Our team is passionate about improving the whole leadership skills of the early childhood workforce.

Our collective experience in early childhood leadership spans decades and continues to grow, as our reach and team expand.

Executive Leadership for the McCormick Institute

Kimberlee Burt-Hendricks
Managing Director, Center for Early Childhood Leadership
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3807
Lisa Downey
Executive Director
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3357
Leslie Layman
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3099
Teri Talan
Distinguished Professor of Practice
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3301
Xiaoli Wen
Director of Research
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3160
Kathy Wildman
Director of Finance & Operations
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5148

Leadership Team: Center for Early Childhood Leadership

Pearl Anzaldúa-Martínez
Director of Quality Assessment - City of Chicago
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3717
Erin Cetera
Director of Quality Assessment
Lisle Campus
(312) 261-3688
Robyn Kelton
Director of Program Design and Evaluation
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5698
Barbara Volpe
Director of Professional Learning
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5132

Center for Early Childhood Leadership Advisory Council

DeCarla Burton
Founder, Supporting Professionals Network Association (S.P.N.A.)
Marica Cox Mitchell
Senior Director, Early Childhood, Bainum Family Foundation
Geania Dickey
Consultant, Arkansas State University Childhood Services
Lynette M. Fraga
Consultant
Luis Hernandez
ECE Specialist, T/TAS, Western Kentucky University
Kristie Kauerz
Director, National P-3 Center, School of Education and Human Development, University of Colorado Denver
M.-A. Lucas
Principal, Lucas and Associates
Debi Mathias
Director of Early Childhood Education Quality Improvement Systems, BUILD Initiative
Bela Moté
President and Chief Executive Officer, Carole Robertson Center for Learning
Karen Ponder
Distinguished Fellow, The BUILD Initiative
Cindy Rojas-Rodriguez
Executive Director, Together4Children
Kathleen Villano
Project Director, The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning
Cass Wolfe
Chief Strategy Officer, Child Care Services Association

Operations

Sayra Calderon
Project & Office Coordinator
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3612
Cassandra Ibarra
Conference and Special Events Planner
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5277
Heather Knapp
Research Associate
Wheeling Campus
(847) 707-1073
Marissa McCloy
Communication & Design Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3352
Julieta Muñoz
LMS Manager
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5266
Sabrina Resendiz
Professional eLearning Assistant
Chicago Campus
(312)261-3341
Desiree Taylor
Professional eLearning Assistant
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3147
Jose M. Zavala
Technical Support Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3350

Professional Learning

Wendy Connell
Manager of Early Childhood Leadership Coaching
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4011
Iris Corral
Professional Learning Manager
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5683
Jane Humphries
Associate Director of Professional eLearning, Aim4Excellence
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5468
Jessica Iandola
Aim4Excellence eLearning Specialist & State Registry Coordinator
(847) 947-5794
Elizabeth Martel
Leadership Training Specialist
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5707
Lorena Rodriguez
Aim4Excellence Manager
Wheeling Campus
(847) 947-5054

Research, Evaluation, and Quality Supports

Isabel Landa
Quality Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4621
Isabella Luca
Administrative Assistant IV
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4039
Shuntae Richardson
Quality Supports Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5195
Paula Steffen
Quality Supports and Evaluation Manager
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4177
Irina Tenis
Data and Evaluation Coordinator
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4122
Yvonne Williams
Associate Director, Family Child Care Professional Learning
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5471

Quality Assessment

Natalia Ambrozek
Quality Assessment Coordinator
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3722
Esmeralda Arroyo
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5793
Kathy Lucas
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-4064
Pamela Costakis
Quality Assessment Manager
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4027
Michele Denton
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5778
Nadeen Friend
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle
(630) 874-4757
Jessica Garcia
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-4066
Katie Gaul
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3788
Maritza Guardado
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3885
Wendy Guerrero-Rivera
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5748
Sarah Hasan
Scheduling Coordinator
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4033
Angela Hendricks
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5776
Erin Herr
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4613
Hannah Heuft
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3854
Marissa Javier
Quality Assessment Coordinator
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3985
Sharon Lewis
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5264
Lindsay Miner
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4071
Cara Murdoch
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5648
Crystal Nino
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-4065
Samantha Parker
Report Review Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3730
Merlin Pero Soto
Report Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3331
Trisha Purdy
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(312) 261-3492
Catherine Rader
Quality Assessment Coordinator
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5764
Maricela Ramirez
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4641
Sharmeen Reyes
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3209
Sherry Rocha
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5607
Jasmine Ross
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3746
Kyra Rush-Ward
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3410
Daria Rymarzak
Report Specialist
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4034
Katherine Schmidt
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5199
Kara Smith
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3985
Jaclyn Stanton
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3831
Cristina Valadez
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(630) 874-4611
Nancy Vazquez-Caban
Assessor & Training Specialist
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5463
Santa Villarreal
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3418
Janet Villegas
Administrative Assistant IV
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3081
Michelle West
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3087
Migdalia Young
Quality Assessment Coordinator
Lisle Campus
(847) 947-5031
Melissa Zaragoza
Assessor & Training Specialist
Chicago Campus
(312) 261-3694

Careers

Join us, and use your skills to build a better future for children, one leader at a time.

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