is especially important right now as we all must come together to deal with the many challenges caused by the pandemic,” says Dr. Calvin E. Moore. Jr, the CEO of the Council.
ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings including Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family childcare, and home visitor programs. As a nonprofit organization, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing. To date, over 800,000 CDA credentials have been issued around the world. For more information, visit www.cdacouncil.org.
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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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