We have amazing leaders in our field. They are everywhere—in classrooms, family child care programs, administrative offices, schools, colleges and universities, and in all of the offices, programs and services that support children and families. Through their actions, they provide vision, stability and direction. 

Since 2014, Exchange has been making leadership more visible in the field of early care and education, fulfilling our responsibility to support and develop leaders by identifying and inviting early childhood leaders to join the Exchange Leadership Initiative. Applicants share their vision, how they lead, their passion and their determination. Exchange Leaders thoroughly understand early care and education principles and practices, address diversity and equity, and are engaged in life-long learning. They are grounded in their own work and are using their strengths and skills to make a difference for children, families, and their communities. 

We invite you to meet our new Exchange Leaders for 2020. They join 320 previously-designated Exchange Leaders, and together they are ready to lead us into the future.

We asked each of our new Exchange Leaders to include information about their leadership journey using the following prompts. Each one of the new Exchange Leaders chose one to share a little about themselves.

Tell us about your:

  • Vision 
  • Determination and Persistence 
  • Passion
  • Personal Mantra 
  • Personal Mission 
  • Key Leadership Moment 
  • Collaboration
  • Eagerness and Curiosity 
  • Realization that You are a Leader

Adila AbdussamedAdila Abdussamed
Renton, Washington
Early learning program director, Medina Academy Preschool

Vision
We need high-quality early care to be affordable and accessible to all children, lower child-teacher ratios, advanced formal training for teachers and better compensation for early learning educators, comparable to other professions.

 

Ashley AllenAshley Allen
Summerfield, North Carolina

Key Leadership Moment
Work environment and compensation coordinator, EQuIPD (Education, Quality Improvement, & Professional Development) Smart Start/University of North Carolina 

My key moment was when someone else put me out there. While I have worked hard and put many hours into projects, coursework, and creating opportunities, none of what I do would be possible if someone else hadn’t believed I could do it, given me the opportunity to try, and put me in a position where I could access those with even more decision-making power than myself. I think each person’s leadership abilities can be given the space to take flight when we open those spaces for them.

 

Julie BiddleJulie Biddle
Dayton, Ohio
Professor, Antioch University

Personal Mantra

It’s all about relationships.

“When we consider the success, sustainability of effort, capacity of program, or leadership of an organization, it is inevitably a reflection of relationships. The various schools I have worked with have heard me say this numerous times, ‘It’s all about relationships!’ In fact, four key relationships set the tone in a school: the relationships children have with one another; the relationships between children and teachers; the relationships teachers have with one another; and the relationships between the program’s staff and its families” (Biddle, 2012. The Three Rs of Leadership. Ypsilanti & Washington, DC. p.28).

 

Martin BingMartin Bing
Auckland, New Zealand
CEO and founder, 1Place Childcare

Personal Mantra

I believe in servant leadership, underpinned by the “golden rule.” Ultimately, I believe leaders must lead, show courage and honesty, but also recognise multiple stakeholders. So, in my business, it is equally (in no order) customer, employees, shareholders and community.

 

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Heather CharmoliHeather Charmoli
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Director, All Saints Preschool & Child Care

Collaboration

This winter we successfully combined a regional early childhood educators conference with a national pastors and administrators conference. We had over 400 people participate, network and learn together. The energy of this group was amazing, and participants were eager learners.

 

Tammy DannhoffTammy Dannhoff
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Owner/early care and education provider, Kids Are Us Family Child Care

Collaboration

The time I successfully worked with others in collaboration, proving that together we are stronger and can achieve amazing accomplishments, was when I was asked to be the co-chair for the child care portion of a community playground project that was going to be built by members of the community. We had to set up a child care program from the ground up in about three months. It was an AMAZING opportunity and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Leona Dickens-AdamsLeona Dickens-Adams
Silver Spring, Maryland
Assistant director, NASA Goddard Child Development Center

Determination and Persistence

I share my story every chance I get. I was born and raised in the South Bronx of New York City. I was the first in my family to earn a college degree, having survived the war on drugs during a time when drugs single-handedly immobilized and disintegrated family units. Not only did I survive, but I thrived. I was a Head Start kid who the community often had to feed. I was a Fresh Air Fund kid, who was afforded an opportunity to see that the world was bigger than the six blocks of projects in my neighborhood. From a very young age, I was told I could do and be anything my mind believed. My older sister would say when things got tough, “That’s life, it won’t break you. Put an H on your back and Handle it.” I have carried this with me and use it every day to teach children and my staff resilience.

 

Monica DuncanMonica Duncan
Denver, Colorado
Director, Thrive Community Building

Determination and Persistence

I was working on a new project to improve facility quality for early childhood operators and it was not progressing with the pace or success that I had hoped. To acquire a new approach and fresh perspective, I invited several of the operators to a lunch meeting to share feedback and make suggestions. It was just what was needed to improve the process. Authentic communication, humility and openness can be foundational to the recipe of success!

 

Susan Garrow-OliverSusan Garrow-Oliver
Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
Associate professor, Mount Royal University

When I Realized I was a Leader

It took someone else to say I was a leader. While early in my studies my professors saw this in me, I did not. It was not until many years later—after learning from mistakes in my role as a child care director—that I started to see that I was a leader. Throughout my studies, I became more confident and saw how my actions influenced others, and people started listening to my ideas and what I had to say. Someone else thought I would make a good mentor/coach to students. I LOVED this and began supervising practicum students; this led to my passion for teaching and where I am today.

 

Jennifer GilkenJennifer Gilken
New York, New York
Assistant professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College

Eagerness and Curiosity

My eagerness to continue to learn and grow has affected my leadership by making me a more inclusive leader. I have realized that a true leader is a facilitator—someone who provides space for the knowledge and expertise of others, including children, families and colleagues. Making this space for others supports my own eagerness to continue to learn.

 

Dawn HendricksDawn Hendricks
Oregon City, Oregon
Professor, Clackamas Community College

Personal Mantra

The quote “You make a living from what you get, but you make a life from what you give,” often attributed to Winston Churchill, has been a mantra in my leadership. I believe in servant leadership; giving to others to help them meet their goals and helping knock barriers out of their way. In doing so, I am rewarded greatly by seeing the successes of my students and my team as they achieve their goals and become ECE professionals.

 

Author Delechia JohnsonDelechia Johnson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Educational consultant, J3 Solutions Consulting

Passion

My passion is to create developmentally appropriate learning opportunities for adults. Professional development should not just be something to do but should be transformative. I want those who are responsible for the growth and development of adults in the early care and education field to be able to provide intentional professional development opportunities that meet participants/staff where they are. I want everyone to feel like they have something to contribute to the field, and to believe that what they bring to the field matters.

 

Tamara JohnsonTamara Johnson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Executive director, Malaika Early Learning Center

Vision

Given the current climate of the profession, my vision is that all children have experiences from birth through the age of eight that support them in reaching their greatest potential. There are a few things that need to change to achieve this. One way is to have funding follow children, regardless of the setting they are in for early care and education.

 

Tanya Johnson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Professional development and training specialist, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association

Personal Mantra

I have a leadership compass that consistently guides my practices. I strive to “be intentional, developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive to meet the individual needs of the children and families we serve.”

 

Christy Jones-HudsonChristy Jones-Hudson
Mobile, Alabama
Director, children and family services, Goodwill Easterseals of the Gulf Coast

Eagerness and Curiosity

It certainly takes a balance. I am constantly seeking new opportunities to become better, to grow. Yet, what I have learned is that accepting too many opportunities leaves very little time to become extremely proficient in any one area or to really excel at any one event. Balancing my eagerness for growth along with self-care has been critical for me. Since this has been a lesson learned, I also preach the value of self-care to direct reports and mentees, to ensure that they too take care of themselves.

 

Jennifer KalasJennifer Kalas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Anchor assessor, Nevada Silver State Stars Quality Rating Improvement System

Determination and Persistence

What my resume doesn’t show is that I have overcome abuse, divorce, raising three boys as a divorced mom, losing my job, being out of work for over a year, and bankruptcy, all while leveraging my teaching and directing experience into a consulting business so I can have the greatest impact for underprivileged children. Children inspire me to my core and I will not stop; I struggle with self-doubt and self-worth regularly, yet put myself out there, stay with it, and now am developing brand new models for training teachers from the seeds of my determined drive to positively impact children.

 

Nora KriegerNora Krieger
Highland Park, New Jersey
Associate professor emerita/past chair NJEEPRE, Bloomfield College/NJ Educators Exploring the Practices of Reggio Emilia

Vision

We need to reflect together, finding the language whose definitions we can all agree upon and understand clearly, in order to build a system that encompasses diversity while reflecting first principles of early childhood development and learning. I think we need to hit the pause button and as a profession examine our experiences and beliefs about leading and educating young children. Our system is diverse and disjointed. The language we use, and the definitions of words related to the field are not consistent, which leads to misunderstandings. We need to slow down and observe deeply, describing what we see, then reflecting on what we are learning from slow, deep observation. 

 

Keri KroutKeri Krout
Blaine, Washington
Program manager, WWU Associated Students Child Development Center

Key Leadership Moment

A key moment that influenced my leadership was when I first let a teacher go. She had challenges with steady attendance, which had a domino effect on the rest of the preschool teachers, parents, and children. I had warned her verbally, and in writing—and the teacher signed this warning. I was saddened to see that after a time, she went back to not showing up to work, leaving an empty classroom with crying children and unhappy parents. When I let her go, it was as if there was a collective sigh of relief felt in the center. We all knew it had to happen. I had tried to be a pleaser instead of a leader. A leader needs to hold people accountable for their decisions.

 

Jane MontgomeryJane Montgomery
Atlanta, Georgia
Director, Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool

Personal Mission

My mission is to provide the highest quality early childhood program of the highest professional standards. This statement drives everything I do as a leader and educator. 

 

 

Trudy MossopTrudy Mossop
Seattle, Washington
Mentor teacher, Hilltop Children’s Center

Eagerness and Curiosity

My curiosity drives my engagement with my educators and with our educational community. I frequently find myself wondering out-loud alongside my educators about how a practice is landing with their current kiddos, or what might help to provoke further exploration around a difficult topic. I believe that reflective curiosity about our own and each other’s educational practice is what helps us all to grow stronger and more adaptive together.

 

Reeva MurphyReeva Murphy
Stowe, Vermont
Early childhood consultant, Heart of a Child Early Care and Learning Consultation

Vision

My vision for children birth to 5 and their families in the U.S. is a thriving ecosystem that encompasses a mixed delivery system of diverse, high-quality early care and learning programs and a surrounding array of sustainable, responsive supports and services for families, practitioners, and programs. In the center of all is the lived experience of each child and family. To achieve that vision, we need coordination and collaboration, enough resources to keep all components of the ecosystem healthy, mutual respect, and an infectious attitude of abundance.

 

Laura MykelLaura Mykel
Marion, North Carolina
Pre-K/Head Start lead teacher, McDowell County Head Start

Passion

My passion has always been to offer children every opportunity to have rich experiences and to feel free to try new and challenging things, without fearing failure or embarrassment.

 

 

Laura NewmanLaura Newman
Roswell, Georgia
Manager, ECE business coach for the Provider Resource Hub, Quality Care for Children

Personal Mantra

When praised for the work I do, whether in passing or on a broader level, my response (aside from appreciation for the kind words of thanks and respect for my work and impact,) is quite simple. I respond, “It is what is right and good.”

 

 

Lori PicklesimerLori Picklesimer
Savannah, Georgia
Owner/director, The Sanctuary Child Learning Center

When I Realized I was a Leader

During our first year in operation, our director submitted her resignation after a pretty severe accident involving a child. I was serving as the pre-K teacher, and I approached the board and asked if I could serve as interim director. I had a passion for children and the educators that worked alongside me. We enrolled in every class, conference, workshop, Super Saturday, and online program we could find. We are 18 years down the road now, and I still have that core group that committed to walk this path with me. I am more than proud to be a part of this team and to lead them in providing excellent early learning care in our community.

 

Lance Reed

Lance Reed
Detroit, Michigan
Founder and consultant, LA Reed Early Childhood Consulting & Developmental Services, LLC

Personal Mission

My personal mission in early education is to gain 21st century advocacy skills to move early child development to the forefront of legislation. I want to be a part of the solution, the process and the system, and the way to do that is by connecting my knowledge and experience with professional organizations such as the Exchange Leadership Initiative.

 

Krystal RobinsonKrystal Robinson
Indianapolis, Indiana
Quality manager, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning, Family and Social Services Administration

Personal Mantra “The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.” –Fred Rogers 

When it comes to leadership, I believe that if we show up in an honest, authentic and vulnerable way, everyone benefits. We begin to see the strengths of everyone we engage with and can leverage everyone’s individual skills to work towards our goal.

 

Wilma Robles-MelendezWilma Robles-Melendez
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Professor of early childhood education and leadership, Nova Southeastern University

Collaboration

One of my successful collaborations with colleagues was when we were able to overcome the language barriers preventing Hispanic early childhood providers from meeting their training and preparation needs. Collaboration with the local Quality Counts initiative and with the support of the university led to the development of a bilingual certificate program that benefitted over 300 child care teachers.

 

Kenneth ShermanKenneth Sherman
San Antonio, Texas
Chief academic officer, HighScope Educational Research Foundation

Personal Mission

My mission in early care is to be a strong advocate for children. My work in early childhood takes me around the world training teachers and administrators, and talking to state leaders about early childhood education. It is the work that I currently do that allows me to be a voice for children and families that we serve.

 

Gerald SlaterGerald Slater
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Owner-environmental designer-educator and board president, Design4Kids & Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative for Children

Passion

My passion in this field is to help early childhood educators come to respect themselves, creatively express themselves, intentionally plan for children’s learning and create new outdoor settings that nurture joyful, nature-rich learning.

 

Kristi SmithKristi Smith
Fort Worth, Texas

Director of education and training, Children’s Lighthouse Franchise Company

Key Leadership Moment

I was part of a team in 2004 that worked with early education programs in poverty-stricken areas of South Africa, a decade after legislated Apartheid had fallen. I went thinking that I could teach South Africans the “magical ways” of Westernized early education; my leadership and educational ideologies were “schooled.” It was there that I learned the lesson that all communities are different and that true leaders lead with the needs of the community at the forefront, not their own platforms.

 

Deminika SpearsDeminika Spears
Berkeley, California
Infant/toddler specialist, WestEd

Personal Mantra

Everyone has the capacity to be a leader! Leaders are not always in the spotlight. We need to make spaces to ensure that everyone has a voice and their perspective is heard and valued.

 

Michele Starr Michele Starr
New Rochelle, New York
Consultant; non-teaching adjunct fieldwork supervisor

Key Leadership Moment

A key moment that influenced my leadership was when I realized the fragility of a child’s self-concept. Working with parents is the key. I believe in early identification of needs and in doing all I can to provide interventions for every child to be happy, joyful and confident. Sometimes this involves testing and providing supports. Sometimes it involves observation and working with parents. Sometimes it involves asking tough questions: “What is wrong?” or “Why are you suddenly negative?” or “What can I do to help?”

 

Jaimmie StugardJaimmie Stugard
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Director and preschool teacher, LifeWays Early Childhood Center

Personal Mantra

Those who bring sunshine into the life of others cannot keep it from themselves.

 

 

Amtul SuhailAmtul Suhail
South San Francisco, California
Executive director, Bright Horizons

Eagerness and Curiosity

My mother taught me never stop learning. I truly believe that the field of early childhood education has been consistently changing, and so are the needs of children and families. I want to be knowledgeable and well-informed. I read books, articles, journals and new research. My staff sees me as an experienced and well-rounded leader.

 

Helene SwartzHelene Swartz
Warwick, Pennsylvania
Senior program operations manager, The Malvern School

Vision

My vision for the field is that all children will have access to high-quality care and education regardless of culture, race, and economic status. For this to happen, the federal and state governments will need to support the field by increasing subsidy rates, viewing child care staff as professionals, providing access to affordable higher education, offering loan forgiveness and providing bonuses for education and retention, and ensuring regulations and state standards are being met. People are starting to realize the importance of early care and education and we need to continue to educate them.

 

Natalie WilliamsNatalie Williams
Clermont, Florida
Director of education, Miami Children’s Museum; host of the podcast, Early Childhood Preschool The Real Deal UNCUT

Personal Mantra

My personal mantra is, “Live a life worth talking about.” I want to ensure that who I am as a leader is someone worth talking about—and more about my work than me as an actual person. I want my legacy to reflect the hard work and dedication I put into making a difference in the lives of children and families.

 

Bernadette ZermenoBernadette Pilar Zermeno
Oakland, California
Coach/trainer/professor, SEEDS/Mills/Chabot College

Vision

My vision is to foster a love for exploration of who you are and what makes you you, in a space where teachers understand and know their privilege and power. As a Latinx woman born in the United States, I believe we need to learn about other cultures as powerful, not just as the other. I will continue to cultivate my skills to support teachers, empower families and develop a love for oneself in our children.

 

Author, Pam Boulton

Pam Boulton, Ed.D., is coordinator for the Exchange Leadership Initiative for Exchange magazine and is an instructor for the Center for Early Childhood Professional Development and Leadership in the University Wisconsin-Whitewater Department of Continuing Education. She focuses on leadership development in the early childhood field.

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