Commission’s Organizational Members

  • Dr. Debra Murphy

    ACCESS (Associate Degree Early Childhood Teacher Educators), Professor and Program Coordinator, Cape Cod Community College

  • Ariel Ford

    ChildCare Aware of America, Senior Vice President of Program Impact

  • Edith Locke

    Child Care Services Association (CCSA), T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center, Senior Vice President, Professional Development Initiatives

  • Dr. Peggy Kemp

    Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, Executive Director

  • Alexis Anicama

    Early Care and Education Consortium, Policy Analyst

  • Dr. Kimberlee Hendricks

    McCormick Institute for Early Childhood, Managing Director for the Center for Early Childhood Leadership

  • Michelle Kang

    National Association for the Education of Young Children, Chief Executive Officer

  • Erica Phillips

    National Association for Family Child Care, Executive Director

  • Dr. Pamela Evanshen

    National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE), President

  • Dr. Leah Austin

    National Black Child Development Institute, President and CEO

  • Dr. Shyrelle Eubanks, Chair of the Commission

    National Education Association, Senior Policy Analyst

  • Jennifer Rackliff

    National Indian Child Care Association, Executive Director

  • Dr. Kimberlee Belcher-Badal

    National Workforce Registry Alliance, Executive Director

  • Sarah LeMoine

    ZERO TO THREE, Senior Director, Professional Innovations Division

The Council for Professional Recognition was an original member of the Power to the Profession Task Force (2017-2020), which launched the consensus Unifying Framework, and was a founding member of the Commission on Professional Excellence in ECE, serving as an organizational member from 2020-2025. The Council stepped down from membership in February 2025 to avoid a conflict of interest and remains committed to the Commission’s vision and actively engaged in efforts to unify the early childhood education field.