Durham PreK Governance Committee
The Durham PreK Governance Committee serves to provide vision and direction to the Durham County preschool expansion effort. In June 2018, Durham County Commissioners voted to support and fund the creation of a system designed to expand opportunities for all 4-year-old children in Durham to attend high-quality early learning programs. Durham PreK focuses on providing families access to preschool programs meeting the highest standards for early learning. The Governance Committee is involved in advising and approving plans, strategies, standards and policies for Durham PreK. Content-specific advisory committees with wider membership/participation support particular focus areas requiring more intensive engagement and input. The intent of the Governance Committee and its advisory committees is to establish an inclusive, community-driven initiative that will enhance public will and engagement and strengthen the resulting system of preschool services developed through the initiative.
Meetings
The Durham PreK program is governed by the NC Child Care Rules, the NC open meetings law, the NC public records law, the NC State Board of Education Policy (Educator Licensure and Teacher Evaluation), the NC Pre-K Program Requirements & Guidance Manual, the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development and the NC Pre-K Program Fiscal and Contracts Manual, and the Durham PreK Program Requirements. These documents may be downloaded from the Division of Child Development and Early Education website and the Durham PreK website. Meetings will be livestreamed for public viewing on YouTube. Please check below for the link at the start of each scheduled meeting.
Governance Committee Member Portal
Governance Committee members can find all meeting materials, the zoom link, and supporting documents.
Dr. Iheoma Iruka
Governance Committee Chair
Research Professor of Public Policy; Fellow and Early Childhood Health and Racial Equity Program Director, FPG
Dr. Iheoma Iruka
Governance Committee Chair
Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is the Chief Research Innovation Officer and Director of The Center for Early Education Research and Evaluation at HighScope Educational Research Foundation after tenure at FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the Buffett Institute at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Iruka is engaged in projects and initiatives focused on how evidence informed policies, systems, and practices in early education can support the optimal development and experiences of low-income and ethnic minority children, such as through family engagement and support, quality rating and improvement systems, and early care and education systems and programs. She has been engaged in addressing how best to ensure excellence for young diverse learners, especially Black children, such as through development of a classroom observation measure, examination of nontraditional pedagogical approaches, public policies, and publications geared towards early education practitioners and policymakers. Dr. Iruka has served or serves on numerous national boards and committees, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees on Supporting Parents of Young Children, and Applying Neurobiological and Socio-behavioral Sciences from Prenatal through Early Childhood Development: A Health Equity Approach.
Listen to her recent interview with Frank Stasio on WUNC’s State of Things here.
Leigh Bordley
Vice-Chair
Executive Director, LEAP Academy
Leigh Bordley
Vice-Chair
Ms. Bordley has over twenty-five years of experience working with nonprofits on a variety of social justice issues. She graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 1983. She holds a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland (1986). She has worked for a variety of nonprofits addressing racism, literacy and poverty, including Frankford Human Relations Coalition and Literacy South. In 1998, she founded Partners for Youth, a multi-year intensive mentoring program, which pairs low-income teens with teams of mentors to support their graduation from high school and college. She led the organization for thirteen years. From June 2008-2016, she served as the At-Large Representative to the Board of Education for Durham Public Schools. In July 2012, she joined LEAP as the Executive Director. Ms. Bordley is motivated by the power of education to create a more just and peaceful world.
Dr. Wykeshia Glass
Secretary
Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Human Sciences at North Carolina Central University
Dr. Wykeshia Glass
Secretary
Wykeshia Glass, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Human Sciences at North Carolina Central University, received her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from Alcorn State University and Master of Science and Doctorate degree in Early Childhood Education from Jackson State University. As an Assistant Professor at North Carolina Central University, Dr. Glass teaches undergraduate, graduate, and online courses, advises graduate students, engages in scholarly research and professional development, serves on departmental committees, and completes other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the chair or dean.
Deric Boston
Director of Head Start for Families and Communities Rising, Inc.
Deric Boston
Deric holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work as well as a BS in Education from The Citadel. He began his career engaged with families and children in Therapeutic Foster Care in 1993 where he gained broad experience working with foster care and adoptions, family systems, and persons in their environment. Upon graduating with his Master’s Degree in 2004, he began working with biological families in Multisystem Therapy to broaden the foundation of working with multiple systems impacting families before being trained and working in Young Child Mental Health. Deric’s work has also included working with parenting issues, marital problems, and adults in individual therapy.
Deric specializes in the treatment of children ages 2-18 with social-emotional difficulties related trauma, adoption, foster care, placement, autistic spectrum disorders, attachment disruptions and substance abuse using a variety of therapeutic methods. He has over 15 years’ experience working with children and their families in the office, home, school, and community settings. He is trained in Play Therapy, Floor-Time, Multisystem Therapy (MST), and Trauma Focused Therapy. Deric works in Private Practice in the Triangle area and serves as part time faculty in the School of Social Work at North Carolina State University teaching direct practice courses.
Deric also works in couples/marriage counseling, stress, anxiety, sadness, depression, & anger, intimacy, communication, & conflict management, life direction, spirituality and meaning.
Xavier Cason
I practically grew up playing instruments in my father's band room and helping my mother design bulletin boards in her elementary classroom. It surprised no one that I spent most of my career as a music educator, first at Whiteville Middle School in Columbus County, NC in 1987, and later in Durham at NC Central University (1989-1997) and Hillside High School (1997-2012). I could not retire without paying homage to my mom's elementary work, so I also spent two years as an elementary music teacher at Bethesda Elementary School in Durham. It was at the elementary level that I clearly understood the foundational importance of early education. My favorite grade to teach was kindergarten. The daily outpouring of potential and curiosity was indescribable, and yet, so was the stark disparity among students as it related to school readiness.
My elementary teaching experience greatly influenced my first post-retirement goal, winning a seat on the Durham Public Schools Board of Education in 2016. While I worked as a board member to protect and prioritize early education, a change occurred at the presentation of the State of Durham's Young Children's Report. After the event, I volunteered to step up and take a more direct role in addressing young children's lived experiences before they arrive at school.
As Co-Chairs of a K-3 task force related to the report, County Commissioner Heidi Carter and I joined several early education initiatives, including the Early Education Action Circle, the DPS Community Schools Institutional Support Team, and Durham's Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. Stepping off the Board of Education, I took on the Community Schools initiative's Directorship in July of 2020 and have recently joined Durham's Early Childhood Action Plan Education Workgroup. I spoke earlier about my first post-retirement goal. My second post-retirement goal began in 2018 as a Ph.D. student in Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis at NC State University. I am currently in my last semester of classes and look forward to starting the dissertation phase with an eye on homeless education policy, which currently has a limited definition of what is and is not a preschool.
My time as a member of the DPS board of education was concurrent with my early education committee work. In many ways, both activities grounded me in the work of public/private partnerships, such as the complexities of collaboration and a focus on strategic planning and designing policies around community values. I have been an advocate for Pre-K expansion in Durham Public Schools and connecting high standards for early learning with the need for better pay and equitable educational opportunities for early education professionals. In any public-facing work I do, I will always seek out and prioritize the voices of those most affected by policy decisions.
Xavier Cason
Durham Public Schools Foundation Director of Community Schools and School Transformation
Cathy Collie-Robinson
Early Childhood Program Director, Durham Technical Community College
Cathy Collie-Robinson
Cathy Collie-Robinson is an early childhood professional with over 25 years of experience. Her professional experiences include Preschool Teacher in a variety of settings across multiple states, Technical Assistance Provider with a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, Head Start/Early Head Start Education Coordinator, Community College Instructor, and currently the Director of the Early Childhood Program at Durham Technical Community College. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Child Development and Family Life from Radford University and a Master of Education Degree with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Towson University.
Kate Goodwin
Owner of Kate’s Korner Educational Services LLC
Kate Goodwin
Kezia “Kate” Goodwin, a single-mom of three and grandmother of 2, is an Entrepreneur, Advocate and 34-year veteran in Early Childhood Education Operations and Management.
Kezia has served as a company leader for the YMCA, Head Start and KinderCare Education. She leverages her decades of leadership experience in early childhood education, along with her entrepreneurial spirit, to create a new model that builds access to equitable learning experiences powered by the strength of community. Her passionate advocacy for teachers to be compensated fairly and given the tools that prepare them for the classroom are key to ensuring this model of early education and care is successful.
Kate is the Founder and President of Truth Education Foundation, a non-profit research and development organization that focuses on educational justice, as well as the Owner of Kate’s Korner Education Service and Kate’s Korner Learning Center.
Dr. Nakia Hardy
Deputy Superintendent of Durham Public Schools
Dr. Nakia Hardy
Dr. Nakia Hardy began her role as Deputy Superintendent of Durham Public Schools in January 2018. Since that time, she has led efforts in the creation of the District Strategic Plan and in developing and supporting a culture of academic excellence. She leads Academic Services including the Office of Early Education and oversees Assistant Superintendents (Principal Supervisors) who directly support and supervise the district’s school principals.
Nakia chose teaching as a career and earned the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship. She attended Appalachian State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She taught High School Chemistry from 1998-2003 at Page High School in Greensboro North Carolina. She received both her Master’s in School Administration and Doctorate in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She served as Principal at Broadview Middle School from 2005-2009.
Beginning in 2009 she served as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction with Rockingham County Schools. She joined Baltimore City Schools as Executive Director for Teaching and Learning in January 2014. Prior to joining DPS, Dr. Hardy served as the Chief Academic Officer for Guilford County Schools. In every district leadership role, Nakia has been directly responsible for improving early learning opportunities for children. She believes in providing high-quality, engaging early learning opportunities for each and every youngster. This builds a strong foundation for every child to ignite their limitless potential.
In her free time, Nakia enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and watching QVC.
Sharon Hirsch
CEO & President, Prevent Child Abuse NC
Michelle Lyn
Chief of the Duke Division of Community Health, Community & Family Medicine Department;
Co-Director of Duke Center for Community and Population Health Improvement;
and Leadership Faculty for the Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program
Michelle Lyn
Michelle J. Lyn, MBA, MHA is an Assistant Professor and Chief of the Division of Community Health in the Duke Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. She is also the Co-Director of the Duke Center for Community and Population Health Improvement of the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute, as well as the Lead for Community Health Initiatives in the Duke Population Health Management Office.
Ms. Lyn’s multi-decade career has focused on building and sustaining community-engaged, cross-sectoral care delivery models, educational programs, and research initiatives at the intersection of health, equity, and community. She has implemented many long-standing collaborative care models, including a six-county Medicaid care management network (NPCC); the Local Access to Coordinated Healthcare (LATCH) program serving uninsured Durham residents; three neighborhood primary care clinics serving under- and uninsured; a school-based health clinic; and the Just for Us Program which cares for chronically ill homebound seniors in their homes.
Ms. Lyn’s work in education serves a wide expanse of learners, from undergraduate health professions students to post-doctoral fellows and practicing clinicians. She has led the development of and/or holds leadership roles in a variety of education programs, including the Duke Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Leadership; the Community Health Elective in the Duke School of Medicine; the Duke-J&J Nurse Leadership Program; the Duke-National Clinician Scholars Program; and a HRSA funded Duke Primary Care Transformation Fellowship for Physicians and Physician Assistants.
Ms. Lyn’s has also held key roles in research initiatives, including Duke’s Clinical and Translational Science Awards and a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Community Engagement Award.
In addition to her roles in the development of innovative care models, education programs, and research initiatives, Ms. Lyn leads the Community Health Needs Assessment and Responsive Strategic Planning Process for the Duke University Health System.
Beth Messersmith
Mom’s Rising
Michael D. Page
Board Chair, Durham's Partnership for Children
Kimberly Sowell
Durham County Manager
Kimberly Sowell
Dr. Sowell took over the reins as the eighth Durham County Manager in mid-March of 2022. A North Carolina native, she comes to the community after a successful stint as Assistant City Manager in Greensboro. Prior to that, Dr. Sowell worked in both the corporate and academic worlds.
Joy Spencer
Executive Director, Equity Before Birth
Joy Spencer
I am a mom of a 4 year old who is currently enrolled in Durham's PreK program; early education is extremely important to me and a current priority in my household. I am also a community advocate who prioritizes authentic community engagement and racial equity. I work with families daily, in many capacities and have extreme passion for enhancing the ability for all families to thrive. Education can be a bridge that opens many opportunities.
June Shillito
Director of Yates Baptist Child Development Center
June Shillito
June Shillito is the Director of a local 5 star, NAEYC accredited child care facility (www.yatescdc.org). She has worked in the early childhood field for more than 25 years, first as a teacher and later as an administrator. She has a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from UNCG and a M.Ed from UNC in Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support. The center she directs is hoping to become a Durham PreK site within the next year. She is passionately committed to improving quality in early childhood programs and to ensuring that early childhood staff are respected and valued for the work that they do. June would like to see our community ensure that every young child has the opportunity to attend a quality child care program and that this is made affordable for all families, regardless of income. The work that early educators do every day is now seen as being an essential service. Without early childhood personnel, many families would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to go to work. She is honored to serve on the Durham Pre-K Governance Committee and to be a part of this initiative.
Darnella Warthen
Owner and Director of A New Beginning I, II, III and IV
Darnella Warthen
Darnella Warthen, MS, MAT is the Founder and Owner of ANB Early Care and Education, LLC, Break Out, LLC and Legacy Elite Transportation Services, LLC.
ANB Early Care and Education, LLC operates four 5-star childcare centers in Durham County that provide quality childcare for children of all ethnicities, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Darnella is a leader in the local community having served 28 years in various positions, such as Executive Director of Durham’s Alliance for Childcare Access, Program Manager for Childcare-Durham County Department of Social Services, Executive Director for First Presbyterian Day School, Minority Business Owner, and Online Pastor for the River Church. Throughout her platforms, she uses her influence to bring about systemic change, economic empowerment and better outcomes for disenfranchised children and families.
Non-Voting Members
Dr. Linda Chappel
Senior Vice President of CCSA
Dr. Linda Chappel
Linda Chappel is Sr. Vice-President, Triangle Area Child Care Resource and Referral Services, for Child Care Services Association (CCSA), a Triangle based non-profit with local, statewide and national innovative programs designed to strengthen the early care and education system. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership and masters in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has over thirty years of experience in early education and youth development. In her role at CCSA, Dr. Chappel leads early education quality improvement initiatives, professional development activities and consumer education and referral services in a region which includes Durham, Orange, and Wake counties.
Linda sites leadership of the Durham PreK project as the most transformative passion project in her portfolio of responsibility at CCSA. In 2016, she co-chaired Durham’s Community Early Education/ Preschool Task Force, a volunteer group of over 50 community members tasked by resolution of Durham’s school board, county commission and city council to develop a plan to serve all 3- and 4-year-olds in Durham County in high-quality preschool by 2023. Since 2018, Linda has spearheaded Durham PreK’s development to grow a multi-agency collaborative guided by the Governance Committee, parents, families and early childhood educators.
Before focusing on expanding and improving early education systems and increasing access to affordable, high quality pre-kindergarten and child care for all children, Linda spent two decades in the public school arena working on community school models focused on parent and family engagement and extended learning opportunities for traditionally under-served youth.
Cate Elander
Durham County Early Childhood Coordinator at Durham County Government
Cate Elander
Cate Elander is Durham County’s Early Childhood Coordinator, where she focuses on aligning the County’s approach to early childhood programming and investment birth to eight and strengthening County collaboration with early childhood systems building efforts. She also serves on a number of Durham and regional committees focused on early childhood education, family support, and maternal and infant health. She is working closely with the Durham Children’s Initiative and other stakeholders in the development of an Early Childhood Action Plan for Durham. Before joining Durham County, as a Program Director at MDC, Cate spent four years providing strategic guidance and implementation support to initiatives focused on early childhood systems-building, family economic security, and equity in education in North Carolina. Earlier in her career, her roles as a community organizer, home visitor, and outreach coordinator at community-based organizations in Durham, Delaware, and New York strengthened her commitments to family engagement and racial and economic justice. Cate has an MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware and a BA in American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Danielle Johnson
Executive Director of Durham’s Partnership for Children
Dr. Danielle Johnson
Danielle Johnson is the newly appointed Executive Director for Durham’s Partnership for Children. She is an advocate for high quality, accessible, and inclusive early childhood education that honors the diversity of families’ experiences and honors parents’ visions of success for their children. Danielle brings more than 20 years of increasingly responsible program and systems development as well as early childhood leadership experience. Starting in New York City and now in North Carolina’s Triangle and Triad regions, Danielle has taught and trained educators and administrators seeking to make a lasting impact on the families and communities they serve. Following a successful tenure as the NC Pre-K Manager, Danielle was promoted to the role of Director of Early Childhood Systems at Durham’s Partnership for Children in 2016. She was responsible for providing oversight for programs including Smart Start, Early Head Start, NC Pre-K, Transition to Kindergarten, and other collective impact community initiatives that help the Partnership achieve its mission that every child enters school healthy and ready to learn. Danielle is an author and award-winning adjunct instructor at Durham Technical Community College. She is a sought-after presenter and facilitator at national conferences, with special connections to the early childhood movement in Ghana, West Africa. She received a Master’s in Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (2016) and a Master’s in Public Health from Hunter College, City University of New York (2005). Danielle is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Dr. Kristi Snuggs
President of CCSA
Dr. Kristi Snuggs
Dr. Kristi Lee Snuggs is the President of Child Care Services Association (CCSA). She began in career in 1994 with the NC Community College System where she served as Early Childhood Instructor, Department Chair and Director of the College’s Child Development Center Laboratory.
In 2001, Dr. Snuggs became an Educational Consultant with the North Carolina Community College System Office. Dr. Snuggs has held progressively higher leadership positions serving as the Vice President of Instruction/Chief Academic Officer with Edgecombe Community College, the Child Development Division Director of NEED, Inc. She joined the Division of Child Development and Early Education in January of 2018 as the Deputy Director.
Dr. Snuggs received her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from East Carolina University in Greenville and her master’s in Child and Family Development and bachelor’s degrees from Appalachian State University in Boone. Dr. Snuggs is married to Phillip and has two daughters, Kali and Keslee.
Tammorah Mathis
Director of Durham PreK
Tammorah Mathis
Prior to serving as the Durham PreK Director, Tammorah served as the Director of Afterschool Programs for Orange County Schools in the School Community Relations Department. She was previously with the NC Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI), Federal Programs Monitoring and Support Division, as a Program Administrator for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program.
Tammorah shares that she thoroughly enjoys her career working with programs, students and families, along with networking with other entities who are engaged with positive youth development. She is a native of Bladen County, NC via Fort Benning, Georgia. Prior to joining NC DPI, she served as the Dean of Students and Response to Instruction (RtI) Administrator at W.G. Pearson Elementary School in Durham Public Schools.
Tammorah has over 20 years of experience supporting young people in Out-of-School Time Programs beginning with middle school programs in Durham Public Schools. She has instructional leadership experience as an exceptional children’s teacher and worked earlier in various support roles as a classroom assistant, bus driver, cafeteria staff member, out-of-school time group leader, volunteer and member of the PTA for over 25 years across North Carolina.
Tammorah currently serves as the Co-Chair of the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs Advisory Board. She earned a Master’s Degree in School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an undergraduate degree in Political Science, with a concentration in Public Administration, from North Carolina Central University.
Non-Voting Resource Members
Brittany K Gregory
MPA, Durham’s Partnership for Children, Director of Programs
Brittany K. Gregory
Monnie Griggs
Child Care Services Association, Senior Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives for Early Learning
Michelle Hearon
Child Care Services Association, Senior Director for Scholarship Program
Michelle Hearon
Michelle Hearon previously worked for the Smart Start Partnership for Children of Cumberland County as the Child Care Resource & Referral services for Anson, Cumberland, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, and Scotland Counties. She provided oversight for their child care financial assistance program, the NC Pre-K program, and their teams in the Healthy Social Behavioirs, Infant Toddler, and School-Age projects.
"I started my career in Early Care and Education in March 2001. Throughout this time, I’ve had the honor of working with many wonderful families of young children. The most gratifying part of my career has come from helping families afford quality child care. In addition to this impactful work, I enjoy spending time with my family, and if I can do that on a beach, that is even better. I am so excited to join the CCSA team to continue my journey of helping families with their child care needs. I cannot wait to be part of the fantastic work done by CCSA."
Jena Fuchs
Child Care Services Association, Sr. Manager, Durham PreK
Jena Fuchs
Durham PreK Manager
My name is Jena Fuchs. I was born and raised in the Finger Lakes region of upstate NY. I’ve been working in the human services field for 16 years. I began right out of high school, working at the Boys & Girls Club I attended as a kid. After earning a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a focus in Child Advocacy from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, I went on to work in a residential setting with teens before landing a leadership role with Geneva City School District’s Head Start/PreK program.
I quickly realized how much I enjoy being on the preventive end of supporting children. In my 8 years with Geneva Head Start/PreK, I developed a deep passion for Early Childhood Education and an appreciation for the holistic approach taken by high quality ECE programs. I strongly believe that building meaningful relationships with families and a strong sense of community is integral to the success of children and the efficacy of ECE programs. I’m honored to be a part of the Durham PreK team and its many efforts to provide high quality programming to Durham’s youngest learners.
Governance Meeting Agendas and Notes
All agendas, approved notes, and recordings (when available) for the Durham PreK Governance Committee Meetings will be posted below by date.