What inspired you to launch the Reimagine project? Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. (CM), Chief Executive Officer: I joined the Council when we were in the middle of the pandemic and needed to rebuild the early learning field. As I sought to meet the moment, I learned about design thinking, the approach Apple used to reinvent itself and stay ahead of its customers’ needs. Design thinking leads you to empathize with your users, define their needs, create a prototype and then repeatedly test. This was just what the Council needed to resolve current issues in the CDA® credentialing process—and prepare for those to come. The Council had to do more than deal with technology quirks and an overwhelmed call center that often lacked the answers candidates sought. In the face of the child care crisis, we had to build a system that would let us meet the booming need for qualified early childhood staff.
Beth Heeb (BH), Vice President of Quality Assurance and Research: We aim to ensure equity and access in the credentialing process through stellar customer service and seamless technology in all the systems our stakeholders use. Every one of them, from CDA candidates to PD Specialists, should have the support they need when engaging with us. Meeting their diverse needs is a big part of our commitment to equity as we serve candidates who speak a wide range of languages at work and come from a wide range of roles in the early childhood field. Their diverse needs are driving the redesign to make the CDA process easier and more efficient.
CM: I think I have a lot of empathy for the pain points candidates feel because I’m a CDA holder. I didn’t go through the current credentialing process, but I can identify with the feelings of frustration and fear some candidates have as they go through the steps of the CDA process. I braved it all, and I’m glad I did since my CDA flung open the doors of opportunity for me.
CM: When I earned my CDA in 1992, the credentialing process was longer, and the assessment involved more community members. At the same time, it was less formal since the Council has since required candidates to take an exam and put together a portfolio of resources to use while on the job. So, the steps candidates go through now differ from what I experienced myself. But I did face some of the same roadblocks, like needing more information and not being able to reach the right people. Like many CDA candidates, I earned the credential as a demand of my job. And the stakes may be higher for our educators now because more states are requiring a CDA—which makes it even more crucial for us to smooth the process from application to award.
CM: I was aware of the dynamic New Jersey consulting firm from working at the federal level and knew they had a lot of expertise that lined up with the issues we were facing. BCT had experience using data and technology to find solutions for clients. They were also well versed in the methods of design thinking, so they could serve as a seasoned guide to the approach.
BH: We wanted to reimagine the CDA process through the lens of the people we serve, so we sent out surveys and held focus groups to get our stakeholders’ feedback. The data we received from more than 5,000 stakeholders led us to respond with potential answers to the hitches they faced at different points in the CDA process. Then we presented these ideas to those in the field and their feedback determined the issues we should address first, such as providing an electronic portfolio and offering remote CDA exams. These innovations will be featured in YourCouncil 2.0, a new system we’re designing with our customers’ feedback foremost in mind.
Abena Ocran-Jackson (AOJ), VP of Credentialing: The new streamlined platform will provide an integrated CDA professional portfolio, an option for virtual verification visits and more access to information. It will offer a PD Specialist matching process to make it simpler to schedule assessments. The system will connect our credentialing team with our call center, so people can promptly get the information they need, instead of facing long waits on the phone. And it will provide links for candidates to connect with training organizations for the coursework they need.
Andrew Davis (AD), Chief Operating Officer: One way we’re doing this is by urging CDA candidates to start the credentialing process with us instead of a trainer. Having candidates connect with us first will cut down on the confusion some feel after taking their classes and gaining their experience hours, then going on to the assessment and exam. So, we’ll have candidates preregister with us when they take their first class, and we’ll track them as they continue toward the finish line. We’ll also be rolling out standards and rating trainers on how well they help candidates succeed. Transparency is our goal as we work to make the process more seamless.
AD: We’re striving to scale up a system that wasn’t meant to handle today’s demands. In 1975, 12 people received those first CDAs. Now we’re awarding nearly 50,000 CDAs a year, and we’ve managed to do that by tweaking the CDA process over time. Now we’re ramping up for a future in which we can sustain twice our current volume. Delivering on that promise requires wholesale system changes, a complex process that involves many intertwined parts. So, we found that we had to make more changes while moving through the full cycle of innovation.
CM: I recently made a presentation to CDA stakeholders at a conference, and they told me that the innovations we’re making are spot on, including how we’re making it easier to reach the Council. A few people even phoned the call center and told me they only waited five minutes for a response, instead of the two hours they had sometimes waited in the past.
CM: Scaling up the scope of the CDA will allow more educators to get credit for the great work they do. Earning a CDA helps launch our educators on careers and provides them with new pathways to success, the point of our credential since its start nearly 50 years ago. This legacy of service to the early childhood field inspires the Council as we move to the next stage in the history of the CDA and make bold innovations to lift more educators up. Our motto is Now, New, Next as we reimagine the CDA to meet the demands of today and tomorrow.
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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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