Dear Colleagues,
We constantly think about children here at the Council. And many people thought more about them this month. On June 12th, we marked National Children’s Day, a time to realize just how precious children are and raise awareness of the roadblocks many of them face. The goal of this yearly event—and one we embrace—is to invest in our children’s future, improve their welfare and make the world better for them.
That was the mission of Dwayne Crompton, a great champion of children who recently passed away. His many achievements included serving as president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and a longtime member of the Council’s board. He also gained renown during the three decades he directed KMC Child Development Corporation, an agency set up in 1970 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society program to end poverty, inequality and crime. Under Crompton’s helm, KMC administered model Head Start programs that improved life for thousands of Missouri families.
Lisa Burke is also lifting families up as executive director at Friends of Children and Families, a Boise, Idaho, Head Start center. Read her profile this month to learn how she helps parents get ahead by urging them to volunteer in her classrooms and then consider working for her as teachers. If they do, FOCAF pays for them to earn a CDA® so they can ensure the best outcomes for children. The parents go on to gain confidence, build careers and become strong advocates for children, Lisa says. “And it’s great to help people surmount challenges and succeed. I feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself.”
So do the many parents who serve as volunteers for Community Organizing and Family Issues in Chicago. COFI builds parent power, as you’ll see when you read about Jesse Rojo, COFI’s early learning policy organizer, and Susana Salgado, co-chair of its early learning campaign and a COFI ambassador who recruits parent leaders. Together, Jesse and Susana have harnessed parent power to ban suspensions of children below second-grade age, raise wages for early childhood teachers and recruit a more diverse early childhood workforce, issues that came up at a recent CDA® Advisory Committee meeting. The parent leaders also go door to door talking about the value of early learning, as Susana explains. “Some moms insist that it’s their job to take care of the kids. But the moms do need support from teachers. So, I tell them that you, as a parent, are your child’s first teacher, but you shouldn’t be their only teacher.”
Still, it can feel that way around this time of year as parents wonder what to do with their children during the long summer break. Many parents feel stressed out as they worry about whether they’ve planned enough activities and how to stop the summer brain drain when children lose much of what they’ve learned over the school year—concerns that Dr. Moore addresses this month in his blog. As a dad of two, he enriched his daughters’ lives by singing, dancing and reading with them, he recalls. And he also describes other ways to combine education with entertainment in summer: road trips that sneak in geography lessons en route, weekly library visits and using educational apps, games and shows to make screen time more productive.
It can be tough to fit quality time with children in our busy schedules these days, so the long summer break can be a challenge, especially for working parents. Still, National Children’s Day reminds us of the need to slow down and have some fun with the little folks, whether that means planning a picnic or singing, dancing and playing together at home. National Children’s Day is also a reminder that children are the future, the conviction that led LBJ to set up Head Start. The Council shares this belief, and that drives our work to enhance early learning for every young child. We know that investing in our children—and those who teach them—is the best way to build a great society for all.
With constant thoughts of you,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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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.
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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