Janine Bacquie is a dedicated leader with a passion for supporting issues surrounding the care and education of young children and advancing the achievement of all children. She has extensive experience in birth to five issues, teaching and learning, educational leadership, community and parent outreach, program development and management and data analysis at local, state, and national circles. Janine’s experience is extensive. Janine is currently the Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future Coordinator at the Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County. Previously, she served as the Program Director of the Judy Center Early Childhood Partnership at Cradlerock Elementary School in Howard County Public Schools, Director of Early Childhood Policy and Practice, Key Liaison to the Black Community Crusade for Children at the Children’s Defense Fund and Division Director of Early Childhood Programs and Services in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Lisa Davis is a proud educator in the Howard County Public School System. She earned her BA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Frostburg State University, her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Maryland College, and her Administration & Supervision certification from Johns Hopkins University. She began her career in education 31 years ago. She spent 11 years in the classroom- teaching Pre-K, kindergarten and second grade- before becoming an elementary science/mathematics resource teacher. She then served as an assistant principal before moving to the Office of Early Childhood Programs. She served as Coordinator of that office for 12 years, and is extremely proud of the work done within and outside of HCPSS to affect positive change in the early childhood community. She has spent the last several years as the Director of Program Innovation and Student Well-Being for the school system.
Stephanie Geddie is a member of the Inaugural 2019 Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program cohort. As a member of MECLP, she has facilitated a webinar, Rebirth of Building Blocks Network: Supporting the Transition to Formal School, participated in Leadership in Action: A Conversation about Equity series, and attended MECLP Cohort II capstone project celebration. Stephanie has over two decades of experience working in early childhood. She has 19 years of classroom teaching experience. Stephanie has supported her school community in other roles such as a Title I Point of Contact and reading interventionist. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Alabama State University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University. Stephanie holds certificates in Leadership in Family, School, & Community Collaboration and Administration & Supervision. Stephanie is the co-founder of Building Blocks Network, a parent outreach program that helps to empower families to take an active role in their child’s learning. Stephanie currently works as the Instructional Facilitator for Early Childhood Programs for Howard County Public School System.
Jacky Howell, MA has almost 50 years of experience as an early childhood teacher, coach, and administrator. In addition, she has over 30 years’ experience as a course instructor and presenter on topics related to early childhood development and curriculum. She is a published author with her book, Rituals and Traditions: Fostering a Sense of Community in Preschool. She has published many articles in early education journals and is at work on her second book. She received her Master’s degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College. Currently she is a coach, mentor, and presenter and works with a variety of programs in the DC Metro Area as well as across the country. She has done webinars, and workshops and presentations locally and nationally. Jacky believes strongly that all children deserve the highest quality early childhood experience and strives to work with others in creating places worthy of young children, families, and staff.
Tracy Jost is an Early Childhood Education Policy Specialist at the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Rutgers University. NIEER’s work includes the State of Preschool Yearbook, CityHealth preschool programs ranking, research on special education, Head Start, and effective State Offices of Early Learning. Previously she worked as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes. There she worked on CEELO’s Leadership Academy, the Cost of PreK Quality, early childhood technical assistance to State Education Agencies, conferences, and financing think tanks. She is a former Education Program Specialist at Maryland State Department of Education. She managed a Federal & State Preschool Development Grant, a Family Support Grant and a Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant childcare developmental screening initiative. For fifteen years, Tracy was the founder and Owner of Kid’s Campus Early Learning Center. She was one of 8 National fellows to be selected for CEELO’s 2015-2016 Leadership Academy. Tracy holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Education Public Policy & Masters of Education from Towson University and Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies from the University of Maryland.
Jana Martella is Senior Advisor at the Education Development Center (EDC) where she served as a partner in the Preschool Development Grant Birth-to-Five Technical Assistance Center (PDG B-5 TA) and for seven years, co-directed the USED-sponsored Comprehensive TA Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO). At CEELO her primary work was overseeing the delivery of technical assistance and policy guidance to state offices of early learning, working with CEELO staff, partners, and experts to advance state early childhood education and development, improving the coordination of resources and policies across statewide child and family serving systems. Her professional efforts have engaged her in multiple and diverse project management and leadership, training and capacity building for policy development, collaboration, and systems improvement. Among the projects Jana led at CEELO was the CEELO Leadership Academy which provided six cohorts of state early childhood leaders with intensive year-long training in effectively shepherding and improving systems serving young children.
Ms. Martella is a frequent author, blog writer and commentator on early education and has been key-note speaker and presenter at national, state and community conferences. She has served on several boards and advisory committees, managing collaboratives, peer exchanges and academies, and providing support and leadership for a number of collective action efforts and networked improvement communities. As board member to High Scope and other organizations she has helped steer largescale operations in early childhood. Prior to joining EDC, Martella was the executive director of the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS-SDE) providing leadership and support to states and organizations on early childhood initiatives. She holds masters’ degrees from Johns Hopkins University and San Diego State University and an undergraduate degree from Pepperdine University.
Dr. Gilda Martinez-Alba is the Assistant Dean in the College of Education at Towson University (TU), where she has worked for the past 15 years. She has developed and led mentoring programs for students, faculty, and staff while at TU. Her research revolves around asset-based literacy instruction for Multilingual Learners (MLs) integrating technology and social-emotional learning. It is reflected in her publications, for example, English U.S.A. Every Day, which has sold over 5,000 copies around the world, and most recently Social-Emotional Learning in the English Language Classroom, which was just published through TESOL Press. Prior to working at TU, she worked as a Reading Specialist supporting MLs and their families for 5 years at the Center for Reading Excellence (a partnership between the Johns Hopkins University, Maryland State Department of Education, and Kennedy Krieger Institute), and as an elementary classroom teacher for 4 years in Howard County.
Steve Rohde is an independent consultant and trainer. Steve has a B.S. and a M.Ed. In Early Childhood Education from Towson University, as well as an Executive Certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from Notre Dame University’s Mendoza Business School. Steve had been an early childhood classroom teacher, a child care center director, a licensing worker and administrator at the municipal, county and state levels. Steve was Director of Training and Technical Assistance and then Acting Executive Director for Maryland Committee for Children. Steve was also Board President for Child Care Aware of America as well as adjunct faculty at Stevenson University for five years. Steve recently was Deputy Director for Resource and Referral at Maryland Family Network. Steve has a lifelong interest in adults as learners as well as policies impacting young children and their families.
Debbie Yare now retired, previously worked for the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services for 27 years. In her position as Program Manager of the Office of Children and Families, she planned programs and events for parents and child care professionals. Her responsibilities also included oversight of the training and capacity building function of the Howard County Child Care Resource Center. She managed the CARE Line, an information and assistance program for families and children in Howard County. She is served as Co-Chair of the Howard County Early Childhood Advisory Board and was on numerous boards and committees in the County. She is an advocate for services that benefit parents, children and caregivers in Howard County.