“There’s a big push in Maryland, now,” Janiecka says “for people to earn their Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™.” State support for the CDA® is part of a long-term plan to provide child care for all, as set out in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. And Janiecka is helping to build the future now by guiding folks in earning their CDA. She’s expanding the pool of qualified early childhood teachers as a Head Start center manager at Community Action Council of Howard County, adjunct instructor at Community College of Baltimore County and Professional Development Specialist for the Council. “Getting a CDA is a way for early childhood teachers to prove they are professionals,” Janiecka explains. And she’s seen the value of their work during her 28 years in the ECE profession.
“What we do or say to the little folks and their families is very important,” Janiecka came to realize soon after she entered the early childhood field. “It was actually by accident,” she recalls, “since I was planning on becoming a nurse. Before that, I did a program to become a medical assistant. But when I completed the program, I was having trouble finding a job in the medical field. Meanwhile, I kept seeing ads for jobs in child care, so I did a couple of interviews, and I got hired. Then it turned out that I really enjoyed working in the early childhood field, so I earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Since then, I’ve continued my education and quickly moved up the ranks in my field,” Janiecka says.
And Janiecka credits a lot of her success to the people who’ve mentored her along the way. One of them was a lead teacher at the Young School, where Janiecka began her career as an assistant teacher. “Shortly after I started there,” Janiecka says, “she told me she was leaving and thought I should take over the classroom. So, she encouraged me to take the college courses that would qualify me for the job.” Now Janiecka teaches college courses, thanks to a supervisor who mentored her after she took a job at the Community Action Council in 2005. “She was working at the community college as an instructor and recommended me for the job after she decided to step back. Now I enjoy the chance to help rising teachers gain the knowledge they need,” Janiecka says. And she also enjoys the chances she’s had as a PDS to mentor people while assessing them for the CDA.
One candidate was a bus aide who Janiecka met while teaching at Community Action Council some years ago, before becoming a manager in 2019. “Nicole wanted to be a teacher,” Janiecka recalls, “so I invited her to visit the classroom and ask questions about what I was doing. This inspired her to go on and get her CDA so she could fulfill her goal. Years later, she asked me to do her observation and it was really rewarding to see Nicole in action while she interacted with the children,” Janiecka says. “Her performance in the classroom meant a lot to me since I had launched her on the journey to a career in early childhood education.”
And Sarah was also at the start of her climb to success when Janiecka met her. “She was an assistant teacher when she took an infant and toddler class with me at the community college,” Janiecka recalls, “and during our class discussions she talked about how much she was learning. Then five years later, she reached out and asked me to be her PD Specialist, so I went to observe her just a few months ago. It was wonderful watching Sarah bring to life some of the discussions that we had in class about building connections with children and helping them make transitions to different stages of growth.” And Sarah grew, too, because earning a CDA allowed her to become a lead teacher.
She was an older, nontraditional student like many of the people who Janiecka works with, and they often have fears about going to school. They also have other obligations like families and jobs, so Janiecka makes a conscious effort to put them at ease. “What I like to do is base my classes around discussions, instead of tests or quizzes,” she says. “One of the first things I tell them is that I’m not here to fail anybody. I’m here with the hope that you’ll leave me with more knowledge, and I think that makes them feel better,” Janiecka explains. And she can empathize with their concerns because she’s been there, too, as a working mom. “It took me a long time, to get my associate and bachelor’s degrees. But I managed, and now I’m working on my master’s degree in early childhood leadership and advocacy,” she says.
And she’s already showing her leadership skills as center manager at the Community Action Council since 2021. In her current role, she encourages staff members to earn their CDA, and several have succeeded despite their initial fears. “A lot of people feel intimidated,” she explains, “because they don’t completely understand what’s involved in earning the credential. But once they start working on a CDA, they realize it’s not such a difficult process. And I help by coaching them and introducing them to people who have already earned their credential.”
That includes a young woman who used to work as an assistant teacher in Janiecka’s program. “I did her observation when she earned her CDA, and now she works for us in HR,” Janiecka says. “And it’s memorable to watch people grow in the ECE field after earning their credential. The CDA is a steppingstone to professional advancement, and it may not always equate to staying in the classroom. There are other avenues you can take.” And Janiecka is committed to helping people explore the different career paths ahead by being encouraging and kind.
As a PD Specialist, she works hard to help candidates relax. “I know people are nervous when they go through observations,” she explains, “so I just let them know I understand how they feel. I tell them I’m still in the field and I’m not sitting here trying to judge you. I’m here to help you. We’re equals because we’re both professionals in ECE.”
And Maryland needs more people like this to carry out its blueprint to provide pre-K for all, so, Janiecka is spreading the word that Maryland will pay for people to earn their CDA. “I tell them there’s a grant that will help pay for your credential. There is financial assistance, so you don’t have to do this on your own like I did. And earning a CDA is a great way for people to learn about best practices in ECE,” Janiecka says. She knows that the success of Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future depends on having the best teachers it possibly can. “It’s important to have educated professionals,” she says, “in early childhood classrooms throughout the state.”
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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 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)
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.
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.
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